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Book Summary and Reviews of The Rose Code by Kate Quinn

The Rose Code by Kate Quinn

The Rose Code

A Novel

by Kate Quinn

  • Published:
  • Mar 2021, 656 pages
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About this book

Book Summary

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...

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Reviews

Media Reviews

"Quinn (The Huntress) returns to WWII in this immersive saga. [Her] page-turning narrative is enhanced by her richly drawn characters and by the fascinating code-breaking techniques, which come alive via Quinn's extensive historical detail. This does not disappoint." —Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"Quinn writes with an immediacy and level of detail that keeps readers on the edge of their seats. Her latest is a deft blend of romance, mystery, and suspense that will appeal to lovers of those genres, and to her many fans." —Library Journal (starred review)

"By turns heartbreaking, fascinating, and mysterious, Quinn's latest historical novel is likely to turn up on 2021 best lists." —Booklist (starred review)

"The Rose Code is a firecracker of a novel! By illuminating the top-secret work done by codebreakers at England's Bletchley's Park, Kate Quinn has created a fresh take on World War II and created three unforgettable heroines who use their intelligence, grit, and tenacity to help save the world from Nazis. Clear out your calendar, because once you start reading this one, you won't put it down." —Elise Hooper, author of Fast Girls

"A knockout of a story, written by the reigning queen of historical fiction. Quinn's trio of heroines practically leap off the page in this stunning novel, which melds spy-hunting with love stories that will stir your soul. A book for the ages." —Fiona Davis, New York Times bestselling author of The Lions of Fifth Avenue   

This information about The Rose Code was first featured in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.

Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.

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Author Information

Kate Quinn Author Biography

Eva Nyika

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, The Rose Code, and The Diamond Eye. All have been translated into multiple languages. She and her husband now live in California with three black rescue dogs.

Link to Kate Quinn's Website

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