They will dedicate their lives to their country, but no one will ever know…
1943, Brisbane: The war continues to devastate and the battle for the Pacific threatens Australian shores. For Ellie O’Sullivan, helping the war effort means utilising her engineering skills for Qantas as they evacuate civilians and deliver supplies to armed forces overseas. Her exceptional logic and integrity attract the attention of the Central Bureau – an intelligence organisation working with England’s Bletchley Park codebreakers. But joining the Central Bureau means signing a lifetime secrecy contract. Breaking it is treason.
With her country’s freedom at risk, Ellie works with a group of elite women who enter a world of volatile secrets; deciphering enemy communications to change the course of the war. Working under immense pressure, they form a close bond – yet there could be a traitor in their midst. Can the women uncover the culprit before it’s too late?
As Ellie struggles with the magnitude of the promise she’s made to her country, a wedge grows between her and those she holds dear. When the man she loves asks questions she’s forbidden to answer, how will she prevent the double life she’s leading from unravelling?
Alli Sinclair is one of those fabulous storytellers, delivering one great read after another – think Judy Nunn and Victoria Purman. Sinclair’s last book, The Cinema at Starlight Creek, did exceptionally well with our readers, and this will no doubt be just as popular. It’s a cracking read about tenacity and friendship, inspired by the real codebreaking women of Australia’s top-secret Central Bureau in WWII.
Sinclair brings World War II Australia to vivid life with meticulous research. We’ve seen a lot of strong Second World War historical novels recently, but Sinclair has taken the road less travelled and captured the fascinating story of a small Australian group of women, making this novel unique and a standout in this popular genre. These women – codebreakers, known as the Garage Girls – can’t tell anyone about the important work they do. Instead, they rely on each other, so a fierce thread of sisterhood and friendship runs through this story.
Sinclair has a knack for creating strong, compelling heroines and this time it’s Ellie O’Sullivan, who simply rocks. She’s an engineer at Qantas and is recruited to work for the top-secret Central Bureau in Brisbane. It’s a compelling premise for any story, to have a strong young woman challenged by having to keep her work a secret from everyone dear to her, work that can save her country but impact her relationships. It’s made all the more gripping because it’s inspired by these real-life women. Keep an eye out on the Better Reading Facebook page for an interview Sinclair did with one of these fearless real-life codebreakers. She also has more details about the Garage Girls in the author note at the end of the book.
I was hooked from cover to cover. Someone give this book to Netflix. The Codebreakers was simply fantastic.
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