It’s wartime, 1940. Maggie Hope, raised in America, is actually British and, due to the unexpected inheritance of a house, finds herself in London and in need of a job. Most unexpectedly, she winds up working as a typist for the prime minister, Winston Churchill himself. Maggie’s background is actually math, and she soon finds herself caught up in intrigue and ciphers. This book contains marvelous period detail and interesting characters. It is both a first-rate historical novel and a fine murder mystery. Recommended.