Being sent away from her home and brother in England is the last thing Lizzie wants. Sure, she's going to live with her very wealthy American
grandmother in the USA, and they will be travelling in style on a large ship, but Lizzie wants adventure, not debutante balls and her bossy Gran.

So what if Hitler is getting closer every day? Lizzie isn't the kind of girl that runs away, or hides from the world. She gives Gran's assistant the slip and is back on UK soil before he has any idea what's happened. Lizzie is fourteen, incredibly smart, and very dubious of reports that her mother is dead. Willa Novis is an independent woman who raised her children to be the same, and Lizzie is determined to find out the truth about her.

Lizzie's brother Jakob, who is nineteen and a gifted mathematician is shocked to see his sister again, believing her to be out of the way. They used to be close, but now there is a war on, and he has important work to do, he doesn't have time to babysit. Like everyone who meets Lizzie, he underestimates her sharp mind and intellect, but soon realises she is not only as clever as he, she is incredibly brave too.

Both become part of the Bletchley Park codebreaking teams. Jakob works the midnight shift, trying to crack the ever changing codes of the Germans, and Lizzie is a messenger between departments, all while investigating her mother's disappearance.

Others are investigating too, and the clues are pointing to their mother being much more than just a US embassy employee. Could she really be an enemy of Britain?


Ruta Septys has done it again - portraying a part of World War II with a fictional novel based on real events, people and places. This time its the codebreaking teams all working under the Official Secrets Act, and relentlessly looking to crack the German forces' coded messages.

The main characters are fictional, but modelled around many young mathematicians and brilliant minds who worked on this project. Lizzie is forthright with no filter in her exchanges with people and is fairly certain she will break the Secrets Act vow, as there is nothing better than some juicy tattle between friends. Her brother Jakob is more serious and less impulsive - until he has to be.

The worry of her mother's true fate and personal motives helps Lizzie keep her tongue (sort of), and tension builds as Hitler's troops and the war gets closer and closer to England's shores and skies.

The more tense things get, the more distrust spreads among Bletchley. Who is actually who they say they are? Is Lizzie's mum dead or alive, and will the RAF succumb to the German onslaught?

A perfect read for anyone wanting to experience inside the Bletchley Park Compound during World War II, all while investigating a mystery. There are many puzzles to unravel throughout the narrative too, bringing even more intrigue to readers.

The Bletchley Riddle is a thrilling historical adventure for middle-grade readers set around Bletchley Park, where small armies of code breakers made a vital and top secret contribution to Britain's war effort during WW2 by deciphering German intelligence.

Narrated in alternating chapters by half-American siblings Jakob and Lizzie, we follow 19-year-old Jakob's work trying to decode each day's settings for the Germans' enigma machines alongside 14-year-old Lizzie's efforts to uncover the truth about their mother Willa who mysteriously disappeared after helping to evacuate the American embassy in Warsaw. Jakob is a promising mathematician who has been recruited by one of his Cambridge tutors, while Lizzie is a rather more headstrong and irrepressible character who finds herself working as a messenger at Bletchley but whose superiors don't know want to make of her directness and fearlessness.

Ruta Sepetys and Steve Sheinkin are both highly respected writers of historical fiction for children and young adults, and this novel showcases both of their talents: it combines meticulous historical research with a gripping plot. The true story of Bletchley Park is so incredible that it is impossible not to be fascinated by it: this novel will introduce this astonishing chapter of British history to a new generation of readers. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for sending me an ARC to review.

3.5 stars

I was really excited to read this as I've found Ruta Sepetys' books so emotive and engaging, but unfortunately for me this one just didn't captivate me in the same way.

The story follows two siblings, Lizzie and Jakob, and each chapter shifts perspective so we get insight into the separate but connected problems each is facing. Lizzie is convinced their missing mother is still alive, whereas Jakob firmly believes she was killed in Germany's invasion into Poland. While the younger sister attempts to make headway into the mystery surrounding her mother's disappearance, Jakob is hard at work deciphering Nazi messages...

On the surface this should be thrilling to read about, as it's about cyphers, spies, and even has some major players (like Turing) make appearances in the story. However, the pacing is really slow and it felt like no real progress was made by either character until nearly 70% through the book.

Is this educational? Yes, definitely. It gives insight into what daily life may have been like for those living during WW2, the anxieties and pressures placed on citizens, and the suspicions that were alive in everyone's minds. The Bletchley Riddle offers a glimpse into the lesser known efforts of the intellectuals and creative minds that struggled to make sense of the Nazi's plans, and it reveals the challenges of predicting movements in modern warfare.

Is this massively engaging? Not so much for me, and I feel like many middle grade readers (who this is aimed at) would struggle to remain invested.

That being said, I did really like Lizzie's character in particular as she is clever, charming, and has the naivety of a child that is sometimes painful to read. She's so set on finding her mother that she doesn't fully appreciate the gravity of the situation. She charges into London blindly despite the chance of impending air raids, she gatecrashes embassy parties, and she endangers her family and herself without even realizing her words could be damning. Lizzie is the reason I kept reading, as she was so believable and offered a tragic juxtaposition between youthful selfishness and the realities of wartime.

No one does historical fiction as well as Ruta Sepetys. Having read all of her previous releases, she has the skill of making even the distant of past ents so real and so now - something she continues with great success in this new book.

I visited Bletchley Park a few years ago and it is such a fascinating place and I was really looking forward to reading The Bletchley Riddle. This is such a good Middle Grade book, full of puzzles and codes and ideal to spark a child’s imagination.
This is the story of mathematics whizz Jakob and his sister Lizzie who have lost their mother in Poland during the 2nd World War. Lizzie should be on her way to her Granny in America whilst Jakob has been recruited to help with the code breaking being undertaken at Bletchley Park. Lizzie runs away, determined to find her mother and ends up with her brother at Bletchley.
This book is very fast paced and full of twists and turns. It is such a fun read with plenty of interesting codes and ciphers to crack. I will definitely be recommending this book to all middle graders and a few adults as well

Have you ever seen a better author duo that this? As soon as I saw Ruta Sepetys and Steve Sheinkin were pairing up for a historical fiction, I was 100% in! And let me tell you something- they did NOT dissappoint. It is more than historical fiction, it is an adventure in learning, sibling relationships, bravery, friendship, and codebreaking.

The story follows two siblings at Bletchley Park, the home of WWII codebreakers, as they try to unravel a mystery surrounding their mother’s death. A spunky young girl, Lizzie, is expected to go live with her grandma in the USA after she is left a war orphan, but she has other plans; to find her brother who is living somewhere in London. He however, is not as happy to see her. She is certain he is the worst brother on the planet. What he actually is, is a mathematician working long hours.

Can they work together to solve the question surrounding the death of their mother, and the mysterious notes they are receiving? Can they trust each other when their lives may be on the line? Will the truth hurt as much as the mystery?

Amidst the fictional story of these seemingly opposite siblings and the search for the truth about their mother, is a depiction of an actual place so important to the war effort. The efforts the authors made to keep the information about Bletchley Park true and historical is amazing. They included names/characters of real-life code breakers, the fact that women had vital roles as messengers, librarians (obviously!), machine operators, and translators. By the end of the war they made up 75% of the staff! They were all sworn to secrecy, and up until 1970 were not allowed to tell their stories, not even to their family members. I'm so thankful that we now know of the work they did, and the important part in played in history.

Even though this story was written with young readers in mind, all ages and fans of historical fiction will learn and enjoy it.

"Without a dash of ridiculous, a person is usually very boring."

"We're doing some work that may prove important if things with Hitler heat up. Long hours, terrible pressure, lousy pay. Interested?"

"I'm ready to call the Germans bluff. They're manipulating us through threats and propaganda. They're not going to bomb us, they don't need to. They're controlling us through our own fear."

"Friends are like family. And sometimes the families we build- are just as strong as those we're born into."

"As Churchill so aptly said, 'Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed... by so many... to so few'"

The settings of WW2 and the codebreakers will definately appeal to KS3. The dual narrative was a bit of a struggle for me at times.
Good historical adventure tale. Will have shelf appeal.

We love these type of books, historical, educational and just such good fun. Exciting story ,especially to read together. Great for adventurous kids, or those who would like more adventure in their lives !

The summer of 1940 is a scary time to be alive, especially if you are only fourteen, both your parents have passed away, and your extremely strict grandmother is waiting for you to arrive at her home in the USA! This is the situation Elizabeth (she prefers Lizzie!) Novis finds herself in, and she is absolutely determined not to board a ship in Liverpool with her grandmother’s representative!

Her brother, Jakob Novis, is keeping a low profile for a very good reason, he is working as a codebreaker at Bletchley Park which means everything he says and does is monitored and covered by the Official Secrets Act. When Lizzie unexpectedly becomes his responsibility life gets even more complicated, especially as she is convinced their mother is still alive, somewhere. With the enemy getting ever closer and no-one knowing who they can trust, danger is everywhere. Can Jakob keep an eye on Lizzie while she hunts for their mother as well as helping to successfully crack the Enigma cipher and so aid the war effort? If not both of them are in serious trouble.

Ruta Sepetys and Steve Sheinkin have produced an enthralling, tense, but heartwarming book about the second world war and the secret lives of the codebreakers. In Jakob's case he's struggling to keep his involvement with the Enigma machine secret while also trying to keep his sister safe as she searches for the truth about their mother's whereabouts. The mix of fact and fiction works brilliantly and the way the difficulties experienced by those working at Bletchley Park are shown only adds to the tension.

I was able to read an advanced copy of this thanks to NetGalley and the publishers, Oneworld Publications/Rock the Boat, but the opinions expressed are my own. I thoroughly enjoyed this and recommend it highly to those aged 10 and over.

Lizzie is convinced that her mother, Willa, is still alive, even though everyone, including her older brother, says she can't have survived the bombing in Poland where she was working. Lizzie is determined to find Willa, whatever it takes, starting with losing her chaperone and getting off the ship taking her to her Gran in America.

Lizzie's brother, Jakob, is called to come and collect her, after she turns up at the secure postal address he gave her for correspondence. He ends up taking her back to Bletchley Park, where he has been recruited to help break the Nazi Enigma cipher.

I loved this story. I have wanted to visit Bletchley Park for a long time and this book has only made me more keen to go. The story was really exciting and I loved the switching of perspectives between Lizzie and Jakob. All of the characters were believable and brilliantly written and I especially liked the friendship between Lizzie and Marion.

I also really enjoyed solving the codes!

I will definitely be adding this to our school collection, and recommending that children read it, once it is published.

I love anything my Ruta Sepetys and although this was a little slow to start it soon fell into the wonderful story of Bletchley and the history is told in a great story.
Brilliant

I'm always keen to read middle grade books about World War Two as my class are always fascinated by them, so when I saw this available on Net Galley I just had to apply for it!

Jakob works on a top secret mission at Bletchley Park. His sister Lizzie is supposed to be on her way to America to live with their grandmother, but manages to evade her chaperone and track Jakob down. Lizzie has her own mission - to find their mother who is missing, presumed dead.

This is a story told at break-neck speed, as Jakob and his colleagues attempt to infiltrate Nazi messages and Lizzie tries to stay one step ahead of her chaperone.

A fantastic historical adventure story which would be great on any upper key stage two bookshelf.

Lizzie and her older brother Jakob are alone at the start of the war as their father is dead and their mother is missing, presumed dead. Lizzie is determined to find out the truth about her mother’s disappearance. However Jakob is engrossed in his code breaking work at Bletchley Park.

I’m not sure that the two stories work terribly well together - the work taking place at Bletchley to crack the enigma machine alongside finding their missing parent. Also, whilst I normally enjoy stories with a dual narrative, I found the constant switching between Lizzie & Jakob’s stories a bit disjointed as each one was often left on a cliff hanger, so I found it irritating to move to the other narrative then had to work hard to remember where we were up to in the other story.

The codes they were sent including family details felt too implausible to lead them to the right place at the right time.

I’ve read a few children’s stories set at Bletchley Park but I’ve yet to find one I really like. I know something needs to happen alongside the important but often mundane work of code breaking in order to provide a plot line and whilst this was the best one I’ve read so far, it still felt lacking.

I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is an interesting novel aimed at older Middle Grade Fiction readers, as it requires a certain amount of knowledge of WWII.

The novel is set in Britain in 1940 when the country was in the midst of the so-called Phony War. Unbeknownst to most British people who were still carrying on with their day-to-day lives, a team of expert mathematicians had been assembled at Bletchley Park to try and crack the Nazi’s Enigma Code. Jakob is a nineteen year old expert who has been selected to work at Bletchley as one of the code breakers, whilst his younger sister, Lizzie, has been summoned to stay with their grandmother in USA after the recent loss of their mother. The siblings’ mother had gone to Poland on a diplomatic mission and was missing, presumed dead. Lizzie, however, does not believe this, and it soon becomes apparent that she is just as clever and resourceful as her older brother. She manages to escape her chaperone and goes in search of evidence that her mother is still alive. She makes her way to Bletchley Park and together, her and Jakob become entwined in their own mystery of codes and riddles.

The narrative shifts between Jakob and his sister Lizzie, and both have clear and distinct voices so it is clear who is narrating which chapter. However, I found the dialogue between Lizzie and the other characters very clunky at times. However, as I read, it seemed that the stilted dialogue was part of Lizzie’s character, and I think the authors were trying to portray that she was, perhaps, neurodiverse.

The book is interspersed with real life images of ration books, posters, newspaper headlines, and photographs of day-to-day life in 1940. As Jakob and Lizzie have to acclimatise to blackout conditions and street signs being removed, one headline states, “You will be told what to do when the invasion comes” – a chilling reminder that no-one knew what the outcome of the war would be. I found these additions really brought the book to life, along with the hand-written messages and differing typeface. I especially enjoyed the inclusion of the real code breakers of Bletchley as characters within the novel, and I certainly learned a lot about others who played just as an important role in the Enigma code-breaking, but who have not been given such prominence in history.

It’s not often that I finish a Middle Grade Fiction book and immediately turn to my husband to tell him about it, but I did it with this book. It is gripping, heart-warming yet bittersweet, and pitched just right for younger readers.

Thank you to Netgalley and One World Publications for the ARC!

A great blend of historical facts and fiction. This is a thrilling Middle grade adventure but also has enough fact to educate and spark an interest in "The Park" and cyphers. i am sure some readers will wish to vist after reading this and maybe even want to go a bit of a silver treasure hunt, as well as finding out more about the real people who worked there.

I really enjoyed this one. I enjoyed it from the beginning and it left me very fascinated and intrigued. I found everything so interesting and I would definitely read this again!

I love books based on Bletchley and whilst this was a nice nod to the time and the work it wasn’t my favourite. I found the female lead character to be a bit irritating and I couldn’t really connect with her.
Have said that, it was a nice read and I did enjoy it.

A fantastic read based at Bletchley Park. During world war 2, Lizzie is due to go to her grandma in America after her mum goes missing. Instead Lizzie goes in search of her brother, Jakob, who works at Bletchley.
Lizzie thinks she has uncovered clues to her Mum's disappearance and will stop at nothing. With real historical elements, this was a great read. I would highly recommend.

What a fantastic story about events at Bletchley Park. The author really manages to blend the historical facts with a fantastically exciting story. Having been to the Park on several occasions, I could really relate to the setting, the events and the characters. This is a brilliant story for those young people who are interested in history, code breaking and spying.

Living near Bletchley Park, I was keen to read this book. Overall I enjoyed it, I did find it a little hard to keep track though over who was narrating as it swapped so frequently.

As ever with Ruta’s books it is well researched. Lots of the little bits of the Park’s history I did know were in there. It was a good adventure with a some side stories of the search for our protagonists’ missing mother and Lizzie’s efforts to not be shipped off to her grandmother mixed in with the code breaking efforts. Lizzie was a great character and I really enjoyed her escapades, Jakob seemed a little bland in comparison.