To start with, what a beautiful cover!!!

Secrets of Malta is set towards the end of the Second World War. Before you might think this is another war story where people) from opposite nations) fall in love but can't be together, are in danger ...but all will end well, it isn't. The story has good, strong content with characters who have their feet on the ground.
In this story, set in Malta, nobody is who they pretend to be. Margherita is a nightclub singer in Malta, where while working she suddenly meets the wife of her former lover, who seems to have disappeared. The urge to investigate what happened to him is too strong for Margherita and suddenly she is in the middle of a diplomatic hunt for the notorious Nero. So is the wife of her ex-lover and while she is an archeologist, there is more to Vera than she lets out. A bond is developing between the two women.
Vera's past from when she worked at an archaeological dig in Siria is coming back, someone is trying to connect to her. But as a war is going on and everybody pretends to be someone they are not, Vera is trying to do some investigation on her own.
I truly enjoyed this string story revolving around the second war, the politics between countries, the secrets and spies...and then the past coming back was a nice touch. You do warm towards the characters and I would love to read more stories with them.

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.

Fans of sweeping and emotional historical fiction will be enraptured by Cecily Blench’s second novel, Secrets of Malta.

Malta, 1943 and Margarita is a singer in the capital city of Valletta who has seen her former lover Henry Dunn only once since breaking off their affair. When Henry’s wife Vera arrives at the club and drops a shocking bombshell, little does the singer realise that she is about to be drawn into a twisted web of lies, secrets, treason and deception that will propel Margarita straight into danger and on the trail of a notorious and dangerous spy: Nero.

Vera had told Margarita that Henry has gone missing and is presumed dead. In their quest for the truth and their desperate search for answers, the two women form an unlikely bond as they realise that they might not in fact be so different from one another after all. However, when strange revelations begin to emerge, the two women realise they have no time to lose and they must work hard and fast to unmask Nero because if they don’t, the consequences of what he might do simply do not bear thinking about…

Dinah Jefferies fans will not want to miss Cecily Blench’s Secrets of Malta. Beautifully atmospheric, brilliantly evocative and utterly hypnotic, Secrets of Malta is a beguiling, passionate and absorbing historical novel full of strong female characters who need to rely on their instincts, guts and intelligence in order to thrive and survive.

A gorgeous historical novel that will take readers away, Secrets of Malta is an enjoyable page-turner by Cecily Blench that shouldn’t be missed.

This is one of the best books I’ve read.(And I’ve read over 700 in the last two years). It’s a historical novel about women, their unconventional lives & loves. It’s about an archaeological dig, spies & World War Two.
It’s detailed & complex; totally riveting & intriguing. Pay close attention to the clues. Beware the red herrings. There’s a dual timeline. The events of 1936 are key, & so are those from before The Great War. Is everyone who you think they are? Highly recommend this book.

A deeply evocative story that skilfully delves into the world of wartime espionage. Cecily Blench seemingly effortlessly draws on extensive research - historical, archaeological and geographical - to create a twisty storyline and characters and that come to life. Full of surprises and insights.

"Secrets of Malta" is a superior WW2 spy drama set in and around the Mediterranean island of Malta. There are some great female characters, including Vera and Margarita, while the men are generally in more supporting roles. The locations are also brought vividly to life, particularly Malta and Syria.

It is difficult to say too much about the plot without giving things away, so you will have to read the book yourself!

Thanks to Net Galley and the publishers for the opportunity to review this book.