Reviewed by Emma Crowley
Malta, 1943. The war in the air above Malta is over, but the battle for Europe is about to begin.
Margarita, a young singer in a Valletta nightclub, has seen her former lover Henry Dunn only once since breaking off their affair. His wife Vera, an enigmatic archaeologist, arrives at the club to tell her that Henry has disappeared, presumed dead. While investigating, Margarita stumbles upon the hunt for a notorious and dangerous spy: Nero.
As an unlikely bond develops between the two women, and strange secrets emerge, an urgent quest to unmask Nero starts - before he can enact a deadly plan that may threaten the course of the war.
Book Challenge: #24in24 24 countries in 2024: Book Five - Malta
Many thanks to Bonnier Books via NetGalley for my copy of Secrets of Malta to review and to Sharon for having my review on the blog.
Cecily Blench was a new author to me prior to reading Secrets of Malta but after finishing this brilliant book she is definitely on my reading radar. I will certainly be looking out for more books by her in the future and I will make sure to go back and read her debut, The Long Journey Home, at some stage. The various settings throughout the book, Malta, Syria and Italy come alive off the pages thanks to the vivid, evocative and detailed descriptions from the author and all this adds to the fantastic plot which has you guessing and on the edge of your seat right until the final turn of the page. Never having been to any of the aforementioned countries, I felt through the glorious descriptions that I was there with the characters Vera and Margarita and I could picture where they were and what they were doing so clearly in my head. The heat, the smells, the vistas and the danger they were experiencing radiated from the pages and combined with a very clever and expertly devised plot I was hooked from beginning to end.
Secrets of Malta is a dual timeline story set in 1926 in Syria and 1943 in Malta. The plot deftly moves back and forth between the two periods and the reader can never take anything at face value although it took me some time to realise this as I thought I had it all figured out at the halfway point when in fact I was completely and utterly wrong. To be honest, I was thinking how can the author have given it away especially as there was over half of the book still to go? I was pleasantly surprised to have been incorrect and in fact it only added to my enjoyment of the story and had me turning the pages even quicker than I already had been. Clichéd as it may seem this was a real page turner packed with so many twists and red herrings that you needed to have your wits about you in order to connect the dots to uncover the truth as to what was actually going on. Even reading the final page will bring a smile to your face as it was so cleverly done and to be honest in my mind it did leave room for a sequel if the author wished to write one as I feel there is a certain character who still has a lot more to share.
It’s very difficult to say much about this book without giving away key details that would ruin the plot and spoil the enjoyment for others but suffice to say it is detailed and complex and the characters are playing an elaborate game in which they are players and pawns being moved around on the board in a much bigger game. That being World War Two. Intelligence, secrets, mystery, danger, allegiances and punishments are all themes that feature heavily and with one misstep the whole game could be up for anyone involved. I felt I was on a rollercoaster ride with numerous ups and downs where things veered off in one direction only for one statement to have it change gear and have me venture to a completely different mindset and opinion. I think that’s why I loved this book so much. The fact that I never knew what was going to happen. It wasn’t predictable in any sense of the word and absolutely no one could be trusted. It was completely different from any of the WW2 books that I have read recently and it is so refreshing to read something new and exciting in a genre that I tend too read too much of and at times I can become fatigued with.
March 1943, Whitehall, London. There is information that there is a leak within the intelligence system in Malta. A German spy named Nero who has evaded capture for decades is once again at play and with the reinvasion of Europe on the horizon the British can’t afford to have a double agent within their midst especially one as dangerous as Nero. Nero is infamous within the intelligence circles and has great power and the capability of assuming many faces. He is ruthless, ambitious and a master spy who must be stopped before he can wreak even more havoc. Dennis Pratchett is sent to Malta to investigate and there he meets Roger Wilson who takes things personally as he has a son away interned in Asia. The pair set about uncovering who Nero could be and with the ultimate goal of capturing him once and for all.I felt there was a certain aspect to Pratchett’s storyline that was there and eluded to but never developed more even though I wanted it to. It was so tantalising within reach but there were several factors stopping it from occurring. Even by the end of the book, I was still wishing that this could and would occur but I was left slightly disappointed. Not that it ruined the story at all as it was only a small part but still I was desperate for it to happen.
Margarita works in the Phoenix Club in Valetta as the island slowly starts to get over the bombardment it suffered from the Germans. The war is far from over and danger lurks around every corner but there is a sense that a small breather can be taken whilst continuing with war work and protecting the citizens of Malta. Margarita is a civilian trying to earn a living but she quickly becomes caught up in the web that develops fairly quickly over the first quarter of the book. She is engaged to Arthur who is away on a submarine. She lives in constant fear that he will be taken from her and things get personal very quickly as she becomes embroiled in the dangerous manhunt for Nero. Initially, there is an air of innocence surrounding Margarita but that quickly changes once she realises the importance and the danger of what she becomes caught up in. Her former lover Henry with whom she had an affair with not realising that he was married has gone missing. Has he been kidnapped or murdered?
Henry’s wife Vera, a prominent archaeologist, comes looking for answers and right from the moment Margarita meets her she is drawn to his woman who has such an intriguing and enigmatic aura surrounding her. Just what is Vera up to as there is clearly a lot more to her than meets the eye. Who is she working for and the fact she doesn’t seem to be torn apart with anguish as to the whereabouts of her husband has Margarita questioning just what is going on? The reader quickly comes to understand that there is a lot more going on than the disappearance of a man and that questions need to be asked and fast as soon everything is spiralling out of control and Margarita is involved in something much bigger than she had ever thought possible.
Vera was an amazing and accomplished character who was like a chameleon. One minute I loved her, the next I was appalled at some of the things she did and she remained very elusive and difficult to really get inside her head and heart. Vera’s story slowly comes to light as we flash back and forth between Malta and Syria in 1926 where she is taking part in a dig in the desert with Professor Curzon. I thoroughly enjoyed the chapters set during this time as it gave a real glimpse into the past and I slowly started to comprehend that the past held many vital clues to the events ongoing in the present. As to how it all connected I couldn’t quite figure it out and as I have said I was wrong on many accounts in the opinions and decisions I made whilst reading. Vera was an incredibly well written character but at the same time she didn’t reveal as much of herself as I would have liked. I wanted her to form a strong friendship with Margarita as they appeared to be allies with the same cause. But knowing the way this book was developing I just couldn’t put any faith in anything that was said or done.
Overall, I was pleasantly surprised with this book as I expected it to be the usual World War Two historical fiction book with the same or similar storylines to what I have read time and time again. Instead, I got a whole lot more with mystery, intrigue, suspense and manipulation at its centre. Secrets of Malta would make a great film or drama series. I for one would definitely watch it .A brilliant and tightly woven plot combined with strong female characters make for a magnificent read and one which I would highly recommend.
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