Historical fiction is a firm favourite of mine and this book ticks all the boxes with an absolute winning combination. Told in a dual time narrative of present day and WWII, it is the historical story that shines with real strength. I feel that Luisa’s modern tale is more a tool to direct occurences from the war time in Italy. All up this is a fantastic mix of intrigue and romance against the backdrop of Nazi occupied Venice.

‘I reflect on the past twenty hours–as different as day and night for me. For eight hours I could be accused of helping the German Third Reich to consolidate control of our beautiful city and country–yes, our country–and for the last four or five of aiming to knock holes in their plans to ride roughshod over Italian heritage and pride. I feel like a female Jekyll and Hyde.’

This story is mainly set in Italy during WWII and I totally enjoyed a look at Italian resistance as a change from the usual French focus. Even narrowing it down to Venice during the Nazi occupation and how the Venetians resisted was enthralling reading. There is a great deal of worthwhile research that has gone into this tale - the Venetian resistance, Venice itself (past and present) and an absorbing romance between Stella and the two men in her life at that time. There are some sensational twists that had me ‘oohing’ and ‘ahhing’ and rapidly turning the pages as what I thought to be a predictable conclusion was anything but.

‘I’ve often mused after a drop that, despite the hardware of guns and machinery, this is an intensely human war–heavily reliant on faith in the good nature of people, whatever their origins. Kindness and softness, and not the cold metal edge of artillery, are what will win this war.’

If you at all like WWII stories, then this is a must read! You will rally alongside ordinary Venetians as they come together with their small acts of resistance chipping away until liberation and the ultimate victory over the Nazis was gained. So many of the characters are skillfully portrayed in their struggle and although fiction, undoubtedly has its roots in the sacrifices of the many women and men who fought for justice. Stella was a wonderful lead and with a clever plot, had me enthralled until the very end, right beside her granddaughter Luisa, in an attempt to unearth the truth about the roles played in this poignant tale from history. Much like Stella, I was fooled by masterful writing:

‘I see him for the shell he is–no lover of Venice or Italians after all. No heart to be beguiled by literature or the play of words. It was all an elaborate act. And I was fooled.’

I cannot recommend highly enough this wonderful piece of historical fiction. I particularly enjoyed the nod to the shared love of literature, particularly Jane Austen references. All up a most absorbing read and wonderful escapism.

He’s smiling once more and I see he’s looking directly at the volume of Jane Austen clutched in my hand. ‘Oh, this? This isn’t a fairy story,’ I come back, striding ahead to avoid any awkward conversation. ‘It’s literature.’
‘I agree,’ he says. ‘It’s very good literature. But equally, it’s not real life, is it?’
‘All the better in this day and age,’ I snipe, though not meaning to do so quite so sharply.‘Everyone deserves a place of fantasy and safety.’





This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher and provided through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The quoted material may have changed in the final release.

LOVE, LOVE, LOVE! This book is such an excellent read, and I can't say enough good things about it! I really enjoyed the dual timeline of the past and present, and it made the storyline flow nicely and kept things interesting. Not to mention, I feel like I learned so much while reading this. It's obvious that a lot of research was done for this book.

This book is really engaging, and I loved hearing about Venice and the roles played by the Resistance there during WWII. I so appreciate you allowing me the opportunity to review this incredible book!

First of all, thanks Mandy Robotham, Avon and NetGalley for my copy.

I have read many books about World War II but never have I read one based in Italy, more specifically Venice. That was a very nice change and it also allowed me to see the impact the Fascism regime played along Hitler in WWII. I enjoyed her description of the city and her use of some Italian words every so often. Personally, I think Ms Robotham could have sprinkle even more Italian in her story.

It was a very nice, easy read. I would definitely recommend it to my historical fiction friends.

I was given a copy of The Secret Messenger by Mandy Robotham. The book is set in Venice during World War 2 and present day London. Stella works for the resistance in a war office, passing on information and also working for the resistance newspaper. Luisa lives in London, after her mother dies she finds her grandmother's old typewriter, this leads her on a search to find out her grandmother's secret life.
This is a lovely story, well written. It's a different view of the 2nd world war.

𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰𝐞𝐝 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐚 𝐜𝐨𝐩𝐲 𝐦𝐚𝐝𝐞 𝐚𝐯𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐛𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐯𝐢𝐚 𝐍𝐞𝐭𝐆𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐲

Thank you to Netgalley and Avon Books for the copy in exchange for an honest review.

𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝚂𝚎𝚌𝚛𝚎𝚝 𝙼𝚎𝚜𝚜𝚎𝚗𝚐𝚎𝚛 𝚋𝚢 𝙼𝚊𝚗𝚍𝚢 𝚁𝚘𝚋𝚘𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚖
𝑃𝑢𝑏𝑙𝑖𝑠ℎ𝑒𝑑: 12 𝐷𝑒𝑐𝑒𝑚𝑏𝑒𝑟 2019

✯✯✯✯✯
5 STAR REVIEW
To begin with, this book deserves praise and a lot of it!! Though I started reading this book last year in December, within a few pages I already knew it’s the best book I read for that year. And finishing it now in January 2020, it still feels like the best book I read. YOU NEED TO BUY THIS BOOK AND READ IT.

I adore typewriters; I have a small collection of my own and reading this story with the typewriter with its dropped e weaving its way through history, bringing hope to the hopeless, I just got more excited!

This story starts with a brief preview into Venice, June 1934. A 17-year-old Stella Jilani seeing the beginning of what will change their lives for the years to come. We jump forward into time to Luisa and Jamie in Bristol, London 2017. With the passing of her mother, she discovers an amazing box of history. I really don’t want to elaborate further because this is a surprise that each reader needs to enjoy and discover on their own.

Stella Jilani, a 27-year-old Venetian, finds herself working in the Reich headquarters. Being a member of the Resistance meant she was treading dangerous ground. But she used her position strategically to help with information that could later play a part in the liberation of Venice.
With her trusty typewriter and the newspaper that was passed to Venetians under the radar, she and her team brought hope to the hopeless. They kept the magic of Venice alive in the hearts of so many that had to endure the consequence of war.

This story is unpredictable, but you don’t even try to guess what will happen next because it completely overtakes you. It transports you to the scenic and magical Venice, to the glittering water and the different palazzos, the campos and even the vaporetta. You walk side by side with Stella, see what she sees, feel what she feels.
I laughed out loud, and other times my heart broke for what she, her family and friends had to endure. A war can cross boundaries, it doesn’t stay physical, but it becomes emotional too.

I loved the way Mandy Robotham described everything in such detail, making the reader feel as if they’re sitting and watching the sunset and feeling the rays on their skin. If you haven’t been to Venice, you sure will feel you have been after reading this book. I enjoyed the characters and was sad when the book was nearing its end. But there are no unanswered questions, and that’s what I like. The reader needs to put the book down with satisfaction, and that’s what you’ll get with this book.

In modern London, Luisa finds heirlooms of her grandmother, leading to her discovering the heroism and bravery of Stella. Working for the Nazis during the day and the Italian resistance at night, Stella puts herself at risk every day, divulging the secrets she comes across in her daily work in WWII Italy. Recommended reading.

If you loved Mandy Robotham’s the German midwife than you will love her second book the secret messenger.
This book was an amazing read that keeps you engaged the whole way through.
And what I love about this author is that the endings in her books don’t feel rushed, there’s an explanation to everything so your not always wondering.
This book is about the resistance in Venice during WWII and how the war affected the Venetian people. I definitely recommend this book for all you historical fiction lovers.

1943, Stella Jilani is living a double life. By day she work's as a typist/translator for the Reich in occupied Venice. By night she is a prominent member of the resistance working as a typist/journalist and messenger.

In 2017 Luisa Belmont is clearing the house after her Mothers' passing, when she finds a mysterious old typewriter. She is inexplicably drawn to the object and determined to find out who it belonged to. As she knows for sure that it wasn't her Mother's.

Her quest for information leads her to Italy, where she begins to unravel the complex origins of the typewriter and it's previous owner, and discovers far more than she ever dreamed possible.

Luisa's grandmother, Stella was in a member of the resistance during the Second World War, working for the Reich during the day, and rebelling against her bosses by night. She risks her life every single day for the war effort, and her family have no idea.

Luisa also makes another discovery, when she finds an old photo of her Grandmother and this leads to even more questions about her Grandmother's life, both during and after the war.

The Secret Messenger is a thrilling read, with brilliant characters, and I cannot wait for Mandy Robotham's next.

This was a great book! Although I will admit I wasn’t to fond of the present day character Luisa for the first half of the book. It’s not told from her perspective and it was strange at first and didn’t make sense to the story. But about half way through is when the modern day story and the past really connects, and it really starts to work with what’s going on. I loved the entirety of Stella’s story from the past! It was perfect and could have honestly been a complete book by itself. I loved that the story took place in Venice which is not a popular location for WWII historical fictions so it was wonderful to read about the war from another place. Overall I loved how everything came together at the ending and there was definitely a surprise! 4.5 stars

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!