The Bletchley Riddle

A wonderful partnership between the Carnegie Medal winning doyenne of historical fiction and the best-selling, multi-award-winning non-fiction author, has produced a truly enthralling and brilliantly researched novel about the famous codebreakers of Bletchley Park in WW2. The authors skilfully use alternating voices to capture the very different attitudes and personalities of two siblings, Jakob and Lizzie Novis. Headstrong 14-year-old Lizzie has been summoned to live with her grandmother in Cleveland, Ohio after her mother Willa disappeared during the Nazi invasion of Poland. But Lizzie refuses to believe she is dead and is determined to track her down. 19- year-old Jakob, a reserved Cambridge mathematician has been recruited to Bletchley Park as a codebreaker and when Lizzie turns up there, having escaped the clutches of her grandmother’s hapless steward, he must take responsibility for her. Lizzie is also made to sign the Official Secrets Act and assigned work at the Park as a messenger. Jakob does not think their mother can be alive or that she that she was a German spy as claimed by a sinister MI5 agent who keeps turning up to interrogate the pair, but when he and Lizzie start receiving coded messages in the mail, the squabbling siblings unite to uncover the truth. Lizzie is a quirky outspoken character with a droll turn of phrase producing moments of almost slapstick humour.  But her determination and courage is undoubted and the gentle relationship which develops with new friend Colin further demonstrates her loyalty and commitment to those closest to her. It is good to see the gradual transformation of the serious-minded Jakob into a bold risk taker as the book speeds towards the exciting climax as the Luftwaffe head for England. Historical images of wartime ephemera and newspapers really add to an immersive reading experience. This is historical fiction at its best, both educative and highly entertaining, combining real events and people from history with an intriguing family mystery and well-developed characters. Readers may even be inspired to attempt their own decoding after the careful explanations of the activity at Bletchley Park. There is an excellent historical endnote which identifies the key figures who appear in the book, such as Alan Turing, as well as the real-life inspiration for the fictional characters.  This is a rich and meaty read which will have lots to offer to a wide age range.