I’m a sucker for a historical novel, especially those set in World War II, so I might be biased in my preference for this topic, but between the intrigue of code breaking, the brutally honest depiction of relationships, and the intrigue of uncovering an informant, I couldn’t put The Rose Code down.
Osla, Mab, and Beth have almost nothing in common, nothing, that is, other than being recruited to work at the mysterious Bletchley Park. They become fast friends as they live together and learn to thrive in this fast-paced environment until something inexplicable happens on D-Day, which tears them apart and lands Beth in a mental institute. The story picks up a few years later, as Quinn moves between timelines to unravel what really happened at Bletchley Park that fateful day.
I thought Quinn’s characterization was really well done, authentically portraying unique personalities as well as how her characters handled friendships, love, grief, and secrecy. Although the timeline jumps back and forth between the two time-periods (only a few years apart), it was easy to keep pace with the unfolding story, maintaining a sense of intrigue while moving the plot along at a steady pace. Even though I had my suspicions of how the book would end, I was pleasantly surprised by how often I second-guessed my own conclusions and was caught off guard by some developments along the way.
I originally surmised that the novel was largely fictional and was fascinated to learn in the author’s note that many of the characters and plot lines – including an informant in Bletchley Park – were based off of real individuals and real events. Although there are many fictional elements, I thought Quinn did a wonderful job of intertwining truth to her writing, penning a wonderful new addition to the previously existing chapters on Bletchley Park.
Personal rating: 8.5/10
Recommend? Definitely
Re-read? Maybe, but I’m eager to read her other novel The Alice Network first (I know I’m a bit late to the game on that front)
Time: 1:53