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The Rose Code

Kate Quinn (Goodreads Author)

4.51 · Rating details · 835 ratings · 535 reviews

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 P ...more

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Expected publication: March 9th 2021

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Jan 20, 2021 MarilynW rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: netgalley-2021, audio, netgalley

The Rose Code: A Novel by Kate Quinn (Author), Saskia Maarleveld (Narrator)

This is my second audio historical novel in a row and both of them were riveting. I can't help wondering if I'd feel differently about an audiobook if I had read it instead. Sometimes the narrators are so good, it's hard to imagine not hearing all those character voices, if I had read the book.

The Rose Code deals with two time periods, the first starting in 1940 and the second taking place in November 1947. In 1940 three The Rose Code: A Novel by Kate Quinn (Author), Saskia Maarleveld (Narrator)

This is my second audio historical novel in a row and both of them were riveting. I can't help wondering if I'd feel differently about an audiobook if I had read it instead. Sometimes the narrators are so good, it's hard to imagine not hearing all those character voices, if I had read the book.

The Rose Code deals with two time periods, the first starting in 1940 and the second taking place in November 1947. In 1940 three women come together and become the closest of friends because of their work and because they board in the same house/room. These three women are recruited to work as female codebreakers at Bletchley Park and the women are tied together by the secrecy of their work, knowing the Official Secrets Act of 1939 prevents them from speaking to anyone of what they do. A 1942 security warning emphasized the importance of discretion even within Bletchley itself: "Do not talk at meals. Do not talk in the transport. Do not talk travelling. Do not talk in the billet. Do not talk by your own fireside. Be careful even in your hut." The very need for such secrecy throws these three women into friendship as nothing else could do.

Wealthy debutante Osla is seriously flirting with Prince Philip of Greece, hard, bold Mab has pulled herself up by her bootstraps to give herself an education and the ability to support herself, her mother, and her little sister, and then there is brilliant but shy, cowed Beth, whose mother has demeaned her so much that she thinks she is dumb and worthless. These women are each doing jobs that are part of the entire network that decodes enemy messages, messages that can change the tide of the war, mean saving the lives of thousands, heading off more disastrous losses, and determining if our side has managed to mislead the enemy from the inside.

Personal disaster tears these women apart several years after they meet and they would never speak to each other again except that one of the women gets a message to the other two women that there was and still is a spy in their former codebreaking group. Against almost impossible odds, the women need to get back together to break one last code. The tension was high during their codebreaking days, in an exhausting, tedious, mind numbing way and now they will have to condense their years of work into days or their chance to stop a spy will be gone.

I'd known about this work from seeing The Imitation Game and from research I'd done on Bletchley Park and I'm glad I had that background because I know it helped me to enjoy this book better than I might if I'd come in with no understanding of the work. I was wrapped up in this long audiobook, interested in not only Osla, Mab, and Beth but the secondary characters, too. This story has me wanting to learn even more about this work and this time and I'm going to have a hard time letting go of the characters.

Expected publication: March 9th 2021

Thank you to Harper Audio and NetGalley for this ARC. ...more

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Dec 22, 2020 Dorie - Cats&Books :) rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: buddy-read, historical-fiction, 2020-netgalley-challenge, all-time-favorite

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 ...more

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Jan 24, 2021 Paromjit rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: thriller, historical-fiction, netgalley, mystery

Kate Quinn once again enthralls with her latest piece of historical fiction, a mystery set in WW2 and the famous code breaking site of Bletchley Park, focusing on the close friendship between three extraordinary young women from hugely different backgrounds, determined to more than do their bit to fight the enemy. Wealthy heiress and debutante Osla Kendall has returned from Canada, and as a fluent German speaker translates the codes, she catches the eye of Prince Philip and falls head over heels Kate Quinn once again enthralls with her latest piece of historical fiction, a mystery set in WW2 and the famous code breaking site of Bletchley Park, focusing on the close friendship between three extraordinary young women from hugely different backgrounds, determined to more than do their bit to fight the enemy. Wealthy heiress and debutante Osla Kendall has returned from Canada, and as a fluent German speaker translates the codes, she catches the eye of Prince Philip and falls head over heels for him. The flinty, hard as nails, impoverished East End Londoner, the tall Mab Churt, aka Queen Mab, sees to the machines that help break the codes, set on improving herself, reading the 100 top literary reads to ensnare herself a wealthy husband and provide for her younger sister, Lucy. The downtrodden, shy and timid Beth Finch has a hideous and emotionally abusive mother who has her believing she is good for nothing, but she turns out to be the star code breaker working for Dilly Knox who believes in her.

It is 1947 in London and the royal wedding of Princess Elizabeth to Prince Philip is approaching, and Tatler writer, Osla, is struggling to handle this, and for convenience sake has acquired a fiance of her own to ensure that she is not a object of pity. Out of the blue, she gets a message from Beth, incarcerated in Clockwell Sanatorium, asking for her and Mab's help and to identify a traitor from their Bletchley Park days. Is Beth crazy or could she possibly be telling the truth? The friendship between the 3 women had broken apart on D-day with betrayal and recriminations. Osla knows it is going to take a lot of persuasion to get Mab, now married with 2 young children, to join forces and meet Beth to find out if there really is a traitor at large. In a narrative that goes back and forth in time, we become acquainted with the spirit of adventure and excitement in the women's lives, along with the passion, joy, love, loss, terror, fear, rage, despair, tragedies, and grief in their time as codebreakers, can they come back together one last time to crack the Rose code?

Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland is a running motif in Quinn's novel, the time in Bletchley Park is referred to as falling down the rabbit hole, the literary club are named The Mad Hatters, and desperate Beth herself is known as Alice Liddell in Clockwell, wanting to avoid the upcoming lobotomy planned for her. From being a gifted cryptographer, she is unjustly framed and has to spend three and a half years amidst the horrors and torture of a regime that punished and drugged her, believing her to be insane. It is incredible that she managed to survive and found a way of getting in touch with her old friends, her resilience and memories of what she achieved provides her with a strength of spirit that would have defeated so many others. This is a thrilling historical read, engaging, entertaining and riveting, loaded with the class distinctions and social norms and attitudes of the time when it comes to women and race. Highly recommended. Many thanks to HarperCollins for an ARC. ...more

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Feb 15, 2021 Sheyla ✎ rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: 2021, 5-fangs, best-2021, historical-fiction, publisher, audiobook, fantastic, netgalley, women-s-fiction, arc

ALL THE STARS!

This is one of the times I didn’t want to let go of the characters. My attachment to them was tangible.

After spending days listening to these three women, I just didn't want to leave and never hear from them again.

Meet the women:

Osla, A Canadian-born debutant, the smart and pretty socialite who wants more in life. In 1939, her friend introduces her to a young Navy officer, Phillip of Greece and she becomes his girlfriend.

Mab, "Queen Mab", who has fought for an education and wants t ...more

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Dec 16, 2020 Ceecee rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Three ‘gals’, one war, once best friends until D-Day when events splintered their tight knit secret world of Bletchley Park after which one ends up in Clockwell Sanatorium in Yorkshire. Fast forward to 1947 and the wedding of the century of Princess Elizabeth to Prince Philip of Greece ( regarded as a ‘dish’) but the prospect of the wedding is putting former deb Osla Kendall in a funk. What unfolds in the dual timeline will get your unmentionables into a bit of a swither in this bally marvellous Three ‘gals’, one war, once best friends until D-Day when events splintered their tight knit secret world of Bletchley Park after which one ends up in Clockwell Sanatorium in Yorkshire. Fast forward to 1947 and the wedding of the century of Princess Elizabeth to Prince Philip of Greece ( regarded as a ‘dish’) but the prospect of the wedding is putting former deb Osla Kendall in a funk. What unfolds in the dual timeline will get your unmentionables into a bit of a swither in this bally marvellous novel.

Glued. Transfixed. Enthralled. I could go on but suffice it to say this is an exceptional story. It’s a novel of how three women from very different backgrounds helped in the Enigma codebreaking which in itself is an absorbing story. The characters are terrific, there’s wealthy Canadian debutante and later Tatler journalist Osla Kendall who is utterly spiffing, there’s (Queen) Mab Church from the East End who is a literary filly with plenty of gumption and a dark secret and Beth Finch, dubbed hopeless by her odious mother but who is in fact a whizz at seeing patterns in codebreaking. We rub shoulders with the ‘great and good’ - enter Philip, his uncle Dickie Mountbatten and our leader Winnie makes an appearance, there’s Alan Turing and Dilly Knox, there’s a traitorous cad and a wonderful but very damaged WW1 war poet. Fabulous. The book captures the times in the use of language, sadly there’s awful racism with some words that make your toes curl and there’s ever present sexism because why on earth would women possibly have brains, what? It’s also a mystery as it’s about betrayal of your country, it’s about how the codebreakers help turn the tide of war and keep that knowledge to their cost. The war imposes hugely on the characters lives and brings tragedy to some with some vivid, terrifying panic stricken descriptions in places such as Coventry and London. The cryptography element is absolutely fascinating and you marvel at the tenacity with accompanying hours and hours of eye straining effort especially on Beth as she eats, sleeps and breathes it. At times it’s so tense and gripping you hardly dare to breathe. The parts that take place at Clockwell shock you to the core and it’s the ‘Rose Code’ that leads to this place of horrors. The ending builds extremely well as it becomes a tense and exciting race against time to unmask the traitor and this nail baiter takes place against the backdrop of the royal wedding.

Overall, I think it’s apparent I love this book! You can’t read it in a jiffy or a tick, it’s one to savour and reread in the future and it will stay with me for a long time. It’s spiffing, top notch, tip top etc etc!!! This one is a must read and is highly recommended.

With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Harper Collins for the much appreciated arc and to Kate Quinn for writing it. ...more

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Feb 09, 2021 Liz rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: netgalley, best-of-2021, audio

Kate Quinn turns her head once again to WWII, this time to the women of Bletchley Park. The story follows three women, Osla, a debutante, working class Mab and local village spinster, Beth, from 1940 through 1947, the year that Elizabeth marries Prince Philip of Greece. Turns out, Osla had dated Philip for the first few years of the war. Something has happened to turn the three friends into enemies.
The story is told from the viewpoints of all three women. I was enchanted by each of them and wil ...more

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Jan 16, 2021 Carolyn rated it really liked it · review of another edition

I wish to express my thanks to NetGalley and Harper Audio for this compelling historical novel in audio book format. Kate Quinn has written a vivid and gripping account set in wartime London. She uses her great storytelling talent and research to describe what the experience must have been like working under wartime secrecy in Bletchley Park where German codes were broken and translated. It has been estimated that the Enigma codebreakers shortened WW2 by as much as two years using early computer I wish to express my thanks to NetGalley and Harper Audio for this compelling historical novel in audio book format. Kate Quinn has written a vivid and gripping account set in wartime London. She uses her great storytelling talent and research to describe what the experience must have been like working under wartime secrecy in Bletchley Park where German codes were broken and translated. It has been estimated that the Enigma codebreakers shortened WW2 by as much as two years using early computers and the formidable skills of an inspiring group of people.

I listened to The Rose Code by the audio book version. It was enhanced by the superb narration of Saskia Maarleveld who voiced the conversations of all the characters. This was a lengthy audio book of over 16 hours. I felt more time was required than reading the print version.

The story revolves around three remarkable and different women during their employment at Bletchley Park during WW2. Three diverse personalities were brought together. They developed a close friendship which was shattered by the end of the war. It describes the causes for their broken friendship. It involves their family backgrounds, romantic loves gained or lost, deaths, betrayal, treachery, and a traitor in their midst. The women gained great satisfaction from their undercover role in defeating the Nazis. After the war ended their friendship was in tatters. One was unjustly punished by being locked up in an insane asylum.

The leading characters were; 1. Mab, with an impoverished working class background.She hides a personal secret and her goal is to marry a man who would raise her out of poverty and give her some social standing. She became highly skilled in working the codebreaking machines.

2. Osla, who was a beautiful debutante with wealthy family connections which gave her a place in high society. She is being courted by Prince Philip, but knows it must end due to her role in the war effort. She uses her fluent German to translate the decoded Nazi secrets.

3. These two women meet Beth, a shy, introverted spinster. She has little formal education, lacks self-esteem and confidence in social situations. She has been isolated under the domination of a cruel and deranged mother. Her skill with puzzles brings he to the notice of those in command at Bletchley Park. She soon asserts herself as one of the few female cryptanalysts. We also get glimpses of real life characters, such as Prince Philip, Princess Margaret, Alan Turing, and Winston Churchill.

Two of the former friends reluctantly meet again in 1947 when the wedding of Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip is approaching. They both have received a coded message from the woman confined in the mental institution begging for their help. She has been there for over three years and is desperate. She has learned she has been scheduled for a lobotomy. They must hurry to put aside their anger and suspicions and decode a difficult message with the purpose of determining who was a paid spy in their midst who passed on military secrets to the Germans and now the Russians. The conclusion is an exciting and frantic chase through the crowds lined up to witness the Royal Wedding procession.

Recommended to readers who enjoy historical novels set in London during the war and are interested in the codebreaking that helped to end the war. The characters are well developed and intriguing. ...more

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Jan 16, 2021 Kerrin P rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: 2021-12-4-challenge, 2021-book-warriors-challenge

The Rose Code by New York Times best-selling author Kate Quinn is a fascinating look at the dedication and brilliance of the British Code Breakers during World War II. The Bletchley Park mansion housed the top-secret Government Code and Cypher School (GC&CS) whose employees were able to break the German Enigma codes, as well as several other code types. These employees endured six-day-a week rotating schedules that were often grueling. The novel offers insight into the interworkings of this oper The Rose Code by New York Times best-selling author Kate Quinn is a fascinating look at the dedication and brilliance of the British Code Breakers during World War II. The Bletchley Park mansion housed the top-secret Government Code and Cypher School (GC&CS) whose employees were able to break the German Enigma codes, as well as several other code types. These employees endured six-day-a week rotating schedules that were often grueling. The novel offers insight into the interworkings of this operation.

The story focuses on three unlikely friends who work at Bletchley Park. First, there is the socialite Osla, who happens to be dating Prince Philip. Next, there is Mab, a hardworking commoner who is looking for a husband and also hiding a secret. Finally, there is Beth, a socially inept but highly intelligent young woman.

The story starts in 1947, shortly before the wedding of Prince Philip and Princess Elizabeth. Osla and Mab each receive a coded message from Beth demanding their help. Beth was forcefully put into an insane asylum three years earlier after she was able to decode part of a message known as The Rose Code. Beth knows there was a traitor at Bletchley Park, but doesn’t know who it was. The three women had stopped being friends after a tragic incident, and now need to decide if they will come together to solve the mystery.

The story travels back and forth between the women’s time at Bletchley Park beginning in 1940 to the days leading up to the Royal Wedding. The back-stories of the three main characters are interwoven with both real and other fictional characters who worked in the war effort. The ending of the book is pure Hollywood with a heart-stopping chase scene that takes place among the throngs of people who have lined the streets for the wedding festivities. I loved it!

Kate Quinn is one of my favorite authors. She really shines with this story that has well-researched history blended seamlessly with romance, friendship, and intrigue.

This is a LONG book. I listened to the audio which was 15 hours and 40 minutes long. The hardback is 656 pages. While I am not typically a fan of big books, I enjoyed every minute of this one. The audio is read by Saskia Maarleveld who also narrated Kate’s Quinn’s The Huntress and The Alice Network.

5-plus stars. Book Club recommended. This novel will be released on March 9, 2021. Thank you to NetGalley and HarperAudio for my Advance copy of this fabulous book. ...more

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Jan 27, 2021 Jessica | JustReadingJess rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: netgalley

The Rose Code is an interesting book. I liked how this book is a mix of a historical fiction novel and mystery. World War II is my favorite time period to read about and the aspect of trying to figure out who is responsible for one of them entering an asylum. I was intrigued by the dual time line between past and present. In the past, the women are developing a friendship and learning how to break codes. In the present, the women have to work together and put their personal differences aside. Th ...more

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Feb 03, 2021 Barbara rated it really liked it · review of another edition

This review was first posted on Mystery and Suspense. Check it out for features, interviews, and reviews. https://www.mysteryandsuspense.com/th...

The Rose Code follows three young women who worked at England's Bletchley Park, a country estate converted to a code-breaking facility during World War II.

Bletchley Park

Employees at Bletchley Park deciphered encrypted Nazi communications, providing vital information to the Allies.

The story alternates back and forth between the war years 1940 to 1945 - ...more

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Dec 12, 2020 Kristina McMorris rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

A fantastic read! So honored and thrilled to provide a cover quote:

Readers: Prepare to be swept away by The Rose Code. A richly deserved tribute to the WWII codebreakers of Bletchley Park, Kate Quinn’s latest novel is a tour de force. Exhaustive research, vibrant characters, and pulse-pounding suspense combine in a riveting tale destined to be a book-club favorite. I absolutely loved it.

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Jan 15, 2021 Literary Redhead rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: general-fiction, netgalley-review, historical-fiction, reviewed, mystery-thriller

So excited to get an audio ARC of Kate Quinn’s newest hf novel, THE ROSE CODE! I adore her elegant prose, beautifully plotted narratives and in-depth characters. She makes history come vividly alive, as she does here in this riveting tale of three female code breakers at Bletchley Park during and after WWII. The audio experience was mixed for me solely due to length (15 hours and 40 minutes.) I’m a visual learner and skim-read with ease. But I’ll try audio again buoyed by Kate’s magnificent tale ...more

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Feb 20, 2021 Candie rated it really liked it · review of another edition

I really enjoyed this book a lot! It was very engaging and full of mystery, suspense, heartache and companionship. It kept me guessing right until the very end who the traitor was, and I never did figure it out.

This is a great story of three very strong women who were not afraid to stand up for themselves and push for what they deserved in a time where it was not so common to do so. They were great examples of some of the hardships faced during the war and the bonds formed over these shared exp ...more

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Jan 23, 2021 Marilyn rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: marilyn-s-challenge

Whenever Kate Quinn writes a new book I get very excited. I have read her previous books, The Alice Network and The Huntress. Both of those books were exceptionally well written. The Rose Code was no exception. It was a most riveting and compelling novel that was brilliantly written in a dual time line. The Rose Code was a masterful piece of historical fiction that explored Bletchley Park and three women who became code breakers. The plot was suspenseful, vivid and gripping. The characters were Whenever Kate Quinn writes a new book I get very excited. I have read her previous books, The Alice Network and The Huntress. Both of those books were exceptionally well written. The Rose Code was no exception. It was a most riveting and compelling novel that was brilliantly written in a dual time line. The Rose Code was a masterful piece of historical fiction that explored Bletchley Park and three women who became code breakers. The plot was suspenseful, vivid and gripping. The characters were well developed and vibrant. Most of the characters were likable, distinctive and well developed. Kate Quinn’s research for this book was impeccable. I listened to the audiobook that was expertly read by Saskia Maarleveld. It ran for over sixteen hours but I was so absorbed in the storyline that I hardly noticed. I did not want to stop listening. The Rose Code was so captivating.

It was 1940 and the Nazis were rapidly advancing throughout Europe. England was determined to keep them at bay and prevent them from entering their country. They were also set on trying to derail there military attacks. Bletchley Park had been established to help achieve that specific purpose. Very intelligent men and women were being sought out to work as code breakers, machine operators and translators at Bletchley Park. These talented men and women would learn how to break German codes, translate them and get them into the hands of ally military officers so the Nazis could be stopped.

Three very different women from different walks of life came to work at the mysterious Bletchley Park at about the same time. Osla Kendall was a debutante that wanted to do something worthwhile for the war effort. She was good at languages and would end up becoming a translator. Born with a silver spoon in her mouth, Osla had everything. She was rich and beautiful. Osla was dating Prince Philip of Greece and was truly head over heels about him. She wanted to prove to the world that she was more than met the eye, though. Mab Church had been living in the east end of London with her mother and little sister before she showed up at Bletchley Park. She and her family did not have a lot. They were quite poor. Mab wanted more out of life. In addition to wanting to help England win the war, Mab was determined to find a suitable husband. Mab found that she was quite good at operating the code breaking machines. Both Osla and Mab were assigned to live in a rooming house where the family let out one of their bedrooms to Bletchley Park workers. The Finch household was dominated by Mrs. Finch. Her spinster daughter, Beth, was still living at home under the very watchful and strict eye of her abusive mother. Osla and Mab noticed straight away how Mrs. Finch was taking advantage and dominating Beth. Mrs Finch always made Beth feel like she was a failure and had little to no redeeming intelligence or qualities other than being her mother’s best helper. Beth was painfully shy but brilliant when it came to solving puzzles. She had a low esteem of herself due to her mother’s constant reminders that she was dull and not capable. With Osla’s and Mab’s encouragement Beth also began to work at Bletchley Park. Beth went on and became one of Bletchley Park’s best cryptanalysts. The three women forged the most unlikely friendship but it worked. They began to depend on each other and sought each other out whenever they needed each other. All three women were bound to The Official Secrets Act of 1939. No information learned at Bletchley Park could ever be discussed. That put extra pressure on their friendship. How far would one friend take that oath if it meant the safety of one of her friends? Could their friendships stay intact with the added pressures of secrecy, war and loss?

Alternately, Kate Quinn allowed glimpses forward to the year 1947. Prince Philip and Princess Elizabeth were to be married. Osla and Philip were no longer together. Mab, Osla and Beth were no longer friends or speaking to each other. Beth was now residing at Clockwell Sanatorium where the government placed her three and a half years earlier. Having decoded an encrypted letter her prior and deceased boss had been working on before his death, Beth discovered that there was a traitor looming within the confines of Bletchley Park. Before Beth was able to alert anyone about this new information she was whisked away to the asylum. Beth was accused of breaking the Official Secrets Act and compromising Bletchley Park and its work.. Now Beth was being threatened with a lobotomy. Beth knew that no one but Osla and Mab could save her. She needed them to help her escape from Clockwell Sanatorium and to help her crack the rose code and catch the traitor. Could Osla and Mab help Beth escape from the asylum? Would they be able to forgive and forget and work together to solve this last and probably most important code?

The Rose Code was a book about friendship, secrets, love, loss, betrayal and forgiveness. It was a vivid, gripping and suspenseful book. It touched all my emotions. I found myself thinking about the story and the characters for days after I finished listening to the audiobook. I loved every part of The Rose Code and highly recommend it.

Thank you to Harper Audio for allowing me to listen to this advanced copy of this audiobook through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. ...more

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Mar 30, 2020 Ashley Marie marked it as to-read · review of another edition

Shelves: histfic-ww1ww2

October 2020 update:
Umm how did I manage to skip reading the synopsis til just today? Because Kate Quinn is THE auto-read author, for me. Don't care what it is, GIMME IT. Clearly. But omggggg this synopsis?? ~~Kate didn't you say you weren't doing any more books with multi-timelines?~~ KAAAATE I CAN'T WAAAAAIT.

August 2020 update:
OOOOH THIS COVERRRR

March 2020:

...more

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Feb 08, 2021 Lisa rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: 2021, 5-star-reviews, netgalley, netgalley2021

EXPERTLY CRAFTED WRITING BLENDING HISTORY, INTRIGUE AND DRAMA.

SUMMARY
1940. Three very different women pass through the secret gates of Bletchley Park to help break German codes during World War II. Debutant Osla Kendall wants to prove herself as more than a society girl, and she puts her fluent German to use as a translator. Mab Churt works the code breaking machines as she hides a secret past. Oslo and Mab recruit a local girl, Beth Finch, who has a brain for crossword puzzles. Despite Beth’s EXPERTLY CRAFTED WRITING BLENDING HISTORY, INTRIGUE AND DRAMA.

SUMMARY
1940. Three very different women pass through the secret gates of Bletchley Park to help break German codes during World War II. Debutant Osla Kendall wants to prove herself as more than a society girl, and she puts her fluent German to use as a translator. Mab Churt works the code breaking machines as she hides a secret past. Oslo and Mab recruit a local girl, Beth Finch, who has a brain for crossword puzzles. Despite Beth’s domineering mother’s opposition, she soon becomes one of Bletchley’s few female cryptanalysts. The three women become fast friends. But soon the war, personal loss, and the impossible pressure of secrecy tear the three friends apart and sends one of the women to an asylum.

1947. The three friends-turned-enemies are reunited for a common purpose. A traitor, who was responsible for destroying their friendship, has emerged from the Bletchley Park shadows. Osla, Mab, and Beth must work together to crack the Rode Code to prove the traitor’s guilt.

REVIEW
THE ROSE CODE is a captivating story of three women who set out to prove themselves during the turmoil of World War II. Osla, Mab and Beth’s characters, are delightfully well-developed and serve as the pillars of this captivating story.

Author Kate Quinn’s writing is expertly crafted, blending history, intrigue and drama. She nimbly juggles multiple time lines and delivers a story with perfect pacing. THE ROSE CODE offers mystery and suspense, fearless female characters,, a nefarious spy, and even a delightful war time book club thrown in for good measure. Quinn is a lover of history and the best-selling author of The Huntress (2019) and The Alice Network (2017).

The audio book’s narrator Saskia Maaeleveld’s performance was outstanding. Her ability to voice multiple characters, her pacing and her emotional tone elevates the story. Quinn’s dual time line is easy follow with Maaeleveld clear inflection. Her voice captures your attention and drops you into the heart of the story.

Thanks to #Netgalley and #HarperAudio for an advance copy of this audio book in exchange for an honest review.

Publisher William Morrow/HarperAudio
Published March 9, 2021
Narrated Saskia Maaeleveld
Review www.bluestockingreviews.com ...more

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Jan 29, 2021 Alayne Emmett rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Another wonderful read from Kate Quinn. I’ve read her other books on the Second World War and throughly enjoyed them. This one was so interesting as well a lovely long read I wish I could give it more stars as it certainly deserves it. The dual time line was great it starts in 1947 at the time of the wedding of Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip and then goes back to the Second World War. A wonderful read. My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this boo ...more

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Nov 17, 2020 Erin added it · review of another edition

Want to go behind the scenes of The Rose Code? Check out this interview with Kate Quinn! https://historicalfictionreader.blogs... ...more

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Feb 17, 2021 Eva K (journeyofthepages) rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: netgalley, audiobook

The Rose Code by Kate Quinn is a phenomenal historical fiction novel and the audiobook is excellently narrated by Saskia Maarleveld. Thank you NetGalley and HarperAudio for a copy of this book for review - I thoroughly enjoyed it. I hadn't read a Kate Quinn historical fiction novel before and now I want to read them all.

One of my absolute favorite WWII films is The Imitation Game which is a story about the codebreakers of Bletchley Park. Well, The Rose Code is also about the codebreakers of Ble ...more

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Jan 03, 2021 Ann rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: c-europe, war, advance-copy, 2021-read, z-2021-lor-5000-books, historical-fiction

"It was exhausting, spending your day being stupid. Over three weeks she'd been working at the Cottage: staring at blocks of Enigma code, trying to manipulate her cardboard rods the way she'd been shown, trying to make sense of the nonsense. Hour after hour, day after day."

The Rose Code is yet another historical fiction novel set during WWII but with a rather unique storyline. Although from completely different backgrounds, Osla, Mab and Beth befriend each other and end up 'doing their bit' at B ...more

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Jan 12, 2021 Anne rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Best Work of Historical Fiction I've Ever Read. I won this book on Goodreads. The characters were magnificent and the story was amazing. I loved learning about 6lthe codebreakers at Bletchly Park during WWII. ...more

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Jan 29, 2021 Michelle rated it it was amazing

I must confess The Rose code by Kate Quinn is the first book from the author that I have read and what an outstanding book this is.
Three girls Osla, Mab and Beth come from quite different backgrounds arrive at Bletchley Park during WW2 to become code breakers. Intercepting the messages by the Germans. Doing their bit for the war effort. They soon become friends. Each girl has their own story to tell. Each of their lives are complicated not just in their personal lives but also their working one ...more

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Nov 30, 2020 Tania rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-fiction

This year I have been reading a lot of books written in the first half of the 20th century, many of them written during or just after WW2, this gives them a sense of immediacy that you just don't get with historical fiction. Reading this was like eating cheap milk chocolate when you're used to finest organic dark chocolate, but sometimes, you just fancy a galaxy bar. It was compelling and kept me hooked, but a lot of the slang they used was about a decade out of date.

Three very different girls ...more

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Jan 31, 2021 Christi Flaker rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Kate Quinn has done it again with this WW2 Historical Fiction mystery. Once again her book features some very strong women playing important roles to support the war effort.

The story is told during two time periods. Much of the book is set during the war, starting in 1940 focusing on three women coming together as two of them are billeted in the home of the third while working at a top secret (real-life) code breaking job at Bletchley Park. Osla and Mab see that meek Beth has potential and secur ...more

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Nov 26, 2020 Beth Menendez rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Can I give a book all of the stars? The answer needs to be yes, yes, yes when it comes to Kate Quinn’s newest brilliance, The Rose Code. This story is the riveting tale of a peek behind the scenes at Bletchley Park with the code breakers in WWII, as well as figuring out were there is a spy. I refuse to give spoilers- this book makes me love Kate Quinn all the more. The only downside is knowing I will have to wait for at least a year until her next one is out. Brilliant, well done, Kate Quinn- I ...more

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Feb 09, 2021 Kari Ann Sweeney rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-fiction, 2021, advanced-reader-copy, audio-books

Thank you Netgalley and Harper Audio for the advanced audio copy.

I know that sometimes World War II can be over done in historical fiction- but this one is worth moving to the top of your list. . THE ROSE CODE is based off the real life code breakers at Bletchley Park and features three very distinct, strong female protagonists as they overcome hardship and heartbreak while navigating friendships, betrayal and secrets under the backdrop of war. Oh- and there is a traitor in their ranks.

It was ...more

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Dec 14, 2020 Bruna (bruandthebooks) rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: 2020, 2020-books, 2020-reviews

Wow. Wow. Wow. Kate Quinn, you did it again.

4.5 stars

Historical fiction is the kind of genre I read once in a while and almost always end up loving it.
This one is a must-read if you’re into WWII fiction.
1940: Mab, Osla, and Beth are three very different young women. But they have one thing in common: they’re breaking German military codes at Bletchley Park, a mysterious institution in England where the country's greatest minds are working during the war.

1947: Beth is at an asylum about to ha ...more

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Nov 28, 2020 Kajoli Tankha rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

My 100th book this year. A truly spectacular read. Kate Quinn creates vivid characters you fall in love with, a gripping mystery, a larger than life scenario in an atmosphere of heightened emotion.
Was trying to read it slowly but somewhere after page 200, you cannot slow down. This was an ARC but no one asked me to submit a review

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Feb 01, 2021 charlotte, (½ of readsrainbow) rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: mystery-thriller, maybe-review, black-or-african-characters, adult-lit, non-white-characters, not-yet-published, historical-fiction, 2-stars, review-copies

if i never read another book with prince philip as a love interest it'll be too soon

rtc

Rep: Maltese Arab Egyptian side character

CWs: sexual harassment, racism, physical abuse, sexual abuse, forced institutionalisation, forced drug use ...more

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Sep 30, 2020 Candace rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Kate Quinn's "The Huntress" is covers some fascinating aspects of WWII and the post-war Nazi movement in the US. It's got Night Witches, for heaven's sake, those fearless Soviet women who flew little crap planes under the radar, over German lines, and dropped bombs on them, sometimes flinging them with their bare hands.

"The Rose Code " is another novel about the workings of code breakers at Bletchley Park during the war, many of whom were women who had to tell people they were secretaries doing ...more

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