The Translator

Detective novels, she said, were for simpletons and spinsters. But she translated them anyway – because someone she loved couldn’t live without them. 1936, London. Edie Adler slips into the back pew of a memorial service for her dearest friend, Vee Saunders – presumed dead, her body never found. As politicians murmur condolences to Vee’s powerful husband, Edie sits with a fury she can barely contain. She knows things about this marriage no one in the room would dare speak aloud. And she refuses to believe that Vee is gone. She closes her eyes and she’s back in the warm Mediterranean water – the salt on her skin, Vee’s hands keeping her afloat, that voice in her ear: don’t worry, I won’t let you sink… 1918, Malta. Edie, an officer in the newly formed Wrens, arrives on the sun-drenched island expecting cyphers, duty and discipline. What she doesn’t expect is Vee – a whip-smart nurse singing in the bathtub with a cigarette in one hand and a gin in the other. Vee teaches her to swim in secret coves, leads her astray in the basement bars of Valletta, and the two women forge a bond that will shape the rest of their lives. As they take different paths – Edie to a small flat in Hampstead, swimming in the Ladies’ Pond each morning, long days as a social worker in the London slums – they stay bound by letters. Vee’s are vivid, full of mischief, then slowly, they darken. And then they stop. Two years of silence. Until a parcel arrives from Paris – three detective novels, all in French, no sender, no note – and Edie’s world shifts on its axis. Spanning two decades from post-war Malta to the volatile Europe of the late 1930s, The Translator is a sweeping story of love, courage and quiet rebellion. Fans of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo and Kate Quinn will be captivated by The Translator**.** What readers say about Annabelle Marx's novels: ‘This is one of the best books I have ever read... Do not miss this beautiful story!’ Reader review, ????? ‘I loved everything about this book and it kept me reading non stop… loved every page.’ Reader review, ????? ‘The Rebel of Seventh Avenue instantly became one of my top ten favorite books.’ Reader review, ????? ‘An enchanting story of a woman who lived to create in New York, inspired by the story of Coco Chanel. Impossible to put down, from start to finish.’ Reader review, ????? ‘Completely fascinating… a tear-jearker… so beautifully written.’ Reader review, ????? ‘What a stunning historical fiction saga that completely swept me away. It's a story full of female empowerment, resilience and courage at a time where women were expect to be in the background.’ Reader review, ????? ‘INCREDIBLE and one I will be thinking about for a long time to come. It was beautifully written and I felt so attached to all the characters and was very sad to finish it.’ Reader review, ????? ‘Beautiful historical fiction… a must read.’ Reader review, ????? ‘If you close your eyes, it will take you from the sewing factories, to the beautiful work room and to the factory floor in Edinburgh… wonderful and heartbreaking. Such a beautiful book.’ Reader review, ????? ‘Truly incredible…I couldn’t put it down and read it in a single day… inspiring, heartbreaking, and unforgettable… a book I recommend again and again.’ Reader Review, ????? ‘Wow where to begin… this author reeled me in from the first page and I devoured it at speed… There is so much to laud about this book, the style of writing, the characterisation, the plot ... and there is even a recipe for ginger cake! What is not to love!’ Reader Review, ????? ‘Heartwarming and heartbreaking, The Herbalist's Secret will remain with me for a long time.’ Reader Review, ?????