Mark Mills came to prominence with AMAGANSETT, a book that won the British Crime Writer Association’s Award for best novel by a debut author. He followed that up with the well-received THE SAVAGE GARDEN, and now, THE INFORMATION OFFICER. The work is primarily set on the island of Malta in World War II, and features the title character of Max Chadwick, whose role is to disseminate the right type of propaganda amongst the natives, to keep morale high.
High morale is at a shortage. Malta, a British Crown colony, is under constant attack from German and Italian forces, receiving twice-daily bombings for almost two years, suffering great casualties, and experiencing shortages of almost everything, including food. Chadwick and his friends make the best of it as well as they can, until a young street girl is found raped and murdered.
High Command seems to want to hide the atrocity, but Chadwick is incensed and wants to find the killer. Mills ably weaves his story around a slew of mysterious characters, the ruthless bureaucracy of the military authorities, and the implacable will of the Maltese people, all as we feel the intense desperation of Chadwick as he hunts for the killer.
The unusual setting of the novel is extremely refreshing, and Mills manages to incorporate tons of details of Maltese life and culture without making it seem like a history book. His characters are strong and believable, dialogue realistic, and his powers of description and plotting are also in top form. Although this is early in his career, I think it’s safe to say that he’s a crime author who is one to watch out for, someone who doesn’t need the crutch of a series detective, and who shows the care and love for his characters and story too many writers ignore. —Mark Rose
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This one I’ve been wanting to read – thanks for the review.