The Hidden Palace: the most spellbinding escapist historical novel of WW2 Malta from the No. 1 Sunday Times bestseller: Book 2 (The Daughters of War) Paperback – 15 Sept. 2022

Third in a trilogy

When I bought this book I didn’t realise that it was the second book in the Daughters of War trilogy. This meant that the beginning seemed rather abrupt and it took me time to discover the nature of the relationship between Florence, who had escaped war torn France, and her saviour, Jack. However, the previous story was gradually revealed, explaining the complex family background of Florence and her two sisters. As the plot develops, we also come to know more about Jack’s pre-war life and why he is so reluctant to show his feelings.In tandem with Florence’s story we read about Rosalie, her aunt, who had run away to Malta in 1925. Refusing to toe the line with her parents wish for her to make a suitable marriage, she intends to make a career of her talent as a dancer. When Florence is asked by her mother, in 1944, to look for her sister, Rosalie, she wonders if her aunt is still alive on an island attacked so badly and knows she must wait until after the war to make the journey.The story tells us in great detail what a dangerous place Malta was in the 1920s, when criminals ran prostitute rings of young women brought in from other countries. Rosalie, or Riva as she now called herself, made friends with some important people but she wasn’t afraid to fight for the rights of the young women. Her romance with a member of the British aristocracy seems doomed to failure but he introduces her to the stunning palace his uncle owned in Mdina.Although I prefer the stories Dinah Jefferies has set in the East, I found the events in Malta very interesting and I admired the courage of both young women. I had no problem reading this book as a standalone novel but I would recommend reading Book 1 Daughters of War first.

Dinah Jeffries does it again - another fabulous read! The story of three sisters who live in Nazi occupied France at the end of WW2 is told with wonderful characterisation, suspense and plot twists that will mean you can't put the book down. Jeffries has employed her accurate research that doesn't shy away from the true horrors of occupation and the brutality of the lives of everyday people under duress. What marks the novel out for me are the wonderful descriptions of setting and place, the character development and the layers of indivdual story lines that weave seemlessly through the narrative to an unexpected conclusion. I can't wait to read her next book!

Great book really good gift.

I enjoy Dinah Jefries' books as they always have a good story and interesting setting.This is set in WWII and is apparently part of a series but I didn't feel I needed to have read those before or after as it was a good stand-alone story.It is set in Devon and Malta and having been to Malta I was able to picture the places she describes. The characters were believable and well-written.There were enough twists and turns to keep me wanting to read on.

I really enjoyed the story - the characters and the intertwined family history - as well as the insight into wartime Malta. However, the book needs a thorough edit - the grammar is not good throughout, with many much needed commas missing and a lot of typos (missing or duplicate text etc), as well as times where more narrative is needed on certain points or storylines to better balance against others and for better flow.

VG Read

I didn’t enjoy this 2nd book in the Daughters of War trilogy as much as I thought I was going to. Somehow I was looking forward to learning more about all three daughters but it really only dealt in any detail with one of them. Nevertheless, as with all her other books, Dinah Jefferies is an excellent storyteller and I have read and re-read every one.

Very good read

Be sure to read the book prior to this one...The Daughters of War.I felt like I was there experiencing the events. A book I had a hard time putting aside.

Really enjoyed this book, second in part of a trilogy by Dinah Jefferies, one of my favourite authors. Can’t wait for the next book to be released, although not until 2023 I believe.

It was a great story. The description was so good you could just about see it.

Which book now? I read, Hidden Palace first, then, Daughters of War, now what? It didn't matter which book to read first.