The Italian Correspondent

by Belinda Alexandra

Past loves are like ghosts. They haunt you forever. The stunning new novel from the bestselling author of The Masterpiece and Tuscan Rose.


Rome 1951. Veronica Gold is in the city as the Italian correspondent for Vogue magazine. As the country tries to shake off its dark fascist past and promote itself as the most glamorous nation in Europe, so too does Veronica try to forget the horrific memories of her time as a war reporter attached to the Eighth Army at the brutal height of the conflict.

But just as she hopes to find peace, three men appear in her life. Lyle Cooper, her former husband and an American diplomat who left Veronica for her best friend, the enigmatic heiress Emerald Evergreen; Marcello Fabbri, an archaeologist and former partisan now working in the ruins of Pompeii and with whom she had a wartime tryst; and the dashing Count Carlo Durazzo, Emerald's current husband.

Things become complicated when Lyle is found murdered, allegedly by Emerald. Initially, Veronica is convinced of Emerald's guilt but when she discovers that her former friend could not have committed the murder, she begins to believe that Emerald has been set up.

In her attempt to prove Emerald's innocence, aided by Marcello and Count Durazzo, Veronica finds herself drawn into a sphere of spies and a world on the edge of nuclear war, one where nothing and nobody is quite as they seem.

An unforgettable novel that mixes passion with post-war espionage, and the shadows of destruction with the pizzazz of Italian style.

Genres: Historical Fiction

396 pages, Kindle Edition

Expected publication March 31, 2026

About the author

Belinda Alexandra has been published to wide acclaim in Australia and internationally. She is the daughter of a Russian mother and an Australian father and has been an intrepid traveller since her youth. Her love of other cultures is matched by her passion for her home country, Australia, where she is a volunteer carer for the NSW Wildlife Information Rescue and Education Service (WIRES).
Belinda is also an ambassador for the World League for the Protection of Animals (Australia) and lives in Sydney with a menagerie of adored pets.
Join Belinda's community of readers at facebook.com/BelindaAlexandraAuthor

Reviews

[Karren Sandercock · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rome 1951. The country is trying to shake its fascist past, ties to Germany during the Second World War and move forward. Veronica Gold is the Italian correspondent for Vogue magazine, the new fashion is fun and chic.

Veronica lives with her cat Oggi and is trying to forget four things, the loss of her young daughter, her husband Lyle Cooper divorcing her when she needed him the most and marrying her best friend Emerald Evergreen and the terrible memories of her time as a war reporter alongside the Eighth Army.

Veronica finds respite at the Villa of Hope & Peace, an orphanage run by nuns, one young girl Jolanda and a sheep called Speranzo make her feel some hope for the future, she's not sure what it holds and despite bringing back memories of her daughter.

Just when Veronica is ready to tackle her plan of writing her first novel, her ex-husband arrives, she meets Marcello Fabbri and archaeologist and partisan who she had a fling with during the war and the dashing Count Carlo Durazzo the current spouse of Emerald.

Is it possible for one woman to have romantic feelings towards three men at the same time, not only does Veronica have to consider this, she left wondering what side are they on, who can she trust and is telling her truth and drawn into the world on the brink of a nuclear war and danger.

Thanks to HarperCollins Publishers Australia and NetGalley for my copy of The Italian Correspondent exchange for an honest review. I can’t believe it’s been twenty four years since I read Belinda Alexandra’s debut novel White Gardenia, my all-time favourite book and made me a loyal fan and I was eagerly waiting for her next and it did not disappoint.

The narrative is a mix of interesting characters, all with a past, full of lots of twists and turns I didn’t see coming and mentions old buildings many still showing battle scars from the war, fashion, fast cars and scooter's, action, adventurer, mystery, murder, intrigue, spies and big secrets are revealed.

I highly recommend, pre-order a copy now, or make sure your library will have this novel, and a must read for fans of well written, gripping historical fiction and I can guarantee you will be hooked by the end of the first chapter and won’t be able to stop turning the pages.

[Lemurkat · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm a big fan of Belinda Alexandra, but I'm still torn between whether I liked or loved this book. I do think that Alexandra writes characters well, and she does complicated emotions and relationships, and sets up heart-breaking situations, most excellently, but I don't think spy suspense is quite her forte. Because up to the final actions scenes (about 80% in), I'd been deeply engrossed, but the helter-skelter action portion kind of lost me (or maybe it's just that its less my genre-of-choice).

I think also Veronica's fickle affections perplexed me rather. I'm not against showing that women can have multiple lovers but it bothered me a bit that she jumped so quickly (in the prose) from one to another, then back again, then forth. I know a lot more time had passed for her, but there was so much more energy spent in the early pages setting her up with Marcello, and rather less in developing her growing affections for Carlo. It made her come across as quite flighty. (I also felt Marcello was the most compatible of her suitors. He would be my pick of the bunch!) It was fun to see them team up and be respectful of each other and work towards a common goal, though. Bravo to characters that behave with maturity and sensibility when the situation requires it!

Things it did excellently: I loved the heist in the hospital: The fact that almost everything that could go wrong did go wrong, made it all the more gripping. The chemistry between Veronica and Marcello was sizzling. Emerald was a fascinating character. The settings were beautifully described. It had a cute cat. Her younger sister, Penny, was a delight. There was a lot of emotional tension, and some extremely poignant moments. Veronica really seemed to care about people, and was very easy to relate to.

Overall, a pretty good read, although I wouldn't rate it among my favorite Alexandra books (my very favorite was "The Mystery Woman"), but definitely a solid installment from a writer who really makes you feel immersed in the era and environment of the story.

[KC (Lit in Byron) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one felt cinematic from the start. Rome in 1951. Fashion houses trying to reclaim glamour. Diplomats circling. War shadows still hanging in the background.

Veronica Gold is in Italy as Vogue’s correspondent, but she’s also carrying the weight of having been a war reporter. I liked that duality. Italy is trying to rebrand after fascism. Veronica is trying to rebrand after trauma. That parallel worked for me.

Then her ex-husband reappears. Then he’s murdered. And suddenly we’re in espionage territory.

I’ll be honest. There are pacing bumps. A few stretches where I felt the plot meander before tightening again. But once it locks in, it really locks in. There are twists here that I genuinely didn’t see coming. Not because they’re outrageous, but because Alexandra is careful about what she reveals and when. I never felt ahead of the story, which I always appreciate in historical fiction.

Veronica can be frustrating. She hesitates. She makes emotional calls. She doesn’t always read people correctly. But I didn’t mind that. Surrounded by strong personalities and complicated men, her uncertainty felt real. She isn’t written as a flawless heroine. She’s written as someone still bruised from war and love.

What I enjoyed most was the interconnectedness of the characters. Past lovers, former friends, political loyalties. Everyone is tied to someone else in ways that slowly come into focus. Sometimes that surprised me, but it never felt messy.

This is a story about espionage and love, but it’s also about the people who move through your life for a reason or a season. About how the past doesn’t disappear just because you’ve changed cities.

It’s dramatic. It’s stylish. It has glamour sitting right next to danger.

Not perfect in pacing, but overall a very enjoyable read.

Thanks to HarperCollins Publishers Australia and NetGalley for my copy of The Italian Correspondent in exchange for an honest review.

[Kirsten · Rating 4 out of 5]

I discovered Belinda’s books a while ago after picking up a two pack on sale and fell in love with her characters and history. The Italian Correspondent is the story of Veronica Gold, once a war correspondent and now writing for Vogue about Italy. It starts off with fashion and glamour and ends with a thrilling finish. I enjoyed all the gorgeous locations- Belinda takes you on a tour through Italy visiting Rome, Pompeii, Portofino and Fiesole.

Veronica was surrounded by a cast of intriguing supporting characters with rival Emerald and the choice of three different men vying for her affections. Emerald was fun to hate but I enjoyed learning their past history and how their complicated relationship came to be. I did enjoy the romance elements with her three suitors having quite different personalities and back stories. I was a bit disappointed with who she ended up with though. I thought there was a much better match for her. I would have liked to have seen her PTSD explored a little more. The novel starts off with a hook to pull you in immediately. It does slow a bit whilst setting things up and then ends with a big finish full of twists and turns. For readers who love romance, Italian settings, history and mystery.

[Karyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Italian Correspondent tells the story of Veronica Gold, who is a Vogue correspondent in post war Italy. The historical fiction novel is set primarily in Rome in 1951 where Italy is recovering from the war and the shadow of fascism.
Veronica was formally a war reporter with the Eighth Army and she like many is living through the trauma of what she saw and reported on.
This is primarily a murder mystery with lots of intrigue, espionage, past loves and romance.
There is a cast of wonderful characters all falling in love with Veronica.
I really enjoyed this new title by Belinda Alexandra.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Don’t you just love starting a new Belinda Alexandra book? Right from the first page I knew I was going to enjoy this book, and I was right.
This book tells of the life and loves of Veronica Gold, a former war correspondent. It is mostly set in the 1950s, but looks back at Veronica’s life during WW2. She is juggling a former husband, a duplicitous friend, and potential love interests. There are a number of twists in the story, and the characters are all intriguing in different ways.
I thoroughly enjoyed this novel, as anticipated, and I’ve no doubt it will keep all Belinda Alexandra fans enthralled.
Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book

[Karan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Veronica Gold is a woman of substance. Set in the early 1950s we travel back in time with her to reveal what happened during the war years when she contributed by being a journalist.
Many hardships were faced including the loss of her daughter and husband.

With many twists and the introduction of men that she loves and those who love her, this is a roller coaster of a tale.
I really enjoyed the first half of the book but struggled with Veronica's lack of decisiveness and found the second half a little frustrating and perhapsabit far fetched.
Not my favourite by this author but thanks to Netgalley for an electronic ARC.

[Angelynn23 · Rating 5 out of 5]

My first book of this author and it didn’t disappoint. It was immersive that I couldn’t stop reading. I like the characters, the setting and the story. With so much thanks to NetGalley and to the publisher HarperCollins Publishers Australia for the ARC

[Lauren Ali · Rating 4 out of 5]

A gripping fantastic read about Veronica navigating her life post-war. It was full of twists and turns and men to both love and hate. Emerald was such an intriguing character and I loved going on this adventure with them all.