Oslo, Mab, and Beth are young ladies who are recruited to work in Bletchley Park. Each of the Young women become important to the work of de-coding enemy communications. But, towards the end of the war, Beth becomes convinced that there is a spy in their midst, and through a series of unfortunate circumstances, she becomes a prime suspect in this espionage. The friends reunite to solve the last, and most important, code of Beth's life.
This book is so well-researched and beautifully written that I would recommend it to anyone interested in historical fiction, especially WW II fiction. This story brings together three strong women from different walks of life and follows them through this amazing time in their lives, and when necessary, they are ready to band together to solve the biggest mystery of their lives.

I have read A LOT of British homefront World War II novels, and I can say that this one stands out above others! I absolutely loved the historical details about Bletchley Park and the description of how the codebreakers managed the impossible task of breaking encoded Enigma messages, not to mention the friendship between the three main characters. I also liked the bit of intrique driving the plot, and the way the author switched between past and present events. This kept the mystery slowly unfolding a little at a time, and I wanted to keep reading to find out more. Reading a digital copy of this book, I was surprised to find out it was so long (650 pages) because I devoured it so quickly. A must read for 2021!

The Rose Code is a great example of well researched and well written historical fiction. A great story about friendship, love, war effort and duty with wonderful characters.

What a great read! I love Kate Quinn and this newest title provided everything I’m looking for in a historical fiction/thriller: that is to say, it incorporates the British royal family. Join Mab, Osma, and Beth as they navigate Bletchley Park and work in various ways to break codes and supply intelligence to the armed forces fighting in World War II. Friendship and love serve as the foils to their allegiance to their oath and country in the midst of rations and air raid shelters. The story is told in present day, intermingled throughly with flashbacks that tell their individual and collective stories. I love how figures like Alan Turing and other historical figures make appearances. Finally, the epigraph delighted me to the connection to Kate Middleton and her work in restoring Bletchley Park. Highly recommend!

Amazing! I loved the PBS show Bletchley Circle and this was right up that alley. Three unlikely friends with differing capabilities end up at Bletchley Park. The story goes back and forth from then and now--one of the friends is in a insane asylum. Will the other two help her to escape. I loved all the new historical factoids about WWII and the part Bletchley Park played. The relationships between the friends were real and raw. Highly recommended. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

Kate Quinn has done it again. I only discovered her last year and she has quickly become one of my favorite authors. Her ability to meld fiction with history is state of the art and the Rose Code is no exception.

What I love the most about this novel is that, at its core, its about the bonds of female friendship. The three heroines are completely different people but, when thrown together, they demonstrate the human need to find kinship with those around us. In addition, the Rose Code is a war story without actually focusing on the war. Of course monumental events like D-Day play a part, but our characters are fighting a war of information, not bullets. The novel draws the reader into the world of Bletchley Park, a fascinating microcosm of some of the most inspiring stories of the 20th century. Cameos by historical individuals make an already captivating narrative all the more fascinating.

As always, Quinn's writing is rich and inviting, completely immersing the reader in the worlds of Mab, Osla, and Beth. The backstory of the character interspersed with the 1947 narrative is superbly balanced as information is slowly revealed over the course of the novel. I devoured the last quarter of the novel in one go because I simply could not pull myself away from the culminating action. I am legitimately sad now to be setting these characters aside; they have become like friends to me, more proof of Quinn's authorial prowess. Overall, the Rose Code is a gripping, thrilling tale which I can't wait to revisit someday soon.

Secrets, lies, and a traitor at Bletchley Park. Three friends who end up enemies, two who don't speak to each other anymore, and one locked away. Follow Kate Quinn down the rabbit hole into the dark where the Enigma code is being broken, relationships are forged and tested by fire, and secrecy reigns supreme. Kate Quinn writes another story that will suck you in and won't let you go until you're breathless at the very end.

In 1940's England, three women have stepped up to work in Bletchley Park - Osla, a pretty debutante, Mab, a hard working east-end woman, and Beth, a brilliant local girl who lives with her oppressive mother. Osla seems to have everything, wealth, intelligence, and is dating Prince Philip of Greece. Mab, a flirtatious girl, is determined to find a husband, while she still can. Beth flings herself into her work as one of the secretive exclusive code breakers. Alternating with their work at Bletchley Park, is their story set in 1947, days before Princess Elizabeth is set to marry Prince Philip.

I really enjoyed reading this book. I've read other books about Bletchley Park, but they seemed to either give vague information about the secretive work, or too many details for an interesting story. The shifting dynamic between the three heroines was fascinating, and really drove the story. I look forward to reading more from this author!

Three different women answer a call to break German code during WWII. Well-written , deeply feminine, this exploration of women’s friendships and frailties is a must-read.

a novel about three women who worked at Bletchley Park, offers readers insight into the secret lives of WWII cryptographers. Bletchley Park was where the British SOE (Special Operations Executive) worked to break the German code for the Enigma machine. Their efforts towards breaking the code helped the Allies to gain access to German strategy and ultimately win the war.

Quinn is a very clever storyteller who uses multiple points of view — there’s Mab, who learns to run the code breaking machines and hopes to find a rich husband; Osla, a debutante and skilled translator, who is determined to help fight the Nazis; and Beth, an intelligent spinster who is recruited to be a cryptanalyst. The novel’s events take place first during the war in 1940 and then in 1947 during the week preceding Queen Elizabeth’s wedding. By switching back and forth in time, Quinn creates narrative tension and mystery that helps the reader delve further into the past. The women were friends during WWII, but a tragic event ends their friendship. In 1947, they receive coded messages suggesting there might be a traitor from Bletchley Park giving secrets to the enemy, at which point the three must race against time to find the spy. I found the suspenseful mystery of Quinn’s writing so compelling that I had to read all night, eschewing watching any streaming media because I had to find out who was the traitor.

The Rose Code highlights the unheralded efforts of women to crack the Enigma code and end WWII. “The most fascinating thing about Bletchley Park is how spectacularly successful they were in keeping it a secret, even from their families and loved ones,” says Quinn, who writes about women’s stories that are too often overlooked. The Rose Code, which will be published in March, is an especially fascinating book because the real women who worked at Bletchley Park agreed to never discuss their code breaking experiences and many went to their graves never earning recognition for how they helped to end the war.


Phenomenal mystery !! Couldn’t put it down and love the 3 person pov.
Heroines who make you care about their fates. WWII code breaking history at Bletchley Park.
Weaves together three women’s stories incorporating their successes and failures beautifully. Mystery links the past and present times in suspense fiction. Fabulous research about the jobs for women at BP , cryptography, translation, secretarial, mechanical code breaking machine.

Highly researched with stories of women who worked at Bletchley Park on Enigma code breaking during the war. Fascinating details about cryptography and roles of women in wartime England. Phenomenal book!!! Thanks to Netgalley!

Another winner from Kate Quinn. I truly enjoy reading historical fiction. Did not think she could top The Huntress but this did it. Definitely recommend to anyone who enjoys historical fiction.

The Rose Code is Kate Quinn at her finest. Part women's fiction, part historical documentary, it brings to life the people who worked at Bletchley Park during WW2 and the problems they faced both during and after the war. Some of the plotting relied a little heavily on coincidence, but I'm willing to forgive it because the characters are so well developed. Quinn does an exceptionally good job with the character of Beth whose black and white thinking is a catalyst for tragedy. Quinn has been an auto buy for me since The Alice Network. This book ensures she'll continue to be.

Wow. All the feels. I make no secret that Alan Turing is a personal hero. He is *very* much suspected of being a fellow Autistic, and because of his brilliance I was able to follow in his footsteps to rise myself out of being a trailer park kid into a career that has already made me far more successful than I ever dared imagine. So when a book is set at Bletchley Park during World War II - where Turing built the first physical "Turing Machines" after having theorized them before the war - ... it gets my attention.

And while Turing himself (along with a handful of other particularly significant real-world people of the era) *does* appear in the book - and even helps in the endgame itself - this book is NOT about him. Instead, this is effectively a book about the *other* people there at Bletchley during the period and what *they* went through... while spinning a tight tale of personal and national betrayals as a solid fiction story should. :) We see the era and the place through three very different eyes - a likely (female) Autistic (though Quinn never uses that word to describe the character, as it wouldn't be period-authentic) who is over-protected by her very religious parents (gee, where does *that* feel familiar? ;) ), a poor, down on her luck girl from the "wrong side of the tracks" just trying to get by and become better than her birth (again, where does this seem familiar? :D), and a well-connected socialite who wants to prove that she is more than just her birth. And we see how friendship and even family can grow between such disparate people. Truly an outstanding work that hooks you from Chapter 1 and keeps you reading through the final words... even though those words come over 650 pages later! Oh, and if you're familiar with The Imitation Game (the 2014 movie focusing on Turing's work at BP)... you may just have its theme running through your head when you finish this tale. Very much recommended.

The Rose Code will definitely be popular with readers and book clubs. I enjoyed this female focused WWII novel with great characters and well researched details about Bletchley Park. Some parts felt draggy and repetitive.

Wow, Kate Quinn just keeps getting better and better! I was excited to see this was coming out soon--and to get my hands on a copy--and she didn't disappoint. The Rose Code centers on three very different women, Osla, Mab, and Beth, who never would have crossed paths except for their service in World War II in Britain's Bletchley Park (BP), home of the brilliant minds who broke the Enigma codes of the Axis powers. Osla is a sparkling debutante who just began dating handsome young Philip of Greece when she meets Mab, who is definitely from London's not so sparkling side but works hard to better herself in the hope of snagging a husband. They meet on the train to their new jobs in BP and are housed together in the small town nearby. There they meet Beth, mousy daughter of their landlords, who is incredibly shy but intelligent, and they recommend her to the team, and events start heating up. Complicating everything is the secrecy they are all bound to uphold, forbidden to discuss their work even with colleagues in other areas of BP.

As with other Quinn novels, there are two timelines here, hurtling toward one another with increasing urgency. In one plot, will the codebreakers work out the secrets in time to avert tragedy? In the other, will the former friends be able to overcome the past to help a desperate prisoner? The themes of sisterhood, loyalty, county, love, and betrayal resonate throughout the story. The details had me running to look up historical facts I had not known of, but only when I was curious enough to wrench myself away from the narrative. I had trouble putting this one down for long!

Absolutely riveting! Thanks to NetGalley for the arc!
Highly recommended

I absolutely love Kate Quinn, I have been waiting for a new book from her ever since her last novel “The Huntress”. I love her novels about women spies. The Rose Code is something a bit different. This novel focuses on three very different women who come together to help the British solve the codes that the Germans have been sending back and forth to their troops, leaders, etc.

This novel isn’t short, at 656 pages, it’s not a quick read. I savored it, let myself get lost in it and allowed myself time for all of the imagery, information and wonderful characters to sink in. I became lost in the story almost immediately.

The time frame is 1940 through 1947. We begin with the introductions of characters and how they all meet up at Bletchley Circle. I had seen a mini series on Bletchley Circle on PBS and was already familiar with what went on there but nothing that compared to this novel!

Mab lived a life of poverty and was determined to find a man to marry, someone of some means to help her rise to a level where she didn’t have to worry every day about how she would get by. She ends up being adept at fixing the machines that the codebreakers use.

Osla has come from a family of wealth. She has been dating Phillip for years and they have a friendship/love relationship for many years. She wants to help in the war effort and not just making bandages!! She wants to show that a “deb” can be more than just a showpiece. She is fluent in German and is ultimately used as a translator, essential to the codebreaking process.

Beth is a quiet, timid young woman who has lived with her parents and has always been put down by her mother. Taught that she had no value, wasn’t good at anything, not even allowed to finish school. But she has a gift for mathematics and puzzle solving and at Bletchley Circle she finds her niche. She becomes one of the top cryptanalysts and is heads above everyone else she works with. She will find her wings here.

Besides all of the intricacies of Bletchley park, all of the secrets that these people are sworn to keep, there is a resounding story of friendship, love and humor. All of those that work here, many for 24 hours straight, find their ways to have fun. They sing, they laugh, they find love and acceptance, all combined in the effort to help win the war for the Allies.

This is a bare outline of the characters but there is lots of interaction between these three women, they become best friends, until tragedy strikes. They then are split apart for many years.’

We flash ahead to 1947 and Beth is locked away in an asylum, thought to have “had a breakdown”. In reality she has been unjustly accused and knows a terrible secret -- there was a traitor at Bletchley park and she knows who it is. This is the one who put her here, and there are only two people whom she trusts can help her escape the asylum -- Mab and Osla!!

These three indomitable women will come together once again to capture the spy who traded their security, the future of the war effort and love of country, for money. I’ll leave you to discover who the traitor was and how the story unfolds, just like looking down at the spirals inside a rose!!

This is by far the best historical fiction I have read in a very long time! If you love this book I highly recommend watching the PBS series Bletchley Circle and here is also a link to an interview with Kate Quinn below.
https://historicalfictionreader.blogspot.com/2020/11/authorinterview-historical-fiction_17.html

I highly recommend this novel to all lovers of historical fiction, you will find a wonderful novel based on facts. You won’t easily forget these characters, they will stay with me for a long time.

This was a buddy read with my good friend CeeCee who also loved the novel.
I received an ARC of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.
This novel is set to release on March 9, 2021


Will post to Amazon upon publication.

I've not read anything else by Kate Quinn, so I can't compare to her other books, but this one was just okay for me. Parts of it I really liked - all the bits about codebreaking and the scenes at Bletchley Park. But other parts seemed over the top - the whole part about Beth being framed and in an asylum. The famous characters who showed up (particularly Prince Philip and Alan Turing) were a bit much for me also. The writing was a little more "book club read" than I was expecting. I was expecting something a little more literary based on what I'd heard about the author's previous books. Overall, though, it was an enjoyable read, but not entirely what I was expecting. I would recommend this book to a book club looking for a WWII historical fiction book, or anyone looking for a historical romance with a WWII backdrop.

My thanks to NetGalley for an advance copy of this novel.

Another great historical fiction from Kate Quinn. I quite enjoyed The Hundreds and couldn't wait to read this. MS. Quinn's characters are all interesting and unique to themselves, full of life and true to their time. Her research shows in covering all aspects of Bletchley Place, from what the buildings where like, to the important code breaking they accomplished. The story moves well, and made myself as a reader not want to put the book down. Fascinating historical fiction, one where you learn slot more than you knew before starting.

Be prepared to be wowed by the men and women at Bletchley Park. Quinn weaves a wonderful story about friends, war and mystery in a book that will have you flipping the pages to find out if the best of friends will survive the biggest betrayal of all.

I struggled the most with the length of this book - it is long and not for the feint of heart.. I think I would have enjoyed this book more if it had been about 100 pages shorter. There was just a lot going on to keep track of between the three different main characters. The story overall was interesting and the writing was solid, I just found this one took a really long time to get through and by the end my interest was waning a little bit.