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Malta Inferno: The fate of the Mediterranean hangs in the balance...
Jack Pembroke returns in another thrilling naval adventure! For fans of Dewey Lambdin, Patrick O’Brian, Chris Durbin, Douglas Reeman and Max Hennessy.
The war in the Mediterranean intensifies…
Summer 1942
After evacuating South African troops from Tobruk, Lieutenant Jack Pembroke and his small escort ship, HMSAS Southern Gannet, join a secret convoy from Egypt to relieve the beleaguered island of Malta.
But powerful German and Italian forces have been assembled to make sure the convoy does not get through.
And Jack must navigate his way through a fierce naval battle before finally arriving in Malta.
With Southern Gannet badly damaged and many other casualties falling to the enemy, the remains of the convoy return to Egypt, leaving Jack and his men behind with their ship.
And soon he finds himself caught up in the local resistance, chosen to lead an attack on a nearby island…
Can Jack make a difference in Malta? Will he lead his men to safety?
Or will they fall prey to the dangerous forces lurking in the Mediterranean...?
MALTA INFERNO is the fourth action-packed military adventure in the Jack Pembroke Naval Thriller authentic British Navy war stories set during the Second World War.
THE JACK PEMBROKE NAVAL THRILLERS
Book The Cape Raider
Book The Wolf Hunt
Book Hell Run Tobruk
Book Malta Inferno
The war in the Mediterranean intensifies…
Summer 1942
After evacuating South African troops from Tobruk, Lieutenant Jack Pembroke and his small escort ship, HMSAS Southern Gannet, join a secret convoy from Egypt to relieve the beleaguered island of Malta.
But powerful German and Italian forces have been assembled to make sure the convoy does not get through.
And Jack must navigate his way through a fierce naval battle before finally arriving in Malta.
With Southern Gannet badly damaged and many other casualties falling to the enemy, the remains of the convoy return to Egypt, leaving Jack and his men behind with their ship.
And soon he finds himself caught up in the local resistance, chosen to lead an attack on a nearby island…
Can Jack make a difference in Malta? Will he lead his men to safety?
Or will they fall prey to the dangerous forces lurking in the Mediterranean...?
MALTA INFERNO is the fourth action-packed military adventure in the Jack Pembroke Naval Thriller authentic British Navy war stories set during the Second World War.
THE JACK PEMBROKE NAVAL THRILLERS
Book The Cape Raider
Book The Wolf Hunt
Book Hell Run Tobruk
Book Malta Inferno
283 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 5, 2026
About the author
Justin Fox
36 books82 followersFox is a novelist, travel writer and photographer based in Cape Town, South Africa, and is the former editor of Getaway travel magazine. He was a Rhodes Scholar and received a doctorate in English literature from Oxford University after which he was a research fellow at the University of Cape Town, where he taught part time for 20 years. His articles and photographs have appeared internationally in a number of publications and on a wide range of topics, while his short stories and poems have appeared in numerous anthologies. He has written scripts and directed award-winning documentaries and is a two-time Mondi journalism award winner (1999 and 2004). Recent books include The Marginal Safari (Umuzi), The Impossible Five (Tafelberg), Beat Routes (Karavan), Place (Umuzi) and, most recently, a World War II series of novels, starting with The Cape Raider (Penguin and Sapere) and The Wolf Hunt (Sapere). Justin was longlisted for the 2011 Alan Paton Award for non-fiction, the 2012 Olive Schreiner Prize for Literature, and his debut novel, Whoever Fears the Sea (Umuzi 2014), was longlisted for the Etisalat Prize for African literature.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
March 14, 2026
Malta
Before reading this book I was only familiar with the name Malta, not its role and sacrifice during World War II. The extent of rationing food and ammunition and yet, the fight for freedom persists!
Before reading this book I was only familiar with the name Malta, not its role and sacrifice during World War II. The extent of rationing food and ammunition and yet, the fight for freedom persists!
March 29, 2026
Rough Cruise
Justin Fox has written another chapter of Jack Pembroke and the other brave crew members. Exciting, full of combat and full of adventure. Well written with characters that are easy to believe actually exist. Look forward to the next book.
Justin Fox has written another chapter of Jack Pembroke and the other brave crew members. Exciting, full of combat and full of adventure. Well written with characters that are easy to believe actually exist. Look forward to the next book.
May 3, 2026
Another great read
Another great read and very hard to put down. The realistic encounters of the war in all it's horrors and bravery. Ordinary people thrust into a real and dangerous situation. The author makes you feel like you are in the action. Brave and scared at the same time. Humanity shines through the darkness. Looking forward to the next edition. Its going to be very difficult to equal or surpass this book
Another great read and very hard to put down. The realistic encounters of the war in all it's horrors and bravery. Ordinary people thrust into a real and dangerous situation. The author makes you feel like you are in the action. Brave and scared at the same time. Humanity shines through the darkness. Looking forward to the next edition. Its going to be very difficult to equal or surpass this book
April 7, 2026
A pretty good yarn
The Battle of Britain has been an almost common theme for historical fiction; this series was focused on South Africa and the Mediterranean from, of course, the Brit view. The series appears to be well researched and, as usually happens with this reader, encouraged more than the usual dives into Wiki rabbit holes. Good job, Mr. Fox.
The Battle of Britain has been an almost common theme for historical fiction; this series was focused on South Africa and the Mediterranean from, of course, the Brit view. The series appears to be well researched and, as usually happens with this reader, encouraged more than the usual dives into Wiki rabbit holes. Good job, Mr. Fox.
May 13, 2026
This is the second of Fox’s four Jack Pembroke novels that I’ve read, following Hell Run Tobruk. As with that one, it works as a standalone story, this time seeing Pembroke captaining a converted whaler doing escort duty between Alexandria and Malta in 1942.
What I wrote about Hell Run Tobruk before applies – happily – almost to the word here:
“The story is straightforward enough and the pages turn easily – the whaler comes up against submarines, torpedo boats and plenty of aerial attacks from Stukas and the like, and there is a little on-shore romance between all the action. The dialogue isn’t always believable – it’s a little contrived and expositional at times – but I thoroughly enjoyed the novel simply because it felt true to life, as though Fox had genuinely recreated the feel and sense of the war on the boats in North Africa.
“So: full marks for verisimilitude – which counts for a lot in my book. And it was what I had hoped for from Fox, given his literary chops. He is a talented and well-qualified writer with eclectic skills. I’ll look out for the next one.”
Only I’d give this book the edge over the last one, as the setting of Malta, and the differing climax, add something fresh. First class WW2 action!
What I wrote about Hell Run Tobruk before applies – happily – almost to the word here:
“The story is straightforward enough and the pages turn easily – the whaler comes up against submarines, torpedo boats and plenty of aerial attacks from Stukas and the like, and there is a little on-shore romance between all the action. The dialogue isn’t always believable – it’s a little contrived and expositional at times – but I thoroughly enjoyed the novel simply because it felt true to life, as though Fox had genuinely recreated the feel and sense of the war on the boats in North Africa.
“So: full marks for verisimilitude – which counts for a lot in my book. And it was what I had hoped for from Fox, given his literary chops. He is a talented and well-qualified writer with eclectic skills. I’ll look out for the next one.”
Only I’d give this book the edge over the last one, as the setting of Malta, and the differing climax, add something fresh. First class WW2 action!
July 19, 2026
Super tale, had it read in 72 hours.
Super tale, multifaceted, the right balance of action, personal feelings, and romance.
Well researched, and great pace.
Looking forward to the next episode.
Super tale, multifaceted, the right balance of action, personal feelings, and romance.
Well researched, and great pace.
Looking forward to the next episode.
July 16, 2026
Justin Fox is an excelkent naval historian bringing into awareness theaters of WW2 unknown to most. Justin Fox provides not only a rich novel of heroism he paints his stories on a canvass of lands we may only see in old movies.
About 10 years ago on a cruise in the Med we spent just a day in Malta. We toured amazing fortifications centuries old and boated along the coast from a small fishing village. As i read Malta Inferno like many readees i toggled back and forth betwee the novel to my Google Earth window. Everything was there just as Justin Fox described it.
I have enjoyed every book in the series. This one is my favorite. Of course that's what I said about Hell Run Tobruk and before that The Wolf Hunt. I have spotted a trend. And am taking a peek now at his 'secret' travel guides.
About 10 years ago on a cruise in the Med we spent just a day in Malta. We toured amazing fortifications centuries old and boated along the coast from a small fishing village. As i read Malta Inferno like many readees i toggled back and forth betwee the novel to my Google Earth window. Everything was there just as Justin Fox described it.
I have enjoyed every book in the series. This one is my favorite. Of course that's what I said about Hell Run Tobruk and before that The Wolf Hunt. I have spotted a trend. And am taking a peek now at his 'secret' travel guides.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews