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Deborah Swift

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The Silk Code: An utterly sweeping and heart-breaking WW2 historical fiction novel for 2024! (WW2 Secret Agent Series) Kindle Edition

by Deborah Swift (Author) Format: Kindle Edition

4.4 1,157 ratings

Part of: WW2 Secret Agent Series (3 books)

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‘The Silk Code had me absolutely hooked… A great storyline full of bravery, trust, love, survival, betrayal and determination.’ NetGalley reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Based on the true story of ‘Englandspiel’, one woman must race against the clock to uncover a traitor, even if it means losing the man she loves.

England, 1943:
Deciding to throw herself into war work, Nancy Callaghan joins the Special Operations Executive in Baker Street. There, she begins solving ‘indecipherables’ – scrambled messages from agents in the field.

Then Nancy meets Tom Lockwood, a quiet genius when it comes to coding. Together they come up with the idea of printing codes on silk, so agents can hide them in their clothing to avoid detection by the enemy. Nancy and Tom grow close, and soon she is hopelessly in love.

But there is a traitor in Baker Street, and suspicions turn towards Tom. When Nancy is asked to spy on Tom, she must make the ultimate sacrifice and complete a near-impossible mission. Could the man she loves be the enemy?

An utterly gripping and unputdownable WW2 historical fiction novel, perfect for fans of Ella Carey and Ellie Midwood!

Readers LOVE The Silk Code!

‘Characters that you could get into and a storyline that kept you hooked wanting to read on to find out what happened next – my sign of a good book!’ NetGalley reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘A brilliant book, one of Swift’s best. I can’t wait for the next one.’ NetGalley reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘I loved the characters that Deborah Swift crafted… well written and a good mix of historical fiction and mystery.’ NetGalley reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘Really enjoyed this book… [a] fantastic read.’ NetGalley reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘The depth of research this author does is obvious but she makes it so easily absorbable with characters you either hate or love and a plot that just keeps the pages turning.’ NetGalley reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘An excellent book on World War 2 history.’ NetGalley reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0BY95RMCJ
Publisher ‏ : ‎ HQ Digital (May 17, 2023)
Publication date ‏ : ‎ May 17, 2023
Language ‏ : ‎ English
File size ‏ : ‎ 1826 KB
Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
Print length ‏ : ‎ 375 pages

Best Sellers Rank: #62,202 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #129 in 20th Century Historical Romance eBooks
- #333 in Historical World War II Fiction
- #638 in Women's Historical Fiction

Customer Reviews:
4.4 1,157 ratings

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Deborah Swift

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THANK YOU for visiting my author page! As you read this I'll probably be writing from my tall stone house which was once a school and built in 1902. This is a house that is "new" in English terms, as many of our local villages date back to the 1630's or even earlier.

I write historical fiction, a genre I love. I loved the Victorian classics such as Jane Eyre, Little Women, Lorna Doone and Wuthering Heights. As I child I loved to read and when I had read my own library books, I used to borrow my mother's library copies of Anya Seton and Daphne du Maurier. I have loved reading historical novels ever since; though I'm a bookaholic and I read widely - contemporary and classic fiction as well as historicals.

In the past I used to work as a set and costume designer for theatre and TV, so I enjoy the research aspect of creating historical fiction, something I loved doing as a scenographer. More details of my research and writing process can be found on my website. I like to write about extraordinary characters set against the background of real historical events.

I live in North Lancashire on the edge of the Lake District, a beautiful area made famous by the Romantic Poets such as Wordsworth and Coleridge. I love exploring the mountainous landscapes and interesting coastline near my home.

'Her characters are so real that they linger in the mind long after the book is back on the shelf. Highly recommended. ' The Historical Novels Review.

Visit my website deborahswift.com for a free story,

WW2 Books:

Past Encounters

The Occupation

The Lifeline

The Silk Code

The Italian Renaissance Series:

The Poison Keeper

The Silkworm Keeper

The Fortune Keeper

The Pepys Trilogy:

Pleasing Mr Pepys

A Plague on Mr Pepys

Entertaining Mr Pepys

17th Century Books:

The Lady's Slipper

The Gilded Lily

A Divided Inheritance

Books for Adults/Young Adults:

Shadow on the Highway

Spirit of the Highway

Lady of the Highway

Find me on my website www.deborahswift.com

or on Twitter @swiftstory

or facebook - authordeborahswift

Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5

1,157 global ratings

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NWReadingMaven

pulse-pounding, totally immersive historical thriller

Reviewed in the United States on May 25, 2023

Verified Purchase

Deborah Swift’s new WWII historical thriller, The Silk Code, is a pulse-pounding, totally immersive journey into a dangerous world of wartime espionage. From the first pages, I was hooked. Protagonist Nancy Callaghan is a heroine for the ages. Wounded by a romantic betrayal, she throws herself into her work as a wartime decoder, unscrambling messages from agents in the field. As she and Tom, a dashing coworker, develop a groundbreaking idea to print codes on silk, their collaboration turns into something deeper. But traitors lurk at every turn, and when Tom is targeted as a possible Nazi agent, Nancy is asked to spy on her new love. This impossible task is just the first of the increasingly dangerous missions Nancy must undertake. When she finds herself face to face with the true enemy, Nancy must call upon every shred of courage she possesses and deploy every scrap of her training to survive.

This is edge-of-your-seat stuff. I galloped through this thrilling novel, rooting for Nancy, appalled at the betrayals and the harsh realities of wartime existence in England. I especially loved reading about a female protagonist in a war novel who does dangerous, adventurous work in the field while her male counterparts stay behind—such a refreshing change from the usual scenarios. Nancy is beautifully drawn—strong but also sensitive, book-smart but also scrappy enough to navigate situations of high drama and terror. I can’t wait for the sequel. Highly recommended.

4 people found this helpful

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maria

WW2 Fans

Reviewed in the United States on July 28, 2023

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Very good,great historical novel.Kept your attention and good plot line.Characters real andinteresting.Worth reading,looking forward to next book.Recommended for WW2 fans.

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HF Reader

A brilliant, action-packed thriller

Reviewed in the United States on May 26, 2023

Verified Purchase

What remained with me after devouring The Silk Code was a feeling of total immersion into the devastating and heroic era of WWII. Along with being a superb storyteller, Ms Swift weaves in fascinating, authentic research. Her words draw you into this world as not just a reader or an observer, but as a participant.
With compelling characters who are tested beyond endurance on their courage and loyalty, The Silk Code explores the essence of bravery—and cowardice—and delivers a satisfying plot set against a backdrop of varying levels of good, evil, and faintheartedness. In Nancy Callaghan, Ms Swift has created a believable and likeable heroine, who grows into her potential as the novel progresses, and had me holding my breath through most of the last third of the book as she resourcefully navigated her way through enemy territory. What I also found enthralling was Ms Swift’s introduction of multiple points of view, even including fairly minor characters. Hard to do, but a technique that really enriched the novel, bringing a unique perspective to the agonizing conflict and deathly stakes everyone faced.
Throughout, the small details were superb, and I felt as though I was one of the resistance fighters, so meticulously choreographed was the planning and execution to aid Nancy’s mission. As with any struggle, at almost every potential win lurked betrayal and defeat, and whether it was circumstance or a variety of malevolent characters, I was on tenterhooks, willing Nancy to succeed. Complex codes, furtive radio transmissions, rescue planes and realistic disguises, false papers and brave citizens sacrificing everything to defeat the Nazis resulted in a brilliant, action-packed thriller. And although many of the outcomes were devastatingly tragic, the novel ends on a note of brave optimism that begs for a sequel. I will be first in line to read it. Highly recommend.

8 people found this helpful

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NanaD

EXCELLENT

Reviewed in the United States on March 4, 2024

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At first, due to some characters being unlikable and irritating I was “on the fence” as to whether or not I wanted to continue reading the book. That, very quickly changed and I found myself unable to put it down. Well written, well researched edge of the seat story. I will be starting book #2 in the series “The Shadow Network” this afternoon!

One person found this helpful

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Stephanie L

on the Edge of My Seat

Reviewed in the United States on February 28, 2024

Verified Purchase

What a great red. There was much historical information, as well as character development, and a great storyline. There was lots of suspense, and I was sitting on the edge of my seat during at least the last half of the book.

Reviewed in the United States on August 6, 2023

Verified Purchase

Another winner for fans of WWII stories. The story is a nice blend of characters and plot twists to keep you interested.

Reviewed in the United States on January 28, 2024

Verified Purchase

I almost gave up on this book. I am a male Boomer and the first third or so of this book was feeling like a romance novel, but I stuck with it. It was well worth it. Great insights and well
researched. My father served in WWII so I am interested in anything about that period.
Holland (as we used to call it) during the war was an arena I knew little about, and this novel was informative and entertaining!

One person found this helpful

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Aanel Victoria

Good stuff - compelling. emotionally involving, and informative

Reviewed in the United States on July 22, 2023

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I quite enjoyed this book. It has a good plot which grabs you emotionally, and then slowly accelerates into a driving momentum that doesn't let go.

It's both well written, with exquisite prose, and well researched. You'll learn a lot! This is not a rehash of the over-trod themes of Bletchley (in fact it's not about Bletchley at all) or transmitters parachuted into occupied France. It's something totally different, and you will learn a lot.

In fact, at the very back of the book there is a short section called "Historical Notes", which is very eye-opening and which I recommend everyone read after they finish this exciting and emotionally satisfying novel.

One person found this helpful

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Top reviews from other countries

marsi

Interesting plot

Reviewed in Canada on February 11, 2024

Verified Purchase

Well written,informative, difficult to put down. Entertaining.

Bookmarked Reviews

You will have to remind yourself to breathe

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 10, 2023

Verified Purchase

Nancy Callagham leaves behind in Scotland her straying fiancé and joins her brother Neil in London. He is already working as an agent for the British Government. Nancy is recruited for the Special Operations Executive (SOE) as a coder. There she meets Tom Lockwood. The SOE overlooks communications with the Resistance in Holland but something is not right within the Service. Too many agents die. There is a traitor amongst the spies and he, or she, has to be uncovered before more lives are lost. Nobody is above suspicion.
Swift lays layer upon layer of suspense as she introduces her characters and envelopes them in the suffocating atmosphere of mistrust, tension and dangerous manoeuvres. You are slowly sucked into the story. Swift digs her claws into you and she doesn’t let up until the very end.
I was hopelessly gripped from the moment Nancy is dispatched to Holland into the arms of awaiting Nazis (a certain death sentence) and the scramble to save her back at home proves doomed to fail. But Nancy is a fighter.
The Silk Code is an absorbing spy thriller with beautifully nuanced characters immersed in well researched historical setting that is vivid, palpable and authentic.

One person found this helpful

FSTLI

Exciting espionage novel

Reviewed in Germany on June 12, 2023

Verified Purchase

Nancy is living peacefully in Scotland in 1943 when she discovers, shortly before her marriage, that her fiancé is cheating on her. She travels to her brother, Neil, in London and interviews for a job with the WWF in Baker Street. Her fluency in Dutch, French and German
and her mathematical brain secure her a job in decoding messages. She meets Tom and develops strong feelings for him. Soon it becomes clear that the section she is working in has become compromised. Who is the traitor? Could it be Tom? Her supervisor forces her to spy on Tom and possibly find discriminatingproof against him. Tom finds out and is outraged at this betrayal.The thrill story continues as Nancy is dropped into enemy territory and no longer knows jwho she can trust and who is yet another Nazi spy. I love Deborah’s description s “the rain bounced up from the road nearly waist high” is so much better than “it was raining hard”. The characters were convincing and the story realistic. A MUST REAF book and I cuan’t wait for book 2.

Amazon Customer

Historical fiction WW2

Reviewed in Australia on April 11, 2024

Verified Purchase

Exciting story. A book you can't put down. followed by sequel The Shadow Network. Also, a great story.

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The Silk Code: An utterly sweeping and heart-breaking WW2 historical fiction novel for 2024! (WW2 Secret Agent Series) Kindle Edition

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