Compulsive Readers Book Tour: Secrets of Malta by Cecily Blench

 

I don´t remember to have read too many books, if any, set in the beautiful island of Malta, a well kept mystery of Europe. I haven´t visited the island yet, but would definitely think about doing it one day, enchanted by so many stories I´ve heard about nature, language, culture and history.

Secrets of Malta by Cecily Blench, introduced me to a different Malta: it is 1943 and a man suddenly disappeared without a trace. Probably dead, as his wife is about to inform his former lover, Margarita a singer by night. Margarita is decided to figure out the circumstances of the death, and ends up dealing with bizarre characters and nefarious spies. 

Meanwhile, she develops a strong friendship with the wife of his ex-lover, a friendship that goes beyond past histories. A beautiful friendship that grows up in a very hostile environment, building trust in a time of geopolitical crisis.

I particularly loved how the author is able to coordinate different aspects of the story, building a literary portrait of women solidarity during the hardships of war. The charater of Margarita is very interesting and complex, intelligent and genuine in her search for the truth. She is bubbling, relatable and a person you would love to meet in real life as well. 

First and foremost, Secrets of Malta is also a spy story which is unexpected and eventful, well inserted into the other layers of the story. The local descriptions are recreating beautifully the local ambiance, many of them as entincing as a picture-perfect snapshot. It also extensively put Malta on the map of WWII endeavours, an aspect rarely mentioned both in fictional and nonfictional approaches.

For both lovers of spy stories and strong women characters, Secrets of Malta is a pleasant discovery and an entertaining read. For those interested in finding out more about the author´s writing process, this article from Times of Malta offers some valuable insights.

Rating: 4 stars

Disclaimer: Book offered as part of the book tour but the opinions are, as usual, my own.