I finished it after taking a break from this book. I needed to be in a certain mood to enjoy a historical fiction.

It is a story about girl code breakers during the second world war. The twist is, a group of them start to "decode" a serial killer that is killing girls working in the war department.

It was cute, and a fun book to read. Especially with the theme of code breaking. It has a little romance, and a lot of shows of different struggles during those times.

I thought it was a clever and fun read. Perfect for the fans of this author, as once again, she gets a serial killer perfectly into her story.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me access to the free advanced digital copy of this book.

I absolutely adored this! Ellie Marney can’t miss! Every single thing I read by her is absolutely incredible and this was no different

Thank you to Netgalley and Little, Brown Books for the ARC.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4/5 stars

Ellie Marney is back with another YA thriller and this time she goes historical. The Killing Code follows Kit Sutherland, a young woman hiding a secret while navigating life in 1943. World War II is raging in England and Kit is recruited to help as a codebreaker. Soon, Kit stumbles upon a serial killer that is targeting government girls in Washington DC. She teams up with other codebreakers to track down the killer and finds romance and friendship along the way.

This was such a unique mystery that kept my attention throughout. It was very interesting and Marney really brought to life this time in history. I loved the cast of characters and was invested in the story. Another hit for Ellie Marney.

ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Given the huge number of books about World War Two, it can be a challenge to find a fresh approach but this one does the job. The codebreakers were a cool element. The murder mystery is a bit less compelling. A couple of clear suspects to the point of becoming obvious red herrings. A decent read but may not hold up to repeats.

DNF @ 25%. As a huge fan of Ellie Marney's previous novel, None Shall Sleep, this was my most anticipated novel of 2022. The Killing Code has a much different vibe than NSS, but I wanted to give it a try anyway. Unfortunately the style of writing in this one, coupled with the main focus feeling like it is on Kit's backstory and not as much the mystery at hand, caused me to struggle to stay focused, and after a few weeks of picking this up and putting it down, I have to go ahead and admit this one isn't for me. I'll be looking forward to the author's future work even though this one wasn't a good fit for me as a reader.

The Killing Code is a YA-Historical Mystery following Kit Sutherland, a young woman with a big secret.

The year is 1943 and the war is raging in Europe. In America, women have been recruited to aid in the war effort in a number of different ways. Kit is one of these women, hired due to her education to work as a code breaker.
The women work and live at Arlington Hall in Virginia, a former girls’ college now serving as the site of a secret US Signals Intelligence facility.

When Kit arrives she's full of trepidation. As noted above, she's harboring an important secret, the revelation of which could get her into a lot of trouble. In spite of this, Kit feels her job is crucial and she throws herself into it with gusto.

Kit befriends a few of the other girls, most importantly, Dottie, Moya and Violet. Kit is comfortable, she's happy. She feels like she belongs. She never expected it to be this way. But then the murders start. Murders of government girls in and around D.C. This puts Kit and her friends on high alert. These killings are way too close to home.

When it appears the authorities aren't taking the killings seriously, or if they are, they aren't getting far, Kit and her friends decide to take matters into their own hands. They can figure this out. They have too, or one of them very well could be next...

After being beyond impressed by None Shall Sleep, I was really excited to get more from Ellie Marney. Even though Historical Fiction isn't generally my go-to, I knew in Marney's hands it would be compelling. Happy to report, I wasn't wrong. This was so good. I loved the characters and really hope we get another book following Kit and her friends. I feel like this one set up that possibility nicely.

Kit's character was so well-developed. From the very start, she's intriguing. She has a solid backstory, one that could set her up for failure, but she was smart and determined. She pushed through when a lot of people would have given up. I liked and respected that about her character, finding her easy to follow and root for. The other girls in her friend group were super likable as well, all with their own unique personalities and contributions to the group.

The mystery was solid. I did get confused at times, tracking the men they considered suspicious, but maybe that's because I was so distracted by the dynamics going on amongst the girls. I'm looking at you, Kit and Moya...

I was definitely satisfied with the resolution though and would love to hear news that this is actually a start to a series. That could be so fun!

I recommend this to Readers who enjoys a strong historic setting mixed with an even stronger dark mystery plot. We're talking serial killers. Also, if you love girl groups, kicking butt and not taking no for an answer, you could really end up loving this.

Finally, while this is classified as a YA-story, I feel like Readers of all ages could enjoy this one. It didn't really feel YA, except in the fact that the characters are late-teens, early-20s in age.

Thank you so much to the publisher, Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I appreciate it so much and look forward to getting more from Ellie Marney!

It’s slower paced - it’s a YA historical fiction set during WWII and centers female codebreakers who worked to decipher coded enemy messages. Someone is killing girls who work for the government, and it’s a race against the clock to find out who and stop them.

There’s also a stressful storyline involving Kit, our main character. She‘s assumed a false identity, so she’s always on edge, especially working a job where she needs special government security clearance. So when she ends up in her own little girl gang, and maybe finds someone she wants to be more than friends with, she finds herself tentatively putting down roots in a life that isn’t really hers, despite the risks. There’s a lot of character depth in this story 🥹

It was just really, really good and I definitely recommend it. If you’re a mystery reader but have been interested in historical fiction, this is a great pick for you!! If you’re a historical fiction reader but you’ve been looking to spice it up with additional plot lines, this is a great pick for you!! If you love sapphic couples this is a great pick for you!!

I absolutely loved None Shall Sleep so I had very high hopes going into this read. Unfortunately I just found the pace to be incredibly slow and the story was just ok. At the 38% mark I stopped reading because it was just taking me too long to get into it.

3.5 stars.

When I first got the email for this tour, I signed up without even really reading the synopsis; I was just a huge fan of the book’s cover and thought this was going to be a YA mystery/thriller reminiscent of Karen M McManus or Maureen Johnson. Reader, I was wrong lol.

Although this book was classified as a YA, it had a very adult feel to it. I would probably say it’s more of a New Adult novel than a YA novel. It’s also a historical mystery rather than the contemporary one that I thought it was (my bad!), with the plot taking place during WWII. The blurb mentions this being a good read for fans of A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder, which I can definitely see, but I think The Killing Code is more of a slow burn mystery than AGGGTM.

The plot follows a woman, Kit, who takes another woman’s identity and begins a job as a decoder for the US Forces. When she stumbles upon the violated body of one of her colleagues, she and her friends learn that there is a serial killer in their midsts and team up to find justice.

The reason I call this a slow burn mystery is because a good portion of the book revolves around Kit’s stolen identity and job as a decoder rather than solving a murder. As someone who doesn’t really enjoy historical novels, this meant that I wasn’t fully invested in the book until the very end when the climax occurred. For me, a large part of the fun in reading a mystery is trying to piece clues together myself and as a result found myself desperate to see some of the codes Kit and her colleagues are trying to decode to understand more about what they were doing, especially since I majored in Japanese. Sadly the codes weren’t actually included in the book, just the methodology for how to solve them. I think adding some codes for the reader to tackle or more clues about the murderer would have really elevated my experience.

That being said, this book definitely had a lot going for it. We get a feminist storyline of women protecting women as well as some racial commentary about how Black women were treated in the US during this time period. There is even a main sapphic romance featured in the book with basically no homophobia present in the narrative which was kind of nice to get a break from that. I loved basically all of these characters and would be interested in knowing more about some of the side characters that were introduced in this book should sequels be in the works.

If you’re a fan of historical (particularly WWII era) books with a good murder mystery, please check this book out! I will mention that it explores some themes of misogyny and sexual assault, so you should be prepared for that.

A delightful murder mystery set during WW2, Kit is a code breaker working for the US government when she makes a shocking discovery — others girls in positions similar to Kit’s are being brutally murdered, and it’s up to her and her group of friends to track down the killer.

Fast-paced and immersive from the very beginning, there was so much to love about this book. Code breakers were very instrumental during WW2, and it’s just an absolutely fascinating topic. There’s quite a bit of history woven into this book, obviously since it’s set during a very prominent period in world history, but it’s the little details that make me appreciate it even more, like code breaking and the use of various types of intelligence.

This book has a strong focus on female friendship, and I absolutely adored the relationship that these girls shared. They also work very well together when solving the mystery. There’s also a secondary, more personal mystery that comes into play during the investigation — Kit is hiding something, and she cannot let her secret escape. That sometimes affected her ability to think clearly while investigating, and her anxiety jumped right off the page at several points.

Bottom line — a fantastic historical murder mystery with a strong focus on female friendships. There’s also a queer romance that’s developing, and I really liked the inclusion of a bit of romance.

Really enjoyed, I love period pieces with mystery elements. I’m also a very big feminist so this checked that box for me as well. Excited for more titles form this author!

Disclaimer: I received this e-arc and finished copy from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.

Book: The Killing Code

Author: Ellie Marney

Book Series: Standalone

Rating: 5/5

Diversity: Disabled character, Lesbian MC, Lesbian character, Black character, Sapphic couple

Recommended For...: young adult readers, historical fiction, mystery, thriller, Nancy Drew, American Girls History’s Mysteries, World War II, Codebreakers, LGBT

Publication Date: September 20, 2022

Genre: Historical Fiction Mystery

Age Relevance: 14+ (war, holocaust, death, misogyny, racism, Nazism, sexual assault/rape, drugging, gore, violence, romance, cursing)

Explanation of Above: War and the holocaust are mentioned and the book is set during World War II. There are some instances of racism and misogyny, but also some showings of Nazism. There are dead bodies and death shown and mentioned. There is some gun and knife violence and a lot of blood gore mentioned and one scene of stabbing. Sexual assault/rape is mentioned. Drugging is mentioned. There is some slight cursing. There is some romance.

Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Pages: 384

Synopsis: Virginia, 1943: World War II is raging in Europe and on the Pacific front when Kit Sutherland is recruited to help the war effort as a codebreaker at Arlington Hall, a former girls’ college now serving as the site of a secret US Signals Intelligence facility in Virginia. But Kit is soon involved in another kind of fight: Government girls are being brutally murdered in Washington DC, and when Kit stumbles onto a bloody homicide scene, she is drawn into the hunt for the killer.

To find the man responsible for the gruesome murders and bring him to justice, Kit joins forces with other female codebreakers at Arlington Hall—gossip queen Dottie Crockford, sharp-tongued intelligence maven Moya Kershaw, and cleverly resourceful Violet DuLac from the segregated codebreaking unit. But as the girls begin to work together and develop friendships—and romance—that they never expected, two things begin to come clear: the murderer they’re hunting is closing in on them…and Kit is hiding a dangerous secret.

Review: I really loved this book! This book is about our MC who, after taking on a new identity, enlists to become a codebreaker for the US forces during WWII. It is during that time that other women/girls start showing up dead around the town and it’s up to our MC and her friends to figure out what’s going on. The book had the same feel as the old time American Girl historical mystery books and Nancy Drew books. I loved every minute of it and it’s probably going to be a favorite of mine for the year. The writing and plot felt natural to the story and the character development and world building was well done.

The only issue I had with the book is that it was a bit confusing at the beginning, but once I got past that I fell into the tone and grove of the book.

Verdict: It was well done! Highly recommend!

Thank you to the publisher and TBR and Beyond Tours for providing me with an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The year is 1943, and Arlington Hall in Virginia, once a girls’ college, now serves as a center for codebreaking during the war. Former student Kit Sutherland is recruited to help in the war effort and joins the group of female codebreakers. When a series of murders take place in Washington DC, all government girls, Kit and her friends are determined to find the killer after they stumble onto the latest crime scene. With the police ignoring obvious connections between the murders, the girls begin to piece things together, but the murderer is closer than they know.

I’ve read many WWII historical fiction novels related to codebreaking, but only one so far that is also a thriller – The Rose Code by Kate Quinn, which was one of my favorites from last year – so this premise really stood out to me and I knew I had to try it. A fast-paced read right from page one, there wasn’t a dull moment in this book and I was glued to the pages throughout. Of course, the codebreaking angle was one part of it that I absolutely loved and it was so interesting seeing how it all worked through Kit’s eyes. It was also nice that this book focused not only only on the work surrounding codebreaking but also took the time to explore what the day to day lives would have been like for these girls. Hunting a killer aside, Kit’s secret past added another layer to the story, since it’s revealed to the reader very early on, and wondering if someone was going to find out the truth or if she would be able to keep her new life made it an even more thrilling read. The strong friendship between the four girls was wonderfully depicted and despite all of them not having POVs, each character was well developed and distinct with their own arc.

The romance between Kit and Moya was a little too insta-lovey for my taste and to be honest, there was just so much already going on in the story that there wasn’t enough time for their arc to be properly developed without getting in the way of the plot. I also didn’t see the point of Moya having a POV, because not only were her chapters so few in comparison to Kit’s that they didn’t add much to the story, but also because it was very hard to identify when the POV switched. There was no indication and since the narration was third person, it made it rather confusing for me. The dual perspective was not a bad idea and it could have worked quite nicely for this type of story, but I felt that it wasn’t executed well.

I did find the ending and how Kit figured out who the killer was to be a little rushed, especially given the organized manner in which the rest of the plot unfolded, but the final showdown was well written and everything was wrapped up satisfactorily. Overall, this was a great read and definitely one I would recommend for fans of both historical fiction and thrillers!

4.5 Stars

I've always been wary of YA mysteries as I tend to find some of them too predictable and to have a lack of cohesiveness but The Killing Code reminds me why I keep picking them up because you do come across gems like this one.

We follow a group of young women working as codebreakers during the Second World War who find themselves hunting a serial killer. My first thoughts after finishing this book was pure satisfaction. It was just so good, I was completely hooked the entire time and I finished it way quicker then I was expecting to.

I'm not overly familiar with codebreakers and that part of history particularly in the US. I thought it was such an interesting setting though, Arlington Hall being a base during the war effort. Using it as the backdrop for the mystery side of the plot really elevated it and you can tell a ton of research was done by the author for authenticity. Those glimpses into the lives of the girls, from what they wore to the long hours spent hunched over numerous codes, was equally fascinating and has made me want to go away and read more about these incredible women.

Kit, Moya, Dottie and Violet are an extraordinary group of women and I loved this crime fighting team that they formed. They are all equally clever and fearless with a determination I found inspiring. They work together so well and it was lovely to see how supportive they all of are of each other and the work they're doing. I also adored the relationship between Kit and Moya, a little insta-lovey but really cute!

The actual mystery is really well formed too. Without giving away too much, it really felt like it could have been based on a true story and I would have believed you. It actually gets a bit violent at times and I appreciated that the author wasn't afraid to water it down for the audience. The darker edge gives it that extra grit and gripped me that much more. I did guess the culprit fairly early on but that didn't detract from my enjoyment hardly at all because it was so fun reading about all the pieces slotting together.

This is a potential favourite of 2022! Such an exciting, unputdownable thriller that has me eager to read more historical mysteries. I'm so looking forward to reading None Shall Sleep by the same author now as it's been on my TBR for ages! Read it if you loved Code Name Verity but wanted plenty of murder, it won't disappoint!

I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher. This in no way impacted on my view.

Kit Sutherland has landed herself the career of a lifetime. Working as a code breaker at Arlington Hall for the American war effort, she is part of a vital team who are more like her family than colleagues. So when government girls are starting to turn up brutally attacked and murder, Kit needs to join the hunt for the killer, before she, or one of her friends, becomes the next target.

When I first heard about this book, I knew it was a book for me. I don't know much about code breaking in America during World War Two, but knowing about what the British did at Bletchley, I was definitely intrigued. And, I love Ellie's Every series, so having a new book by her was a no brainer. From the get go, there is intrigue and mystery afoot. Kit has a secret that she needs to keep hidden, otherwise her life is on the line, and when the murders start, and the gang get together to start investigating, the tension definitely ramped up. There's a hint of romance between Kit and Moya, but the main theme of the book is definitely the murders. I liked how just when you think there's a break, something else throws a spanner in the works, and the reader starts to second guess themselves. I did pick the murderer out quite earlier, but all in all, a really enjoyable read!

THE KILLING CODE follows Kit Sutherland, a young woman working as a code breaker at a former girls’ college to help soldiers fighting abroad during World War II. However, when she discovers government girls are being murdered, Kit joins forces with other female code breakers to unmask the killer. But his identity isn’t the only thing that’s secret.

I haven’t read a historical fiction thriller in a while so I was really excited to dive into this book. It was definitely not what I expected completely, specially the introduction into the story, but I ended up enjoying it! I liked how the mystery mixed with the setting while also adding some great romance elements. However, I did end up catching onto the killer early, which literally never happens, making the ending a little less exciting. Would recommend for fans of historical fiction and for people who are interested in queer romance!

Overall

I just want to say, right off the bat, how could anyone resist a book called The Killing Code? I mean, does that not just grab your attention and make you ask questions? The fact that this book happens to be about female codebreakers during World War II just adds to the coolness factor of that title to me. Plus, it’s fall. If there’s ever a good time for murder, it’s now. Erm . . . I mean in fiction, of course.

The Killing Code is the queer historical mystery I didn’t know I needed, with a strong all-female cast, a queer romance, a killer on the loose, a stolen identity, and all set against the backdrop of World War II.

The mystery was a pretty easy one to solve, and I had figured the murderer probably halfway through the book, so if you’re looking for something that’ll keep you stumped, this probably isn’t it. That being said, I really didn’t care too much that I’d already figured it out, because this book was just delightful in general! I absolutely love the strong female characters and the way they come together and support each other. Marney manages to write a positive story of female friendship, despite the rather dark setting, and without shying away from the fact that women weren’t always treated well during this time period, especially Black women.

My Thoughts

- Welcome back to World War II era America, where women are begrudgingly allowed to join the workforce and there’s a killer on the loose . . . but eh, who can take that seriously, because he’s only killing women, the silly creatures? All joking aside, this is going to be a very frustrating setting to read, and it’s meant to be that way. Marney does a wonderful job of capturing the struggles of life in World War II America for women (even the privileged women), without beating the reader over the head with it or focusing on it. Just the simple act of a woman wearing pants is seen as rebelling (the nerve!).

I absolutely love World War II books, but I realized that I don’t read that many set in America. Probably because most of the nitty-gritty interesting stuff was happening elsewhere at the time. However, Marney reminds readers that there were still amazing things happening in the US. Like, for instance, Codebreakers, which were largely super intelligent women supporting the war effort.

If you enjoy historical fiction, this book is a brilliant blend of a historical setting (plus some really interesting facts that you may not know about Codebreakers) and a compelling mystery, so it’s sort of the best of both worlds in that regard.

- Our protagonist, Kit, has a pretty big secret that just may get her killed . . . and she’s not the only one. She’s pretending to be someone she isn’t. And I don’t just mean in that way that all adults do when they’re out pretending to be functional members of society. I mean in the sort of a heinous crime especially in times of war way of identity theft. I doubt anyone could really blame Kit for her actions. She was given a chance to improve her life and escape her circumstances and she took it. Not only did she take it, she thrived in it.

Still, Kit must keep her secret hidden at all costs. Which is difficult when you’re investigating a serial killer, like you do. The stakes in this book (not just for Kit but all the Codebreakers) are ridiculously high. Marney builds a delicious amount of tension, with danger around every turn, especially since it’s not quite clear who can be trusted and who can’t.

- I absolutely adored the female leads in this book and the way they always had each other’s back and supported each other! More of this in YA, please! I feel like it’s all too common to see females, especially, pitted against each other or trying to tear each other down, as if there can be only one. So it’s extremely refreshing, especially in this setting, to see four women come together and take care of each other. It isn’t just our main characters, though. It’s clear that all the Codebreakers do their best to look out for each other.

The biggest way this is shown, of course, is when our lead quartet (is it called a quartet? That’s what I’m going with, and in my brain, they can just, you know, break out in song every time they find a clue, like it’s an episode of Blue’s Clues. I’m perfectly okay with this) decide to investigate the murder of one of the Codebreakers, which they’re soon to discover is actually a series of murders of government girls. Since the police aren’t taking this seriously, for various reasons (most of which have to do with racism and sexism, of course), they take it upon themselves to keep their fellow women safe.

On the subject of solving murders, the way they do it, of course, being the Codebreakers they are, is by looking at it as a puzzle. Stripping out all the excess noise and focusing on what they know as they piece things together. These women are smart. I appreciated the way they methodically and logically looked at everything and went about the mystery, along with the parallels to their day jobs as Codebreakers.

- This wouldn’t be historical fiction if it didn’t do justice to a different time, and I think Marney manages that, keeping in mind the racial and gender tensions going on in the United States at the time and how they impact the women and their investigation. One of our quartet, Violet, is Black, which means the girls can’t always meet up where they want to because segregation. Of course. It also means the police are completely ignoring one of the murder victims because she, too, is Black, and Black murders don’t count. Obviously.

It isn’t entirely overt, more in the subtle ways that interrupt their investigation, but Marney manages to slip a little social commentary in there. Especially in the way the girls accept Violet while, at the same time, acting like the racism she faces doesn’t happen where they’re from, when she points out that it likely does and they just hadn’t paid attention to it.

Sticking Points

- As is often the case, even though I liked the idea of a queer historical mystery, the romance in this wasn’t it for me. It was a bit insta-lovey and awkward. I was excited when I realized it was a queer romance, especially given the setting and time period. However, I was a bit disappointed when the girls went from embarrassed flirting to suddenly being a close item with the flip of a switch. It felt very sudden and out of nowhere, even if it was clear that they liked each other. They went from 0 to 100 in the course of a chapter, basically.

Not gonna lie, but I was also kind of disappointed that the romance was too easy. Which, okay, romance is never easy, but especially not for queer people in the 1940s. There was very little tension or friction to this romance, with all the people around them who knew about them just blatantly accepting it. The only real mention that it would potentially be an issue was that they couldn’t kiss in public. Since the rest of the setting had been done so well, it really stood out to me that the struggle of queer folks was just kind of glossed over.

"Now here they are- two lemon girls, lives and minds so intertwined they can't imagine one without the other."

Set in 1943 Virginia, women are working tirelessly on the opposite spectrum of the Enigma machine. Whilst doing this a group of young friends stumble upon a murder. These girls, Kit, Dottie, Moya and Violet set upon a path to seek justice for these murdered women. And so begins their journey of figuring out who is killing these women whilst trying not to draw attention to themselves in the process.

"Is her hair disheveled? Is her face drawn ? She doesn't have the energy to care."

This is my first Ellie Marney book and I think she absolutely smashed it. This book is VERY all-rounded. When these murders start occurring this group of female code breakers set it upon themselves to investigate as they don't trust the police who have been ignoring the evidence and other murders.

First off the premise of code breaking was so well done. The author clearly did her research. I love reading about this part of war-history especially when it's well researched and developed like this. It was such an interesting device to take you through the story.

The story moved at a good pace, never really lagging at any point. The characters were well developed. They were all vastly different but fit so well. The secrets Kit was hiding kept her on edge throughout and by extension kept the reader on edge. I liked following her thoughts as this unfolded. I particularly adored Moya. Her wardrobe? I need it.

Overall this was a well-done, plot driven, SAPPHIC, YA Historical thriller. That seamlessly blends history, romance and murder mystery into one neat and exciting gift. I recommend.

4.5 🌟

The Killing Code reads really well! It's fast-paced, exciting, and set in the middle of a war. We have three things going on simultaneously, Kit's secret, some romance, and the murders of young women employed by the government.

Despite being for the war effort, this facility also seems to be a woman's haven. There is the freedom to work with other like-minded women, talk, even if some of them resent that for them, and dream about something better after the war.

While Ellie Marney wrote an excellent book, it's closer to three and a half stars than four for me. Someone with so much experience should have been able to pick up on certain things. For instance, while I loved Kit and Moya overall, sometimes I felt like Kit was snapped into becoming super flirty with Moya when the rest of the time, she came off pretty shy. I couldn't understand how her personality flipped in those moments. I also loved Violet and Dottie as characters, but I felt like Violet was used to superficially exploring race issues in the US. I think Violet was the only black girl we interacted with in the book, which is odd. Even worse when you realize that Moya was a supervisor who could have tried to at least foster more significant interaction between these units.

On the plus side, Raffi was fun, and I loved that he was quick to understand why Kit wasn't dancing. After Kit first suspected and dismissed, who she thought the killer was, I was sure it was that guy. Many misogynists hide like this, and we find out far too late. I did like how well researched the book was and Kit's secret. That added an absorbing layer to their actions and the risks involved.