Historical

The Hidden Palace

The Hidden Palace

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  • Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
  • Create Date：2022-09-15 00:52:55
  • Update Date：2025-09-06
  • Status：finish
  • Author：Dinah Jefferies
  • ISBN：0008427054
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Summary

The second book in the sweeping new historical series from the number one Sunday Times best-selling author。

An island of secrets。 A runaway。 And a promise。。。。

A rebellious daughter
1923。 Among the ancient honey-coloured walls of the tiny island of Malta， strangers slip into the shadows and anyone can buy a new name。 Rosalie Delacroix flees Paris for a dancer’s job in the bohemian clubs deep in its winding streets。

A sister with a secret
1944。 Running from the brutality of war in France， Florence Baudin faces a new life。 But her estranged mother makes a desperate request: to find her vanished sister， who went missing years before。

A rift over generations
Betrayals and secrets， lies and silence hang between the sisters。 A faded last letter from Rosalie is Florence’s only clue， the war an immovable barrier - and time is running out。。。。

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Reviews

Vanessa ，

The Hidden Palace by Dinah Jefferies is the second book in this wonderful and beautifully written Daughters of War series。 Like all of Dinah's books I have loved them and she has a way of writing with so much description and love， you will want to spend all day reading her latest book。 So you may need to rearrange your day once you start to read this latest book。。。。。。。It's just brilliant from start to the end。I highly recommend this seriesBig Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins for the copy The Hidden Palace by Dinah Jefferies is the second book in this wonderful and beautifully written Daughters of War series。 Like all of Dinah's books I have loved them and she has a way of writing with so much description and love， you will want to spend all day reading her latest book。 So you may need to rearrange your day once you start to read this latest book。。。。。。。It's just brilliant from start to the end。I highly recommend this seriesBig Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins for the copy of The Hidden Palace by Dinah Jefferies 。。。more

Sarah Burton ，

Another great read from Dinah Jefferies， I loved the first book in this series - The Daughters of War and The Hidden Palace follows on the journey of the three sisters with the focus on Florence， we also get to meet their mother Claudette as she asks Florence to track down her lost sister Rosalie。 The story of Rosalie is what makes this story， and as always Dinah brings Malta to life for the reader - Rosalie and Malta are the stars of the story for me。I would recommend reading The Daughters of W Another great read from Dinah Jefferies， I loved the first book in this series - The Daughters of War and The Hidden Palace follows on the journey of the three sisters with the focus on Florence， we also get to meet their mother Claudette as she asks Florence to track down her lost sister Rosalie。 The story of Rosalie is what makes this story， and as always Dinah brings Malta to life for the reader - Rosalie and Malta are the stars of the story for me。I would recommend reading The Daughters of War before this one to make sense of the storyline， and I am looking forward to the next book。Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for allowing me to read The Hidden Palace。 。。。more

Melba Hard ，

A very moving book。The descriptions of Sicily and Malta were very atmospheric and you felt you were there。 It followed on from the previous book in the series。

Sarah ，

The Hidden Palace has to be my favourite Dinah Jefferies book of all time， which is quite saying something because I have adored every single book she has written。 Although at a push you could possibly read this as a stand alone book， I wouldn't advise it， the first book in the series is brilliant and the back story gives The Hidden Palace extra depth not reached with a stand alone。 The book actually took longer to read than usual， because I found I was reading it slower because I just didn't wa The Hidden Palace has to be my favourite Dinah Jefferies book of all time， which is quite saying something because I have adored every single book she has written。 Although at a push you could possibly read this as a stand alone book， I wouldn't advise it， the first book in the series is brilliant and the back story gives The Hidden Palace extra depth not reached with a stand alone。 The book actually took longer to read than usual， because I found I was reading it slower because I just didn't want it to end。 Florence was my favourite character from 'Daughters of War' so to follow her story onwards has been a real treat。 I felt I was alongside her as she travelled to Malta。 I have certainly learned more about Malta reading this story than I ever have from watching documentaries， the research carried out to write this book must have been extensive。 Utterly brilliant。 I would highly recommend this book to fellow readers and I am already thoroughly looking forward to the final book in the trilogy 'Night Train to Marrakech' which is due to be released next year。 。。。more

Christina Maria ，

Thank you to #NetGalley and #HarperCollins for the copy of #TheHiddenPalace by #DinahJefferiesI didn’t realise that this was the second book in a trilogy when I received it， I would really suggest to anyone to read the first in the series first。 The story is set at the end of WW2 and is told in several strands which all come together。The book is slow in places with lots of descriptive text， but overall a good read。

Laura Taylor ，

The Hidden Palace is the second book in the daughters of war trilogy by Dinah Jefferies。 I devoured an advance copy of the first one over Christmas and so I was eagerly looking forward to this one！ It is a dual narrative/split timeline which tells the story of Florence and Jack， recently escaped from occupied France to Devon， and her aunt， Rosalie Delacroix， who lived in Malta in the years between the wars。I enjoyed this book， although not quite as much as the first。 I found Florence's constant The Hidden Palace is the second book in the daughters of war trilogy by Dinah Jefferies。 I devoured an advance copy of the first one over Christmas and so I was eagerly looking forward to this one！ It is a dual narrative/split timeline which tells the story of Florence and Jack， recently escaped from occupied France to Devon， and her aunt， Rosalie Delacroix， who lived in Malta in the years between the wars。I enjoyed this book， although not quite as much as the first。 I found Florence's constant questioning of herself and her feelings for Jack to be a little repetitive， but that's my only criticism。 I wanted to know more about Helene and Elise too！ The story of Rosalie and her new life， however， really captivated me and I loved learning so much about Malta （have since been researching holiday destinations there！） The story is well written and the multiple storylines entwine so well， especially at the end！Looking forward to reading the third now！ 。。。more

Bookwormbadger ，

The second book in this series， I loved this one just as much as the first。 Having been to Malta several times， I loved the evocative descriptions of the island， and also living in the Cotswolds， and having been to Stanton recently， I enjoyed reading about that area too。 Dinah Jefferies is a fantastic storyteller， and this gorgeous historical fiction novel sweeps you along brilliantly。 It is a real page turner; excited for Night train to Marrakech next year！ Highly recommended for all historical The second book in this series， I loved this one just as much as the first。 Having been to Malta several times， I loved the evocative descriptions of the island， and also living in the Cotswolds， and having been to Stanton recently， I enjoyed reading about that area too。 Dinah Jefferies is a fantastic storyteller， and this gorgeous historical fiction novel sweeps you along brilliantly。 It is a real page turner; excited for Night train to Marrakech next year！ Highly recommended for all historical fiction fans。With grateful thanks to NetGalley and Dinah Jefferies for my advance copy in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more

Val Robson ，

I started reading this novel and then realised that it was the second in a series of three so read the first （Daughter of War） book before this one。 I think this novel would stand up on it's own but I was glad I had the first in the series as it got me invested in the three main characters who are sisters Helen， Elise and Florence， Helene， Elise and Florence have been living in their mother's house in the Dordogne for seven years following the death of their English father。 Their mother， Claudet I started reading this novel and then realised that it was the second in a series of three so read the first （Daughter of War） book before this one。 I think this novel would stand up on it's own but I was glad I had the first in the series as it got me invested in the three main characters who are sisters Helen， Elise and Florence， Helene， Elise and Florence have been living in their mother's house in the Dordogne for seven years following the death of their English father。 Their mother， Claudette， is French and had come out with them but gone back to England shortly after leaving the girls to fend for themselves when only 22， 17 and 15。 A couple of years after their mother left the girls found themselves caught up in war as the Germans occupied France。 In 1944 Florence has found some shocking news about her parentage which has forced her to leave the country and escape back to her mother's home in England。 Jack， a friend of the sisters who works in Special Operations， journeyed with Florence to aid her escape over the Pyrenees。The earlier storyline is some twenty years earlier set in Paris。 Claudette is married and living in England but her younger sister by nine years， Rosalie， is still living with their parents in Paris。 The parents are very strict and would not approve of the things their daughter is getting up to if they knew。 There is a drama and Rosalie leaves and decides to head for Malta。 She writes once to her sister in England but after that there is no trace of Rosalie。 Claudette is desperate to find her long lost sister and asks Florence to help。There is a lot of description about scenery and food in this author's books which I did not like so much so tended to skim read。 It is a good story though which kept me avidly turning the pages。 There is to be a third book in this series， set in Marrakesh which I look forward to。With thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more

Mark taylor ，

I got The Hidden Palace by Dinah Jefferies from NetGalley for a fair and honest review。The Hidden Palace is a novel about how family disagreements can cause fallouts that can last for years set around world war 2。The Hidden Palace is the second novel in the writers Daughters at War trilogy and， while there are events mentioned that happened in the previous novel， it did not spoil the enjoyment of this one。For me The Hidden palace hit all the right plot lines for a novel of this type， in that jus I got The Hidden Palace by Dinah Jefferies from NetGalley for a fair and honest review。The Hidden Palace is a novel about how family disagreements can cause fallouts that can last for years set around world war 2。The Hidden Palace is the second novel in the writers Daughters at War trilogy and， while there are events mentioned that happened in the previous novel， it did not spoil the enjoyment of this one。For me The Hidden palace hit all the right plot lines for a novel of this type， in that just because people share the same DNA does not mean that they have the same interests。 The Hidden Palace story is told through 2 different perspectives over 2 timelines for a majority of the story and involves 3 countries。While when you say it out loud the novel may sound more complicated than it was when reading it。 This is mainly because Dinah Jefferies is very good at allowing the reader to know， at what point they are in the story， before moving it along。In one way you will see this novel set as an historical world war 2 novel and yes there are times when the conflict plays a major point in the story and while the writer does go into details particularly about the siege of the Island of Malta， some of which I did not know。For me this is a story set to the backdrop of the conflict rather than about world war 2。This is particularly true as the individuals in the story are so well written Rosalie， Florence and both their love interests， are all very well rounded characters with their actions written around their character and history rather than the other way round。 The only weakness I have with the novel is the sense of place is less involved with the stories around Malta than those around the cottage in the county of Devon， England。Although this had more to do when the novel was written than the writer themselves。All this makes The Hidden Palace by Dinah， an enjoyable read。 。。。more

Su Thor ，

This book has it all - rebellion， secrets， generational rifts， passion， praise for the character and all in front of the island of Malta （mainly）。 Malta is an island with a past， the perfect back drop for this detective story。Set between 1923 and 1944 it is told skilfully from two different voices both of whom have a lot to contribute。 It is an intriguing story which pulls the reader's heartstrings while dealing with issues which still affect us today - war， crime， betrayal， secrets， human track This book has it all - rebellion， secrets， generational rifts， passion， praise for the character and all in front of the island of Malta （mainly）。 Malta is an island with a past， the perfect back drop for this detective story。Set between 1923 and 1944 it is told skilfully from two different voices both of whom have a lot to contribute。 It is an intriguing story which pulls the reader's heartstrings while dealing with issues which still affect us today - war， crime， betrayal， secrets， human tracking， love and loss。 I wholly recommend this book by Dinah Jefferies which is as good as her others。 Thank you for tell us this tale。Thank you to NetGalley and ARC for allowing me to read this book in exchange for this review。 。。。more

Sue Wallace ，

The Hidden Palace by Dinah Jefferies。the Daughters of War trilogy book 2。 An island of secrets。 A runaway。 And a promise…A rebellious daughter。A sister with a secret。A rift over generations。This was a good read。 Mainly about Florence。 This was on 2 timeliness which I'm not good with。 4*。 The Hidden Palace by Dinah Jefferies。the Daughters of War trilogy book 2。 An island of secrets。 A runaway。 And a promise…A rebellious daughter。A sister with a secret。A rift over generations。This was a good read。 Mainly about Florence。 This was on 2 timeliness which I'm not good with。 4*。 。。。more

Annette ，

A follow on novel from the author’s previous book， “Daughters of War”， “The Hidden Palace”continues Florence’s story after she and Jack escape from war torn France。Ending up in England in Jack’s Devon cottage， Florence learns more about him and her feelings grow despite her sister Helen also being in love with him。 However Helen is in France and Florence is with him and despite her guilt she cannot hide her love。Meanwhile her mother， Claudette reveals she has a younger sister ， Rosalie， who ran A follow on novel from the author’s previous book， “Daughters of War”， “The Hidden Palace”continues Florence’s story after she and Jack escape from war torn France。Ending up in England in Jack’s Devon cottage， Florence learns more about him and her feelings grow despite her sister Helen also being in love with him。 However Helen is in France and Florence is with him and despite her guilt she cannot hide her love。Meanwhile her mother， Claudette reveals she has a younger sister ， Rosalie， who ran away 20 years previously and she is desperate to find her and apologise that she couldn’t help at the time when Rosalie was so desperate。 。 Claudette believes that Rosalie is in Malta， an island being heavily attacked by the Nazis。Florence resolves to search for Rosalie after the war is over and this becomes a major part of the novel。This is a dual time line story， a style very popular at the moment ant the reader is also treated to Rosalie ‘s story as she runs away from a domineering Parisien family in the 1920s and becomes a cabaret dancer in Malta。Of course I raced through this book as everyone enjoys a “ will they find each other “ type of story。 Will Florence find Rosalie or will she die in Malta during the war before Florence can locate her？This novel has been well researched- the history of Malta particularly interested me as I knew little about it。 Unusually for me in a dual time frame novel I liked the characters and plot in both periods。 Rosalie’s story was as interesting as Florence’s。 The author wrote this book during the pandemic so was unable to travel but I felt that she was able to capture the essence of Malta- she really inspired me to visit this small island。The ending was a slight cliffhanger and it made me eager to read the next book in the series。This was an enjoyable read and would appeal to both those who have read the earlier book and those who haven’t although I think the background of the previous novel would help with understanding character motivation。Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for my advance copy。 。。。more

Janette ，

This book is mainly about Florence who escaped to England in 1942 leaving her two sisters in France。 She settles in Devon and is reunited with her mother Claudette。 Her mother begs her to travel to Malta to see if she can try to find Rosalie， her mother’s younger sister who ran away from Paris to be a dancer in a Maltese club。 The story is told in a dual timeline as we get Florence’s life in Devon and her travels as she eventually sets out to hunt for her aunt and then we get Rosalie’s story beg This book is mainly about Florence who escaped to England in 1942 leaving her two sisters in France。 She settles in Devon and is reunited with her mother Claudette。 Her mother begs her to travel to Malta to see if she can try to find Rosalie， her mother’s younger sister who ran away from Paris to be a dancer in a Maltese club。 The story is told in a dual timeline as we get Florence’s life in Devon and her travels as she eventually sets out to hunt for her aunt and then we get Rosalie’s story beginning in 1925 when she arrives in Malta。 It was an interesting plot and I enjoyed both the timelines。 However， there did seem to be a couple of ideas that were introduced into the novel and then not developed。 Rosalie’s friend Charlotte was one of these。 She seemed to pop up whenever the plot required her to but her storyline wasn’t taken any further so it felt disjointed。 This story for me didn’t have the drama or tension that the first book did。 Everything seemed to fit into place really easily for both Florence and Rosalie and there was only a little evidence of the hardships caused by Europe being at war。 I also think that the Maltese scenes suffered from the author being unable to visit during lockdown as I didn’t really get a sense of place which was very vivid in the previous book。 Thank you to Net Galley and Harper Collins UK for my ARC in exchange for my honest review。 。。。more

Cheryl ，

I found this to be an enthralling read with engaging characters。 Some of the story was set in the 1920’s and 30s and some after 1944。 I enjoyed the descriptions of the places in Devon and Malta。 Florence and Jack feature in the latter years and although Jack had a few secrets to come to terms with， there was also the question as to whether their relationship would become more meaningful。 The earlier story concerns Rosalie and her life and loves。 She was a very socially active person concerned ab I found this to be an enthralling read with engaging characters。 Some of the story was set in the 1920’s and 30s and some after 1944。 I enjoyed the descriptions of the places in Devon and Malta。 Florence and Jack feature in the latter years and although Jack had a few secrets to come to terms with， there was also the question as to whether their relationship would become more meaningful。 The earlier story concerns Rosalie and her life and loves。 She was a very socially active person concerned about the rights of others。 It was interesting to follow Florence’s path to try to find out what had happened to her aunt。 I hadn’t read the first in the trilogy but it didn’t hinder my enjoyment of this book。 I received a copy and have voluntarily reviewed it。 All my thought and opinions are my own。 。。。more

Sarah ，

**review to come**

Karen ，

I do love books that continue the story from an earlier book， but also can be read as a stand alone， and Dinah Jefferies has done this well with her second installment her new trilogy looking into the Baudin sisters， I am looking forward to number 3。 We are taken from France， to Devon and then we end up in Malta and then back to Devon on a wonderful storyline that is Florence and her aunt and how family can come together to help each other， but still leave emotional wounds open to heal in the ne I do love books that continue the story from an earlier book， but also can be read as a stand alone， and Dinah Jefferies has done this well with her second installment her new trilogy looking into the Baudin sisters， I am looking forward to number 3。 We are taken from France， to Devon and then we end up in Malta and then back to Devon on a wonderful storyline that is Florence and her aunt and how family can come together to help each other， but still leave emotional wounds open to heal in the next book。。 。。。more

Jane Hunt ，

After escaping war-torn France， Florence finds solace in rural Devon with Jack， the man who helped her escape， but her estranged mother， Claudette， is desperate to end the rift with her younger sister， Rosalie。 She begs Florence to help her。 Set in England， France and Malta， the immersive settings engagingly evoke echoes of the past。 Both Florence's and Rosalie's stories draw the reader into their worlds。 Believable characters， vibrant environments and vivid historical detail make this a heartwa After escaping war-torn France， Florence finds solace in rural Devon with Jack， the man who helped her escape， but her estranged mother， Claudette， is desperate to end the rift with her younger sister， Rosalie。 She begs Florence to help her。 Set in England， France and Malta， the immersive settings engagingly evoke echoes of the past。 Both Florence's and Rosalie's stories draw the reader into their worlds。 Believable characters， vibrant environments and vivid historical detail make this a heartwarming and heartbreaking read。 I love the emotion， the courageous characters and the atmosphere the author creates。I received a copy of this book from the publisher。 。。。more

Jenny Kearney ，

The book follows two stories， that of Rosalie and her niece， Florence。 There are similarities between the lives of both women， and the threads of estrangement， love and war are woven throughout the stories。 The threads are brought together towards the end of the book when Florence finds Rosalie。Dinah Jefferies is a good story teller but The Hidden Palace is not my favourite book by her。 I enjoyed reading the parts set in Malta （and would love to visit one day） but the will they/won’t they relati The book follows two stories， that of Rosalie and her niece， Florence。 There are similarities between the lives of both women， and the threads of estrangement， love and war are woven throughout the stories。 The threads are brought together towards the end of the book when Florence finds Rosalie。Dinah Jefferies is a good story teller but The Hidden Palace is not my favourite book by her。 I enjoyed reading the parts set in Malta （and would love to visit one day） but the will they/won’t they relationship between Florence and Jack really dragged on。 It felt like there were lots of loose ends and some issues were skipped over whilst others went on a little too long。 For example there was a brief mention of domestic violence which was passed over whilst the issue of white slavery felt like it was slotted into the narrative， and neither really fitted naturally within the story line。However， it’s a good book， perfect to read whilst on holiday， and will delight fans of Dinah Jefferies。 。。。more

Suzanne Ryan ，

Florence has escaped the war in France and is starting a new life when she receives a request from her mother。 Her mothers sister disappeared a number of years ago and she asks Florence to find her， it is believed she is in Malta so Florence heads to Malta to find Rosalie。 As Florence searches we also get to hear Rosalies story， the two stories run along together。 This is a great sequel to the Daughters of War book and I would like to hear more of the sisters。 As always Dinah Jeffries brings you Florence has escaped the war in France and is starting a new life when she receives a request from her mother。 Her mothers sister disappeared a number of years ago and she asks Florence to find her， it is believed she is in Malta so Florence heads to Malta to find Rosalie。 As Florence searches we also get to hear Rosalies story， the two stories run along together。 This is a great sequel to the Daughters of War book and I would like to hear more of the sisters。 As always Dinah Jeffries brings you on a journey through places and time。 Her writing is always descriptive and her characters excellentThank you to Netgalley， the publisher and the author for granting me an advance copy of this book 。。。more

Patricia Moren ，

This was a fascinating story， partly in the first and second world wars and moving forwards。 The descriptions of Malta during the wars was very interesting as a background。 The loves and losses are well described， with empathy and connection。。 The conclusion looks towards the future。 A very satisfying read。

C ，

Review also on: https://clife。blog/2022/08/23/book-re。。。 I have not read the first novel in this series however that didn’t matter too much。 This novel is told in two different times。 One， in 1925 where Rosalie runs away from home。 Arriving in Malta she goes on to be a dancer for a club。 She has ambitions to make something of herself despite the difficult times。Second timeline being in 1944 England where this woman Florence gets to visit her estranged mother whilst trying to escape the horrendo Review also on: https://clife。blog/2022/08/23/book-re。。。 I have not read the first novel in this series however that didn’t matter too much。 This novel is told in two different times。 One， in 1925 where Rosalie runs away from home。 Arriving in Malta she goes on to be a dancer for a club。 She has ambitions to make something of herself despite the difficult times。Second timeline being in 1944 England where this woman Florence gets to visit her estranged mother whilst trying to escape the horrendous war in France and has had to leave behind her two sisters。It is an interesting different novel to what I normally read however it is a light read but at the same time it has elements of sadness， grief and loss。 Within this novel you are taken on an emotional journey of courage and determination。 Very compelling indeed。 Also， this has a beautiful cover I thought I should mention as it does indeed take you to another land。 。。。more

Dawn ，

I wasn't sure if I would enjoy "The Hidden Palace" as much as I did "Daughters of War" （because， you know， France！）， but it didn't take long for me to fall under Dinah Jefferies's spell。 The writing， the ups and downs of the story， the settings （the exploration of Malta was intriguing， which surprised me）， all top notch。 I enjoyed getting to know Florence a little better and can't wait to see where book 3 takes us。 My thanks to the author， publisher， and NetGalley。 This review was written volunt I wasn't sure if I would enjoy "The Hidden Palace" as much as I did "Daughters of War" （because， you know， France！）， but it didn't take long for me to fall under Dinah Jefferies's spell。 The writing， the ups and downs of the story， the settings （the exploration of Malta was intriguing， which surprised me）， all top notch。 I enjoyed getting to know Florence a little better and can't wait to see where book 3 takes us。 My thanks to the author， publisher， and NetGalley。 This review was written voluntarily and is entirely my own， unbiased， opinion。 。。。more

Karren Sandercock ，

Florence Baudin has just fled the Second World War in France， and she had to leave her two sisters Helene and Elsie behind in Dordogne。 Florence and Jack arrive in England filthy and exhausted， she stays at his cottage in Devonshire to recuperate， and she’s wants to visit her mother in the Cotswold's。 Florence hasn’t seen her estranged mother Claudette in years， and their reunion isn’t quite what Florence is expecting， and her mother asks her to find her missing sister Rosalie。 Florence can’t lo Florence Baudin has just fled the Second World War in France， and she had to leave her two sisters Helene and Elsie behind in Dordogne。 Florence and Jack arrive in England filthy and exhausted， she stays at his cottage in Devonshire to recuperate， and she’s wants to visit her mother in the Cotswold's。 Florence hasn’t seen her estranged mother Claudette in years， and their reunion isn’t quite what Florence is expecting， and her mother asks her to find her missing sister Rosalie。 Florence can’t look for her aunt yet， her only clue is a faded letter from Malta， and she vanished twenty years ago！The Hidden Palace has a dual timeline， it's told from two points of view， and it alternates between 1923 and 1944。Rosalie Delacroix is sick of her parents controlling ways， she likes to dance and have fun。 After having another argument with them， she sees an advertisement for dancers and in Malta。 Rosalie changes her name to Riva Janvier， to cover her tracks， and starts dancing in a bar。 Riva discovers the seedy side to Malta， young girls arrive from Russia， they vanish and she puts herself in danger by asking questions。 Riva’s life takes a different direction when she meets two influential men Robert Beresford and his uncle Addison Darnell。 I had no idea Malta was cut off from the rest of the world during WW II， strategically it was very important， and the only allied base between Gibraltar and Alexandria in Egypt。 The Germans ruthlessly bombed the island， troops and civilians went hungry and ran out of medical supplies。 Florence was shocked by the extent of the damage when she arrives in Malta， records and documents have been lost， and it makes her task of finding her aunt extremely difficult！I received a copy of The Hidden Palace by Dinah Jefferies from NetGalley and HarperCollins UK in exchange for an honest review。 A well written story about the relationship between sisters and why one changes her identity， war， secrets， crime， human trafficking， betrayal， overcoming loss， and finding love。 Florence and her aunt Rosalie have a lot in common， both have experienced heartache， and are attracted to men who are very similar。 Five stars from me， I have read the first book in the series， Daughters of War and I highly recommend them both。 。。。more

Nicki ，

Full review to follow on the blog tour in September！

Annarella ，

Dinah Jefferies can surely write stories that will keep you turning pages like this one。A fascinating， poignant， and compelling story set in wonderful Malta and featuring a cast of interesting characters。Excellent storyteller， a well plotted story， great characters。Recommended。Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC， all opinions are mine

Valerie Thirkettle-Kayser ，

After Daughters of War， I was eager to discover its sequel， the Hidden Palace， and this new historical fiction by Dinah Jefferies is a great read。Florence has left France through the Pyrenees with the help of Jack and is now in the UK。 She is reunited with her mother Claudette after all these years and has a chance to talk about the past she discovered prior to leaving France 。 But Claudette also wants to find her sister Rosalie and she asks Florence to look for her。 This leads Florence to Malta After Daughters of War， I was eager to discover its sequel， the Hidden Palace， and this new historical fiction by Dinah Jefferies is a great read。Florence has left France through the Pyrenees with the help of Jack and is now in the UK。 She is reunited with her mother Claudette after all these years and has a chance to talk about the past she discovered prior to leaving France 。 But Claudette also wants to find her sister Rosalie and she asks Florence to look for her。 This leads Florence to Malta， where most of the novel is set。 Florence explores what may have happened to her aunt， her own expectations， her relationships and the course of her life changes deeply。Dinah Jefferies always has this amazing way to create an atmosphere for her novels and it is always an immersive experience to read them。 It certainly is the case here in Malta。 We travel to the Malta of the twenties， when Rosalie arrived and during the second world war。 We enjoy the beauty of the island， the history and sights， and the delightful food。 But we also see the other side of the coin， the uncomfortable topic of human trafficking。 And the strong characters in the story also give us a sense of what it might have felt to live in Malta in those times and how， there too， many lives were lost or changed forever by the war。A great story of determination and strength， loss and grief， love and family， passion and talent， forgiveness and hope。 。。。more

Michelle Wileman ，

A wonderful novel， 2nd in a series but it works well as a stand alone book。 You will go in search of the other one though！！ The story cracks along at a good pace， not quite unputdownable but I was keen to get back to the book every day。 Characters are realistic， the background of wartimes makes you realise how easy we have it now。 I lived in Malta as a child in the 60’s and was taken back there through the very descriptive and real narrative。 Another Dinah Jeffries book that doesn’t disappoint！T A wonderful novel， 2nd in a series but it works well as a stand alone book。 You will go in search of the other one though！！ The story cracks along at a good pace， not quite unputdownable but I was keen to get back to the book every day。 Characters are realistic， the background of wartimes makes you realise how easy we have it now。 I lived in Malta as a child in the 60’s and was taken back there through the very descriptive and real narrative。 Another Dinah Jeffries book that doesn’t disappoint！Thank you to the author， publishers and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review 。。。more

Anne ，

This story is told in to timelines。 1925 and Rosalie runs away from home。 She arrives in Malta following an advert looking for dancers in a backstreet club in a seedy area。 She is hired and promises herself she will make something of herself here but times are hard and things are difficult。1944 in England and Florence has returned to her estranged mother， trying to escape the horror of war in France， leaving behind her two sisters who she misses dreadfully。 Her relationship with her mother is st This story is told in to timelines。 1925 and Rosalie runs away from home。 She arrives in Malta following an advert looking for dancers in a backstreet club in a seedy area。 She is hired and promises herself she will make something of herself here but times are hard and things are difficult。1944 in England and Florence has returned to her estranged mother， trying to escape the horror of war in France， leaving behind her two sisters who she misses dreadfully。 Her relationship with her mother is strained and she eventually walks out on her mother but not before she has asked Florence to find her missing sister， an aunt Florence does not know， who disappeared many years ago。 The only clues to her whereabouts are one letter posted to her mother from Malta years ago。Travel is extremely difficult due to the war but as soon as she is able to travel， Florence heads to Malta hoping to find her aunt but with little information to go on。 Soon she is told by her sister the reason her mother is so urgently trying to find her aunt and time is against her。This is a lovely historical romance fiction book to read。 Having visited Malta， I was back there again while turning these pages。 A good read， which I recommend。 。。。more

Melanie williams ，

Loved this book poor Florence and Riva。 Story told from the viewpoint of Florence on her quest to find her Aunt Riva and the trials and heartache she faces on the way。 From the viewpoint of Riva her escape from austere parents and living her dream before war begins and she faces her own heartache。 Both are strong women who fight for those they love I cannot wait for the next installment。

Tractor Girl ，

Thanks to NetGalley for an ERC in return for an honest review 。This is the 2nd book in the trilogy， and mainly focuses on Florence。Following Florence's escape from France with Jack， they finally arrive in Devon。Florence visits her mother and asks her the truth about her father。。。 Claudette is particularly sharp and pays very little interest on Florence， however she has a request for Florence to find her long lost sister Rosalie。Rosalie left Paris at 19 in 1925 after a major falling out with her Thanks to NetGalley for an ERC in return for an honest review 。This is the 2nd book in the trilogy， and mainly focuses on Florence。Following Florence's escape from France with Jack， they finally arrive in Devon。Florence visits her mother and asks her the truth about her father。。。 Claudette is particularly sharp and pays very little interest on Florence， however she has a request for Florence to find her long lost sister Rosalie。Rosalie left Paris at 19 in 1925 after a major falling out with her parents， and leaves Paris and heads to Malta where she becomes a dancer and lover of Bobby Beresford。The book follows the tentative love of Florence and Jack， and Rosalie's life until the end of WWII。 。。。more

Reference

google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=The Hidden Palace

hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=The Hidden Palace&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft

The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,The Hidden Palace&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0