This book has everything; spies, romance, code breaking, strong female characters and an intriguing plot. Quinn, who wrote The Huntress and The Alice Network, which I previously reviewed, is quickly turning into one of my ‘go to” authors.

In 1940 England, everyone needed to do their part for the war effort. For three young women this meant working at Bletchley Park, trying to break the German codes. For Osla, a beauty and a debutante, it meant being valued for something other than her looks and status. For Mab, it was a way to escape from the stultifying poverty she had been born into and for Beth it was a way to break free from her overbearing mother and live life on her own terms. But the work at Bletchley Park was exhausting, both physically and mentally, and the secrets they carried tore the three friends apart.

1947 London. It is the week of the royal wedding between Prince Philip and Princess Elizabeth. Osla, a former girlfriend of Prince Philip, wants to be anywhere but in London, but because of her family’s position she is required to be present at the wedding and must bear the speculative knowing looks of her peers and the press. She was fully expecting to have to just endure it, until she receives a cryptic message from Beth. Hoping that this might be a way to escape the scrutiny of London, Osla contacts Mab to see if she has also received a message and persuades her to come with her to visit Beth at the asylum, to find out what her cryptic message means.

Alternating between 1940 and 1947, Quinn allows us to see the growing friendship between these disparate women and also what finally broke them apart. As the royal wedding draws closer, the women begin to see that what happened to them at Bletchley Park may hold the key to a uncovering a much more sinister plot.

Quinn has a gift for evoking all the many voices and personalities of women. These women, the debutante, the poor girl trying to make good and the brow beaten child, could have easily just become stereotypes, but Quinn makes each character three dimensional and compelling in their own way. Although the plot seemed a bit thin in places, the descriptions of what actually happened at Bletchley Park were fascinating and Quinn was able to sustain the suspense until the very end.

Brenda’s Rating: **** (4 Out of5 Stars)

Recommend this book to: Sharon and Marian.

Book Study Worthy? yes

Read in library ebook format.