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abiofpellinor's review against another edition
4.0
I picked this up randomly when I was volunteering at the BHF, I was in a mood to buy lots of books. I ended up enjoying it a lot more than I thought I would. Set during the war, but not within mainland Europe and with many side plots which aren’t usually explored, it’s a different story to what I’ve been used to and one which will draw you in. A surprisingly good book.
heathssm's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
nigelbrown's review against another edition
3.0
Although I enjoyed this novel I definitely should have enjoyed it more. It has all the ingredients that would normally make this unputdownable, (sorry) but for some reason my mind was constantly wandering. There just seemed too many distracting side stories.
I have enjoyed Mills before and this certainly hasn’t deterred me from trying another.
I have enjoyed Mills before and this certainly hasn’t deterred me from trying another.
jeanetterenee's review against another edition
2.0
About 2.5 stars. I couldn't quite go up to three.
caitsidhe's review against another edition
3.0
I liked The Savage Garden by the same author, so when I saw this book in a discount store I figured I should pick it up.
I wish I hadn't.
Not that it's a bad book- not at all- but it's not as good as his other work. It offers us cardboard characters with weak motivations, cliche villains and plot twists telegraphed from a mile off. However, the writing itself is strong and evocative. At it's best, it;s slightly above average quality. At it's worst it's mediocre and dull.
Mills can do better.
I wish I hadn't.
Not that it's a bad book- not at all- but it's not as good as his other work. It offers us cardboard characters with weak motivations, cliche villains and plot twists telegraphed from a mile off. However, the writing itself is strong and evocative. At it's best, it;s slightly above average quality. At it's worst it's mediocre and dull.
Mills can do better.
whatkatyreads's review against another edition
3.0
Like other people have said, I really found this book hard to get through. It took me at least a month to read and I was a little disappointed with it as I really enjoyed The Savage Garden. The last three chapters kept me up an hour past bedtime to read because I wanted to know what happened but the rest of the book just didn't really do much for me.
I haven't really been into reading that much recently though so that may be a factor as to why I didn't enjoy it as much as I should have. For me there was too much about the war and not enough about the case he was working on.
I haven't really been into reading that much recently though so that may be a factor as to why I didn't enjoy it as much as I should have. For me there was too much about the war and not enough about the case he was working on.
jeanm333's review against another edition
3.0
I ran across a review of this book and a discussion by Mark Mills of how he found out about Malta during WW II. You can read about it on YouTube.
Seems Malta was the sole Allied outpost in the Mediterranean during WW II, and it endured bombing much worse than that suffered by England during that time. Malta was still a British colony.
The story centers on Max Chadwick, a British information officer who discovers the murder of a Maltese girl, who dies clutching a scrap of fabric from the uniform of a British submarine officer. He is frantic to find the murderer (other girls have been killed) before the submarine leaves.
The book was fast-paced and interesting and the story was believable. The last few chapters were "hold on to your seats" stuff, with Chadwick motoring around the island on his motor bike trying to figure out the killer and stop the killer before another girl close to Max gets murdered. I didn't guess the ending.
Now I have to read Mills' other two books; I hope they are as good as this one.
Seems Malta was the sole Allied outpost in the Mediterranean during WW II, and it endured bombing much worse than that suffered by England during that time. Malta was still a British colony.
The story centers on Max Chadwick, a British information officer who discovers the murder of a Maltese girl, who dies clutching a scrap of fabric from the uniform of a British submarine officer. He is frantic to find the murderer (other girls have been killed) before the submarine leaves.
The book was fast-paced and interesting and the story was believable. The last few chapters were "hold on to your seats" stuff, with Chadwick motoring around the island on his motor bike trying to figure out the killer and stop the killer before another girl close to Max gets murdered. I didn't guess the ending.
Now I have to read Mills' other two books; I hope they are as good as this one.
rosseroo's review against another edition
3.0
I have to admit I have a soft spot for crime novels or thrillers set amidst the backdrop of World War II, which is why I picked this one up. The story is set on the tiny island of Malta (which lies roughly 50 miles south of Sicily, 150 miles east of Tunisia, and is roughly double the size of the city of Washington, DC) in 1942, as daily Luftwaffe raids seek to pound the British garrison into submission. Along with the garrison, there are a coterie of British civil servants, including the titularly titled Max, who is basically a glorified head of propaganda, tasked with maintaining morale among the Maltese locals (Malta was a British possession until 1964), many of whom are pro-Italian.
Amidst the fearsome bombing campaign (which was far more intense than the legendary London Blitz), Max dashes around the island on a rickety motorcycle seeking out stories, meeting with newspeople, and trading quips with other Brits over drinks. And soon enough, he has to decide whether or not to cover-up the serial killings of bar hostesses, where the only clue is a British submariner's badge. Told over the course of nine days, the story should be a fast-paced thriller, but somehow manages not to be. Part of the problem is that there are too many subplots: Max is embroiled in not one, but two romantic situations, then there's the question as to whether the British naval presence will retreat to Alexandria, the separate question of whether or not the relief forces of Spitfires will arrive before the Germans invade, and finally, the presence of a German spy on the island.
Another significant problem is the large cast of thinly developed characters -- including Max himself. In attempting to create a crowd of potential suspects, the author doesn't do any of them justice, and we are left with types, instead of people. Unfortunately, his efforts at misdirection are somewhat clumsy and many readers will have figured out the killer well in advance of Max. Finally, in his worthy attempt to tell the story of Malta under siege, the author loses track of the central drama of the killings, and the story bogs down. It's an excellent portrait of a place and people under severe physical and psychological stress, but the storytelling is crowded out. Ultimately, a passable beach or airplane read, but little more. If you have a particular interest in Malta, it may have a little more resonance.
Amidst the fearsome bombing campaign (which was far more intense than the legendary London Blitz), Max dashes around the island on a rickety motorcycle seeking out stories, meeting with newspeople, and trading quips with other Brits over drinks. And soon enough, he has to decide whether or not to cover-up the serial killings of bar hostesses, where the only clue is a British submariner's badge. Told over the course of nine days, the story should be a fast-paced thriller, but somehow manages not to be. Part of the problem is that there are too many subplots: Max is embroiled in not one, but two romantic situations, then there's the question as to whether the British naval presence will retreat to Alexandria, the separate question of whether or not the relief forces of Spitfires will arrive before the Germans invade, and finally, the presence of a German spy on the island.
Another significant problem is the large cast of thinly developed characters -- including Max himself. In attempting to create a crowd of potential suspects, the author doesn't do any of them justice, and we are left with types, instead of people. Unfortunately, his efforts at misdirection are somewhat clumsy and many readers will have figured out the killer well in advance of Max. Finally, in his worthy attempt to tell the story of Malta under siege, the author loses track of the central drama of the killings, and the story bogs down. It's an excellent portrait of a place and people under severe physical and psychological stress, but the storytelling is crowded out. Ultimately, a passable beach or airplane read, but little more. If you have a particular interest in Malta, it may have a little more resonance.
nickimags's review against another edition
1.0
It didn't like this and couldn't be bothered to plough through it as it didn't draw me in or endear any of its characters to me at all. there is toomuch narrative and not enough dialogue and quite frankly I didn't care what was going to happen at the end.