The Rose Code: A Novel
Written by Kate Quinn
Narrated by Saskia Maarleveld
4.5/5
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About this audiobook
“The hidden history of Bletchley Park has been waiting for a master storyteller like Kate Quinn to bring it to life. THE ROSE CODE effortlessly evokes the frantic, nervy, exuberant world of the Enigma codebreakers through the eyes of three extraordinary women who work in tireless secrecy to defeat the Nazis. Quinn’s meticulous research and impeccable characterization shine through this gripping and beautifully executed novel.”
Beatriz Williams, New York Times bestselling author of HER LAST FLIGHT
The New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of The Huntress and The Alice Network returns with another heart-stopping World War II story of three female code breakers at Bletchley Park and the spy they must root out after the war is over.
1940. As England prepares to fight the Nazis, three very different women answer the call to mysterious country estate Bletchley Park, where the best minds in Britain train to break German military codes. Vivacious debutante Osla is the girl who has everything—beauty, wealth, and the dashing Prince Philip of Greece sending her roses—but she burns to prove herself as more than a society girl, and puts her fluent German to use as a translator of decoded enemy secrets. Imperious self-made Mab, product of east-end London poverty, works the legendary codebreaking machines as she conceals old wounds and looks for a socially advantageous husband. Both Osla and Mab are quick to see the potential in local village spinster Beth, whose shyness conceals a brilliant facility with puzzles, and soon Beth spreads her wings as one of the Park’s few female cryptanalysts. But war, loss, and the impossible pressure of secrecy will tear the three apart.
1947. As the royal wedding of Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip whips post-war Britain into a fever, three friends-turned-enemies are reunited by a mysterious encrypted letter--the key to which lies buried in the long-ago betrayal that destroyed their friendship and left one of them confined to an asylum. A mysterious traitor has emerged from the shadows of their Bletchley Park past, and now Osla, Mab, and Beth must resurrect their old alliance and crack one last code together. But each petal they remove from the rose code brings danger--and their true enemy--closer...
Editor's Note
Code breaking spy thriller…
“The Alice Network” author Kate Quinn has clearly cracked the code to creating thrilling, espionage historical fiction because she’s done it again with “The Rose Code.” Working as Enigma code breakers during World War II, three very different women (debutante Osla, ambitious working-class Mab, and shy genius Beth) race to uncover a traitor in their midst. For any readers not already in at “code breaking spy thriller,” did we mention the stakes include a royal wedding?
Kate Quinn
Kate Quinn is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of historical fiction. A native of Southern California, she attended Boston University, where she earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in classical voice. A lifelong history buff, she has written four novels in the Empress of Rome Saga and two books set in the Italian Renaissance before turning to the 20th century with The Alice Network, The Huntress, and The Rose Code. All have been translated into multiple languages. She and her husband now live in California with three black rescue dogs.
Reviews for The Rose Code
1,814 ratings112 reviews
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Another superb story by Kate Quinn! The mix between fictional characters, historicsl facts & real life people is intertwined effortlessly! It also most definitely tweaked my interest to visit Bletchley park! and see the actual place & machinery where all the code breakers worked during the war! As always perfectly narrated by Saskia Maarleveld!
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Complex female characters achieve the impossible with brains & guts.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5As I’ve given this a five star rating, it’s rather obvious that I enjoyed the book. It’s important to note, however that it took me a while to “get into it“. I loved the character development, the adventure, the suspense, the romance, but over, and above it all, I loved the story, the setting and the history. This is my first encounter with this author. I don’t believe it will be my last.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Really great read, loved the narrator's voices. Love that it is Historical Fiction
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5This was a very enjoyable book. This is the 2nd I've read/listened to by this author and I love her character development. I felt like I could have been there and could have been friends with these ladies.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5This book was a great read from beginning to end.