Don’t miss the thrilling new novel from Kate Quinn, The Briar Club
“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 historical fiction novel 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 in this unforgettable story of women in WWII.
1947. In a riveting dual timeline, 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...
- WWII Historical Fiction: Based on the real-life codebreaking efforts at Bletchley Park, this novel plunges you into the high-stakes world of wartime intelligence, where three brilliant women work in secret to help turn the tide of the war.
- A Found Family Torn Apart: Follows the intense friendship of Osla, Mab, and Beth, forged in the crucible of war. But the impossible pressure of their work and a devastating betrayal will shatter their bond and turn them into enemies.
- Codebreaking and Espionage: At a mysterious country estate, German military codes are broken and enemy secrets are revealed. But a traitor lurks in the shadows, leading to a desperate spy hunt that stretches years beyond the war.
- A Post-War Mystery: Years after their friendship was destroyed, a mysterious encrypted letter reunites the three women. To crack one last code, they must confront their past―including the betrayal that left one of them in an asylum.
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, The Diamond Eye, and The Briar Club. The Astral Library is her first foray into magic realism. She and her husband now live in Maryland with their rescue dogs.
