Overview

Three teenagers meet in Florence, intent on unearthing secrets. For Jade and her twin sister Amber, it's a family matter, trying to find out the truth about their Italian grandfather, who has just died. But they have no idea what a can of worms they are opening as they delve into a past full of betrayal, murder, sex and love. Nico's quest interweaves with the girls' as he searches for the true identity of E J Holm, the author of the detective thrillers he devours. The victims and the killers in Holm's books all seem to be linked to the Partisans who resisted the Fascists in Italy in World War Two. Gradually, Jade discovers that her grandfather's secrets are linked to that too. Who is E J Holm really? And what is his connection with the girls' grandfather?

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9781911122234

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Reviews

Tell Me No Truths is a totally gripping teen 'detective' story, moving between present day Italy and the 1940s, uncovering wartime love and betrayal, and the identity of a secretive writer. The three teenagers are on the hunt for answers to a variety of questions - Jade and Amber's search is a purely personal, family matter, whereas Nico's is born of insatiable curiosity, and a need to solve the puzzle before his mum does! Their adventures are interspersed with the reminiscences of a British soldier sheltering with Italian anti-fascist Partisans, and as the reader soon begins to realise that these memories tie up with the tales recounted by the Twins' grandfather, but aren't quite the same. Someone has changed vital details as they've told the story! His tale also brings into sharp contrast the modern, careful, happy, bustling with tourists holiday vibe of Florence today, and the fear and hatred gripping its inhabitants in the 1940s; giving the reader an insight into those troubled times and bringing the past vividly to life. Our Book Reviews Online; I loved Gill Vickery's Tell Me No Truths! Similar to Mal Peet's Tamar it deals with what happened in Florence during WWII, and we meet three British teenagers who have come to Italy looking for answers to questions they have.Twins Jade and Amber had an Italian grandfather, and they want to discover what the place he felt he could never return to is like. They speak Italian, as does their mother. Teen artist Nico is on holiday away from his boarding school, with his mum and her latest boyfriend. Nico and his mum are big fans of a crime writer who lives in the area and they want to discover more about this elusive man.Interspersed with today's activities, we read a sort of diary from the war, about dramatic things that happened, but we don't quite know who is doing the telling. But it's easy to see it has a bearing on what all three teenagers are searching for.There is romance in the air, as well, and now is a time for families to learn to accept the past and to start again.There are too few novels about the war from inside another country, like Italy. We don't know enough, and we need to learn more, as do Nico, Jade and Amber.Great blend of art, crime and food, against the backdrop of WWII and Florence as it is today. The Bookwitch; Devoured this book in one sitting! The story moves between three threads - wartime Florence and the fight between the Partisans and the ruling Fascists; Jade and Amber who have come to Italy with their parents to try and discover what actually happened during the war and why their Italian grandfather would never return to the country of his birth; and Nico who is there with his mother and her boyfriend, their first family holiday during which he plans to track down the recluse writer of his favourite books, set in the area.Their stories start to connect, the recluse writer seems to mirror past events in his books and there are definitely secrets being kept. A mix of historical and detective genres with a wonderful sprinkling of art references, this book had me gripped and intrigued. As more and more clues are revealed, you find yourself questioning who is telling the truth and there is a sense of menace too. Barbara Band GoodReads 5 stars. This excellent novel is thoroughly recommended for readers who like mysteries and have the stamina to last through quite a long and complex plot.Carousel

Tell Me No Truths is a totally gripping teen 'detective' story, moving between present day Italy and the 1940s, uncovering wartime love and betrayal, and the identity of a secretive writer. The three teenagers are on the hunt for answers to a variety of questions - Jade and Amber's search is a purely personal, family matter, whereas Nico's is born of insatiable curiosity, and a need to solve the puzzle before his mum does! Their adventures are interspersed with the reminiscences of a British soldier sheltering with Italian anti-fascist Partisans, and as the reader soon begins to realise that these memories tie up with the tales recounted by the Twins' grandfather, but aren't quite the same. Someone has changed vital details as they've told the story! His tale also brings into sharp contrast the modern, careful, happy, bustling with tourists holiday vibe of Florence today, and the fear and hatred gripping its inhabitants in the 1940s; giving the reader an insight into those troubled times and bringing the past vividly to life. Our Book Reviews Online; I loved Gill Vickery's Tell Me No Truths! Similar to Mal Peet's Tamar it deals with what happened in Florence during WWII, and we meet three British teenagers who have come to Italy looking for answers to questions they have.Twins Jade and Amber had an Italian grandfather, and they want to discover what the place he felt he could never return to is like. They speak Italian, as does their mother. Teen artist Nico is on holiday away from his boarding school, with his mum and her latest boyfriend. Nico and his mum are big fans of a crime writer who lives in the area and they want to discover more about this elusive man.Interspersed with today's activities, we read a sort of diary from the war, about dramatic things that happened, but we don't quite know who is doing the telling. But it's easy to see it has a bearing on what all three teenagers are searching for.There is romance in the air, as well, and now is a time for families to learn to accept the past and to start again.There are too few novels about the war from inside another country, like Italy. We don't know enough, and we need to learn more, as do Nico, Jade and Amber.Great blend of art, crime and food, against the backdrop of WWII and Florence as it is today. The Bookwitch; Devoured this book in one sitting! The story moves between three threads - wartime Florence and the fight between the Partisans and the ruling Fascists; Jade and Amber who have come to Italy with their parents to try and discover what actually happened during the war and why their Italian grandfather would never return to the country of his birth; and Nico who is there with his mother and her boyfriend, their first family holiday during which he plans to track down the recluse writer of his favourite books, set in the area.Their stories start to connect, the recluse writer seems to mirror past events in his books and there are definitely secrets being kept. A mix of historical and detective genres with a wonderful sprinkling of art references, this book had me gripped and intrigued. As more and more clues are revealed, you find yourself questioning who is telling the truth and there is a sense of menace too. Barbara Band GoodReads 5 stars.

Author Information

Gill Vickery won the Kathleen Fidler First Novel Award with her book The Ivy Crown (Hodder). Her later books include the DragonChild series and the Franklin's Emporium series for A & C Black. She currently teaches Writing Fiction at the Percival Guildhouse Adult Education Centre in Rugby. She has loved Italy ever since her first visit there in 1973 but it was 25 years later that she became fascinated by stories of the partisans who formed the WW2 resistance to Fascism.

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