The Amber Shadows

By Lucy Ribchester

Everyone is doing their part for the war effort and Honey’s stepfather was able to acquire a position for her in one of the Huts at Bletchley Park.  Those who work at Bletchley Park do not talk about what goes on in their Hut.  In fact, Captain Tiver said he would shoot her himself if she broke the secrecy agreement.  So how can she explain the packages she is receiving from Russia that appear to be pieces of amber looted from the Amber Room.  She’s good at codes but the coded message etched onto the amber is too complex.  Her brother Dickie would be able to help her but when he gets murdered and friends go missing she knows she needs help but doesn’t know who she can trust. 

I really enjoy novels that give us a different look into events in history.  The movie Imitation Game showed us a little what life was like for those tasked to breaking the coded messages of the enemy.  Alan Turing is mentioned briefly in this work but it’s not about him.  Ribchester has created an entertaining mystery while enlightening the reader with details of the women who worked within the huts of Bletchly Park and the difficult life many lived while serving their country.  Honey’s story is fictional but is entertaining and suspenseful. However, it is filled with the dangers and uncertainty that so many felt during that time.  The Author’s Notes at the back of the book details Ribchester’s research into the women who worked in the huts. The Amber Shadows is a thrilling read and would be a good one to put into the hands of teens. 

I wish to thank the generosity of the publisher for providing an Advanced Reader’s Copy for my honest review.

ISBN:  9781681774480

Pub: Pegasus Books/ W.W. Norton

Pub Date:  August 8, 2017

Genre:  Historical Mystery