The Alice Network

 

The Alice Network by Kate Quinn

Fiction

2017

Finished on July 13, 2026

Rating: 4/5 (Very Good)

Publisher's Blurb:

In an enthralling new historical novel from national bestselling author Kate Quinn, two women—a female spy recruited to the real-life Alice Network in France during World War I and an unconventional American socialite searching for her cousin in 1947—are brought together in a mesmerizing story of courage and redemption.

1947. In the chaotic aftermath of World War II, American college girl Charlie St. Clair is pregnant, unmarried, and on the verge of being thrown out of her very proper family. She's also nursing a desperate hope that her beloved cousin Rose, who disappeared in Nazi-occupied France during the war, might still be alive. So when Charlie's parents banish her to Europe to have her "little problem" taken care of, Charlie breaks free and heads to London, determined to find out what happened to the cousin she loves like a sister.

1915. A year into the Great War, Eve Gardiner burns to join the fight against the Germans and unexpectedly gets her chance when she's recruited to work as a spy. Sent into enemy-occupied France, she's trained by the mesmerizing Lili, code name Alice, the "queen of spies", who manages a vast network of secret agents right under the enemy's nose.

Thirty years later, haunted by the betrayal that ultimately tore apart the Alice Network, Eve spends her days drunk and secluded in her crumbling London house. Until a young American barges in uttering a name Eve hasn't heard in decades, and launches them both on a mission to find the truth...no matter where it leads.

After reading Kate Quinn's marvelous novel, The Rose Code, last September, I knew I wanted to read more of her historical fiction. I got a copy a couple of months ago and added it to my Summer Reading list. As with The Rose Code, Quinn's historical novel alternates between two time periods, slowly revealing the events of 1915 as one of her main characters shares those details with others in 1947. It took me some time to settle into the story, wishing Quinn didn't flip back and forth between characters and years with each new chapter. Eventually, I fell into the rhythm of the narrative, anxious for both Eve and Charlie, one searching for an enemy and the other for a missing relative. Based on the life of Louise de Bettignies, The Alice Network is a worthwhile read, although I didn't enjoy it as much as The Rose Code. With that said, I'd love to see a TV series based on this book!

The Rose Code

 

The Rose Code by Kate Quinn

Historical Fiction

2021

Finished on September 6, 2025

Rating: 4.5/5 (Very Good)

Publisher's Blurb:

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 code-breaking 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...

The Rose Code is a marvelous novel! I enjoyed each thread of the tale, never once feeling that the 600+ pages were too much, unable to put it down. I grew to care about the three main characters, and enjoyed the glimpse into the historical elements of Bletchley Park. The dual timelines are well-executed, and the characters fully fleshed out. I did have a tough time envisioning the British bombe machine, and an even harder time understanding how it worked, but found some videos that helped clarify how they functioned. 

In addition to the elements of World War II, the romantic stories were both tender and heartbreaking. The mystery thread kept me guessing, but the final scenes of the arrest were too mad cap, reminding me of the Laurel & Hardy screwball comedies. 

Two years ago, I tried to listen to The Huntress (also by Kate Quinn), but gave up after a couple of hours. I simply couldn't get interested. Now having read and loved The Rose Code, I wonder if I should try The Huntress in the print format. I do know that I want to read The Alice Network, so maybe I'll give that one a read first. Oh, and her latest, The Briar Club, is getting rave reviews, too. Guess I'll have to read that one, as well.

I love shows about World War II and think The Rose Code would make a great TV series. Now I'm inspired to re-watch The Imitation Game (starring Benedict Cumberbatch). Hmmm... I did a quick search to see if the book has been optioned for a film or limited TV series and found the following:

Black Bear Pictures is developing The Rose Code into a TV series. Black Bear Pictures previously developed the movie The Imitation Game, also about Bletchley Park codebreakers.

Yay!!