Death of a Codebreaker

by Max Folsom

OLD CONSPIRACIES, NEW COLD-BLOODED MURDER When Darlene Johanson, a young librarian in Ottawa, Ontario, goes missing, private investigator Baker Somerset soon discovers a tangled web that leads her to a decades-old murder. Darlene’s great-aunt Loretta, a World War Two codebreaker, disappeared under mysterious circumstances during wartime, and her niece had been looking into it, uncovering a complex covert operation involving spies and submarines. When Somerset, a former Scotland Yard detective, realizes the two cases are connected, she is put directly in the path of dangerous neo-Nazi groups and a killer who will stop at nothing to cover up past crimes. This is the third book in the Baker Somerset series.

288 pages, Paperback

Published February 17, 2024

Reviews

[David Schoorens · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve just finished another in the series of crime novels by Max Folsom, Death of a Codebreaker. I am happy to report with each story I am enjoying more and more her main character, Baker Somerset. A former Scotland Yard detective now working as a private investigator in Ottawa, it is through Baker that the reader can enjoy the intricacies of her cases, her at times quicky supporting characters and Ottawa police techniques. I especially enjoy the details of Ottawa itself, lending a feeling of familiarity with a city I’ve never seen before. Though Baker’s case is set in the present day, Death of a Codebreaker offers a wonderful connection to Ottawa during the days of World War II and German U-boats operating around the Maritimes.
An easy read that will satisfy any lover of detective fiction. Get it!

[S R · Rating 5 out of 5]

I met the author Max Folsom at the Vermont holiday Market in Dec 2024. We had a lovely conversation about the books and inspiration, and fabulous green eyeglasses both square and round. I was glad to support a local author by buying the book at the market.

The book Death of a Codebreaker was a delightful read. Endearing characters. Fast moving. Relatively “clean” language free of swears and no gore. Unexpected twists and turns to keep you turning the pages and sad when the story ends. Well done Max Folsom! Keep on writing please!

[Max Folsom · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not on Kindle. It's a paperbook, or ebook at this point.