Smoke Signal cover art

Smoke Signal

A Novella

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Smoke Signal

By: Marie Benedict, Kate Quinn
Narrated by: Nicola Barber, Saskia Maarleveld
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About this listen

Best-selling authors Marie Benedict (The Mystery of Mrs. Christie) and Kate Quinn (The Rose Code) join forces to tell the captivating story of how history's most famous mystery writer crossed paths with one of Britain's top-secret codebreakers in the throes of World War II.

Recruited as a codebreaker of enemy ciphers, ex-debutante Osla Kendall spends her days translating Axis military messages and her nights reading mystery novels. When Osla gets her hands on Agatha Christie's most recent work, N or M?, a mysterious signal within its pages catches her eye, and she and her eccentric book club get in touch with the famous but reclusive writer. Osla's outreach is a welcome distraction for Agatha, who feels restless and underestimated toiling away in a London pharmacy while men like her husband can contribute to the war effort from the frontlines.

So begins the story of an unlikely friendship and the secrets that bind two brave women embroiled in war. Based on true events and told by two beloved authors and champions of history's heroines, Smoke Signal is a breathtaking novella of espionage and the unforgettable women who risked everything to serve their country.

To learn more about Osla Kendall and Agatha Christie, see Marie Benedict's The Mystery of Mrs. Christie, a novel of Agatha Christie's disappearance in 1926, and Kate Quinn's forthcoming The Rose Code, a novel of the female codebreakers of Bletchley Park.

©2021 Marie Benedict and Kate Quinn (P)2021 Audible Originals, LLC.
20th Century Historical Fiction Fiction War Feel-Good Mystery

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All stars
Most relevant
I’d happily read a full novel with these two characters if the authors ever fancy it.

Good fun

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Good if you need something gentle in the background as you do housework or walk the dog. Evoked the era well and it is interesting to view through Agatha Christie’s own eyes rather than her characters. Osla was likeable and witty. But it isn’t really a mystery and feels unfinished with the ending as it is. I was expecting some sort of twist where their actions had an impact upon the war or Bletchley Park but it just sort-of faded. I’m glad it was free as with running time just over an hour, it wouldn’t be worth the usual fees for a whole book.

Intriguing, gently paced novella but not much to it

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I listened all through it I couldn’t actually get what the story was - it only seemed to develop in the last 10 mins and was very thin. Perhaps one to do the ironing to..,,

What was the story?

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Interesting ideas of secrecy boredom and keeping your brain active
Dangers of sympathetic people to the enemy

Possible secrets or educated guesses

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I loved Osla in the Rose Code, so it was great to hear more of that story and those characters & also so interesting to cross paths with Agatha Christie

Great as an extra chapter of the Rose Code

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