A review by jsilfen924
The Killing Code by Ellie Marney

4.0

The Killing Code is a cleverly written novel that mixes historical fiction, crime fiction and romance. The story is set in DC in the middle of WWII and follows Kit Sutherland, a code breaker at Arlington Hall, and her three friends, Moya, Dottie and Violet. When Kit finds a government girl brutally murderer, and then connects the crime scene to another case, her and her friends set off to find the person responsible.

What I enjoyed:
-How the story highlighted women’s involvement in the war effort
-The emphasis on female code breaking and using that knowledge to solve a local murder case
-There was a great queer romance storyline
-How Marney pulled in pieces of racial injustices evident during that time period
-The quotes at the start of each chapter, which were by real female code breakers and gave insight into the story

What I did not love:
-I quickly guessed the “whodunit”
-The romance was a bit too insta-love and out of the blue in the context of the book
-I would have loved some more closure with the murderer at the end

Thanks Little Brown Books for Young Readers for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. Pub date: 9/20/22