Okay, not exactly about Malta, but set in Malta and with such evocative descriptions of the place that the country itself effectively becomes a character in the story. This is a detective thriller set against the backdrop of wartime Malta, 1942, a time when the country was under unceasing bombardment from German and Italian bombers trying to batter the island into submission. Meanwhile the Information Officer (Max), who is essentially chief of British propaganda for the island, stumbles into a murder enquiry. Young ‘sherry queens’ or ‘hostesses’ working in the shadier parts of Valletta are being murdered. We are given glimpses into the killer’s mind at various intervals during the book but are told too little to reveal his identity, learning only how he has taught himself to blend in with others despite not being able to empathise or share the concerns of those he comes across. Meanwhile a love triange (or is it a love square?) plays itself out as Max gets closer to the truth…
How was that for some back-cover blurb!
(‘The Information Officer’, Mark Mills.)
Here are a few suggestions on where to find books in Malta: Secret Bookshop…
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Hmm…haven’t read this one (why are there no books set in the magical, mythical town of Fgura? Don’t answer that.)