Suzann Fortin, The Codebreaker's Daughter, Embla Books, July 2025.

Thank you, NetGalley, for providing me with this uncorrected proof for review.

The Codebreaker’s Daughter is not just another book in which women’s impact on the work at Bletchley Park is central to the plot. Hana is a Japanese speaker and an expert at solving puzzles that involve language skills. These she perfects with her father over cross word puzzles, and it is this relationship and her linguistic skills that bring her into Bletchley Park, a world of secrets and danger.
Hana’s marriage is strained since her pilot husband’s crash has rendered him uncommunicative and seemingly uncaring. Hana is ready to give up on the marriage, when she is told that they must billet an American. As work proceeds at Bletchley, romances are also begun, and together with these, the possibility that there are spies in their midst. Hana’s father’s accident and subsequent inability to communicate, makes her work replacing him even more difficult.
This is a well plotted story, with an intriguing insight into codebreaking, Hana style. However, although it moves along quite quickly and the resolution is satisfying, for me this was a pleasant enough beach read, but nothing more.

The Codebreaker's Daughter tells the story of Hana, a British teacher in the UK during the WWII time period whose father works as a printer and is hit by a car on the way to work. Hana and her family had lived in Japan and both Hana and her dad speak fluent Japanese. Hana and her husband have hit a rough patch after he was shot down and injured. She is approached by her father's employers and told that he was not a printer but a codebreaker working at Bletchley Park and that the Government wanted her to take up her father's work. The signing of the Official Secrets Act meant that her father could not tell his family what he was doing - nor could her husband tell her that he, too, works at Bletchley Park. There is so much going on here - Hana is tasked with codebreaking as well as trying to find out who is the spy/mole in the workroom while she starts a dalliance with their border, a visiting American. This book has it all - a fascinating look into the work done at Bletchley Park, interesting, likeable, and sympathetic characters, a mystery, and a murder. I couldn't put it down! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

When I was about a quarter through The Codebreaker's Daughter, the book seemed so familiar to me, as if I had read this Suzanne Fortin novel before. I stopped reading and looked for information that this novel was a reissue, but I could only find an earlier paperback release in the UK. Although I couldn't find an earlier U.S. release or any information about The Codebreaker's Daughter being a reissue, I turned out t be right about the ending of the novel and how Fortin wrapped up all her loose ends. So how did I know how it would end?

I can't provide a lot of detail, since I do not want to provide spoilers. The Codebreaker's Daughter takes place in 1942 in England's Bletchley Park. The narrator is Hana, who begins the novel as a teacher but who quickly takes over her father's job as a codebreaker, when he is injured in a hit and run accident. After Hana begins working at Bletchley Park, a job she cannot even identity as her job, the novel picks up. There are spies, secrets, betrayal, trust, integrity and the importance of family love, all of which impact Hana and the people surrounding her. There were times when I just wanted to yell, "don't do it!" to Hana. Fortunately she listened to me. lol

Thank you to Embla Books and NetGalley for providing this ARC in exchange for my honest review. I am recommending The Codebreaker's Daughter. It is a good mystery and held my attention all the way through.

4.5 = 5 stars

Having visited Bletchley Park (highly recommended) I have read a few novels set there, although this was the first focussing on the war with Japan rather than the European zone. The characters are great and Hana's understanding of what is happening shifts as she becomes more embedded in life at the Park. The reader is left guessing till the end as to who is the mole, and why. This is a great wartime thriller - thankyou Suzanne Fortin.

Thanks to Net Galley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review this book.

A fascinating story of a young woman, Hana Phillips, in Blitz era England (1942) who finds herself at Bletchley Hall decoding Japanese naval codes. Her marriage is a mess, her husband, injured during the war opposes the work she is doing, and it appears there may be a mole in the group. Hana’s husband is also in intelligence work which adds another layer of complexity, as they can’t talk about what they are doing and there is a possibility that he could be the mole. Well researched, well written, with a skosh of romantic tension thrown in, the story takes us in many directions as we try to solve the mystery, along with Hana. Who can she trust? Who is the spy? Can her marriage be saved? A really great read!

What an enjoyable read. When Hana Phillips is recruited for Bletchley for her language skills, mainly Japanese she can’t imagine to lengths people will go to to silence her, or to find out what she knows. It takes time for some colleagues to accept Hana, she feels due to her being fast-tracked in.
Hana and husband Gregory have been drifting apart since Gregory was badly injured in a flying accident so it doesn’t take much to flatter her when they have a house guest.

I really enjoyed this book, plenty threads to throw you off the scent (just when you’d decided who the perpetrator was),
Can’t recommend it enough.

Hana, the daughter of a codebreaker at Bletchley Park, is suddenly called upon to use her knowledge of Japanese and stand in for her father in a top-secret assignment which puts her in danger and puts a strain on her marriage to her wounded and disfigured husband. Full of suspense and also budding romance, this is a very enjoyable read.

A wonderful read!
This novel drew me in from the very first page and kept me hooked until the end. The characters were vibrant and relatable, the writing was engaging, and the story had just the right balance of heart and humor. Highly recommend!
Many thanks to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

Suzanne Fortin has written a stirring novel of the secrets during WWII. A book that will keep you reading all night.

I received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Suzanne Fortin delivers a compelling and suspenseful read in The Codebreaker's Daughter. From the opening pages, the story grips the reader with a mysterious “accident” that immediately sets a tone of intrigue and unease. Fortin masterfully builds on this tension over the course of the novel, weaving together secrets, lies, and shifting loyalties in a way that keeps you turning the pages.

The characters are well-drawn and believable, grounded in emotional realism that makes their journeys engaging. While some twists—like Robert’s true nature—may be obvious early on to the savvy reader, Fortin doesn’t rely solely on shock value. Instead, she sows seeds of suspicion across multiple characters, maintaining a strong sense of uncertainty right up until the surprising conclusion. The ending ties together the various threads in a satisfying and unexpected way.

Although the novel doesn’t quite reach the emotional heights of being truly epic or heartbreaking, it’s undeniably a solid, enjoyable read. With its smart pacing, layered mystery, and believable cast, The Codebreaker's Daughter is a great pick for fans of historical fiction with a twist of suspense.

An easy read with well written characters and brilliant plot.

Thank you net galley and the publisher for this arc

Wow! I took a break from my usual thriller reads and this blew me away. My first book by Suzanne Fortin and I will definitely be reading more by her.

Hana Philips is going about her daily life when she is suddenly recruited to Bletchley Park to codebreak and spy hunt. Hana is a strong, intelligent young woman who is so easy to like. You can't help but be drawn into her story, her personal and professional life.

The story is gripping from he off, suspenseful, with the right balance of history, drama and emotion. The book is clearly very well researched, and the characters have had lots of thought and detail go into them. All too often the forgotten heroes and heroines of war are overlooked, here the are shone a light on.

If you enjoy historical fiction and mystery then this is for you.

Thank you to NetGalley, Suzanne Fortin and Embla books for the ARC.

I have only read 2 other books by SF and they were similar reads, so I wasn't sure what to expect with this book. Well, it kept me hooked from the get go! I liked that this focused more on the war with Japan, which was different, but added a fresh twist to the story. The action starts pretty quickly so once you're in, you're in. The plot thickens at a great pace with a nice few twists thrown in here and there. Character development is great to a point you start having an internal battle with yourself because you don't know who to trust. I loved this read, it was gripping and emotional and i'm very glad I chose another Suzanne Fortin book to read and review!

This was a well written engaging read about Bletchley Park and the work they did during WWII. Unusually, it featured the war effort against Japan which made for a point of interest. I enjoyed the way the story played out and the ending was suitably pleasing! Would recommend.

Easy-going and relaxing read with some lovely characters. A little too obvious how this novel ends, but nonetheless an enjoyable read. WW2, Bletchley Park based mystery tracking down the spies, with a touch of romance, as our heroine is pulled into the drama. Good pace and detail enhance the story set in the English countryside.

My thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC.

I woke up one morning and decided that I needed a break from crime novels, it was all getting a bit predictable.
What I got with The Codebreaker’s Daughter was a tense spy drama, set in the fabulous Bletchley Park with likeable characters and a romance triangle thrown in.
I loved the book, the words kept jumping of the page at me and I found that I was gobbling up the red herrings. All came to a well thought out conclusion. This was a real thrill of a read, crime fiction may have lost me for the long haul.

Thanks to Netgalley and Embla Books for providing me with an Advance Reader's Copy in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.

Secrets, sacrifice, and a war she never saw coming…

The Codebreaker’s Daughter is everything I love in a historical fiction novel—rich with atmosphere, tightly plotted, and full of emotional weight. Hana’s journey from teacher to codebreaker at Bletchley Park is inspiring and tense, especially as the layers of betrayal and secrecy start to peel back.

What sets this one apart is how deeply personal it feels. Her mission to root out a mole becomes a battle between loyalty, legacy, and truth. The tension is sharp, the writing beautifully immersive, and the emotional payoff? Powerful. This book shines with quiet courage and quiet devastation. I couldn’t put it down.

Hana, a school teacher is frustrated with her teaching job as much as she is frustrated with her personal life. She has been told not to teach Japanese words or anything about Japan due to it being an enemy country. Her husband is detached and she feels her marriage is falling apart.
Hana has a love for Japan having spent several years living there with her parents and she can speak and read the language.
Following her father’s mysterious hit and run accident she is approached by British intelligence to continue the translation of Japanese transmissions her father was undertaking at Bletchley Park. How can she say no! She leaves her teaching job and begins working at Bletchley.
There is a spy within the hut of the Japanese transmissions at Bletchley and her father was on the trail and now it is up to Hana to uncover the traitor.
There is intrigue, a bit of romance, who can one trust as Hana works through ciphers and codes to flush out the spy.
This is an engaging read about the codebreakers of Bletchley Park.

Great , well written story full of interest and intrigue. I felt sorry for the main character and was rooting for her all the way. Interesting plotline set in WW2 Bletchley Park .

This book is utterly sensational! From the very first page, I was completely captivated. The story had such an emotional pull that I found myself staying up far too late, night after night, unable to put it down.

Hana's journey is deeply moving—I felt like I was experiencing every moment right alongside her. Her pain, resilience, and connection with Gregory were portrayed so vividly that it was impossible not to root for her every step of the way.

The writing is powerful, the characters are compelling, and the emotional depth is unforgettable. This is a truly amazing book, and I would highly recommend it to anyone looking for a gripping and heartfelt read.