THE ENIGMA GAME

Angela Ness's accents add to the atmosphere of this historical YA novel set on the coast of Scotland in 1940. At age 15, half-Jamaican Louisa Adair is orphaned, and she leaves London to take a job caring for Jane, an elderly German woman. At Jane's niece's pub in Windyedge, Louisa meets Ellen McEwan, a volunteer driver for the nearby RAF base, and Jamie Beaufort-Stuart, a pilot. When a German defector hides an Enigma machine at the pub, all four become involved in decoding messages about German attacks. Narrating a story with multiple points of view, an international crew of fighter pilots, and even the occasional song, Ness has her work cut out for her. The developing friendships amid stark reminders of war make this a gripping listen. J.M.D. © AudioFile 2020, Portland, Maine [Published: JULY 2020]