It’s 1940, and as Britain prepares for war three very different women answer the call to Bletchley Park. Debutante Osla, determined to prove she’s more than a fluffy society girl, self-made Mab, keen to rise from east-end poverty, and quiet, downtrodden Beth, anxious about life from under her mother’s firm ruling. Soon the unlikely trio, trained to break enemy military codes, are the best of friends. Until the pressures of war tears them apart.
In 1947, post-war Britain is whipped into a frenzy for the upcoming Royal wedding and three friends who vowed never to speak again are brought back together by a mysterious encrypted letter. Buried within it’s ciphers, the long-ago betrayal that destroyed their friendship. A traitor has emerged from the shadows of their Bletchley Park past, and now the three women must unite to break one last code - The Rose Code.
This book, as Osla would say, is absolutely topping!
I was desperate to devour it but forced my self not to rush, allowing myself to be fully submerged in the story. I love history, specifically WWII and the efforts of those that at first glance aren’t so obvious. After loving ‘The Alice Network’ I knew that with Quinn’s ability to weave fact and fiction together so effortlessly, and yet respectfully, this would be another hit for me.
The story is told from the points of view of the three main protagonists, but also across a dual timeline. This is done so cleverly, using reminisces and specific plot points, that at no point does it become confusing. Each of the characters voices are so diverse that as the reader you really get to appreciate how wartime affected people differently. How every man and woman’s experience was unique, and how imposing it was on their lives.
Whilst this story is full of loss and grief, it is also full of romance, friendship and most importantly, good old British camaraderie. There were many times throughout this book that I felt my laughter bubbling up at the comical antics wartime and the ‘live like it’s your last’ attitude summoned in people. How marvellously terrifying it must have been!
I would highly recommend this book to all, but especially those already fans of Quinn or the historical fiction genre. Not only will this story sweep you along on a tide of suspense but you’ll learn a lot on the way too.
** Thanks to HarperCollins UK, via NetGalley, for this ARC **