This is a dual time line novel where the historical part- Venice during WWII- is much more inserting than the modern one - London 2017. It's framed by Luisa's discovery of a typewriter and her quest to learn more about her grandmother Stella. This is the first novel I've read where the heroine is part of the resistance in Italy, which made this a treat. Stella worked for the Reich as a typist by day and the for the resistance by night. She shares the secrets she learns via a newsletter. Unfortunately, the typewriter she uses has a distinctive flaw and when the Nazis realize this, they go on the hunt. There's some wonderful atmospherics of Venice, interesting information about the war in Italy (I found myself looking for more info), and good characters. There's also a romance for those who want love in their historical fiction but it's not a big part of the novel. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A very good read.

This book captured my attention in the first few sentences. I like a book that intertwines present time with things that happened in the past. This story starts with Luisa in 2017 trying to settle her mother's estate, and she comes across a box with an old typewriter and old pictures. And there starts her hunt for her history. I guess that is why I was immediately caught up in this book. I enjoy tracing family history, and the pictures Luisa found intrigued me.

This story is mostly told in WWII in Venice. I have read many books about WWII and a couple have been based in Italy, but this was the first I had read that been about Venice. Stella, Luisa's grandmother, is working for the Nazis by day and for the resistance by night. It is about her life, the lives of those around her, and ultimately the stories Stella is able to tell to keep the moral of the resistance up as well as hope for the people of Venice.

I enjoyed this book, and I think the author told a good story from the perspective of Stella. I would have like to have had a little more about Luisa in the book, but it was not a deal breaker for me. A good read with a couple of twists here and there, which made for a fast, fun book.

Thank you to @netgalley and @avon_uk for this book in exchange for my honest review.

I enjoyed the book but not as much as "A Woman of War." I usually love books that alternate between narrators, but this wasn't one of them. I blame it on the characters, they weren't my favorite (mainly Luisa.) I enjoyed reading about Stella far more than Luisa. Luisa didn't have much of a story line, except trying to find out about her past, while also ignoring her husband. Traveling to Venice to find out about a mysterious typewriter and her grandmother, would have been something Luisa and Jamie could have done together. I felt like there was so much missing about about Luisa's mom that wasn't explained, besides having a nonexistent relationship with her daughter. Why didn't Luisa know anything about her grandparents' past? I would have thought that would have been something they shared with the family. It was interesting reading about WWII in Nazi controlled Venice. It was a different take on the usual historical fiction books. I loved the description of Venice and definitely need to visit, preferably when it isn't flooded. The city sounds beautiful.

At times I found Stella's story a little slow. Wouldn't she be noticed constantly traveling back and forth? Would she really be living by herself? I would have thought she would have been living with her parents, since she was unmarried. I'm not sure if Luisa was needed, since the book could have just been about Stella's life.

Recommend giving the book a try, especially if you are a fan of historical fiction books. I look forward to reading more books by the author. Love the cover of the book.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Avon Books UK through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I really wanted to like this one, but it just wasn't for me. I'm normally a huge fan of historical fiction, but this one just left me a bit cold - I couldn't really engage with either of the two women, and if I'm honest, I skimmed most of it to avoid a DNF. I don't know what it was, but there was something about this book that I just couldn't connect with. It's a shame, as the plot sounded brilliant! But just wasn't what I expected or wanted.

The Secret Messenger by Mandy Robotham is Historical Thriller Fiction. A Split Time novel of 1942 Venice and 2017 London. It is a story of brave women and men working to change the outcome of war. Exciting but sometimes deadly adventures with resistance activities involving every part of their lives. A writer's passion is both a blessing and a curse in Nazi controlled Venice. A granddaughter‘s admiration and need to research her grandmother’s history. Unexpected family joys, sorrows and secrets are discovered. Happy I was chosen to read this beautiful story. I received a complimentary copy of this book from Netgalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. I appreciate the opportunity and thank the author and publisher for allowing me to read, enjoy and review this book. 5 Stars

Received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for a honest review. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own

The story doesn’t draw me in. It’s written good but there just something missing. It doesn’t make me feel anything. It’s just kind of meh. Not good or bad. I’ve generally enjoyed books about WW2 but this was just a bore. There’s to much time spent on Stella’s side of the story, and sadly the side isn’t that interesting. At least the first 3/4 of the book. This feels like a cross between ww2 story and romance, and neither made me feel anything. I don’t feel engaged in either story.
I kinda saw the twist in the end coming early in the book.

This is a story following a Venetian woman leading a double life during the second world war. During the day, Stella works as a translator in a Reich office. During the evenings she is a messenger for the Resistance and helps to type out a forbidden, resistance newspaper.

The story kept my interest, the wartime characters were well drawn but I found I didn't really care for Luisa and her story could have been left out.

This story will appeal to lovers of historical fiction.

Set between German-occupied 1940s Venice and modern-day London. Stella worked in the office of a German officer during the day but then worked for the Resistance at night. Luisa is clearing out her mother's belongings when she discovers an old typewriter that belonged to her grandmother, Stella. Stella was just one of the many people who put their lives at risk. She's constantly trying to keep her family safe. Luisa decides to travel to Venice in search of her family history.

The story focuses in the 1940s. There is great detail in what Venice was like during the Nazi occupation. It was interesting to find out exactly what the Resistance achieved in Venice. The story is told from a dual timeline and we get a different perspective on the war. Stella's story was definitely the better part of the book. Luisa needed to k ow what had happened in her grandmother's past. There were some twists as the story unfolded. A very enjoyable read.

I would like to thank NetGalley, Avon Books UK and the author Mandy Robotham for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I am a big of fan of historical fiction books and this being the third Mandy Robotham book that I've read I was not disappointed by 'The Secret Messenger'.

Set in Italy during WW2 Stella is a member of the Italian resistance who has found herself working undercover at the heart of the Nazi and Fascist authorities as a spy. Jumping forward in time to 2017 her grandaughter Luisa comes across some of Stella's papers and photos and realises that she knows very little of her grandmother's history. Having recently lost her mother Luisa makes it her mission to find out more about Stella's past life in Italy.

Flashing between two timelines we learn more of the dangerous double life that Stella encountered in her role as a resistance messenger during a very violence filled and troubled time. Will her clandestine secret missions lead her into danger and will the ones that she loves be safe? What will become of her secret dalliances with English soldier Jack and Nazi officer Christian?

I reallye enjoyed this book and found the main characters very likeable. I did find myself more enthralled with Stella's chapters than Luisa's but overall the two separate timelines were very effective.

All in a all a fantastic read!

An excellent WWII novel. I enjoyed the WWII storyline but the modern portion of the storyline wasn't as gripping.

Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

There is a story and a sub-story here....the main story takes place in Venice 1944 and surrounds a young woman who types a newspaper for the underground resistance. She is in danger of being caught due to a defective typewriter. The sub-story is of her granddaughter, who has found this hidden history of her grandmother's secret past. I found the historical aspects of the book interesting, but occasionally got lost in the details. The sub-story doesn't really start to feel like part of the book until the second half, and it was difficult to plow through the first half of the book. However, if you make it through the first half, you'll really enjoy the second half.

Another excellent book about German occupation that made me stop and think . I felt connected to the characters and felt plot was good

Thanks to NetGalley and Avon Books UK for an egalley in exchange for an honest review

I really enjoyed the author's debut novel "The German Midwife" and this WWII dual timeline kept me on the edge of my seat from beginning to end. 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. It is a journey that will take her from London to Italy.

In 1943, Stella Jilani is a member of the Resistance in Venice, Italy working in an underground newspaper, meeting members of the Resistance and also gaining access to information in the Reich office where she works. But with so many people watching, the stakes are high and if caught, Stella will lose her life.

I love my historical fiction and this book was no exception. I appreciated the shift to Italy where as the author states the Resistance movement is often overlooked in favor of other countries .such as, France. The only part I didn't care for was the " hail mary" at the end of the story where a happy ending seems to be needed. Other than that, I would certainly recommend to any historical fiction fan.


Goodreads review published 03/12/19
Publication Date 12/12/19

I really enjoyed this book. I like reading interesting historical fiction stories. This book held my interest the whole way through. I got caught up in the lives of the characters and I loved the setting. This is the first book about World War 2 that I read that is set in Venice. It is a beautiful city and it was lovely to visualise it.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

As a lover of historical fiction I was immediately drawn to The Secret Messenger by Mandy Rotham. Set largely during the Second World War, it is the story of Stella, a young Venetian woman living under German occupation. While being active in the Resistance as a messenger, she is working as a typist in the Reich Office, constantly at risk of discovery as she seeks out snippets of vital information , smuggles supplies, or writes for the underground newspaper. When things come to a head and it seems like Stella's secrets will be discovered, she no longer knows who she can trust, but it seems like the only course of action is to flee before she is caught.
Many years later , her grand daughter Luisa finds her typewriter and a cache of photographs while clearing out her deceased mother's attic and decides to travel to Venice in search of her family history.
While I really enjoyed the sections of the book dedicated to Stella's story and her life under occupation in Venice, I found the chapters dedicated to Luisa were almost an irrelevance, and they certainly added nothing to the book as a whole. The trope of a family member from the modern day finding an object from a past era, a photo, a book etc and deciding to uncover their family history is certainly common in this genre of fiction, and I don't object to it when that aspect of the story is strong enough to add to the book as a whole , but here that was not the case.
I liked the setting,I have not read too many other books set in Italy during that era, so that felt somewhat new and original to me and I knew little about the history or the involvement of women in the Italian resistance so that was a very interesting aspect of the book for me . I really liked Stella as a character but Luisa felt like something of an afterthought which is something of a shame.
I also wanted to add a note to compliment the cover design, which fit the book so well,

thank NetGalley and Avon books for a copy of The Secret messenger by Mandy Robotham. I have read her previous novel The Woman at war, so I was intrigued to see how this panned out.

Set in Nazi occupied Venice in the 1940's Stella Jilani is a typist in the Reich office during the day and at night she is a messenger for the Italian resistance and risks her life crossing the city passing on secrets and other things to help win the war. She is also a typist typing an underground newsletter to help win the war with her beloved typewriter.

2017 Luisa Stella's granddaughter finds the typewriter in the attic and some black and white photos after the death of mother that intrigues Luisa to find out more.

Although I enjoyed this book from Mandy Robotham and I thought that this was beautifully written and a great story, I thought that the descriptions of the places in Venice just went on far too long and unnecessary and I started skimming paragraphs to the more important parts of the story. 3.5 stars from me.

Totally brilliant !!
This my second book by Mandy Robotham and it’s just as good as her first book if not better. Set in Venice 1944 it’s the story of Stella Jilani who works as a translator for the Nazi’s whilst secretly she risks her life by working for the Italian resistance taking more and more risks as time goes on.
While in London 2017 Luisa Belmont after the death of her mother finds an old typewriter, photos and other artefacts that she thinks must have been her grandmother’s and her curiosity is heightened by the fact her mother had never spoken about her own mothers past so Luisa is determined to find out more.
This book is so beautifully written and the descriptions of wartime Venice are both sad but it also shows it’s a time that is full of hope and loyalty.
It’s a read that is full of detail and very compulsive as it goes from past to present with Stella getting in deeper with the resistance and Luisa travelling to Venice to see if she can find out more about her grandmother.
I loved the book it was a joy to read and I really look forward to reading more from the super talented Mandy Robotham as she sure as hell can write a brilliant story.
My thanks to NetGalley and Avon Books UK for giving me the chance to read the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

I was looking forward to this having given the previous book five stars. However, I was disappointed. I couldn’t get into this. I didn’t care for the characters and it was just all too slow for me. I will look out for the next book as, like I said, the first one was a great read.

Thank you to Avon Books and Net Galley for the chance to read and review this book. This is a very well-written story, mostly about the Italian Resistance in Venice during WW II. Stella, who lived in Venice in 1943, is leading a double life. She is a typist for the Reich during the day, but she is also smuggling information to the Italian Resistance. The present day character is Luisa Belmont. She finds a typewriter and that begins her journey to find out who it belonged to and why it was important. Although I liked both characters, Stella's storyline was more interesting to me. I liked the way the author connected the characters and the story. I highly recommend this book if you like historical fiction-lots of excitement and twists and turns as well as some romance!

This book is storytelling at its best, and so well written. I was riveted by Stella’s story of her young life as a Resistance operative in Venice during the Nazi occupation years in the 1940s. Her double life is exhausting, stressful and highly dangerous, and the tension is unrelenting when Stella’s story gets going. Her efforts to juggle her day job as an undercover agent in the heart of the Reich offices, translating and smuggling out details to pass on to others in the Resistance network, her evenings spent typing up an undercover newspaper, and finding time to visit and reassure her ageing parents puts immense strain on Stella and her family.

The characterisation of Stella is so strong that she easily dominates the book.
Stella’s story forms the majority of a dual timeline narrative, and is by far the more fascinating and immersive part. The level of research required for this has clearly been exhaustive, as it is so detailed and authentic, taking the reader back in time to those war-torn years, and the terror and privations endured by so many ordinary people. In truth, there were so many extraordinary people, displaying extraordinary courage and determination, which is so well portrayed in this story.

By contrast, Louisa’s story, set in 2017, beginning in England, is almost pedestrian. I got very little ‘sense’ of Louisa, and what I did get was not appealing. The narrative of Louisa’s search for her grandmother was plodding and repetitive, with nothing much happening until the last few chapters. Whenever the story flipped to Louisa, I could not wait to get back to Stella’s life to find out what happened next. In truth I don’t feel that Louisa’s story added very much to Stella’s story, hence my four star rating.

This is an excellent book which I enjoyed immensely. I will look for more of this author’s work. My thanks to the author, publisher and Netgalley for my advance copy of this title.