"The Bletchley Riddle" by Ruta Sepetys & Steve Sheinkin

The Bletchley Riddle (Nov. 29, 2024) by Ruta Sepetys & Steve Sheinkin.

<This is a standalone novel.>

They’re both bound by the Official Secrets Act. It’s the summer of 1940, and 19-year-old Jakob Novis has already been working at Bletchley Park, Britain’s top secret, eccentric, WWII codebreaking hub. Jakob is there with top minds like Alan Turing, Gordon Welchman and Dilly Knox. Everyone at Bletchley Park is doing their part to break the Nazi’s Enigma cipher. Jakob’s so fixated on the task at hand and takes keeping secrets so seriously that he neglects his younger sister, 14-year-old Lizzie (only their American, maternal grandmother calls her Elizabeth). Lizzie’s supposed to be on a ship with Mr. Fleetwood to America (and Cleveland, Ohio), but never doubt the guile of a girl with a mission. They’ve been told that their mother is dead, but since there’s no proof, Lizzie doesn’t believe it. She’s determined to unravel that mystery and enlists the help of Colin Tilbury (his family runs the Shoulder of Mutton Inn & Pub) and Marion. Two brilliant siblings must overcome their quarrels while dodging a threatening investigator called [William James] Jarvis with the M15 (a.k.a. Security Service), as they try to break Enigma and find a possible connection to their mother through invisible messages before Hitler hits London.

            Two teens are making a big difference in a dangerous world in this spectacular, middle-grade historical fiction, mystery collaboration from Ruta Sepetys and Steve Sheinkin. Part of the reason I wanted to read this is that I was able to visit Bletchley Park in September of 2023. I also read a fair number of historical fiction novels, and WWII is well-covered. This one impresses me for its middle-grade target audience, because it blends history and fiction seamlessly and contains funny moments in spite of the seriousness of the time. It’s a high-stakes adventure with heart and heroism, brilliance and cunning. The short chapters make for fast reading, and they alternate from the viewpoints of Lizzie and Jakob. It’s a gripping tale that should have broad appeal for those who enjoy mysteries, WWII stories, fiction, nonfiction or all of the above.