Mandy Robotham’s novel of the Nazi occupation of Venice—and the Venetian resistance that fought against fascism in many different ways—is an exciting, wild ride. A ride that we, as the reader, get to take on a gondola.

I had no great desire to travel to Italy before reading The Secret Messenger. I mean, sure, it would be nice but it wasn’t near the top of my list. The delicious descriptions of Venetian life and everyday life on the lagoon have changed that, and Venice and Florence are now on my bucket list. Although I’m currently on a WWII learning binge, the war from the angle of Italians was a gap in my knowledge and, now, one I know I need to amend because of this book.

Writers are suckers for books about writers, fully understanding the appeal of a treasured typewriter or laptop and a passion for words, so this book checked several boxes for me. I loved seeing Stella’s double life, especially the scenes written from the café basement where she did her most important work.

I adored this book and will definitely be checking out Mandy’s other novels. Ciao!

RATING: 5 stars

• The Secret Messenger on Goodreads
• Mandy Robotham’s website