The Bletchley Riddle

This thrilling historical mystery, a collaboration between Ruta Sepetys and Steve Sheinkin, plunges readers into the heart of WWII's Bletchley Park. Nineteen-year-old Jakob and his fourteen-year-old sister Lizzie, both puzzle enthusiasts, find themselves embroiled in the top-secret world of codebreaking while simultaneously trying to solve the baffling disappearance of their mother. As the Battle of Britain rages, they must overcome their sibling squabbles to decipher clues, evade a menacing inspector, and uncover a shocking truth. It's a fast-paced adventure that blends historical facts with a compelling personal mystery, perfect for middle-grade readers interested in history, espionage, and problem-solving.

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • A thrilling mystery and collaboration between award-winning and bestselling authors Ruta Sepetys and Steve Sheinkin! This historical adventure follows two siblings at Bletchley Park, the home of WWII codebreakers, as they try to unravel a mystery surrounding their mother’s disappearance. "Break out your Enigma machines! Sepetys and Sheinkin have written a thrilling World War II code-breaking adventure filled with ciphers, secrets, and spies."—Alan Gratz, New York Times bestselling author of Refugee Remember, you are bound by the Official Secrets Act… Summer, 1940. Nineteen-year-old Jakob Novis and his quirky younger sister, Lizzie, share a love of riddles and puzzles. And now they’re living inside of one. The quarrelsome siblings find themselves amid one of the greatest secrets of World War II—Britain’s eccentric codebreaking factory at Bletchley Park. As Jakob joins Bletchley’s top minds to crack the Nazi's Enigma cipher, fourteen-year-old Lizzie embarks on a mission to solve the mysterious disappearance of their mother. The Battle of Britain rages and Hitler’s invasion creeps closer. And at the same time, baffling messages and codes arrive on their doorstep while a menacing inspector lurks outside the gates of the Bletchley mansion. Are the messages truly for them, or are they a trap? Could the riddles of Enigma and their mother's disappearance be somehow connected? Jakob and Lizzie must find a way to work together as they race to decipher clues that unravel a shocking puzzle that presents the ultimate challenge: How long must a secret be kept?