Customer Reviews

Death in Malta

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A writer, seeking solitude after an uneasy marriage, settles in Malta, as far away from his origins in Perth, Australia as can be. What follows is a mystery story as he seeks to find the truth behind a local event, which took place some years prior to his arrival; the disappearance and supposed death of a small boy from the village. This is to be the subject of his new novel. But in seeking the truth he uncovers events that have been long hidden and in doing so, reveals secrets that perhaps should have remained veiled. His journey brings about the final separation from his Australian wife, concern about his teenage daughter and the new love of a local woman. The story is told in languid style that allows for emotions and feelings to be expressed, along with the doubts and insecurities that plague the writer as he seeks to create the fictional boy from what little detail he can obtain from the local villagers. Principal characters, the writer, his lover and the doctor are fleshed out lovingly, while secondary characters are finely sketched, from the local village priest to the bucolic plumber. The multifaceted act of writing a novel is conveyed in a realistic manner. An intriguing story that holds the readers attention until the final sad moments. Recommended.
Brian Kavanagh.
Author of the Belinda Lawrence mystery series.
Death in Malta

Death in Malta's protagonist is human, vulnerable and believeable. He is homesick, he's suffering from writer's block. He falls in love, and becomes obsessed with a mystery surrounding the disappearance of a little boy from the very house he is living in. All the while, you wonder whether there's a corpse in one of those clay jars he found. All the while, you wonder whether what he starts to write is truth or fiction. This story, although it centres around the Australian writer, is really about the old doctor who becomes his friend - his sharply defined personality makes you look forward to the next time he appears. The essence of "Death in Malta" is really contained in the character of Dr Phineas Micallef. A great read, with a realistic ending.

Let superb storyteller Rosanne Dingli take you on a captivating trip to Malta, as she weaves
an engrossing tale of suspense and romance.

'Death in Malta' is the story of an Australian author's journey as he seeks inspiration.
He travels to Malta and settles into an old farmhouse. Once there, he uncovers an
unsolved mystery that becomes the basis for his new book.

Dingli skillfully captures the intricacies of life in a small Maltese village - its residents,
customs, food and drink - as well as the struggles of an outsider trying to find his way.

Gregory Worthington, seeking a retreat in which to write his next novel and hopefully revive his flagging career, stumbles upon a twenty year old mystery and in the process achieves great happiness and great sorrow.

This is a novel of great power and imagery. Life in both Malta and in Perth is depicted in brillant clarity. Roseanne Dingli's writing is such that I cringed each time the child Censinu's story appeared, afraid that this would be the moment when all was revealed. However, Dingli is cleverer than that and it is not until the final few pages that the reader learns the answer to the question which has plagued Censinu's family and the village for all that time. Although tragic, the story has moments of true joy.

Highly recommended read.

Greg Worthington travels from Perth, Australia to Malta to find an inner peace to restart his creative writing. A sucessful author of suspense/horror fiction he can't escape the taunts of his ex-wife. He and Maggie are not divorced, but their separation is of long standing.
Rosanne Dingli's DEATH IN MALTA begins when Greg inspects an ancient farm house, cuts his hand, and hears a woman's screams when he enters the door. Malta is a closed society and he is slow to establish acquaintances as the locals are in awe of a man who stays up late at night and writes.
A local story of a young boy who disappeared twenty years before excites Greg's curosity, his mind opens to the possibilites, and he is writing again using Censinu Mifsud as a model.
He makes friends with a Dr. Phineas Micaller through whom he meets Patricia, who fast becomes the companion of his heart.
This well constructed, evenly paced mystery will bounce you from Perth to Malta with the ease of a feather as Greg explores what did happen to the young boy.
A great read at anytime.
Nash Black, author of SANDPRINTS OF DEATH

Death in Malta is a great read -- I actually had trouble putting it down. Well written, well plotted, descriptive prose. Worth the purchase.

This book was received through First Reads, review to follow shortly.

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Really enjoyed this book, it's a story within a story within the everyday life of a foreigner trying to fit into a small Maltese village. I'm just a sucker for the Mediterranean villages at the moment which is probably a huge part of why this appealed to me... but on top of that it's very well written. It has a touch of romance, a liberal dose of mystery and a wonderful portrayal of characters.

The story itself flows well and is very readable, I rarely get to read things in one sitting yet everytime I picked up the book I realised that it had kept me hooked far longer than I originally intended. But it's the quirkiness of the characters that kept me coming back for more, while I'm not familiar with Malta the individuals have very similar characteristics to a lot of people I've met in small Italian villages and I just want to "people-watch" every single one of them.

Thank you for my copy, I just can't believe it took me this long to pick it up!

Ms. Dingli has woven a tale of suspense and intrigue set against the backdrop of a small Malta island rich in Mediterranean flavor, and the village hiding secrets behind tradition and suspicion.
Superb writing style leads the reader on a tour of the Mediterranean island with description and feeling, making me feel as though I was a voyeur, standing beside Worthington as he entered a world filled with richly described characters and mystery.
Gregory Worthington is a disillusioned writer, grasping for a way to kick-start his floundering career. He travels to Malta and rents a farmhouse that has been vacant for many years. A few dropped phrases from locals lead him on a mission to discover the mystery behind the house, and the family that had deserted it two decades ago after their child disappears.
A building romance and friendships help Worthington on his quest to discover the truth behind the missing boy, opening wounds and a history that the village has tried to leave in the past.
Worthington feels the moral dilemma of writing the story that will rebuild his career or protecting the secrets of the people he has met.
Death in Malta is one of those 'curl up in your favorite reading chair' novels, keeping pages turning as the story unfolds.