The Secret Messenger

By: Mandy Robotham

Narrated by: Alma Costa, Karen Cass

Length: 10 hrs and 27 mins

Publisher's Summary

The highly awaited new novel from the internationally best-selling author of The German Midwife (also published as A Woman of War). 

The number one Globe and Mail best seller. USA Today best seller. Kindle top 10 best seller.  

Venice, 1943

The world is at war, and Stella Jilani is leading a double life. By day, she works in the lion’s den as a typist for the Reich; by night, she risks her life as a messenger for the Italian resistance. Against all odds, Stella must impart Nazi secrets, smuggle essential supplies and produce an underground newspaper on her beloved typewriter.

But when German commander General Breugal becomes suspicious, it seems he will stop at nothing to find the mole, and Stella knows her future could be in jeopardy....

London, 2017

Years later, Luisa Belmont finds a mysterious old typewriter in her attic. Determined to find out who it belonged to, Luisa delves into the past and uncovers a story of fierce love, unimaginable sacrifice and, ultimately, the worst kind of betrayal....

Set between German-occupied 1940s Venice and modern-day London, this is a fascinating tale of the bravery of everyday women in the darkest corners of WWII, for listeners of The Tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather Morris.

©2019 Mandy Robotham (P)2019 HarperCollins Publishers

Critic Reviews

"Unique, emotional and life-affirming." (Melanie Hudson, author of The Last Letter from Juliet)

"Another fantastic page-turner." (LP Fergusson, author of A Dangerous Act of Kindness)

"I felt I was walking alongside Stella over bridges and along canals at every heartstopping moment.... Wonderful." (Molly Green, author of An Orphan’s Wish)

Extremely Riveting

The story line of 'The Seceret Messenger' was great. I didn't want to stop listening until I got to the end. The narrator's did a fantastic job. I loved the way the author combined WWII era characters along with modern day characters. I highly reccomend The Secret Messenger especially if you like WWII era historical fiction.

Fabulous

I love Historical Fiction that centers around WWII. There is so much that can be learned and absorbed as an American that did not live in this time period. This is a wonderful and intriguing book. I enjoyed reading it and being able to related to Venice, having visited many of the locations mentioned in the book.

Lovely historical fiction

I recommend this book to anyone who’s interested in WW2 from the Italian perspective and who doesn’t want a very heavy listen. It was well-performed and written and easy to follow without much effort or rewinding.

Amazing!!

As a historical fiction lover this book knocked it out of the park! It was a sweet read made me miss my grandmother.

Would recommend to anyone who loves World War Two historical fiction!

Magic of Venice

I hadn't read any books about Italy in WWII. This was a great beginning.
The story took me a little while to warm up to. The 'Italian' narrator who played Stella wasn't very easy to warm to. Often it seemed that she was simply reading the story. I did fall in love with Stella and cared what happened to her. I love happy endings and found one in this novel. It's an easy but compelling read. I'm a voracious reader of WWII historical fiction. This one about the Venetian Resistance and the office life of Stella and Christian stands up well to the others I've read. But if you want a WWII story that's more suspenseful and has more grit, do read The Alice Network'.

A breath of fresh air!

Mandy Robotham has created a story and a cast of characters we do not see enough of these days. Stella works for the Germans who are in control of Venice by day. After hours she toils for an underground newspaper that reports on what is really happening outside of Italy. She must play a deadly balance between these two worlds with a bravery and skill that belies her years.

But what's really so refreshing about this character is that she befriends an injured British soldier an develops a friendship with him that remains only a friendship. She does not discover after he is gone that she is pregnant, which is what most novels seem to do. Illegitimate pregnancies have become nothing more than tired plot devices. Instead there is not a doomed wartime romance, only two people determined to survive the war.

The narrators make the characters come to life. One Italian, the other English. Wonderful!!!

There is another man in her life... oh, but I don't want to spoil the surprise, simply read this story and enjoy!

The Secret Messenger

Enjoyed this book . The secret Messenger
Enjoyed this this book.. Will read more books by this author thank you very much.

Kinda long and just not ....something

I finally got through but just wasn't spellbinding for me. At some points just lost interest but plodded through

Hauntingly Beautiful!

A beautiful story not soon forgotten! I am so glad to have experienced it read by two these two narrators... perfection!

Captivating! I loved this story!

This was one of the best stories. I love listening to my parents era, WWII. The women who helped win the war have quite a story to tell. The narrator is excellent. I found myself getting so thrilled with each turn of events.
I know you’ll enjoy it.