“The Rose Code” by Kate Quinn 

I received an advanced audiobook copy of The Rose Code from Harper Audio via Netgalley in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

Synopsis:

England, 1940. 

At the beginning of the Second World War, three women answer a mysterious call to the estate Bletchley Park. Osla is a wealthy socialite smitten with Prince Phillip. Mab is from London’s poverty-stricken east end with a secret past. Beth has spent her entire life sheltered, emotionally abused, and unable to make her own decisions. At Bletchley Park, they will serve the war effort by breaking German military codes with many others considered Britain’s brightest minds. The three women quickly become close friends, even forming a literary society with other BP workers.  But as secrets, loss, and destruction begin piling up on top of them, their bond begins to tear apart- and eventually lands one of them in Clockwell Sanatorium in Yorkshire. 

England, 1947 – Post War.

With just days to go until Princess Elizabeth and Prince Phillip’s Royal Wedding, all of post-war Britain is entranced in the festivities. For Beth, Mab, and Osla, however, the Royal Wedding countdown means something completely different. With word of a traitor amongst the Bletchly Park workers, the three former friends must come together despite their differences to crack one last code. Who could have possibly betrayed The Crown? 

Rating: 5/5 

Review: 

Kate Quinn quickly became one of my favorite authors after reading The Alice Network and The Huntress. The anticipation of her new book, The Rose Code, has been intense for me! Let me tell you; she did NOT disappoint! 

This is not a quick read by any means, coming in at 656 pages or an almost 16-hour audiobook, but it’s worth your time! I found this book quite different from her previous two. Quinn focuses a lot on the lives, both past and present, of the three women, making it into more of a character study than solely focused on the mystery and adventure. I really enjoyed the deep dive into the minds of Mab, Osla, and Beth. It added a lot of depth to the story and helped me understand their work at Bletchley Park even better. 

Narration:

I listened to the audiobook version of this novel. Saskia Maarleveld narrated it. She did a phenomenal job at completely sweeping me into the story. Maarleveld used different voices for all the characters, making it easy to differentiate between them and even understand their upbringing better. I could hear the posh inflections and phrases in Osla’s accent. Mab’s East End accent, often heard in shows such as Call the Midwife, came through perfectly. Even the timidness of Beth somehow came through in her voice. I tried speeding up the audio just to see how it would fare, but honestly, I feel it’s important in this book to listen at the regular speed to appreciate the character study. All in all, I really enjoyed the narration of The Rose Code.

I recommend taking your time with this novel to soak up every piece of it fully. It is very well researched and so beautifully written. If you already love historical fiction, or even if you’re just starting to venture into the genre, I highly recommend The Rose Code as well as Kate Quinn’s other novels. Thank you to Harper Audio and Netgalley for allowing me the privilege of listening to an advanced copy of this audiobook.