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A FINANCIAL TIMES, PROSPECT MAGAZINE and GLOBE AND MAIL BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR 2023

An Irish Times Best Book of 2023, as chosen by Sally Hayden and Mia Levitin

‘A murdered mother’s fight for truth and justice lives on through the words of her youngest son’ Angelina Jolie

‘Essential reading for anyone who cares about the future of democracy’ Anne Applebaum, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Twilight of Democracy and Red Famine

‘An unforgettable profile in courage . . . Riveting and inspiring’ Bill Browder, bestselling author of Freezing Order

When Paul Caruana Galizia was at work in London, his eldest brother called to say their mother Daphne had just been assassinated. That day, he returned to their native Malta and, with his two brothers and their father, began a quest to discover who was responsible for Daphne’s murder and who stood to profit from ending the life of a journalist whose courage and determination threatened the powerful with the truth. Two years later, they did.

A Death in Malta is more than an investigation into the life and assassination of Daphne by her son Paul. It’s an examination of the globalisation of corruption and what it has done to a modern European country; it’s about that country’s escape from colonialism to another kind of arrogant power; it’s a personal history of writing when the stakes are high and the intimidation is violent. Above all, it’s a universal homage to mothers and their sons.

Publisher Review

Daphne Caruana Galizia was a trailblazer, exposing the kleptocratic practices of Malta's elite - the same practices now found all across Europe and North America. The story of her heroic life, her tragic death and its aftermath, told by her son, are essential reading for anyone who cares about the future of democracy -- Anne Applebaum, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of TWILIGHT OF DEMOCRACY and RED FAMINE A murdered mother's fight for truth and justice lives on through the words of her youngest son -- Angelina Jolie An unforgettable profile in courage: that of a journalist who risked her life to hold power and corruption to account; and that of her family, whose fight for justice exemplifies the intensity and ingenuity we must bring to the defense of democracy wherever the tide rises against it. Riveting and inspiring -- Bill Browder, bestselling author of FREEZING ORDER Paul Caruana Galizia's story of how his mother died fighting the mafia takeover of her country is full of anger, determination and passion. It is crucial reading for anyone worried about how dirty money is undermining democracy, and who wants to know how to stop it -- Oliver Bullough, bestselling author of BUTLER TO THE WORLD This riveting memoir is [Paul Caruana Galizia's] rallying homage to a bravely unconventional mother whose hounding for her efforts to expose corruption left her feeling she was living in a modern-day version of "The Crucible" -- Caroline Sanderson * The Bookseller, Editor's Choice * Read this book. An important and vital work, it not only highlights the critical role of investigative journalism but also a family's remarkable tenacity and resilience. If you liked RED NOTICE you will love this. A page turner -- Thomas Harding, author of THE HOUSE BY THE LAKE An instant classic of political true crime that will make readers' blood boil * Publishers Weekly *