The Rose Code: An Intriguing Novel of Love, Loyalty, and Secrets Among Female Codebreakers During WWII

Don’t miss the thrilling new novel from Kate Quinn, The Briar Club, coming July 9th!

“The reigning queen of historical fiction” -- Fiona Davis, New York Times bestselling author of The Lions of Fifth Avenue  

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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Published Mar 9, 2021

656 pages

Average rating: 8.43

1,451 RATINGS

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Community Reviews

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✨ Summarized by Bookclubs AI

Readers say *The Rose Code* offers a compelling blend of WWII history, strong female characters, and intrigue centered on Bletchley Park’s codebreaker...

PerpetualRevision
Dec 22, 2025
10/10 stars
Compelling story!
K Olson
Jan 14, 2025
8/10 stars
I particularly enjoyed this unique take on WW2- about the women who worked at Bletchley Park and their commitment to the war effort. My favorite characters were Queen Mab and Francis Gray. The Huntress is still my favorite Kate Quinn book.
Shawna K88
Dec 29, 2024
8/10 stars
'.
jeabot
Jul 18, 2024
05.20.2023
Khris Sellin
Jul 05, 2024
8/10 stars
Fascinating history. A fictionalized account of the Bletchley Park codebreakers during WWII.

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