The Rose Code
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4.4 • 107 Ratings
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- £2.99
Publisher Description
A gripping, edge-of-your-seat historical novel from the bestselling author of The Alice Network and The Huntress!
*Winner of Historical Novel of the Year in NetGalley UK’s Books of 2021*
*Editors’ Pick Best Mystery, Thriller & Suspense, Amazon US*
‘A terrific book bursting with vivid atmosphere’ Dinah Jefferies, #1 bestselling author of The Tea-Planter’s Wife
’Wonderful…A hugely satisfying and thrilling read’ Fern Britton, #1 bestselling author of Daughters of Cornwall
‘Immersive, thrilling and packed with wonderful characters…I absolutely loved every page of this incredible book’ Jill Mansell, bestselling author of Maybe This Time
1940, Bletchley Park, Buckinghamshire.
Three very different women are recruited to the mysterious Bletchley Park, where the best minds in Britain train to break German military codes.
Vivacious debutante Osla has the dashing Prince Philip of Greece sending her roses – but she burns to prove herself as more than a society girl, working to translate decoded enemy secrets. Self-made Mab masters the legendary codebreaking machines as she conceals old wounds and the poverty of her East-End London upbringing. And shy local girl Beth is the outsider who trains as one of the Park’s few female cryptanalysts.
1947, London.
Seven years after they first meet, on the eve of the royal wedding between Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip, disaster threatens. Osla, Mab and Beth are estranged, their friendship torn apart by secrets and betrayal. Yet now they must race against the clock to crack one final code together, before it’s too late, for them and for their country.
If you loved The Crown, don’t miss this riveting historical novel!
About the author
Kate Quinn is a native of southern California. She attended Boston University, where she earned a Bachelor's and Master's degree in Classical Voice. A lifelong history buff, she has written four novels in the Empress of Rome Saga, and two books in the Italian Renaissance detailing the early years of the infamous Borgia clan. All have been translated into multiple languages. She and her husband now live in Maryland with two black dogs named Caesar and Calpurnia.
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
Packed with as much intrigue as British espionage centre Bletchley Park itself, this historical mystery is a fresh take on World War II. Osla, Mab and Beth are three women doing their bit for England’s war effort, working as code breakers hoping to crack the Axis powers’ secret communications. The trio’s friendship might have been indestructible…if it weren’t for the war’s immeasurable hardships. Two years after Victory in Europe Day, the estranged trio must reunite to resolve one final, treacherous mystery—and maybe even repair the friendship they lost along the way. We loved all three heroines and the personalities, perspectives and class differences they brought to the table. Kate Quinn fills her mystery with meticulously researched details, cameos by the likes of Winston Churchill and Alan Turing, and plenty of warm humour. Heart-thumping danger awaits this plucky group even after the war is over, but if anyone can solve the treacherous puzzles, it’s these three.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Quinn (The Huntress) returns to WWII and the secretive world of Bletchley Park in this immersive saga. Debutant Osla Kendall meets fellow Bletchley Park recruit and London East End resident Mab Churt on the train in 1940. While working at Bletchley, they share a room at the home of Beth Finch, a young woman beaten down by her demanding mother. After discovering Beth's talent for solving crosswords, Osla helps Beth get a job interview at Bletchley Park. Though Beth is shy and reclusive, she shines in her work on breaking codes. But when she discovers someone at Bletchley is likely a traitor, no one believes her. Soon, she she winds up the suspected traitor and is committed at Clockwell Sanitarium after having a mental breakdown. In 1947, almost four years later, Beth contacts Osla and Mab, who help Beth escape from Clockwell. Together, the women work to crack a code that will help them find the traitor. Quinn's page-turning narrative is enhanced by her richly drawn characters, who unite under the common purpose of Britain's war effort, and by the fascinating code-breaking techniques, which come alive via Quinn's extensive historical detail. This does not disappoint.
Customer Reviews
Loved it
It kept me hooked until the end
Wonderful thrilling book
Full of historical detail and centred around Bletchley Park during second World War , a real page Turner , Kate Quinn’s best book yet !