Mark Mills's bestselling novels Amagansett and The Savage Garden have won him widespread acclaim for his singular brand of suspense. ...
read full description
reviews
Jan 02, 2010
Marybeth
rated it: 
This book tries to accomplish way too much in one story. The result is a choppy mess. I didn't care about any of the characters nor did I care much about solving the supposed mystery. Overall - a flop.
0 comments
like
(2 people liked it)
Aug 03, 2011
Although a crime novel, this is primarily a book about Second World War Malta. The complex co-existence between the British servicemen and the civilian Maltese is captured perfectly. While the British elite eat canapés and drink fine wine, bombs drop on the people of Valetta and beyond. The mother of a murdered local girl screams at her husband for allowing the British Information Officer (or PR manager) Max Chadwick into their house.
Max is there because he has decided to solve the murder mys More...
Max is there because he has decided to solve the murder mys More...
Aug 24, 2010
Jim
rated it: 
During World War II, the island of Malta, located about midway between Sicily and the north coast of Africa, was a key strategic location. The Germans subjected the island, which was a British colony, to a campaign of massive, unrelenting aerial bombardment, designed to isolate the island and wear down its defenses.
This mystery novel nicely captures the atmosphere and feeling of what it was like to be there. The protagonist, Max Chadwick, is a British officer whose task it is to diss More...
This mystery novel nicely captures the atmosphere and feeling of what it was like to be there. The protagonist, Max Chadwick, is a British officer whose task it is to diss More...
0 comments
like
(1 person liked it)
Apr 01, 2010
Carl
rated it:
I picked this up after a good, brief review in the Sunday NYT.
If one can put down a mystery 1/3 through, there is something wrong. Obviously the plot isn't engrossing, and at this point, the main mystery has barely begun to unfold.
The characters: way too much "old man" and "old chap" (Monty Python's "upperclass twits"?); none very interesting or likable so far, including the main character and his married lover.
The setting: life during wartime More...
If one can put down a mystery 1/3 through, there is something wrong. Obviously the plot isn't engrossing, and at this point, the main mystery has barely begun to unfold.
The characters: way too much "old man" and "old chap" (Monty Python's "upperclass twits"?); none very interesting or likable so far, including the main character and his married lover.
The setting: life during wartime More...
0 comments
like
(1 person liked it)
Mar 19, 2010
Tony
rated it: 
Mills, Mark. THE INFORMATION OFFICER. (2009). ****. This is the first of Mr. Mills’ books that I have read, but I will certainly look up his others. It is a murder mystery and spy thriller set on the island of Malta during the early days of WW II. A young British officer, Max Chadwick, has been brought over to Malta to take over the post as resident (read propoganda) officer for the island forces and resident British troops. He has a big job helping to preserve morale after the incessant
More...
0 comments
like
(1 person liked it)
Mar 15, 2010
Jean
rated it:
I ran across a review of this book and a discussion by Mark Mills of how he found out about Malta during WW II. You can read about it on YouTube.
Seems Malta was the sole Allied outpost in the Mediterranean during WW II, and it endured bombing much worse than that suffered by England during that time. Malta was still a British colony.
The story centers on Max Chadwick, a British information officer who discovers the murder of a Maltese girl, who dies clutching a scrap of fabric f More...
Seems Malta was the sole Allied outpost in the Mediterranean during WW II, and it endured bombing much worse than that suffered by England during that time. Malta was still a British colony.
The story centers on Max Chadwick, a British information officer who discovers the murder of a Maltese girl, who dies clutching a scrap of fabric f More...
Feb 12, 2010
Tony
rated it:
I have to admit I have a soft spot for crime novels or thrillers set amidst the backdrop of World War II, which is why I picked this one up. The story is set on the tiny island of Malta (which lies roughly 50 miles south of Sicily, 150 miles east of Tunisia, and is roughly double the size of the city of Washington, DC) in 1942, as daily Luftwaffe raids seek to pound the British garrison into submission. Along with the garrison, there are a coterie of British civil servants, including the titular
More...
Dec 24, 2009
Michelle
rated it: 
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
To view it, click here
0 comments
like
(1 person liked it)
Nov 29, 2009
Lisa
rated it:
Psychological murder mystery involving a serial killer? Spy story? Love story? Historical novel? This novel tries to do it all, and does none of it well.
The murder of a local girl on Malta during World War II is made to look like a bombing death. For some reason, a military doctor does the post-mortem, as he has on two other deaths of local girls which he thinks were murders made to look like bombing deaths. He told the military authorities about it, but they did not investigate. For s More...
The murder of a local girl on Malta during World War II is made to look like a bombing death. For some reason, a military doctor does the post-mortem, as he has on two other deaths of local girls which he thinks were murders made to look like bombing deaths. He told the military authorities about it, but they did not investigate. For s More...
0 comments
like
(1 person liked it)
Oct 16, 2009
Winifred
rated it:
It’s a murder mystery, a love story and a historic novel all rolled into one. The first and last chapters are set one evening in a London restaurant in 1951 but the main story evolves over 9 days in Malta in the summer of 1942, at the height of the terrible German and Italian bombing raids.
The story plays out against the background of Malta, the island fortress providing extensive information about its geography and history. It is well written and researched with maps to help you id More...
The story plays out against the background of Malta, the island fortress providing extensive information about its geography and history. It is well written and researched with maps to help you id More...
Apr 13, 2011
Ted
rated it: 
British Major Max Chadwick is an architect turned military PR flak facing numerous dilemmas on the island of Malta in the spring of 1942. The rapes and murders of several young Maltese women could further erode the fragile relationship between local islanders and the British who are defending Malta from an unrelenting aerial onslaught by German and Italian bombers. A small piece of evidence points to the possibility that the murderer is a British submariner, a sailor under the command of the
More...
Apr 05, 2010
Stewart
rated it:
"The Information Officer" was one of the better novels I've read in recent years. It was a page-turner that combined history, a murder mystery, and a good cast of characters (British, Maltese, and American; men and women; soldiers and civilians).
The novel takes place in Malta in May-June 1942 as the island, a British possession in the Mediterranean, was being bombarded by German and Italian bombers and fighters from Italy. An invasion is imminent. Max Chadwick, a British of More...
The novel takes place in Malta in May-June 1942 as the island, a British possession in the Mediterranean, was being bombarded by German and Italian bombers and fighters from Italy. An invasion is imminent. Max Chadwick, a British of More...
Jan 03, 2010
Alissa
rated it:
I normally really enjoy fiction about World War II, and was intrigued by the book's description, since I knew little of Malta or its part in the war. However, I this book didn't excite me and while I kept reading in part to see how the murder mystery was resolved, I agree with another Goodreads Reader who pointed out that this book tried to be too much - historical fiction about Malta's role, a love story, and a murder mystery. The mystery parts were the best for me, and the continued descriptio
More...
0 comments
like
(2 people liked it)
Aug 10, 2011
The only reason I kind of enjoyed this book is because I partly read it during my vacation in Malta, so it was kind of exciting to read about the places I had visited and learn a bit more of the history that I had just touched on the surface with my Malta guide. Other than that... I guess the most appropiate word is: 'Meh'. It wasn't really bad, but it wasn't good either. It's obvious that Mills did a lot of research for this book, but at a certain point he throws so much information and militar
More...
Dec 07, 2009
Djrmel
rated it:
Too many genres can spoil a good story, and this book comes dangerously close to proving that point. Its strength as a historical novel, set in the much under appreciated Malta during WWII, saves it from being a rather weak mystery/thriller. Mills does a decent job of making his setting a character, putting the reader next to the characters as they go about the business of staying alive while the Germans are trying to remove them from the island, if not the face of the earth. It's good that he
More...
Dec 01, 2009
Laura
rated it:
Set in Malta during WWII, this book covers the British occupation (if that's the correct word, I think Malta was part of the Commonwealth then) and the Maltese reaction to it. Although, it's really more about Max, an army officer who is investigating the murders of some local girls which seem to have been committed by another Brit. Golly.
The level of historical detail included was fascinating, I knew nothing about Malta's part in the war and was interested to learn what an important More...
The level of historical detail included was fascinating, I knew nothing about Malta's part in the war and was interested to learn what an important More...
Dec 09, 2009
Morgan
rated it:
I wouldn't have read this book if I hadn't won an advanced copy, and I kind of wish I hadn't won it.
This book was very, very muddled. I wish it just focused on one damn thing, but nnoooooo, it had to try to do it all, and it failed. The whole mystery/thriller part of it absolutely drowned in all the war details and boring characters. A good 3/4 of this book was just talking about bombings and airplanes and guns and other things that were just not interesting. And there was waaaay More...
This book was very, very muddled. I wish it just focused on one damn thing, but nnoooooo, it had to try to do it all, and it failed. The whole mystery/thriller part of it absolutely drowned in all the war details and boring characters. A good 3/4 of this book was just talking about bombings and airplanes and guns and other things that were just not interesting. And there was waaaay More...
0 comments
like
(1 person liked it)
Mar 04, 2010
Jonathan
rated it:
all done.
this is the first book I'm reading on a Kindle. I have no idea what page I'm on but the Kindle says I've read 10% of it already. the text is quite readable. Knocked off the 10% in one train ride to work, likely more than I would have done with a conventional codex. On the other hand, the Kindle is useless for reading the map of Malta in the front of the book... Stay tuned for more.
Oh - yeah about the book itself; seems like a good page turner! Well-w More...
this is the first book I'm reading on a Kindle. I have no idea what page I'm on but the Kindle says I've read 10% of it already. the text is quite readable. Knocked off the 10% in one train ride to work, likely more than I would have done with a conventional codex. On the other hand, the Kindle is useless for reading the map of Malta in the front of the book... Stay tuned for more.
Oh - yeah about the book itself; seems like a good page turner! Well-w More...
Nov 22, 2009
Randal
rated it:
Max Chadwick, propaganda officer and man-about-war, is delivered information that makes his job harder--an English officer may be killing local women. And that's about all the motivation and plot I could discern through the first sixty percent or so of the book. It took that long to find characters readily distinguishable from one another. From there Mills' talent shows in the plotting and pacing--and truthfully it shows earlier, but not consistently enough. For a writer who sometimes underm
More...
Feb 01, 2010
Kasa
rated it:
What makes this book so compelling is how well Mills has researched his location, Malta, the only Allied held island in the Mediterranean. The plot involves a murder mystery that involves a psychotic serial killer who is also an agent for the Germans who are threatening to invade this vulnerable place. Historically, Malta has the dubious distinction of being the most bombed patch of earth up to that point. The characterizations are serviceable, if not particularly original. But that is one of th
More...
Apr 06, 2010
Bookmarks Magazine
rated it:
Mark Mills's third novel--as magnificent as it is sober and chilling--evokes the horror of Malta under siege. The war, however, provides more than a backdrop to this superb spy thriller, gripping mystery, and work of historical fiction; it directs Max's choices as he sets out to investigate the murders. Critics lauded the plot's complexity, smooth pacing, and attention to detail. However, it was the sadistic killer--and his incisive, depraved musings--that really caught most reviewers' attention
More...
Dec 17, 2009
Karen
rated it:
How to describe this book.... a serial killer, romance, espionage, WWII thriller with a decent amount of sex thrown in. For me, the most interesting thing about this book was the setting -- Malta during WWII. I've heard of Malta before and could identify it on the map, but beyond that, I really didn't know much about it. I had no idea who controlled Malta during WWII (the British), if it was strategically important (it was, a refueling spot for launching campaigns against Rommel in Africa and fo
More...
Sep 11, 2011
Arthur
rated it:
Max, in charge of British propaganda on Malta during WWII, struggles to track down a killer of local "sherry girls." Is it the heroic captain of a submarine, or someone else, perhaps a serial killer?
The rubble of Malta, it's streets, buildings and town all seem to get a bit in the way of Mills' driving narrative. Though, what's a noir mystery without a lot of driving around? Perhaps I wouldn't have stumbled on the route if Max were tooling up and down the 405 Freeway!
More...
The rubble of Malta, it's streets, buildings and town all seem to get a bit in the way of Mills' driving narrative. Though, what's a noir mystery without a lot of driving around? Perhaps I wouldn't have stumbled on the route if Max were tooling up and down the 405 Freeway!
More...
Jul 28, 2010
Miss GP
rated it:
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 i
More...
Jan 16, 2011
Penny
rated it:
This book is about the bombing of Malta in
WW2 and the people there - both british forces and civilian. It's a good read, and I wanted to see what would happen, yet the predominantly male characters didnt really engage me that much. The setting in Malta is very well done but the switching between characters is confusing as there is very little to differentiate who is 'speaking' - maybe that was his intention. About 2/3 s through I had to go back and see who had said what because by then t More...
WW2 and the people there - both british forces and civilian. It's a good read, and I wanted to see what would happen, yet the predominantly male characters didnt really engage me that much. The setting in Malta is very well done but the switching between characters is confusing as there is very little to differentiate who is 'speaking' - maybe that was his intention. About 2/3 s through I had to go back and see who had said what because by then t More...
Mar 29, 2011
Paul
rated it:
There are some books that cannot be classified and I believe that "The Information Officer" is one of them. Yes, the book is a mystery, but it also could be classified as a romance novel or historical fiction. It is so well written it could also be classified as fiction/literature.
To really appreciate this novel the reader should have some knowledge of the island of Malta, its people, and the important part that the island played in the Second World War.
Some f More...
To really appreciate this novel the reader should have some knowledge of the island of Malta, its people, and the important part that the island played in the Second World War.
Some f More...
May 12, 2011
Liz
rated it:
After finishing Unbroken and Operation Mincemeat, I was definitely in the mood for a good, WWII-era spy thriller. The Information Officer filled the bill, although it was more murder mystery than spy thriller. Toss in an exotic locale and if I could, I'd really give this 3.5 stars.
The Information Officer is set on Malta in 1942. The strategic importance of Malta to the Allies and the role it played in helping to win the war is a little piece of lost history that this book uncovers. Ma More...
The Information Officer is set on Malta in 1942. The strategic importance of Malta to the Allies and the role it played in helping to win the war is a little piece of lost history that this book uncovers. Ma More...
Nov 12, 2009
K
rated it:
i have slogged about halfway through this book, and i'm just giving up. i simply cannot get excited enough about it to find out whodunnit. i don't care about malta, i don't care about the war, i don't care about the characters. i really enjoyed mills' amagansett...loved the characters and thought he did a great job of evoking a sense of place. and the mystery was pretty darn good, too. clearly, mills has done extensive research, but it's not enough (or maybe it's too much) to save "the info
More...
Jul 25, 2010
Scilla
rated it:
This book takes place in Malta in 1942, when the Germans are bombing it heavily. Max Chadwick, a British Officer, is in charge of providing carefully selected information for the local people. A local woman is murdered. When Max discovers the killer was a British officer, he needs to keep that fact from the locals as well try to find the murderer. The book gives you a good picture of living in Malta at the time. It is very exciting near the end as Max realizes the killer may have kidnapped t
More...
Mar 10, 2010
Kim
rated it:
The mystery did not get lost in the historical setting like it did in the Fifth Servant. The setting in Malta during WW II was integral to the mystery and added dimension to the entire story. I did get a little confused when the author was describing the killer's background. I don't know if I missed a cue somewhere, but I thought at first the author was describing Max Chadwick, the main character and the information officer when in fact he was describing the killer. There is a surprise at th
More...
