An easy enjoyable read which took me on travels between England and Malta. Interesting to imagine these settings in war times and to gain a small understanding of daily life for people.
It’s a while since I read the prequel, which totally engrossed me in the personalities of the three sisters, however, I didn’t quite achieve the involvement with the characters in this book and struggled to recall all the previous events which were only alluded to.

Florence Baudin had escaped France, thankful for her life, but sad to be leaving her sisters, Helene and Elise. Staying in a small cottage in Devon, England, belonging to Jack, a man she and her sisters had met in France, before visiting her mother, Florence regained her strength and made the journey. Her mother, Claudette, was her usual abrupt and rude self, but she made a request of Florence. Her younger sister Rosalie had run away from France many years ago and the last she'd heard of her, she'd been in Malta. She badly needed Florence to find her, and to pass a message on. The only clue Florence had was that Rosalie was a dancer and was to join one of the clubs on the small island of Malta...

But the war was still going, although it was at its last, and it would be a year before Florence, accompanied by Jack, as his occupation saw him able to work in the area, could go, first to Sicily then on to Malta. What they saw shocked them - the devastation by the bombing was heartbreaking. How would Florence ever find Rosalie?

The Hidden Palace is the 2nd in the Daughters of War trilogy by Dinah Jefferies and was an excellent read. Told by Florence at the end of WW2 and Rosalie from 1923, the depth and intricate detail about Malta and its outstanding beauty, the surrounding beaches, the ruthless and mercenary lives of some - all combined to create an outstanding novel from the hands of a master. I'm very much looking forward to #3 - Night Train to Marrakech - coming August 2023. Highly recommended (but read #1 first)

With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my digital ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.

The Hidden Palace by Dinah Jefferies is the second book in this wonderful and beautifully written Daughters of War series. Like all of Dinah's books I have loved them and she has a way of writing with so much description and love, you will want to spend all day reading her latest book. So you may need to rearrange your day once you start to read this latest book.......It's just brilliant from start to the end.

I highly recommend this series

Big Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins for the copy of The Hidden Palace by Dinah Jefferies

Another great read from Dinah Jefferies, I loved the first book in this series - The Daughters of War and The Hidden Palace follows on the journey of the three sisters with the focus on Florence, we also get to meet their mother Claudette as she asks Florence to track down her lost sister Rosalie. The story of Rosalie is what makes this story, and as always Dinah brings Malta to life for the reader - Rosalie and Malta are the stars of the story for me.

I would recommend reading The Daughters of War before this one to make sense of the storyline, and I am looking forward to the next book.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for allowing me to read The Hidden Palace.

Thank you to #NetGalley and #HarperCollins for the copy of #TheHiddenPalace by #DinahJefferies
I didn’t realise that this was the second book in a trilogy when I received it, I would really suggest to anyone to read the first in the series first.
The story is set at the end of WW2 and is told in several strands which all come together.
The book is slow in places with lots of descriptive text, but overall a good read.

The Hidden Palace is the second book in the daughters of war trilogy by Dinah Jefferies. I devoured an advance copy of the first one over Christmas and so I was eagerly looking forward to this one!
It is a dual narrative/split timeline which tells the story of Florence and Jack, recently escaped from occupied France to Devon, and her aunt, Rosalie Delacroix, who lived in Malta in the years between the wars.

I enjoyed this book, although not quite as much as the first. I found Florence's constant questioning of herself and her feelings for Jack to be a little repetitive, but that's my only criticism. I wanted to know more about Helene and Elise too! The story of Rosalie and her new life, however, really captivated me and I loved learning so much about Malta (have since been researching holiday destinations there!)

The story is well written and the multiple storylines entwine so well, especially at the end!

Looking forward to reading the third now!

The second book in this series, I loved this one just as much as the first. Having been to Malta several times, I loved the evocative descriptions of the island, and also living in the Cotswolds, and having been to Stanton recently, I enjoyed reading about that area too. Dinah Jefferies is a fantastic storyteller, and this gorgeous historical fiction novel sweeps you along brilliantly. It is a real page turner; excited for Night train to Marrakech next year! Highly recommended for all historical fiction fans.

I started reading this novel and then realised that it was the second in a series of three so read the first (Daughter of War) book before this one. I think this novel would stand up on it's own but I was glad I had the first in the series as it got me invested in the three main characters who are sisters Helen, Elise and Florence,

Helene, Elise and Florence have been living in their mother's house in the Dordogne for seven years following the death of their English father. Their mother, Claudette, is French and had come out with them but gone back to England shortly after leaving the girls to fend for themselves when only 22, 17 and 15. A couple of years after their mother left the girls found themselves caught up in war as the Germans occupied France. In 1944 Florence has found some shocking news about her parentage which has forced her to leave the country and escape back to her mother's home in England. Jack, a friend of the sisters who works in Special Operations, journeyed with Florence to aid her escape over the Pyrenees.

The earlier storyline is some twenty years earlier set in Paris. Claudette is married and living in England but her younger sister by nine years, Rosalie, is still living with their parents in Paris. The parents are very strict and would not approve of the things their daughter is getting up to if they knew. There is a drama and Rosalie leaves and decides to head for Malta. She writes once to her sister in England but after that there is no trace of Rosalie. Claudette is desperate to find her long lost sister and asks Florence to help.

There is a lot of description about scenery and food in this author's books which I did not like so much so tended to skim read. It is a good story though which kept me avidly turning the pages. There is to be a third book in this series, set in Marrakesh which I look forward to.

With thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I got The Hidden Palace by Dinah Jefferies from NetGalley for a fair and honest review.


The Hidden Palace is a novel about how family disagreements can cause fallouts that can last for years set around world war 2.

The Hidden Palace is the second novel in the writers Daughters at War trilogy and, while there are events mentioned that happened in the previous novel, it did not spoil the enjoyment of this one.

For me The Hidden palace hit all the right plot lines for a novel of this type, in that just because people share the same DNA does not mean that they have the same interests.

The Hidden Palace story is told through 2 different perspectives over 2 timelines for a majority of the story and involves 3 countries.

While when you say it out loud the novel may sound more complicated than it was when reading it. This is mainly because Dinah Jefferies is very good at allowing the reader to know, at what point they are in the story, before moving it along.

In one way you will see this novel set as an historical world war 2 novel and yes there are times when the conflict plays a major point in the story and while the writer does go into details particularly about the siege of the Island of Malta, some of which I did not know.

For me this is a story set to the backdrop of the conflict rather than about world war 2.

This is particularly true as the individuals in the story are so well written Rosalie, Florence and both their love interests, are all very well rounded characters with their actions written around their character and history rather than the other way round.

The only weakness I have with the novel is the sense of place is less involved with the stories around Malta than those around the cottage in the county of Devon, England.

Although this had more to do when the novel was written than the writer themselves.

All this makes The Hidden Palace by Dinah, an enjoyable read.

This book has it all - rebellion, secrets, generational rifts, passion, praise for the character and all in front of the island of Malta (mainly). Malta is an island with a past, the perfect back drop for this detective story.

Set between 1923 and 1944 it is told skilfully from two different voices both of whom have a lot to contribute. It is an intriguing story which pulls the reader's heartstrings while dealing with issues which still affect us today - war, crime, betrayal, secrets, human tracking, love and loss. I wholly recommend this book by Dinah Jefferies which is as good as her others. Thank you for tell us this tale.

Thank you to NetGalley and ARC for allowing me to read this book in exchange for this review.

The Hidden Palace by Dinah Jefferies.
the Daughters of War trilogy book 2.
An island of secrets. A runaway. And a promise…
A rebellious daughter.
A sister with a secret.
A rift over generations.
This was a good read. Mainly about Florence. This was on 2 timeliness which I'm not good with. 4*.

A follow on novel from the author’s previous book, “Daughters of War”, “The Hidden Palace”continues Florence’s story after she and Jack escape from war torn France.
Ending up in England in Jack’s Devon cottage, Florence learns more about him and her feelings grow despite her sister Helen also being in love with him. However Helen is in France and Florence is with him and despite her guilt she cannot hide her love.
Meanwhile her mother, Claudette reveals she has a younger sister , Rosalie, who ran away 20 years previously and she is desperate to find her and apologise that she couldn’t help at the time when Rosalie was so desperate. . Claudette believes that Rosalie is in Malta, an island being heavily attacked by the Nazis.
Florence resolves to search for Rosalie after the war is over and this becomes a major part of the novel.
This is a dual time line story, a style very popular at the moment and the reader is also treated to Rosalie ‘s story as she runs away from a domineering Parisien family in the 1920s and becomes a cabaret dancer in Malta.
Of course I raced through this book as everyone enjoys a “ will they find each other “ type of story. Will Florence find Rosalie or will she die in Malta during the war before Florence can locate her?
This novel has been well researched- the history of Malta particularly interested me as I knew little about it. Unusually for me in a dual time frame novel I liked the characters and plot in both periods. Rosalie’s story was as interesting as Florence’s.
The author wrote this book during the pandemic so was unable to travel but I felt that she was able to capture the essence of Malta- she really inspired me to visit this small island.
The ending was a slight cliffhanger and it made me eager to read the next book in the series.
This was an enjoyable read and would appeal to both those who have read the earlier book and those who haven’t although I think the background of the previous novel would help with understanding character motivation.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for my advance copy.

The second book in the Daughters of War trilogy and it doesn’t disappoint. A great 5* book bringing together the sisters Florence, Helene and Elsie. This book focuses on Florence as she arrives in England from France in 1944 and her Aunt Rosalie who in 1925 leaves Paris for Malta. As well as great characters and storyline it is obvious a lot of research has gone into this book. Thanks to Dinah and her publisher. Also thanks to NetGalley.

This book is mainly about Florence who escaped to England in 1942 leaving her two sisters in France. She settles in Devon and is reunited with her mother Claudette. Her mother begs her to travel to Malta to see if she can try to find Rosalie, her mother’s younger sister who ran away from Paris to be a dancer in a Maltese club. The story is told in a dual timeline as we get Florence’s life in Devon and her travels as she eventually sets out to hunt for her aunt and then we get Rosalie’s story beginning in 1925 when she arrives in Malta.

It was an interesting plot and I enjoyed both the timelines. However, there did seem to be a couple of ideas that were introduced into the novel and then not developed. Rosalie’s friend Charlotte was one of these. She seemed to pop up whenever the plot required her to but her storyline wasn’t taken any further so it felt disjointed.

This story for me didn’t have the drama or tension that the first book did. Everything seemed to fit into place really easily for both Florence and Rosalie and there was only a little evidence of the hardships caused by Europe being at war. I also think that the Maltese scenes suffered from the author being unable to visit during lockdown as I didn’t really get a sense of place which was very vivid in the previous book.
Thank you to Net Galley and Harper Collins UK for my ARC in exchange for my honest review.

The Hidden Palace 5*
I found this to be an enthralling read with engaging characters. Some of the story was set in the 1920’s and 30s and some after 1944. I enjoyed the descriptions of the places in Devon and Malta. Florence and Jack feature in the latter years and although Jack had a few secrets to come to terms with, there was also the question as to whether their relationship would become more meaningful. The earlier story concerns Rosalie and her life and loves. She was a very socially active person concerned about the rights of others. It was interesting to follow Florence’s path to try to find out what had happened to her aunt. I hadn’t read the first in the trilogy but it didn’t hinder my enjoyment of this book. I received a copy and have voluntarily reviewed it. All my thought and opinions are my own.

After escaping war-torn France, Florence finds solace in rural Devon with Jack, the man who helped her escape, but her estranged mother, Claudette, is desperate to end the rift with her younger sister, Rosalie. She begs Florence to help her. Set in England, France and Malta, the immersive settings engagingly evoke echoes of the past. Both Florence's and Rosalie's stories draw the reader into their worlds. Believable characters, vibrant environments and vivid historical detail make this a heartwarming and heartbreaking read. I love the emotion, the courageous characters and the atmosphere the author creates.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher.

Florence Baudin has just fled the Second World War in France, and she had to leave her two sisters Helene and Elsie behind in Dordogne. Florence and Jack arrive in England filthy and exhausted, she stays at his cottage in Devonshire to recuperate, and she’s wants to visit her mother in the Cotswold's. Florence hasn’t seen her estranged mother Claudette in years, and their reunion isn’t quite what Florence is expecting, and her mother asks her to find her missing sister Rosalie. Florence can’t look for her aunt yet, her only clue is a faded letter from Malta, and she vanished twenty years ago!

The Hidden Palace has a dual time line, it's told from two points of view, and it alternates between 1923 and 1944.

Rosalie Delacroix is sick of her parents controlling ways, she likes to dance and have fun. After having another argument with them, she sees an advertisement for dancers and in Malta. Rosalie changes her name to Riva Janvier, to cover her tracks, and starts dancing in a bar. Riva discovers the seedy side to Malta, young girls arrive from Russia, they vanish and she puts herself in danger by asking questions. Riva’s life takes a different direction when she meets two influential men Robert Beresford and his uncle Addison Darnell.

I had no idea Malta was cut off from the rest of the world during WW II, strategically it was very important, and the only allied base between Gibraltar and Alexandria in Egypt. The Germans ruthlessly bombed the island, troops and civilians went hungry and ran out of medical supplies. Florence was shocked by the extent of the damage when she arrives in Malta, records and documents have been lost, and it makes her task of finding her aunt extremely difficult!

I received a copy of The Hidden Palace by Dinah Jefferies from NetGalley and HarperCollins UK in exchange for an honest review. A well written story about the relationship between sisters and why one changes her identity, war, secrets, crime, human trafficking, betrayal, overcoming loss, and finding love. Florence and her aunt Rosalie have a lot in common, both have experienced heartache, and are attracted to men who are very similar. Five stars from me, I have read the first book in the series Daughters of War and I highly recommend them both.

I hadn’t realised that this was the second in the series, which began with ‘Daughters of War’. Had I known, I would have chosen to read the first book before this one, as I think it would have given a depth to the characters. It would also have accounted for the strained relationship between them. Instead, inevitably I had to pick up the reasons for this from dropped snippets of information. Nevertheless, the book can be read as a standalone.

A story about one person looking for another has an inherent draw, and it kept me following Florence Baudin’s journey, which began in England when she was asked by her mother, Claudette, to find Claudette’s sister, Rosalie, a keen dancer who’d been missing since 1925, and ended in Malta. The only clue to Rosalie’s whereabouts was a letter written years before, suggesting that she might be in Malta.

Florence’s search was to be complicated by the fact that she didn’t know that Rosalie had changed her name upon arriving in Malta, and was called Riva Janvier.

I found the novel very different from the early novels by Dinah Jefferies in that there was a lack of rich description, and a failure to relate one place to another. As a result, I found it impossible to see Malta in my head. I couldn’t place Strait Street in relation to Mdina, for example. Riva always seemed to get where she wanted to be, but I wasn’t always sure how, nor how long or arduous the journey had been.

This, plus the fact that there seemed to be men of different ages, all with the ability to help Riva, popping up at convenient times, and grand houses available when they were needed, and only the sketchy suggestion of how she earned sufficient money to support herself after her Strait Street experience, destroyed any feeling of reality. And there was no real sense of the effects of war, and the deprivation it caused, on the people in England or Malta.

Threads were started, such as Anya and Stanley Lucas, and white slavery, and then dropped. Riva was a keen dancer, we’re frequently told, but after her time in Strait Street, there’s little evidence of that.

I'm afraid, therefore, that I found the characters flat and unbelievable, the location hard to see in my head, and the ending underwhelming.

I’m grateful to NetGalley and Harper Collins for giving me a copy of the novel in return for an honest review.

The book follows two stories, that of Rosalie and her niece, Florence. There are similarities between the lives of both women, and the threads of estrangement, love and war are woven throughout the stories. The threads are brought together towards the end of the book when Florence finds Rosalie.

Dinah Jefferies is a good story teller but The Hidden Palace is not my favourite book by her. I enjoyed reading the parts set in Malta (and would love to visit one day) but the will they/won’t they relationship between Florence and Jack really dragged on. It felt like there were lots of loose ends and some issues were skipped over whilst others went on a little too long. For example there was a brief mention of domestic violence which was passed over whilst the issue of white slavery felt like it was slotted into the narrative, and neither really fitted naturally within the story line.

However, it’s a good book, perfect to read whilst on holiday, and will delight fans of Dinah Jefferies.

Dinah Jefferies has once more produced an absorbing novel seamlessly weaving history into fiction.. I decided to read the first in the series, ‘Daughters of war’ before I began this novel, and I am so glad that I did in order to get a solid knowledge of the main characters in the earlier years and their suffering in occupied France.
Any regular reader of Dinah Jefferies’s novels will not be disappointed !