 Author: Amy Lynn Green Genre: WWII Historical Fiction Pages: 400 Release Date: June 17, 2025 Publisher: Bethany House Publishers In the heart of the US capital, Dinah Kendall's role for the Office of Strategic Services isn't the thrilling espionage career she dreamed of. Instead, she spends her days crafting rumors aimed at undermining Axis morale. As Dinah navigates her duties, she uncovers a startling revelation: Her mother, Lillian, was once a codebreaker, cracking military ciphers during the Great War alongside some of the nation's most brilliant minds. The deeper Dinah dives into her mother's past, the more secrets come to light--including the heavy cost of high-stakes codebreaking. Lillian, though resolute in her decision to avoid war work, reluctantly enters the fray when old friends in Washington, DC, seek her expertise. Both mother and daughter find themselves working behind the scenes--and working together--to support the Allied cause. But just when Dinah begins to excel in her new position, everything she's worked so hard to obtain comes crashing down around her. Caught in a web of intrigue and unsure who to trust, she must piece together the truth in time to confront the shadowy threat that could compromise the impending D-Day invasion.
 Reviewer: Mindy Houng “Brilliance wasn’t nearly so important as old-fashioned grit.” Set in 1917 and 1944, the two storylines were connected by Lillian’s pragmatic, no-nonsense third person voice. The 1944 timeline also featured Lillian’s daughter Dinah, who was a complete opposite from her mother. I really enjoyed the history behind the story and loved learning about the secret world of codes and ciphers during WWI and WWII. My favorite character was Roger, Lillian’s husband and Dinah’s father. His steadfast faith, deep-seated loyalty, unwavering love, and complete devotion made him a wonderful character. Though he didn’t have a voice in the plot, his actions and words spoke of his noble and honor-filled character. Lillian had a difficult childhood, and it affected her entire outlook on life. Only when she realized that she still had purpose did she blossom. Dinah was impulsive and a bit immature, but had grit and drive. I unfortunately didn’t connect with either of these characters. They were a bit flat and one-dimensional. It felt like the story happened to them instead of their making the story happen. Still, historical fiction fans would enjoy this book that spans the two wars through the eyes of mother and daughter. I received a complimentary copy courtesy of Bethany House via Interviews & Reviews and NetGalley and was under no obligation to post a positive comment. All opinions are my own.  Reviewer: Laura J. Davis Amy Lynn Green’s The Codebreaker’s Daughter is a captivating historical dual-timeline novel exploring government cryptographers and their use of coded rumours to undermine German troops. Lily and her daughter Dinah are the focus of this slow-paced novel. During WWI, Lily was solving ciphers and in WWII it was Dinah’s turn. Although the research was excellent and the topic engaging, the book’s repetitiveness and slow pace made it a hard read. Given the book’s captivating start, I expected that espionage would be a key element. Sadly, the action didn’t really start until the end of the book. It was more about the relationship between the mother and daughter and this caused the book to drag. However, the ending redeemed itself and the book had a satisfying ending. If you like solving puzzles and if you enjoy WWII books, you might like The Codebreaker’s Daughter. I received a complimentary copy courtesy of Bethany House Publishers via NetGalley for my honest opinion. Reviewer: Katelyn Sponaugle Introspective. Relatable. Real life feel. That is how I’d describe The Codebreaker’s Daughter. Amy Lynn Green portrayed the beauty and brokenness that often make up our familial relationships, particularly where mental health has played a factor. She also did a wonderful job exploring the question of whether or not you’ve done anything meaningful with your life, uncovering some beautiful truths. I found this book relatable in ways I didn’t expect. This book is on the slower side. It wasn’t a riveting, fast-paced adventure, but I enjoyed just being along for the journey of life. It wasn’t a fairytale romance, but I enjoyed the real life love story. It didn’t have a strong faith element, but the principles of truth were still evident, sprinkled with memorable insights. All in all, it’s a historically accurate, interesting read populated with a cast of interesting, relatable characters. I genuinely enjoyed it and won’t hesitate to read other books by Amy Lynn Green in the future. I received a complimentary copy courtesy of Bethany House Publishers and Interviews & Reviews for my honest review.  Reviewer: Rebecca Maney “What do you know? And what does it mean?” The two most basic questions that every codebreaker should remember to ask themselves, and yet more often than not, the answers lead to more extensive inquiry. Dinah Kendall’s rising stress level was a testament to the enormous responsibility that even entry-level employees of the federal government’s Office of Strategic Services felt and experienced on a daily basis, especially when, years earlier, and initially unknown to Dinah, her mother had worked in Washington, D. C. during the Great War. Lillian Kendall’s contributions within an elite team of codebreakers had eventually diminished into a small journal chronicling her story, in code of course, which she had deemed lost some years earlier. Through a series of providential circumstances, mother and daughter become intertwined in a critical situation with potential global repercussions, one in which time is most certainly not on their side. Brimming with national history, iconic characters, and a story that just keeps on giving and taking, this fine example of historical fiction flows with the ease of an expensive pen, allowing readers to peek behind the curtain of national intelligence in an era when even family members kept secrets. “The future was a cipher for everyone, really, a jumble of unknowns. Maybe all she had to do was gather the courage to begin.” I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book that I received from Bethany House Publishers through Interviews & Reviews. The opinions stated above are entirely my own. Reviewer: Conny Withay
“There was a job out there that was a perfect fit for her…and it would require her to sign an oath of secrecy. How perfectly delicious,” Dinah determines in Amy Lynn Green’s novel, The Codebreaker’s Daughter. This four-hundred-page paperback targets those interested in historical fiction about women codebreaking during both world wars. Using slang words such as darn and drat, topics involving telling lies and breaking the law may not be appropriate for immature readers. The ending includes an author’s note, fourteen discussion questions, an excerpt of another book by the writer, her biography, and advertisements. Set mainly in Washington DC during both World War I and World War II, this dual-timeline tale follows mother, Lily, and her daughter, Dinah, who both have a knack for codebreaking during war. While Lily deals with her past that involves mental illness, it is her daughter who has to decipher her parent’s coded journal to understand her mother better. But with the feeling someone is shadowing her, Dinah must rely on her upbringing and mother’s expertise to solve a threatening military puzzle. Learning about the secretive facets of war has always intrigued me, so it was interesting learning about women’s roles at the Office of Strategic Services, Morale Operations, and Riverbank. The factual accounts of William and Elizebeth Friedman and George Fabyan were fascinating. The seriousness of cryptography was aptly explained. Those who do not have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ may not like this story, but only minimal prayers and a Bible verse or two are mentioned. Others may feel there was little espionage and spying, while it contained more personal drama and complicated relationships. I almost stopped reading after the first hundred pages due to the repetitive analogies and metaphors that I found distracting to the story. However, after I got used to them, I found the second half of the book more engaging. It would be helpful to include a list of characters for each war covered. I prefer all pronouns of God to be capitalized for reverence. Since it is considered a Christian story, adding the eternal plan of salvation could have been considered. If you like a dual-timeline story about how a mother and daughter ciphered the past to aid America in wartime, this one will keep you in suspense. Thanks to Bethany House through Interviews & Reviews for this complimentary book. I am under no obligation to give a positive review. Leave a Reply. |
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