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The Information Officer: A Novel Audiobook
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(3.01) - 683 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
Malta, April 1942. Max Chadwick is the military officer charged with managing information and maintaining morale on the tiny Mediterranean island, a strategic lynchpin in the war. Bombs rain from the sky at all hours of the day and night, as the Maltese and their British protectors fiercely cling to the rocky outcropping that is all that stands between the Axis and total dominance of the Mediterranean theater.
When a Maltese woman is murdered and evidence links her death to a British serviceman, Chadwick is faced with the possibility that the fragile and crucial esprit de corps could shatter. Forced to keep his investigation a secret, he sets out to unravel the mystery and unmask the killer. At stake is not only his only life and that of the woman he loves but also a conflict with far broader consequences.
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"I can see why The Information Officer would get such mixed reviews. Like Mills' other novels, it's more about conveying a time, place, atmosphere and characters than about the mystery taking place against this backdrop. From a historical fiction standpoint, the book is top-notch. It's very detailed, and Mills' characters are more real, more in-depth than almost any other author I can think of. The problem is that the backdrop usurps the plot, so at times it drags. Mills gets so wrapped up in painting a complete picture that the book's mystery all but disappears. So, I would highly recommend the novel for lovers of really great writing, but I would not recommend it for those looking for a snappy, page-turning mystery."
— Miss (4 out of 5 stars)
Quotes
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“The Information Officer ratchets up the tension with each page, leading to a pulse-pounding climax that will remain with you long after the tale has ended. Wartime Malta comes alive in this meticulously researched and beautifully written portrait of an island on the edge.”
— Olen Steinhauer, New York Times best-selling author of The Tourist -
“It’s only a story. It’s only a story. It’s only…But the sense of immediacy Mark Mills brings to The Information Officer is so intense that this breathtaking novel reads more like a memoir than a wartime thriller…Even without the added complication of a sadistic murderer, the tension is killing—and Mills leaves us gasping for breath at the end.”
— New York Times Book Review -
“Thrilling…magnificent entertainment…this utterly ravishing novel seethes with femmes fatales and double agents…[it] reads like the story of Casablanca revisited, like a vanished Graham Greene.”
— Los Angeles Times -
“[Mills’] writing, laced with amusing classical English literary allusions and mixed with a bit of Virgil, is graceful and fluid, the research scrupulous.”
— Newark Star-Ledger -
“Mills paints a vivid portrait of a tenacious people, embattled and besieged troops, and a principled man trying to resolve the conflict between duty and justice.”
— Publishers Weekly -
“Robin Sachs’ upper-crust British accent works perfectly for Max Chadwick of the Ministry of Information in Malta during WWII as he whitewashes the war for the local community native residents and high-ranking Brits. His job turns deadly when he encounters a series of murders of Maltese women that are covered up by British authorities. Sachs’s deadpan delivery of the villain’s thoughts makes his inventory of rape and murder more chilling and is a sharp contrast from the droll patter of the Brits playing at war and infidelity. Sachs’s vocal transformations from the upright Chadwick and his circle to the perverse mind and actions of the killer are excellent, as is his narration of the German air attacks that endanger Chadwick’s search for justice.”
— AudioFile -
“Sachs vividly portrays British soldiers (from gunners and flyboys to officers) in this mystery set during the WWII siege of Malta…The stratified British service gives Sachs many opportunities to fine-tune a myriad of accents…The killer, unknown until the end, casts a pall over the story, and his everyday voice (thus his identity is kept secret) is quite different from his private one. Sachs' reading elevates this suspenseful story.”
— Booklist (audio review) -
“Like James Benn in his Billy Boyle series, Mills makes excellent use of a lesser-known aspect of WWII, but unlike Benn, he is a fine stylist as well as a storyteller, enabling him to bring a remarkable degree of eloquence and emotional depth to his material. As historical fiction, as mystery, and as love story, this one hits on all cylinders.”
— Booklist
Awards
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SoundCommentary.com’s The Best of the Best 2010
The Information Officer Listener Reviews
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" A good read, with an unusual set up for a crime novel and the two narrative voices left you looking for clues for the indentity of the murderer. "
— Rachel, 2/2/2014 -
" The characters were flat and not well-developed. I liked the use of Malta as a setting, however. "
— Erin, 2/1/2014 -
" Both a dark, engrossing serial-murder mystery and a spy intrigue reminiscent of Eye of the Needle, this World War II thriller takes place on the island of Malta during 1942. It's a challenging read--many fleshed-out characters to keep track of, and a great brush-up on the geography and mechanics of war that rendered the conflict so fascinating. The horror of what takes place isn't necessarily graphic while still coming across strongly, and there's perfect dry humor, camraderie, and atmosphere in the Graham Green style. "
— Margee, 1/27/2014 -
" Had lots of fun reading this "
— Kelly, 1/21/2014 -
" Early WWII in Malta is the setting of this thriller. Local girls are being murdered, but the military officials are covering up. This book has a truly jaw-dropping ending. Very exciting! "
— Mary, 1/11/2014 -
" good ploting, excellent sense of place. wrapped up quick. "
— John, 12/20/2013 -
" This novel is takes place during WWII in Malta. I enjoyed reading about Malta and it's role in the war. Also, the war going on while the main character is trying to solve a mystery added to the suspense. The beginning of the book almost lost me. I am glad I stuck with it, the ending was pretty good. "
— Laura, 12/12/2013 -
" 3.5 or more. A very good thriller set in wartime Malta - learned lots I didn't know and was quite intrigued by the mystery also. Not as good as his previous book, but worth a read. "
— Lynn, 12/3/2013 -
" Interesting period piece. A serial killer loose on Malta in 1942. "
— Ron, 12/2/2013 -
" the details about Malta were interesting but the who dunnit was confusing. Having dealt with rusty motorcycle gas tanks Max's ability to solve the problem was quite remarkable. "
— Dewayne, 12/1/2013 -
" This book although probably not great literature was an enjoyable read. The book gave me a much better understanding of Maltese history and the islanders' role in the war. At the same time the book is a crime thriller that entertains the reader and builds to a tense climax. "
— Graham, 11/25/2013 -
" Sinister goings on on Malta. Absolutely spot on in descriptions, characters, period. Kept me guessing. "
— Toast, 10/29/2013 -
" I learned something about Malta and WWII. Good book. "
— Al, 9/4/2013 -
" Mostly interesting because I had been to Malta recently and could picture the action there. I didn't know that it had been so badly hit during WWII. Likeable characters, pretty good who-dun-it. "
— Chris, 5/9/2013 -
" if you like Alan Furst, you'll like this book. Good pace good details. That Malta survived WWII is amazing all by itself. "
— Nick, 1/15/2013 -
" Interesting as historical WW II fiction, and as a killer's point of view detective novel. "
— Don, 1/8/2013 -
" This book was okay. It's always intereresting to read about WWII; this time it was about the island of Malta's involvement in the war. The main story line was about a murder mystery, but it moved a little too slow and never really drew me in. "
— Christen, 6/26/2012 -
" I rarely leave a book unfinished, but I found this one boring, lumbering and not worth the time. "
— Matt, 3/17/2012 -
" Don't like the British colonial mind. Didn't like this book, either. A mystery set in Malta during WWII, with all the usual characters and hijinks. Not that good a mystery, either. I wouldn't, if I were you. "
— Michele, 10/15/2011 -
" twist after twist! who are friends, spies double agents? right to the end! "
— Susan, 8/31/2011 -
" This WWII thriller plot involving the murder of a young local working-girl by a member of the occupying military (the good guys) could have been a nice mystery to solve, but, for me, the author's use of language was too self-conscious and distracted from the development of the plot. "
— Carol, 4/10/2011 -
" Nice piece of history as well as a mystery. "
— Sschnitker, 3/13/2011 -
" I thought the overall story was good but I did not care for the narrator's vocalization of the killer. It was very off-putting for me. Perhaps if I read it I would have rated it higher. "
— Jane, 1/31/2011 -
" maybe i was interrupted too many times, but i expected to rate this a "4" "
— Pat, 1/9/2011 -
" Mostly interesting because I had been to Malta recently and could picture the action there. I didn't know that it had been so badly hit during WWII. Likeable characters, pretty good who-dun-it. "
— Chris, 1/3/2011 -
" If you know Malta, you will probably love this book. The story covers most of the island. The story takes place during the second world war, but it is mostly a murder mystery. "
— Rozza, 12/15/2010 -
" Set in Malta during WWII, a thriller with espionage and 2 love stories. A very good historical novel with an array of interesting characters. "
— Lynn, 12/6/2010 -
" Good period mystery set in Malta during WWII. It was pretty brilliant right up until the end, when it sort of lost its footing. "
— Sheryl, 11/12/2010 -
" Very good story -- kept us guessing till the end. "
— Avary, 11/12/2010
About Mark Mills
Mark Mills is a screenwriter and the author of The Savage Garden and Amagansett. His first novel, Amagansett, was published in a dozen countries and received the British Crime Writers’ Association John Creasy Memorial Dagger Award. A graduate of Cambridge University, he lives in Oxford with his wife and their two children.
About Robin Sachs
Judy Young is a voice talent and audiobook narrator.