A fascinating story about resistance movement in Venice during the Second World War. The characters were so believable and you can imagine their struggle to get their beloved country back from the Nazi's.
This is the second book that I've read from the author and I've thoroughly enjoyed them both.

I really enjoyed the duet between the MC and her grandfather. The ending was quite clever too. My first time reading this author and I would definitely pick up another of from the author again.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher Avon of Harper Collins Publishing, through NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

World War II is an era of history that most captivates me. One reason I believe is because it seems so close in our history and yet such a time of unbelievable horror and atrocities that it couldn't possibly have been a part of our recent past. I'm most interested in the resistors. The ordinary men, women and sometimes children who risked their lives to defy the cruel and powerful Nazi Reich. I've read of the French, Polish and German resistance but haven't read much regarding the Italian resistance and the even less in Venice. Which has the reputation of living through a 'soft war'. 

When I was introduced to the newest book from author Mandy Robotham called “The Secret Messenger ”, I knew I had to read it. I knew very little of the Staffettas; a large army primary of female resistors. This is the premise of her new book.

Author Mandy Robotham clearly has a talent for writing. Her words are captivating and sometimes poetic. Her first novel, “The German Midwife” hooked me from the very first page and had me in a puddle of tears by its end. To be completely honest, “The Secret Messenger” did not draw me in as quickly. Some of the excessive descriptive details of the city and daily life on each page took some effort on my part to keep reading.  But the story was promising and the characters are intriguing. I just had to know what was going to happen and I'm so glad I didn't give up on this one! 

It's 1943 and Venice is a sea of green and grey uniforms; Mussolini's fascists and Hitler's Nazis. Life for ordinary Venetians is uncertain; missing neighbors, food shortages,curfews, check points and the possibility of loosing a loved one was all apart of daily life in Venice. Reputed to be experiencing a 'soft War' as they are primarily spared from bombings and the destruction of their beautiful floating island, this is far from the truth as Mandy Robotham brings to life a history of the war in Venice that is rarely told. On the surface, Venice appears to be compliant and relenting to its German occupiers. But underneath a perfectly placed facade, Venice is teaming with thousands of ordinary people thwarting Nazi efficiency and remaining a constant thorn in their side. Stella Jilani, is one such secret resister. With a expression of indifference and an appearance as a loyal collaborator, she works as a typist for the Reich. Its here in the lions den that she meets Christian De Luca, a seemingly dedicated member of Mussolini's fascist party. Hating all he stands for yet drawn to him none the less she finds it difficult to completely shut him out. But even as she works along side the enemy, she secretly memorizes crucial information for the resistance which she passes onto her fellow Staffettas, dispatching messages and supplies throughout Venice and dodging German and Italian soldiers at every turn. Twice a week, Stella also helps produce a weekly underground paper Venezia Liberare with its promise of liberty and freedom. With the assistance of her beloved typewriter, Stella also begins to write a story of love bringing hope to her fellow Venetians but also fury to the already anxious Nazis as they become more and more aware of their decreasing power and control, putting Stella's life in even more risk. 

In another time, London 2017, grieving Louisa Belmont finds a box among her mother things. An old photograph, pages of a worn and brittle newspaper bearing the name Venezia Liberare and a well used typewriter. Determined to uncover the mystery, Louisa delves into the past and uncovers more then she could have ever imagined.

Although a duel timeline, Stella's role clearly take the spotlight. I enjoyed both as it brought depth and mystery to the story but a majority of the book is focused on the past. We clearly see the authors incredible love for Venice in this book. Her extensive research into the past and life in Venice during the war is nothing short of amazing. The immense contribution of ordinary Venetian's small acts of resistance made a great impact towards liberation and victory over the Nazis is brought to light within the pages of this book. Although a work of fiction, this historical depiction can not be far from reality. The characters are brilliant and I can't help but imagine a 'Stella' among the brave women who bravely risked their lives for Venice. I couldn't agree more with the author's sentiments “there is no such thing as a 'soft war' when one person loses a life,one mother a son.” The author sets out to pay homage to the brave Venetians, especially the women of the war, and I definitely think she has done that! 

My review is posted on Goodreads, Amazon and my instagram page Lost_in_a_book_reviewer

If you have ONE book to grab before the end of 2019 – grab this one!  I was enchanted with Robotham’s writing in our first encounter with A Woman of War – a story of a woman who worked as a midwife pre-war, and after finding herself afoul of the “Nazi” rulemakers, was brought to a camp- then used for her skills in the mountain retreat – even with her ‘loyalty’ being a question.  From an alternate perspective peppered with actual events, the author made connecting to and understanding the heroine’s motives clear and compelling.  And she’s done the same in this dual-timeline story that begins with Luisa, grieving a mother who was remote at best, now in possession of clues that seem to lead to a dramatic life for her beloved Grandmother, Stella.  Through a photograph of a man with her grandmother that Luisa doesn’t recognize, and a few other clues – she wants to discover just what her grandmother did during the war, and why her mother (or grandmother) never mentioned it. 

Stella’s story from 1943 Venice is equally compelling, Venetian by birth and steeped in the ‘tradition” of Venice first, with a family that was most assuredly anti-Fascist, her movement from a city works department into the ‘command center’ of the Nazis in Venice, along with her facility with language and her typing make her a perfect messenger and worker for the Resistance. When you add in the fact that her grandfather was a huge proponent of free speech and democratic values, and many of his friends were ‘captains’ in the anti-fascist resistance, she was a natural fit. 

From Stella’s story and the questions and dangers she faces to Luisa’s trying to discover the truths of her grandmother’s life and find people who knew her some 70 years earlier – the story is told in alternating moments, each one building the tension and impact of the other.  Truly this story transported me to Venice now and then, as well as the information about the clever ways they ‘tricked’ the Nazis, along with the lovely inclusion of a story or hope into the local paper produced with ‘real news’ gleaned from the BBC World Services – the character of Stella comes alive and fuels the interest in Luisa and her search.  Truly, Robotham has done a masterful job of creating characters and giving them the questions, traits and courage that we all hope for in our ancestors, and bringing the information about a Resistance fight that many didn’t know existed on such an embedded and integral scale.  I love what this author brings to history, mixing fiction and fact together to bring a story that instantly places readers into the “what would I do or risk” mindset, making this story one that should be read for the sheer enjoyment and it’s ability to transport. 

I received an eArc copy of the title from the publisher via NetGalley for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility. 

Review first appeared at <a href=” https://wp.me/p3OmRo-aAi/” > <a> I am, Indeed </a>

I was on that high, you know when you finish a book and finally find out what happened? Now I’m hitting the low of “ I don’t want it to be over!”
Another great read from Robotham. I had high hopes getting stuck into this one because The German Midwife was so good and I was not disappointed.

A time slip novel that goes back and forth between Stella In Venice during 1943 and Luisa in London during 2017.

1943 - Stella is living a double live, by day she is a typist for Reich and by night she is a loyal Italian Resistance fighter carrying important information and messages to help the cause and writing for their underground newspaper.

2017 - Luisa’s mother recently passed away and as she is clearing out her house she finds old pictures and a typewriter in her attic that cause her to question where she actually comes from.

A well told story of bravery, loyalty and the role the women of the resistance played. 

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️





Thank you to Net Galley and Avon Books UK for the advance copy!

The Secret Messenger has dual settings and main characters. It focuses on the character of resistance fighter Stella in Venice during World War II and of her grandaughter in present day London. I really enjoyed this book, particularly the character of Stella. I thought the ending was very clever and look forward to reading more from the author in the future.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC

Stella Jillani is a typist in Nazi’s office in Venice when the war is up. Only few knows that she does that for her main job sake, a columnist for the Resistance hidden newspaper. Stella works at morning, remembering all the facts she can devour in her day jobs at enemy’s den and typing it out at night in the hidden basement of the bar. Stella knows this is going to be so risky, cost her life, even. But for her country and people she loves, she join the Resistance that plays along in this war to take back their freedom. 

This book actually has two point of view, one by Stella in 1943,  two by her granddaughter Luisa in recent years. I think this isn’t necessary though, the story centers a lot at Stella. The story takes on Venice, where they say having a soft war. Well, the book pretty much says  it all. There is no soft in the war. What do you think is it, a cover ? 

It always interesting to read about how people coping with the war. I love the story about Stella and her friends making newspaper at night and made chaos in enemy’s office the next day. It’s fun yet scary when Stella goes to work each day and find her “boss” raging uncontrollably because of her writing. I can’t imagine, what is it to be her. It’s really scary to play behind her Nazi boss like that, but she plays it cool. 
What I love the most is how this book told us that everyone make their move defending their country. Most of the women here have contributed, became a typist, a messenger, a spy, and I bet it is really happened back then. Realizing this made me admire women even more (eventhough I’m one). The guys here are cool too, when they are not a soldier, contribute with their own way. Many killed, many captured. It’s so sad. I can’t help being sad when reading about war. 

Again, this book tells me about how powerful words are. Stella accidentally prints her authored love fiction to the newspaper and it moves the whole country. Eventhough I still think her boss (who’s really angry reading this) is overreacting this fiction, the whole building pace at end makes me queasy. 
There is love story in this book too, but it’s fine and not destroying the scary feeling of war when reading this. I like the romance, it seems like want to tell us that love is always there even at war. Anyway, I enjoy this book, it’s well written and I love the ending. 

Thank you Netgalley and Avon Books UK for providing me this edition.

Set in two time lines 1943 and 2017. Also set in two different cities - Venice and London, this was another stellar write up of the War and the part played by the Resistance to block, hinder and obstruct in any which way possible the Nazi advance.

We have Stella Jilani - who poses as a fascist right in the heart of the Nazi offices, secreting documents and information which would be useful in any way to the Resistance and then we have Luisa decades later trying to piece her family history after discovering a pile of documents in the attic after her mother's death. Luisa knows her grandparents are of Italian origin, who came to England during WWII but beyond that knows nothing, as her mother was not willing to reveal any history.

Luisa's yearning to know her past takes her back to the city of origin in Venice and here she slowly uncovers her grandmother's rich and convoluted past and her no small role in the liberation of Venice.

As usual WW both I and II have given us innumerable books on every aspect of the wars and the way it affected the ordinary man on the street and how these very same people were determined not to allow their countries to be taken over completely by the Nazi tide. This is another excellent read and the setting of Venice is stunning.

The Secret Messenger grabbed my attention right away. I liked the characters and the dual timeline added to the storyline.

This novel engaged me right away and kept me engaged throughout.  Loved both of the main characters - Stella, living in Venice in 1944, an active participant in the resistance, and Louisa, her granddaughter, trying to learn more about her family.  Both storylines are compellingly told, most especially Stella’s.  I have longed to travel to Venice and this novel only strengthened that desire.  It seems like such a magical place, but certainly not during the Nazi occupation.  It was so well written at times I felt anxiety for Stella, urging her to be careful in my mind.  Also enjoyed all of the auxiliary characters, including Jack and Christian.  My favorite genre is historical fiction and my favorite within that genre are those which open my eyes to the time frame and broaden my understanding of the characters’ motivations and actions.  This is one of my favorites.  Job well done Mandy Robotham!  Please keep writing!  Many thanks to Mandy Robotham, Avon, and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this just published novel.  Please read this novel!

Staffettas - a whole army of largely female (often mothers and older women) Resistance workers who are used to move vital secret written messages from one Resistance worker to another.  It's merely a piece of paper but the consequences of discovery by Nazi or fascist patrols are grave.

This new-to-me author delivered an incredibly well written novel set in Venice during World War II.  I never knew that Venice was controlled by both Nazis and Fascists (think Benito Mussolini) at the same time during World War II.  Both were equally horrific to the people of Venice.  

This is a split time novel in which both of the time periods captured my attention from start to finish.  They are connected through an old typewriter.  Stella is a young woman fluent in two languages:  Italian and German.  She is already deeply involved in helping write the Resistance newspaper when she is drafted by the Germans to work in their staff headquarters as a communications translator which puts her in the perfect spot as far as her Resistance work.  The current timeline involves Luisa who discovers the old typewriter when she is cleaning out her mother's house after her death.  With it are lots of papers and photos that make no sense to Luisa with the knowledge she has of her Italian grandmother.  She begins to delve into her grandmother's past to discover more about her as well as her mother.  

Fascinating read into an area of World War II that I knew little to nothing about.  This book kept my attention from start to finish with incredible descriptions of Vienna, absorbing characters, and a surprise ending.  

**I received a complimentary copy of this book  from Harper Collins Publishers through NetGalley.  Opinions are mine alone. I was not compensated for this review.

Stunning.  I loved this book.  Written today with Luisa's story and back in the 1940's during WW2 in Venice for Stella's story.  Luisa goes on a search to find her Grandmothers history.  A story of bravery, deceit, suspicion and love.  A really gripping story.  I loved it.

THE SECRET MESSENGER; A GRIPPING WAR TIME READ

If you follow my blog you’ll know I love historic fiction, especially fiction focusing on the two world wars. Yes, these novels are fiction but they are often born out of fact and real lives lived. Hence I love how these books educate me and continually teach me about true humanity, compassion and love.

The Secret Messenger by Mandy Robotham is one such novel.

Set in Venice during World War 2, this is a novel that taught me about a history I had know idea of; the history of the Venetian Resistance. Robotham’s storytelling of this particular conflict, which is apparently often portrayed in the history books as the ‘so-called ‘soft’ war of Venice‘ educated me, made my cry a lot and because I’m a sucker for a good romance, excited me. I finished it earlier today and yes, it’s left me with a book hangover!

The Secret Messenger is Stella’s story; a young Venetian woman, an anti-fascist and member of the Venetian Resistance. On the surface Stella plays the part of a ‘grateful collaborator, a Venetian glad to have the protection of‘ the Italians’ ‘bigger German cousins.’ She is sent to work at Nazi High Command as a typist and translator. Here she encounters the mysterious Cristian De Luca, a dedicated member of Mussolini’s fascist party.

Stella is also a Staffetta – ‘a whole army of largely female Resistance workers‘ who are tasked with moving vital secret messages across Italian cities and towns in the fight against fascism and the Nazis. In this role, she saves lives by putting her own life at risk on a daily basis.

This is a truly is a powerful novel as it vividly portrays the vital role that real life Staffettas played in helping the Allies win the war. These woman often put themselves in serious danger by hiding contraband in their shopping bags and prams. At times The Secret Messenger was a brilliantly tense read vividly depicting this risk. I swear, I could feel the raw tension build up within me and I was left gasping for breath.

In a sense The Secret Messenger is also a love letter to Venice. Mandy Robotham’s descriptions of the city clearly portray her love for it and her respect for its history and its people. I’ve never been to Venice but I really want to go now after reading this beautiful book.

The Secret Messenger has only recently been published – 12th December 2019; so if you’re looking for something good to read over Christmas, especially if you’re a lover of historic fiction, I definitely recommend you read this. Just remember to have your tissues close to hand!

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon Books for my advance copy.

This is a review based off a reading of an advanced reader's copy of the story though NetGalley.

I went into this story with high hopes, as I have read and reviewed an ARC by Mandy Robotham in the past called A WOMAN OF WAR, an amazing read. The storyline moved along nicely and there was mobility between characters, lovely world building and ponderous, inquisitive language that kept me tied in.
This story, however, had all those things but lacked character mobility. There were so many musings and pages upon pages of backstory! there'd be a sentence or two about what the character was doing/where they were heading, and then right back to the contemplation happening in the mind of the character. It was all interesting, mind you, but I wanted more from the story. Instead of talking ABOUT what was going on in the underground circuit of Venice to stop the Nazi occupation, a character should have been DOING it. Witnessing it. Living it, rather than reporting what others were doing. 
I lost motivation to continue, even when things finally picked up for one of the main characters. I was already so tired of waiting and lost interest.

WWII dual timeline kept me on the edge of my seat from beginning to end. Most of the story centers around the past, when we read about Stella Jilani, who is leading a double life. In the present timeline, a grieving Luisa Belmont stumbles upon some intriguing family heirlooms buried in her recently deceased mother's attic that sets her on a journey to find out more about the grandmother she so dearly loved. I thought the cover art is fantastic, and made me want to keep reading.

The Secret Messenger is a fantastic historical novel in the Italian Resistance in WW2.The book is well written and has well developed characters. It is emotional and a must read.

Thanks to NetGalley, Avon UK and Mandy Robotham for my copy of her new book: The Secret Messenger. 

Venice 1943, the city has been invaded by the Nazis, the people of Venice do what they can to fight back and most are involved in the resistance. Woman all over Venice are helping by smuggling notes and messages around the city and right under the German's noses. Hidden in prams, bags, babies nappies, shoes and in ladies underwear. People living in Venice are really struggling, food is scarce, everyone has lost weight, the cities population has almost doubled due to a influx of refugees, the water supply is low due to pipes being damaged during allied bombing raids and the only ones with full stomachs are the Germans.

Stella Jilani starts work at the Nazi headquarters in the office, she speaks fluent German and her job involves translating documents for the Germans. Stella has a great memory, she's the perfect person to pass on vital information to the resistance, she takes regular bathroom breaks and hides notes in a secret compartment in her shoe. She's a messenger for the Italian resistance, she's also involved in the publication of a local underground newspaper. she writes at night using her portable Olivetti typewriter and she doesn't get a lot of sleep. People think she's a collaborator, but she and her younger brother Vito are both involved in fight to free Venice. Stella increases her resistance work, the Partisans need outside information on how the war is going and soon she's smuggling vital radio parts.

As she's typing away at work, she can hear the German General Breugal going off in his office, a fascist called Christian de Luca is working for the Germans, he has to deal with the generals moods and yelling. Stella becomes one of the most wanted fugitives in Venice, her work with the publication of the newspaper, also her main feature in the paper is a love story that gives the locals some hope, all over Venice people are reading it and talking about it. This makes the General Breugal furious, he has posters printed, a reward will be given for any information leading to the capture of the mole, he also starts having random people arrested and shot to show the locals that he means business. The only clue he has, is the person typing up the articles is using a typewriter and it drops a letter.


Bristol London 2017, Luisa Belmont mother has just passed away, from a short illness, her mother was rather cold and not very loving. She inherits her mothers house and while going through her mothers things in the attic, she finds a mysterious old typewriter, old pictures and crumbling documents. Luisa starts looking into the past, she has memories of her grandparents and she knows they once lived in Venice? Luisa uncovers a story about life in Venice during WW II, her grandparents secrets, it's' about espionage, reprisal, revenge and most of all finding love. 

The Secret Messenger has a dual timeline, it works well, I had no trouble following it and going between the two time frames. I knew nothing about life in Venice during WW II, the beautiful city was taken over by the Nazis and by reading the book you can almost hear the jack boots marching on the cities pavers. 
The residents of Venice during WW II, suffered years of terror, violence, fear and abuse.

I enjoyed reading The Secret Messenger, I gave it four stars, I have also read the authors previous book called, The Woman Of War and I highly recommend reading both.

In 1944, Venice, Stella is a member of the Venice Resistance Central Brigade, who has taken up a job working in Nazi headquarters to help pass information to the resistance. Working for the enemy, Stella is asked to translate a document that will change her future and cause her to choose between her country or her family.

In 2017, Bristol, Luisa's mother has died, after going through her things Luisa finds artifacts that relate to her grandmother. Not having the best relationship with her own mother, Luisa falls down a spiral of uncovering answers about who she is and the roots of her maternal family.

I really enjoyed this book and even though it is fiction I really learnt a lot about Venice and it's time during World War 2.
I did enjoy reading from Stella's story more than I did Luisa's. I enjoyed getting to know Stella, her thinking and reasons behind her actions. I enjoyed the romance side of the book and felt like it did not take away the main point of the story.

Thank you to NetGalley, Avon, and Mandy Robotham for a copy in exchange for my honest review.

A beautifully written book from the author of 'The German Midwife', This time the author uses Venice 1943 as the setting for the story of  Stella Jilani a young member of the Resistance, but who also works as a typist in the local Nazi HQ.

There is also a dual timeline with Bristol 2017, when Stella's grandmother - Luisa Belmont finds an old typewriter in an attic and sets out to trace the owner/story behind it

Anyway, back to Stella in Venice which, to be frank, were the most interesting and exciting parts of the book. Sometimes I skimmed past Luisa's story. Little bits of romance, trust and plenty of risk taking gave me a most satisfactory read.

The author is obviously a huge Venice fan with wonderful descriptions of the city where Stella runs errands etc. I work with a girl who is married to an Italian and Venice has to be visited at different times of the year - which the author evokes brilliantly.

With the Luisa 'bits' rather unnecessary, I can only give the book 4 stars. 

Thanks to Net Galley and Avon Books for the chance to read and review.

This was a very good historical set in Italy.  I loved Stella.  I have always loved WW2 stories.  The duel timelines made it interesting although I preferred Stella's story.  I would recommend it to everyone who loves historical fiction.