The Italian Secret: A Novel

Billie Walker Mystery #3

by Tara Moss

#1 internationally bestselling author Tara Moss returns with an immersive post-war mystery as glamorous investigator Billie Walker follows a trail of secrets to Italy’s sun-drenched Neapolitan coast

Naples, 1943. Deep within a secret network of underground tunnels, a woman takes shelter from a wartime air raid and prays her husband will return home safe.

Pacific Ocean, 1907. A girl embarks on a lonely journey to begin a new life far from home.

Sydney, 1948. Billie Walker, recently returned from a stint as a wartime investigative journalist, has reopened her father’s private inquiry office. One day, Billie is cleaning out old filing cabinets when she uncovers a dusty box whose contents just might upend everything Billie thought she knew about her late, beloved father.

Soon Billie is on the scent, uncovering the secrets of her family’s past, travelling aboard the first post-war luxury passenger ship from Sydney to Naples in search of answers. And as the trail leads her toward two women whose history may be entwined with her own, she realizes she might be putting all three of them in harm’s way. Billie’s father had an enemy—one who may now be stalking Billie around the world—and the closer Billie gets to the truth, the more danger she finds herself in.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Mystery, Fiction, Historical, Italy, Travel, Crime

400 pages, Paperback

Published December 2, 2025

About the author

Tara Moss is an internationally bestselling author, documentary host and human rights advocate. She is the author of 15 books, published in 19 countries and 13 languages. Her latest, The Italian Secret, follows on from the internationally bestselling historical thrillers The War Widow, and The Ghosts of Paris, both set in the postwar 1940s and featuring '‘staunchly feminist, champagne-swilling, fast-driving Nazi hunter’ investigator' PI Billie Walker.

Moss is an outspoken advocate for the rights of women and children, and people with disabilities, and has also published two best-selling non-fiction books, The Fictional Woman and Speaking Out - A 21st Century Guide for Women and Girls.

She has been a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador since 2007 and as of 2013 is UNICEF Australia’s National Ambassador for Child Survival, and has visited Australian hospitals, maternity wards and schools as well as Syrian refugee camps in Lebanon in her UNICEF role. In 2015 she received an Edna Ryan Award for her significant contribution to feminist debate, speaking out for women and children and inspiring others to challenge the status quo.

Her in-depth novel research has seen her tour the FBI Academy at Quantico, spend time in squad cars, morgues, prisons, the Hare Psychopathy Lab, the Supreme Court and criminology conferences, take polygraph tests, shoot weapons, conduct surveillance, pass the Firearms Training Simulator (FATSII) with the LAPD, pull 4.2 G’s doing loops over the Sydney Opera House flying with the RAAF, and acquire her CAMS race driver licence. She has hosted the true crime documentary series Tough Nuts – Australia’s Hardest Criminals on the Crime & Investigation Network, ‘Tara Moss Investigates’ on the National Geographic Channel and the author interview show Tara in Conversation on 13th Street Universal. In 2014 she was recognised for Outstanding Advocacy for her blog Manus Island: An insider’s report, which helped to break information to the public about the events surrounding the alleged murder of Reza Barati inside the Australian-run Manus Island Immigration Detention Centre.

She has earned her private investigator credentials (Cert III) from the Australian Security Academy.

Moss is a dual Australian/Canadian citizen. Visit her at TaraRaeMoss.com

Recent Awards and Accolades:

2012 Australia’s 20 Most Influential Female Voices

2013 Australia’s Most inspiring Women ‘who push boundaries, create change and motivate’

2014 Outstanding Advocacy Award for Manus Island: An insider’s report

2014 Cosmo’s The Women Who Made 2014 Better for The Fictional Woman

2014 Influential Women of 2014, alongside Malala, Laura Bates, Angelina Jolie and more

2014 The Hoopla‘s The Female Eunuch Award for The Fictional Woman

2015 Best Designed Non-Fiction Book Award, for The Fictional Woman designed by Tara Moss and Matt Stanton

2015 Part of the University of Sydney’s Leadership for Good

2015 Edna Ryan Award - ‘Grand Stirrer Award’ for making a feminist difference by speaking out for women and children, for a significant contribution to feminist debate and inciting others to challenge the status quo

2016 Champion of the West award for community service

2017 The Order of Lambrick Park

2018 International Top 50 Diversity Figures in Public Life ‘recognises the achievements of individuals who have used their position in public life, for example as a campaigner, politician or journalist to make an impact in diversity.’ Listed alongside Malala Yousufzai, Angelina Jolie, Bernie Sanders, Emma Watson, His Holiness the Fourteenth Dalai Lama of Tibet and more.

Reviews

[Mandy White (mandylovestoread) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my goodness, Billie Walker is back!! It has been 3 years since The Ghosts of Paris and I have been eagerly awaiting this next book. Thank you Tara Moss for bringing us more from 1940s Sydney and the amazing Billie Walker PI.

The events in Paris certainly took their toll on our heroine and she is in desperate need of a break. The team have been working hard with the agency and things are going well. When Billie finally gets the courage up to clear out her father’s filing cabinets in the office, she comes across an old dusty box that holds a secret should could never have imagined. Billie being Billie can’t help but do some digging. This leads her to board the luxury cruise ship Luxor and head to Naples.

I just love stepping back in time to Sydney in the 1940s. Fascinating to learn about how things have changed and developed since then. And Billie, what can I say? She is a brilliant, strong woman, ahead of her time. She won’t back down from a fight, she is determined and sassy. I love going on adventures with her, and learning all about post-war life in Australia and beyond with her.

Thank you so much to Harper Collins Australia for allowing me to binge-read this one early. Such a pleasure! Publishes in Australia on August 26th.

[Grandma Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the end, I enjoyed this book. I was confused about how the 3 different time lines were connecting. The characters and locations were quite memorable. In my opinion, the author did a marvelous job with research. Outstanding narration. Highly recommend.

I was blessed with an audio ARC. Thank you NetGalley. The opinions expressed are my own and unbiased.

[Elaine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Billie is a tough-ass private eye in Australia. She handles a whole range of cases, but lately it seems to be all about cheating husbands.. She has a partner in crime, as well as a Mom who she’s close too, and her companion.

It is the 1940’s and Billie’s PI business is steadily picking up. When she gets the case of a young woman, Darlene, who wants a divorce and suspects her husband is cheating on her, well, the PI firm gets to work. Unfortunately, her husband sees them taking pix of him… and it gets messy, to say the least.

When Billie starts to feel like she’s being followed, that’s even trickier…
And then, when people start dying around her… well, that is NOT good! Not at all!! 😳

Let me also mention that this one covers THREE timelines, so it gets a bit confusing at times as you try to see which timeline you are in…

Billie is still reeling from the passing of her father. But, as she’s going through some of her Dad’s things, she discovers a hidden envelope. And what she finds inside boggles her mind! But, also sets her on a path of discovery… albeit a very dangerous one!

She travels by steamboat from Australia to Italy to try to get to the bottom of this puzzle… and brings her Mom and her Mom’s companion with her!

And trust me, she has absolutely no idea what she’s getting herself into!

This is a tale of love, as well as love lost. Life, thanksgiving, hardships, friendships, loyalty, family, and so much more!

And I absolutely loved how all the timelines came together in the end!

4 huge, heartfelt stars for me! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

#TheItalianSecret by @TaraMoss and narrated beautifully by @CorinneDavies.

*** This one has NOT BEEN RELEASED YET, please look 👀 for it in a few days on 12/02/25!! ***

Thanks so much to #NetGalley and #HarperCollinsCanadaAudio for an ALC of the audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

You can find my reviews on: Goodreads,
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Thanks so much for reading! And if you ‘liked’ my review, please share with your friends, & click ‘LIKE’ below… And, let me know YOUR thoughts if you read it!! 📚⭐️

[Marianne · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5★s
The Italian Secret is the third book in the Billie Walker Mystery series by award-winning Australian/Canadian author, Tara Moss. Several good reasons put up-and-coming Sydney PI Billie Walker on cruise ship The Luxor, destination Naples, with her mother, Baroness Ella Von Hooft, and Ella’s loyal companion, Alma McGuire.

After four years of investigative work, she needs a holiday; she has just successfully concluded a particularly nasty marital case, and the diary is clear; Ella is looking pale, and needs sunshine and relaxation; the bundle of letters to her father, Barry from an Italian woman, along with an old photo, have piqued her curiosity; and the surprise cache of pounds in Barry’s filing cabinet helps to facilitate it nicely.

A shock death in the days before departure has Billie reconsidering, but DI Hank Cooper assures her he will investigate her concerns thoroughly. Six weeks in newly-refurbished first-class cabins, served wonderful food and drink by attentive crew should make for a relaxing holiday, but then Billie is sure she spots the person she least wants to see. Are she and her companions in danger?

Gentle probing makes it clear that Ella is unaware of Barry’s involvement with a certain Francesca, leaving Billie to wonder at the wisdom of telling her what she has uncovered. Before matters are resolved, there’s a death on board, a dramatic capture, shocks, surprises, and a dramatic climax in the tunnels under Naples.

Billie is feisty and determined, and manages to hold her own, through disapproval and prejudice; her romance with Hank seems to be progressing. Moss gives Billie a marvellous support cast, whose character and role expands with each instalment, and the dialogue offers occasional moments of dark humour. While some questions are answered, there is plenty of scope for more of this excellent post-war Aussie noir series.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Harper Collins Australia.

[Stephanielikesbooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

I really enjoyed this third book in the Billie Walker PI historical mystery series. Billie is such a likeable, spunky, determined young woman not cowed by 1940’s societal expectations for women, and I enjoy seeing the mystery cases she gets involved in. This time, we learn about Billie’s family and her father’s past and I loved the way the mystery storyline intertwined with Billie’s family one.

Told in three timelines (1907, 1943, and 1948) which came nicely together as the story unfolded, we follow Billie story as she goes on the first post-WWII cruise from Sydney, Australia, to Naples, Italy. The details of the cruise and Naples were vivid and interesting.

The secondary characters, particularly Hank, Ella, and Sam, fleshed out the story and I can’t wait to see more of the Billie-Hank-Sam love triangle. I also enjoyed how the author wove in themes around sacrifice, loyalty, secrets, and bravery.

The writing flowed so easily and smoothly and I was so happy to have been back in Billie’s world.

Can’t wait for more in the series!

[Helen - Great Reads & Tea Leaves · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am ever so happy to have been lost in Billie Walker’s world once more - my new historical female heroine! The Italian Secret is the third novel in the Billie Walker series by Tara Moss and I loved it! Although not necessary to have read the previous two (Tara does provide a catch up and some background) I highly recommend you do. This is a post WWII private investigator you will not want to miss out on!

'He was the one who had taught Billie to search out answers, to be curious about the world and the people in it. He had taught her to solve the whys of the world.’

These books are a gorgeous blend of mystery, history, and glamour! This time the setting is a cruise ship then the stunning backdrop of post-war Italy, this book had me hooked from the first page.

Moss paints a vivid picture of 1950s Rome, full of secrets, fashion, and intrigue. Billie, as always, is smart, stylish, and utterly captivating — think Audrey Hepburn meets Veronica Mars. If you're into vintage noir, strong female leads, and a little bit of danger wrapped in silk and shadows, The Italian Secretis a must-read.

I highly recommend this series and reading the books in order. The Italian Secret is such a wonderful historical mystery book filled with exciting, emotional and highly addictive storylines. I can't wait to see what Billie gets up to next! Perfect for fans of historical thrillers with a cinematic flair.

'So it is not an illness at all, you suspect?' She shook her head. 'No. I don't think so?
'You believe these deaths are connected?'
'Yes, I fear they are, she said. 'Almost certainly’



This review is based on a complimentary copy from the author in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. The quoted material may have changed in the final release.

[Janelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Billie Walker is a private detective in Sydney 1948 and the story is centred around her with some other timelines giving background. I found this too long and too many mentions of her ‘Fighting Red’ lipstick and other repetitive bits. I guess it was supposed to be lightly thrilling and entertaining. An ok read that may have hit the spot some other time.

[Marianne · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5★s
The Italian Secret is the third book in the Billie Walker Mystery series by award-winning Australian/Canadian author, Tara Moss. The audio version is narrated by Corinne Davies. Several good reasons put up-and-coming Sydney PI Billie Walker on cruise ship The Luxor, destination Naples, with her mother, Baroness Ella Von Hooft, and Ella’s loyal companion, Alma McGuire.

After four years of investigative work, she needs a holiday; she has just successfully concluded a particularly nasty marital case, and the diary is clear; Ella is looking pale, and needs sunshine and relaxation; the bundle of letters to her father, Barry from an Italian woman, along with an old photo, have piqued her curiosity; and the surprise cache of pounds in Barry’s filing cabinet helps to facilitate it nicely.

A shock death in the days before departure has Billie reconsidering, but DI Hank Cooper assures her he will investigate her concerns thoroughly. Six weeks in newly-refurbished first-class cabins, served wonderful food and drink by attentive crew should make for a relaxing holiday, but then Billie is sure she spots the person she least wants to see. Are she and her companions in danger?

Gentle probing makes it clear that Ella is unaware of Barry’s involvement with a certain Francesca, leaving Billie to wonder at the wisdom of telling her what she has uncovered. Before matters are resolved, there’s a death on board, a dramatic capture, shocks, surprises, and a dramatic climax in the tunnels under Naples.

Billie is feisty and determined, and manages to hold her own, through disapproval and prejudice; her romance with Hank seems to be progressing. Moss gives Billie a marvellous support cast, whose character and role expands with each instalment, and the dialogue offers occasional moments of dark humour. While some questions are answered, there is plenty of scope for more of this excellent post-war Aussie noir series.
This unbiased review is from an audio copy provided by NetGalley and Harper Collins Canada Audio

[Paula Graham · Rating 2 out of 5]

Full disclosure I recieved an ARC of this book for free in exchange for an honest review.

This is the story of family secrets and family trauma. It has a modern feminist bent. The mystery involves unexplained family photos with unknown people.

By and large the book lopes along as cosy mysteries can be expected to go. The plot was mostly predictable. The heroine was likable, beautiful and strong. The victim was sad, but readers of cosy mysteries had enough clues not to get too attached.

For some reason many writers think that no decent person will have a world view different than themselves. People in the past and in other cultures do not have the same values that you do and think their idealogies are right and may even feel a little sorry for you that you believe the strange things you do. What I am saying is that putting a modern feminist in a 1940s story is an anarchonism, as much as if you don't cut out the jet plane flying over the set in a Roman era movie.

Until the 1970s women believed that having children was a feminine super power. Of course, feminist argued women should have access to the workforce, to their own earned money; to education and being in charge of their own property. Women should vote and, well, do anything a man could do. They should also be able to have the traditional feminine. In fact, even as late as the 1980s, the feminist mantra was the "woman who had everything" ie a job and a family; her own financial security and the joys of motherhood. In 1947, a woman who was stubbornly alone would have been seen by others as pathetic-someone who was fated to be lonely and sad. In her own mind, she would have wondered if everyone else was right and she was robbing herself.

Lesbianism and interacial marriage were both taboo in 1947. If someone observed her white female friend and her aboriginal female employee together she would not have casually wondered and then accepted it. There would have at least been questions.
The Aborigines and white Australians did not casually mix in 1947. In fact, the government was stealing aboriginal children to see if they were human enough to be trained as domestics (google stolen children). It is possible that a women in 1947 could have an employee or servant who was aboriginal, notice she was highly intelligent and competent and appreciate her skills. It was not possible that they would be casually socializing in front of other people. Both parties would have accepted this as natural. Shyla would have been uncomfortable in white society, where she would also largely be unwelcome. Billie probably would have either worried about or braced herself to develop a thick skin to the criticisms of white society.
Lesbianism was outside of most people's experience. It happened, but generally not to people "like us". Lesbians themselves would have relationships, possibly even live together. However, it would be at best an open secret. People who heard about it would largely think that there was something wrong, that they were damaged in some way. Open minded people would leave them alone and not speak of it. Their friends and family would urge them to marry and have children.

Adding elements of 21st century open mindedness may make your character likeable to modern readers, but it also greatly disrespects the culture you are writing about. If your character has anacronistic ideas like this, they should be explained. Maybe a favorite aunt had a room mate that felt more like a wife. Maybe growing up in the outback, all your character's playmates were aboriginals so she learned to appreciate their humanity in a way the adults did not. Maybe just maybe your character can have the predjudices of her era and if you want her to stop having them she can have an experience. What does not work is trying to make 1947 the same as 2025.

#goodreadsgiveaways #theitaliansecret #taramoss #penguinrandomhouse

[Christine M in Texas (stamperlady50) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Waiting 3 years for the next in this series was hard, but worth the wait. Moss has created a wonderful character. This one has a unique setting filled with all the elements we love in this series. Intriguing, interesting and has you invested. The narrator was perfect.

[Lyon.Brit.andthebookshelf · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book Report: The Italian Spy by Tara Moss

From the moment I read the synopsis I knew this was one I needed to pick up 📖💛and wow…it delivered.

Set across three timelines 1907 in the Pacific…1943 Naples and 1948 Sydney this story follows Billie Walker as she uncovers a mysterious box in her late father’s office. Inside are letters from a woman halfway across the world…letters that send her on a dangerous…glamorous journey aboard the first postwar luxury ship headed to Italy. As Billie digs deeper she finds herself wrapped in a mystery that spans continents…decades and a very personal family secret✉️🌍⏳

Fast forward to me adding it on Goodreads…only to realize it’s book 3 in the Billie Walker Mystery series 😅 But honestly? That didn’t take away from the experience at all…I adored Billie. She’s sharp…stylish…compassionate and gives off total vintage-noir heroine vibes. Her supporting cast is just as wonderful and now I have to see where they pop up earlier in the series.

The blend of mystery…history…glitz and old-school glamour was so much fun 🕵️‍♀️✨⚓️ I could 100% see Billie Walker as the star of her own Netflix show…think moody noir meets post-war intrigue.
Off to pick up book one (The War Widow) because I’m officially hooked 📚🤩

Thank you Dutton for the free copy!

Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/Lyon.brit.A...

[Jo | Booklover Book Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 Stars. Tara Moss releasing a new novel is something I really get excited about.

Why? It’s more than the wonderfully resilient, feisty and diverse female characters she writes, the loyal, dashing men of substance drawn into their orbits, and the guarantee of some genuinely heart-pounding action sequences. It’s her crisp, clear writing style imbued with attitude and intelligence — it makes the reading experience effortlessly entertaining, and historical mystery enthusiasts confident they are in safe hands.

This Billie Walker PI historical mystery series, currently comprised of The War Widow (Book 1), The Ghosts of Paris (Book 2) and now The Italian Secret (Book 3), is particularly engaging as its post WWII setting is a rich tapestry of lingering societal upheaval, e.g. war wounds, gender roles and multicultural tensions. And, the fabulous Ms Billie Walker is a lady not easily cowered, and rather inclined to pull on a few threads just to see what might unravel…

After gushing over Book 1 and thoroughly enjoying Book 2, I did wonder how Moss would keep the energy levels and romantic tension high in The Italian Secret, particularly while Billie was cloistered away on a historically accurate lengthy cruise from Sydney to Naples for a large part of it, but she pulls it off. Continue reading: https://www.bookloverbookreviews.com/...

[Stefanie Verhelst · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book has flashbacks to the past, but the story stays clear and easy to follow.

We follow a young woman, Billie who stumbles upon a dusty box. This box holds some leads who can trail back to her father’s history. For mystery reasons they were hunting her father and now they are hunting her as well..,

Her journey is emotionally gripping, dangerous and adventurous at the same time!

Billie develops into a courageous woman. I could almost feel her fears and doubts, passion for finding the truth while reading.

The narrator’s performance is absolutely great!

I’ve enjoyed this audiobook and it has touched me in many ways!

[Debbie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first book by Tara Moss I have read but I love her main character Billie Walker, a female PI in Australia in the 1940s. Billie has no fear nor does she ever give up when helping her clients - women whose husbands are cheating on them or abusing them or both. In this 2nd book in the Billie Walker series, Billie supposedly on holiday sets off for Naples, Italy; but is there ever a real holiday for Billie, is danger ever far away? A fun mystery with unforgettable characters.

[Davida Chazan · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.75/5 Stars. Who says you can't get emotionally involved in a thriller crime mystery novel? Not me. Yes, I'll admit it - I did choke up at the end of this book. Just goes to show that if you can write well enough, you can make your readers laugh or cry no matter what the genre.

My full review is available here. https://tcl-bookreviews.com/2025/11/3...

[Natalie Enoch · Rating 3 out of 5]

there was a lot left unexplained, what happened in Paris???? this felt like a sequel to a book that didn’t exist so that was kinda confusing.

edit:
that is my bad apparently it is a sequel so i guess i need to go read the first book, but in my defense it was almost impossible to know that it was a sequel 🤷🏻‍♀️

edit 2: it’s actually the third book??????? i had no idea its not advertised as a part of a series even though the other two books are.

[Anne Fleming · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my first book by this author. I will certainly be reading more of her stories.

[Kaylene Asimus · Rating 1 out of 5]

A very poor and boring plot, a lot about nothing.

[C.R. Comacchio · Rating 4 out of 5]

Many thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins Canada for an advance copy of this audiobook.

This is the third entry in the Billie Walker series, featuring Sydney’s ‘most famous—or infamous—private investigator’. You don’t have to have read the previous two in order to enjoy Billie’s escapades in this one. The author ensures that just enough context is covered to explain Billie’s earlier overseas adventures as a war reporter, war widow, and return to Australia to take up her deceased father’s investigative work. Once again, important support roles are played by Shyla Davis, her Aboriginal junior agent, her assistant, Sam, wounded war vet and possible romantic interest, DI Hank Cooper of the Sydney police, a potential rival for Sam. and her intrepid mother, the Baronness Ella. Her ex-husband, Jack Rake, long presumed to have died as a Nazi prisoner, makes a disturbing appearance. There is plenty going on, much of it in the books second half, but the slow build up to the action makes it all come together effectively.

I find Tara Moss particularly adept at setting the scene for a desperate to return to ‘normal’ world in the immediate postwar years. Billie, and especially Shyla, who has race as well as gender barriers to overcome, are constantly dealing with antagonistic men who want to see all women ‘back in the kitchen,’ or, just as bad, those who take working women to be ‘ladies of the night.’ One hilarious early scene, just outside the police headquarters where Billie has gone to dig up background on a current client’s husband, shows exactly how she handles that kind of attention with a few quick and painful moves on the predator. Meanwhile, as the free world increasingly fears advancing communism, there are still Nazis on the loose. The mere announcement of an Italian cruise ship from Naples, the Luxor, docking in Aussie waters fascinates Billie and horrifies Sam, who lost a hand to an Italian bomb. You can really sense how Australians are both eager to get on with their own plans for the new order, but are still tangled up in the alliances and enmities of only a few years past.

Billie’s case is also a fairly straightforward one: her client, an insurance office secretary, married her employer during a time when uncertainty and anxiety saw many unsuited couples rush to wed. She suspects him of cheating, and with the team searching for evidence, that simple case turns ugly as people are killed. Then, when Billie finally works herself up to sort her father’s files, she unwittingly uncovers a secret that will take her to Naples via the Luxor, with her mother and her mother’s companion, to find the truth about two women and their connection to her family.

I really enjoy historical mysteries where the story builds slowly through links between past and present, memory and contemporary reality, and Tara Moss carries it off beautifully. I also really enjoyed the reading by Corinne Davis, with her wonderful Aussie accent!

[Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Italian Secret by Tara Moss features Billie Walker, a young private investigator in Sydney, Australia. She carries a lot of baggage, including a delusional mother, a dead father, and an ex-husband. This is the third in this delightful series featuring a heroine who is so full of personality and grit that she is almost difficult to imagine. She is running a successful private investigation business with two employees. She has a crush on Detective Inspector Hank Cooper, with whom she cooperates occasionally on investigations. This one, Darlene Elliott, is not only a cheated-on wife, but an abused one. Billie wants him in jail. That apparently was not going to happen so she focuses on keeping her safe so she can divorce her husband. That worked well, moving her to her sister’s until on evening Billie ran into another “investigator” outside the sister’s home, Vincenzo Morelli. He hated her; he had hated her father. Now Darlene Elliott was dead and she could not prove Morelli had done it.

Things get complicated after Billie finds a photo, some letters, and a stash of cash when cleaning some of her father’s file cabinets. Soon, she was using that money to take herself, her mother, and her mother’s maid on a cruise to Italy. She hoped it would be good for her mother’s health and she had some things to look into. As with all people, theses folks were complicated and had pasts. It was her job to delve into those pasts. She is a fabulous character, ahead of her time. And she is single-minded. She is a character any author would be proud to have written. The many mysteries in the book came together as Billie, doggedly, kept her eye on the ball. This was a terrific read, taking place in several time periods, in several countries. I highly recommend it.

I was invited to read The Italian Secret by Dutton. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #Netgalley #Dutton #TaraMoss #TheItalianSecret

[Joyce Cacioppo stein · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Italian Secret by Tara Moss is another one of her Billie Walker mysteries. Billie Waker is a private investigator. She has taken over the business from her father who passed away 4 years ago. The story has a past and present theme which takes Billie from her home in Sydney to Naples Italy. While cleaning out her father’s things, she discovers a photo of her father with a woman and little girl in Italy. Who is this woman and child and why does he have this photo along with hidden money. It also takes us to 1943 Naples where a girl is trying to survive the war living in tunnels under the city hoping her husband will return home soon. In 1907 a girl embarks on a journey from Sydney to Naples to begin a life that will hopefully not bring shame to her family.

Billie is working on a divorce case for a woman, gathering evidence of her husband’s infidelity. In doing so she encounters a man who has been out to get her in the past. He appears to be working for the woman’s husband. This woman, Darlene, mysteriously falls ill and dies which causes her to be very suspicious. After closing the case, Billie decides to take her mother on a vacation sailing to Naples. Once there she is planning on finding the woman and child in the picture in hopes of finding out what kind of secrets her father was keeping from them. While she is out and about, she is aware of being followed and discovers it is the same man. She begins to feel that this has something to do with Darlene’s death and perhaps the secrets she is trying to uncover.

I would like to thank Net Galley for giving me the opportunity to read this unedited pre-release.

[Kristin (Always With a Book) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you PRH Audio for the ALC and Dutton #partner, for the finished copy of The Italian Secret in exchange for my honest review.

I was thrilled to see another Billie Walker book being released…this historical mystery series, set in 1940s Sydney, Australia, has been a favorite of mine and it’s been a while since the last book came out! ⁣
⁣
Reading this one was like reuniting with old friends and even though it’s been 3 years since we last saw Billie, the author does a great job catching us up on what has previously happened and gives just enough backstory that you really could start with this one if you wanted to. ⁣
⁣
What I loved:⁣
🧡 Our strong, smart main protagonist, Billie Walker⁣
🩵 Multiple timelines — there are 3 here and how they eventually all come together! ⁣
🧡 The mystery and how it brings Billie to Italy⁣
🩵 All the family secrets ⁣
🧡 The many locations this book has – Sydney, The Pacific, Naples⁣
⁣
I also love that while we get a mystery here, we also see what life is like for women during this time period, as well as for people in general after the war. The setting is so vivid, no matter the place and that has remained true in every book to date in this series, which I have loved! I do hope we see Billie Walker again soon!!⁣
⁣

Audio thoughts: I paired my reading with the audio, narrated by Corinne Davies and she did an amazing job bringing this story to life. She gave each character their own unique voices and added just the right amount of tension and emotion to her voice as needed.⁣


My reviews can also be found on my blog: Always With A Book

[Ian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having read The Ghosts of Paris a few years back, I was excited to see Moss had written another Billie Walker story. Billie is such a great character: strong, independent but also vulnerable. She's very easy to cheer on.

It's been a year or so since her exhausting Parisian trip and Billie is still struggling with the after effects. Her PI business continues to do well, mostly with divorce cases, the many hurried pre-War marriages not surviving the post-war world.

But we're drawn back into her late father's life. Billie stumbles upon some letters and a photograph of her father from 30 years earlier with another woman and child. Did her father have another serious relationship before meeting Billie's mother, Ella, that no one knew about? And a child?

Her father had spent time during the war in Naples and coincidentally, a tourist ship is leaving Sydney for that very port in a matter of days. Billie elects to have a holiday taking her mother and her mother's aide, Alma.

Prior to leaving Sydney, her last case ended in a way Billie least expected and she boarded the boat wanting answers.

It's terrific to go back to 1948 and to Naples. In her note at the end, Moss writes she did a research trip to Naples and the result of this is clearly evident in the strong descriptive elements that take the reader into the various scenes.

I thought it was clever how Moss tied the key plot points together at the end and we can only hope another Billie Walker novel isn't too far away.

[Tiffany · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was my first read by Tara Moss and apparently the third book in a series, following main character Billie Walker, a female private investigator. I did not feel confused, having jumped in on book 3 but I can assume one of the previous books took place in Paris.

The first half of this book was VERY slow going. The cruise she takes with her mother (who she is not allowed to call Mom because it makes her feel old. Odd) doesn't even happen until halfway into the book and her arrival to Italy even later into the book. Events right before the cruise is when the book begins to pick up and I found myself completely engrossed in the plot.

This is told in 3rd person, which I know some readers dislike. I myself have no issues with it but figured it was worth a mention.

I listened to this as an audiobook via AlC. It is narrated by Corinne Davies. Usually with accents I have to listen a bit slower than my usual 2 or 2.5. (I'm from the U.S.A.) With this though, I was able to listen at 3X and understand every word, she speaks so clearly. That includes the Italian, which she also spoke very well. I read and listen to a lot of mafia books and a lot of narrators butcher the minimal Italian in the books. I have an A1 certificate for Italian and will soon take the A2 test. The conversations in Italian were easy to understand but a lot of it was not translated for those who do not speak any Italian, which might irritate some readers/listeners.

Overall, I really did enjoy this book, especially after I got through the first half and the story picked up.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Billie Walker took over her father's private investigation firm in Sydney, Australia after his death and after her return from investigative journalism during World War II. She specializes in domestic cases and is looking into the extramarital affairs of a wealthy insurance executive. When his much younger wife dies, the doctors are quick to attribute it to influenza, but Billie has her suspicions. At the same time, her discovery of a trove of letters between her father and an unknown Italian woman leads her to suspect she has a half-sister. When the opportunity to take a cruise to Naples--also a restorative trip for her mother, Ella, who has been sick--Billie leaps at it.

She suspects her nemesis, or one of his emissaries, is on board and her suspicions are soon confirmed. When they finally arrive in Naples, she learns many truths, but the truth brings her peace.

There is A LOT going on in this book. Like others, I was unaware the book was part of a series, which explains my confusion over "what happened in Paris." Even with the gaps I experienced, it seemed like there was too much backstory. Billie is such an engaging character, the long introduction was entertaining, but the story was a little slow for at least the first half of the book. Is it about Darlene? Is it about Barry Walker's secret daughter? Nonetheless, the setting and characters are impeccably drawn and I will look for both new entries in the series and the books I already missed. #TheItalianSecret #NetGalley

[Jo Dervan · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Italian Secret
Billie was a private detective in Sydney Australia in the 1948. She had taken over the business after her father’s death. She was successful at her job but the bulk of the work involved cases of marital infidelity.
One day a young wife came to her office seeking proof of her husband’s infidelity. The woman had bruises on her face. The husband later stormed into the office threatening Billie and her employees unless they divulged the whereabouts of his wife. Billie suggested the woman leave the home and move in with her sister. A short time later the wife died mysteriously after a short illness.
Later Billie finally decided to go through her father’s papers where she found romantic letters from a woman in Italy, a photo of a woman and her child as well as a large mount of cash.
Billie was curious about the woman so she talked her mother into a luxury cruise from Australia to Naples where the letters had originated.
After the long cruise, Billie arrived in Naples. She set out to find the woman but encountered surprises there as well.
This is an interesting historical fiction mystery. It deals with the aftermath of Europe after the Second World War as well religious prejudice.
I enjoyed the book but would have been interested in more about the lives of the Italian mother and daughter.
I received this ARC from the publisher and Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.

[Lilmissmolly · Rating 4 out of 5]

I listened to the audiobook of The Italian Secret by Tara Moss and enjoyed it immensely, and the narrator, Corinne Davies, was outstanding. It is primarily a dual timeline story that features (1) a "take no prisoners" female Australian private Investigator, Billie Walker, in 1948, and (2) a young pregnant woman in 1907 who is shipped off to Naples, Italy to live with her grandmother because her family did not approve of her boyfriend.

Billie's story is the primary focus in the book and it is both compelling and action-packed. She recently took over her father's PI business after his passing a few years ago and it is running somewhat successfully. Billy finally decides to go through his old files and personal belongings and soon finds a bundle of letters to her father from an Italian woman, along with an old photo that includes her father, a woman, and young girl who is not Billie. As a private investigator, and former journalist, Billie cannot rest until she knows who they are and why her father is in the photo with them. By the end of the story, we know how the two timelines are intertwined, as well as a very satisfactory action-packed conclusion of a few side stories.

When I picked up this audio, I did not realize it was the third book in the Billie Walker mysteries. I enjoyed this so much, I intend to go listen to the prior two books in the series, The War Widow and The Ghosts of Paris. I hope you enjoy this as much as I did!

[Jeanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

There was no indication that this was the third in the series. While I liked Billie there were a lot of mentions of things that had happened in Paris and her ex-husband, Jack. I am guessing that these were parts of the previous books but I found it distracting and not sure what part that played in this book.

Billie is a PI in Sydney, Australia, and she is helping a young woman, Darlene, get away from an abusive husband. At the same time she decies to clean out a file cabinet filled with her late father's cases and comes across an envelope with love letters and a picture of him with a woman and young girl in 1918. She decides it is time for a holiday and sails to Naples to find out who they are. There was some intrigue on the ship but there was a lot of description of the ship and crew for the six-week voyage. The first 75% of the book is really about Darlene's case and Vincenzo Moretti, a PI who was working for Darlene'e husband. It is not until the last quarter that the women in the picture are finally connected with Billie.

I enjoyed the characters and would like to know more of her mother, Ella's, story but perhaps that was addressed in the earlier book. The plot was interesting and all tied together at the end. I would read more from this author and may even go back and read the previous books.

Thank you to Netgalley and Dutton for providing me with a digital copy.

[Susan Ingraffea · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received an ARC of this book from Dutton via NetGalley in exchange for my honest feedback.

I wish all books that are part of a series indicated as much in the synopsis! Though I see here on Goodreads "Billie Walker #3," this was not mentioned in the blurb about the book. I really dislike coming into a series after the first book. As far as this book is concerned, it seemed that I missed out on Billie's backstory regarding her husband and her father. I could mostly piece it together, but I do prefer starting at the beginning.

I seem to be an outlier amongst reviewers as I didn't love this one. It was pretty slow and boring until they actually got on the cruise ship. I did get a kick out of some of Billie's expressions and occurrences typical of the time. Slightly corny, but cute, and I could definitely picture her in her beloved red lipstick.

The secret is pretty obvious, though one aspect of it was surprising and did make sense within the context of the rest of the book.

Having traveled to Naples, Italy a few times, I enjoyed the descriptions of the city and could envision the characters there. Similarly, the detail about the luxury cruise was fun and interesting.

I might have rated this higher if I had read the previous books in the series, though I am not sure if it would have made up for the slow start.

[Carolyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this series set in the 1940s, wartime journalist Billie (Wilhemina) Walker has returned home to Sydney following the death of her father, a private investigator. She has taken over his business and along with her assistant Sam is becoming a well-known and successful PI, especially for women with cheating husbands.

While finally getting around to cleaning out her father’s filing cabinets, Billie finds a box containing secrets from her father’s earlier life along with a photo of him in Italy. Determined to find out more about him, Billie decides to take a holiday and books a cruise with her mother to Italy.

This is an excellent historical mystery series. I enjoyed the scenes of 1940s post-war Sydney and Naples as well as the glamour of first class cruising back then. Tara Moss has researched the time period superbly, particularly the damage to Naples during the wars and the lives of its residents.

In Billie, Moss has created a woman ahead of her time, not only elegant but fierce and feisty and a force to be reckoned with. It’s not her fault that danger follows her, even on holiday. Fortunately, she has a good nose for danger and can handle herself, and is also well supported by both Sam and handsome DI Hank Cooper. I can’t wait to see where Billie’s next adventure takes her.