Death in Malta

by Rosanne Dingli

This edition is OUT OF PRINT.
Please purchase the newest

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Travel, Thriller, Mystery Thriller

304 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2000

About the author

This author's latest release is Pledges of Loyalty, the latest in the Denisthorn Hall series.

Rosanne Dingli has authored sixteen novels, six story collections, five novellas, and her collected poems. She has had numerous articles, stories, reviews, columns and poems published Australia-wide and on the internet since 1986. She has worked as teacher, lecturer, workshop coordinator, magazine and corporate editor, travel consultant, cook, manuscript assessor, heraldic artist and business partner. Originally from Malta, she has travelled widely in Italy, the UK, Turkey, Greece, South East Asia, Holland, Belgium, and France as well as most Australian states. She lives in Western Australia with her partner Hugo Bouckaert, Belgian biologist and philosopher.


Books:

According to Luke
Death in Malta
Fascinating Trickster
The Hidden Auditorium
The White Lady of Marsaxlokk
Counting Churches - The Malta Stories
All the Wrong Places (poetry)
The Astronomer's Pig
The Day of the Bird
How to Disappear
A Funeral in Fiesole
The Frozen Sea
The Cartographer of Venice
A Place in Society
A Suitable Husband
Maids and Mistresses
Pledges of Loyalty
Petals & Pages
Vertical Hold
Two
The Geography of Solitude
Chance and Necessity: A novel of Narrogin and Williams
Order and Progress

Reviews

[Pamela Samson]

My global reading challenge pick for Malta - great pick and very atmospheric.

[Barbara Lifland]

I read this before going to Malta and hope it serves me well as an introduction to the country and the people. I enjoyed learning about the people and the country as well as the storyline although it was more predictable than my favorite mysteries. Why only three stars? I felt that the writing was often stilted. And not in a purposeful way to develop characters. Also, there were publishing errors that distracted me.

[Carmen]

‘But let me tell you …’ The barman now seemed taken with the story. His eyes were bright with wine and recollection. ‘The stories that were heard outside that house, outside the church after early Mass in the morning … they were something. I think people made a lot of it up, but they said that she heard voices, that the farmhouse was haunted and she used to have discourses with the spectre!

[Anthony Addis]

Incredibly evocative of rural life in Malta while hinting at the more urban lifestyles in Valetta and Sliema. The novel is a romance mystery that creates and holds a strong atmosphere all the way through. I read it in Malta, which helped, and enjoyed the descriptions and characters, my favourite being the doctor.

[Dale Kerferd]

Death in Malta, is a must read. The setting is well developed and the story leads the reader through an a series of emotions, drawing the reader into the life of the main character.
Rosanne Dingli is a master at her craft, and for a first novel established her talent for storytelling with quality prose.

[Sarah]

Decent beach read

More of a romance than a mystery. Good character development but the mystery was easy to see coming. I look forward to seeing Malta!

[Barbara G. Baz]

Entertaining, I read the whole book during the flight London. To Malta

[iris short]

I enjoyed reading this book

Having been to Malta quite a few times, this book appealed to me. It took me back to Malta,the dust,the heat ,the mystery. I loved it !

[Lisa Owens]

Corny, poorly developed characters. I have nothing decent to say, so I'll stop.

[Carmen]

Malta

I’m Maltese, raised in the US. It was fun reading this as it brought me back to visits of the island as a child.

[Shawn]

Malta is a small, and I mean small, country in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea. Its location is about 60 miles south of Sicily off the boot of Italy. The country is often a dot on maps and many have not really heard of the country. People may not even realize that the Maltese Cross is a symbol used for Veterans of Foreign Wars and often by Fireman. It’s an island I have a lot of interest in due to its rich and fascinating history and the fact my father was from the country.

Thus when I saw author Rosanne Dingli’s book, Death in Malta, I know I’d want to read the book. As I read the description of the book and saw a character shared the same last name as me, Micallef, I knew I had to read the novel even more. As I read the novel I came to find that Micallef is not the only name found in multiples within the Maltese phone book.

Death in Malta will take the reader into the world of fictional author Gregory Worthington as he comes to Malta to write his next great novel. Worthington is a writer of suspense novels and has the ability to write vivid stories that disturb some, and one of those people is his estranged wife Maggie.

As Worthington gets settled on the main island he will find himself meeting many within the small village he chose to live in. These people range from the local bar keeper, the local clergy and the blacksmith. The great thing about Malta’s past for this Australian author is at one time the country was a British Protectorate, thus many speak English. This will help him with the people, and eventually lead him to a story. A story that he will find is right underneath the roof of the small home he rents.

There is a story within the village of a young boy who one day just disappeared. This is something that is a rare occurrence on the island and especially in a small village. People searched for the boy and he was never found. Worthington will use this as a basis of his book as he learns about the homes previous occupants. A simple wine maker and his wife who seemed a bit mad, and who had one point may have harmed her eldest son. A woman who was heard yelling at the boy leading to run from home for long stretches at a time to avoid her wrath. She even went as far as locking the boy within a dark underground storage area to teach him a lesson. It’s this mystery that gets the writers creative blood boiling and will lead him down a path; he should possibly lie within the history of the islands.

Among the people the writer meets will be Doctor Phineas Micallef who has moved to the small village as he escaped one of the larger cities. The question will be did he escape or was he forced to leave. At a social gathering at the doctor’s home he will meet a woman, Patricia, who will take his breath away. She will help him explore the island more, help him find himself, and help him learn more about Maltese culture.

The book has no real time frame mentioned but as Worthington’s computer seems to have a dot matrix printer it must have been in the 1970’s or early 1980’s. You get the understanding of the type of printer when there are references to perforated sheets from the printer and need to tear pages apart. This does not distract at all from the story and just puts it into a bit of perspective.

Author Rosanne Dingli does a tremendous job in pointing out the culture of many of the Maltese people. She also takes the reader deep into the psyche of the people and the customs on the islands. You will find yourself marveling at the people and what could be their “quaint” customs. You learn about the homes, festivals and most importantly the way they drive. I say this as I witnessed some of those driving skills on a visit to the island and it can cause a passenger to be a bit nervous. The use of the busses is also mentioned and they are just as reliable and inexpensive today as the period of the book.

What really comes through in this book is not just a love of Malta, but for Worthington’s love of his homeland Australia. Dingli does a beautiful job of telling the readers about both countries, never truly painting either in a bad light. You get the feeling either place is one you would want to visit or live. As you read about the travels and searching for truth on the main characters story you wonder what happened to the boy. You discover the great character devlopment and find some great interactions and how one culture can differ from another. You wonder about the reactions of others within the book and what mysteries may lay under the earth of this small country that is so full of history why did he chose this story. The only way to find out is to read Death in Malta, and the great addition to the novel is at times we get a peek into the story that Worthington is writing which adds to the suspense of the book.

[Madeline]

I read this during–and after–a recent trip to Malta. The book really captured the landscape and concerns of this unique island. I liked the characters and relationships the author included. The book kept my interest and I enjoyed reading about places I had visited. Definitely an enjoyable read for me!

[Candace Smith]

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.

[Danie Cutter]

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

--------
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!

[E.A. Harwik]

Death in Malta by Rosanne Dingli

Death in Malta is entertainment plus, a character driven, focused story that soaks into the psychic drawing the reader into a multi-layered search for purpose that exists within the characters’ perception rather than the unravelling mystery.

Rosanne Dingli is a pleasant, polished writer with a wonderful sense for timing and expression. She deserves to be read widely and rewarded richly for her highly original, creative writing style.

The story told is simple. A guy goes off seeking a location to discover past creativity and finds a trace of buried skeletons to focus his inspiration. However we soon discover, from his thinking, the real search for skeletons is the protagonists past and mindset, not the garden.

I loved this story. It’s a feast of intellectual layered love or hate, encouragement or distraction, kindness or cruelty plus attention or neglect. Nothing graphic, just beautifully written prose, that twists within the reader’s perception, as the story bubbles along.

A big five stars from me, with a promise to read more of this author.

[Blaine DeSantis]

Probably a 4.5 since there were a few holes in the plot and some needless points in the book, but overall I really enjoyed this book, this first book I have read by this author. Malta does play a big part in the book and it was fun reading about Malta, the people and the land, Until this I only was aware of the Siege and their professional wrestling star Baron Miguel Scicluna!

I liked most all the plot and the characters who were introduced, as well as how Malta is both inviting to a guest, but can be insular and unfriendly if you cross those on the island. Do not want to give away the plot, but it was very unique and I liked the main characters a lot, although I would have like to have had a bit more as to why there was such deep animosity between the priest and the doctor other than that one had supported Mussolini and the Fascists in WW2, the dislike seemed to have been deeper than this.

[Ian Mathie]

Rosanne Dingli brings Malta to life with dramatic style in this intricately woven tale of love, curiosity and deceit. The people in this story talk to you from her pages in a way not often found in thriller writing and she makes the reader feel very much part of the scene and the action as her story unfolds. Death in Malta is superb writing, a gripping thriller and very well worth going to the bookshop to get a copy, hence the five stars I have given it.

[Sonia Bellhouse]

An intriguing mystery, featuring a writer, a long lost child and an exotic location. The author kept me guessing as to what happened for three quarters of the book and then subverted my expectations. I found it interesting to compare this her first published book with her later work. It was also an insight into a writer's mind as Gregory experiences events but is also summarizing how he will write them.

[Hugo Bouckaert]

This book is very atmospheric and captures the feeling of people and places of Malta very well. The characters are very well drawn and some of them are exactly like some of the people I met during my visits to Malta. The story has a melancholic undertone which is moving and carries the reader through to the end. Highly recommended reading!

[Denise Hartman]

Enjoyed this book and the descriptions of an outsider's view of life in Malta. Perhaps I enjoyed it more because I was in Malta and was able to sample beverages and food mentioned and see things from the book. It is strong on character but the plot is interesting. A couple items felt a little unresolved and I kept wondering what ever happened, but I enjoyed the book and wouldn't let that stop me.

[Lois Lewandowski]

Ms. Dingli weaves a beautiful tapestry of mystery, local culture, and human emotion. I thoroughly enjoyed her insight into Maltese life and culture, particularly her description of the food and festivals. The characters are engaging and believable. I would highly recommend this book to those who like to learn about other cultures while being entertained.

[Shirley Mckinnon]

This is a great read! Loved the characters and the exotic backgrounds. I enjoy traveling and I found the background to the story authenitic and realistic. Found the story gripping. But most of all, I cared about the characters which is always a sign of a good read. Highly recommended.

[Maureen Helen]

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I loved the combination of mystery and love story; the setting on Malta intrigued me; Rosanne Dingli writes compellingly and the characters are compelling.

You might like to read my full review at http://maureenhelen.com/death-in-malt...

[Sara Sautter]

A small boy is lost over 20 years ago. A writer comes to Malta to write. The story and the writer converge in a way that ultimately has a devastating affect on the living. A lovely read while visiting Malta. A mystery which kept me reading all one cloudy afternoon.

[Hugo]

Fantastic, intelligent introspective novel, with a slow burning take-your-breath-away plot, infused with a romance as well a good dose of nostalgia. Highly recommended.

[Ann Tonks]

I read it whilst in Malta so that made it more powerful but ultimately, it wasn't a book or a story line that truly engaged me.

[Susan]

Well told mystery

Highly recommend ! The story is intriguing , the characters come to life and way it evolves kept me turning pages.

[Dlmrose]

2.5

[Angelo Mifsud]

Very rich in history of the island of Malta, a story that one can relate to. A great read.