Smoke Signal by Marie Benedict and Kate Quinn

Title: Smoke Signal

Series: The Rose Code | The Mystery of Mrs. Christie

Author: Marie Benedict and Kate Quinn

Publisher: Audible Original

Release Date: February 11th 2021 

Narrators: Nicola Barber, Saskia Maarleveld

Best-selling authors Marie Benedict (The Mystery of Mrs. Christie) and Kate Quinn (The Rose Code) join forces to tell the captivating story of how history's most famous mystery writer crossed paths with one of Britain's top secret code breakers in the throes of World War II.

Recruited as a code breaker of enemy ciphers, ex-debutante Osla Kendall spends her days translating Axis military messages and her nights reading mystery novels. When Osla gets her hands on Agatha Christie's most recent work, N or M?, a mysterious signal within its pages catches her eye, and she and her eccentric book club get in touch with the famous but reclusive writer. Osla's outreach is a welcome distraction for Agatha, who feels restless and underestimated toiling away in a London pharmacy while men like her husband can contribute to the war effort from the front lines.

So begins the story of an unlikely friendship and the secrets that bind two brave women embroiled in war. Based on true events and told by two beloved authors and champions of history's heroines, Smoke Signal is a breathtaking novella of espionage and the unforgettable women who risked everything to serve their country.

To learn more about Osla Kendall and Agatha Christie, see Marie Benedict's The Mystery of Mrs. Christie, a novel of Agatha Christie's disappearance in 1926, and Kate Quinn's forthcoming The Rose Code, a novel of the female code breakers of Bletchley Park.

Amazon 

I've made no secret that I absolutely loved The Rose Code by Kate Quinn. When audible alerted me that they had an original novella where Agatha Christie meets Osla Kendall, I couldn't download it fast enough.

I haven't read The Mystery of Mrs. Christie by Marie Benedict but I absolutely loved the female code breakers from Bletchley Park. I was happy to have more of their world.

The novella has Agatha and Osla meeting twice, once during the war and the second time after it has ended. They compare notes and realized that due to a certain oath, a spy couldn't be stopped earlier.

If you have read The Rose Code, this audio is a must. The narration takes 1 hour and 10 minutes which was perfect for my work commute. 

I'm very thankful to Kate Quinn and Marie Benedict for coming up with this character's meeting.

Both, Nicola Barber and Saskia Maarleveld did an amazing job in bringing these women to life.

Cliffhanger: No

4/5 Fangs