What do you think?
Rate this book
The Lusitania Code
Lady Emmeline “Foxy” Butterschloss lives in self-imposed isolation on her country estate. She is haunted by her experiences six years earlier as an ambulance driver on the Western Front and the loss of her husband during the war.
After her war work in France, she spent the rest of the war as a gifted cryptologist for the Royal Navy. However, the veil of secrecy drawn over her work and that of other women in naval intelligence makes her feel useless and discarded in the war’s aftermath.
She is pulled back to the world of intelligence when the top-secret records of the sinking of the Lusitania suddenly disappear, and someone tries to kill her adult adopted son, who was the last person to see the files.
Foxy rediscovers her indomitable—if often impetuous—will and deploys her considerable skills as a sharpshooter and a cryptologist to rescue Dinny and his friends from the dangerous world of political intrigue and espionage.
Winston Churchill was First Lord of the Admiralty in 1915, when a German submarine torpedo sank the Lusitania. Powerful people do not want the damning secrets in the Lusitania files to emerge on the eve of Churchill’s run for Parliament in 1924.
Foxy also solves the murder of a whistleblower who was about to expose a plot by MI5 and Conservative party leaders to smear the Labour Prime Minister as a stooge for the Soviet Union.
As she investigates both mysteries, Foxy realizes sinister forces are at work and her life is in danger.
Can the man who has secretly loved her for decades protect her? And can she learn to love again before it is too late?
After her war work in France, she spent the rest of the war as a gifted cryptologist for the Royal Navy. However, the veil of secrecy drawn over her work and that of other women in naval intelligence makes her feel useless and discarded in the war’s aftermath.
She is pulled back to the world of intelligence when the top-secret records of the sinking of the Lusitania suddenly disappear, and someone tries to kill her adult adopted son, who was the last person to see the files.
Foxy rediscovers her indomitable—if often impetuous—will and deploys her considerable skills as a sharpshooter and a cryptologist to rescue Dinny and his friends from the dangerous world of political intrigue and espionage.
Winston Churchill was First Lord of the Admiralty in 1915, when a German submarine torpedo sank the Lusitania. Powerful people do not want the damning secrets in the Lusitania files to emerge on the eve of Churchill’s run for Parliament in 1924.
Foxy also solves the murder of a whistleblower who was about to expose a plot by MI5 and Conservative party leaders to smear the Labour Prime Minister as a stooge for the Soviet Union.
As she investigates both mysteries, Foxy realizes sinister forces are at work and her life is in danger.
Can the man who has secretly loved her for decades protect her? And can she learn to love again before it is too late?
Paperback
Published January 27, 2026
1 person is currently reading
2 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
Read
January 30, 2026DNF’d at 14%. Just wasn’t for me.
February 10, 2026
Emmeline (Foxy) Butterschloss is pulled from an extended episode of depression while secluded at her country estate when her grandnephew — and only remaining family member — Lt. Dinny Custus finds himself, through no fault of his own, in serious trouble. Foxy teams up with her old friend Lord Ainsworth and steps back into the sinister world of intelligence and intrigue.
This book threw me for a loop. I expected a historical mystery with a side of political intrigue. The Lusitania Code, however, is a viper’s nest of political intrigue with a side of mystery. Robertson burrows deep.
Long before The Secret Adversary was mentioned, I was catching more than a hint of Tommy and Tuppence in the narration. The world-building is immaculate; I could easily believe this book was written in the 1920s. The dialogue reflects that authenticity — I even looked up a few phrases to confirm, and yes, they were period-appropriate. The character development is rich and layered, and the relationships feel complex and believable.
Choose your analogy — viper’s nest, spider web, den of slavering wolves — they all apply to the story’s structure. Robertson clearly knows her history. This is not fiction floating in isolation, but a narrative grounded in real events and political tensions, which adds both realism and a certain unease. The personal tragedies are visceral and not always comfortable to read.
This is a dense book. At 308 pages, it carries the weight and momentum of something much longer. The sections on Room 40 and codebreaking are especially fascinating. Only one paragraph struck me as superfluous, and even that added texture to Foxy’s character.
A few elements did muddy the waters slightly. The oil-on-the-lug-nuts detail didn’t quite track for me. Flashbacks sometimes begin or end without a clear signal, which can be momentarily jarring. The poetry — lovely in itself — is heavily concentrated in the first third and then disappears, though literary references continue. A more even distribution, or trimming one piece, might improve balance.
My only significant reservation concerns the use of real historical figures and contested theories as central pillars of the plot. Fiction can blur perception, and when real people are involved, that line deserves careful handling. Two historical figures emerge in a harsh light; a third was, to my knowledge, accurately depicted. While this didn’t diminish my enjoyment of the story, it’s something readers may want to keep in mind.
Ultimately, I rated The Lusitania Code according to its strengths: it’s a brilliant story, an impressive fiction debut, and one I thoroughly enjoyed — while still noting that concern.
This novel will appeal to mystery readers, particularly fans of Agatha Christie, who enjoy dense, calculated storytelling. It offers drama, suspense, romance, and danger. I especially appreciated that Foxy is not a bright young ingénue but a seasoned protagonist with depth and presence. Just remember: this is fiction.
Thank you to Level Best Books for the opportunity to read The Lusitania Code. I received a complimentary copy through NetGalley, and I am writing this review voluntarily.
This book threw me for a loop. I expected a historical mystery with a side of political intrigue. The Lusitania Code, however, is a viper’s nest of political intrigue with a side of mystery. Robertson burrows deep.
Long before The Secret Adversary was mentioned, I was catching more than a hint of Tommy and Tuppence in the narration. The world-building is immaculate; I could easily believe this book was written in the 1920s. The dialogue reflects that authenticity — I even looked up a few phrases to confirm, and yes, they were period-appropriate. The character development is rich and layered, and the relationships feel complex and believable.
Choose your analogy — viper’s nest, spider web, den of slavering wolves — they all apply to the story’s structure. Robertson clearly knows her history. This is not fiction floating in isolation, but a narrative grounded in real events and political tensions, which adds both realism and a certain unease. The personal tragedies are visceral and not always comfortable to read.
This is a dense book. At 308 pages, it carries the weight and momentum of something much longer. The sections on Room 40 and codebreaking are especially fascinating. Only one paragraph struck me as superfluous, and even that added texture to Foxy’s character.
A few elements did muddy the waters slightly. The oil-on-the-lug-nuts detail didn’t quite track for me. Flashbacks sometimes begin or end without a clear signal, which can be momentarily jarring. The poetry — lovely in itself — is heavily concentrated in the first third and then disappears, though literary references continue. A more even distribution, or trimming one piece, might improve balance.
My only significant reservation concerns the use of real historical figures and contested theories as central pillars of the plot. Fiction can blur perception, and when real people are involved, that line deserves careful handling. Two historical figures emerge in a harsh light; a third was, to my knowledge, accurately depicted. While this didn’t diminish my enjoyment of the story, it’s something readers may want to keep in mind.
Ultimately, I rated The Lusitania Code according to its strengths: it’s a brilliant story, an impressive fiction debut, and one I thoroughly enjoyed — while still noting that concern.
This novel will appeal to mystery readers, particularly fans of Agatha Christie, who enjoy dense, calculated storytelling. It offers drama, suspense, romance, and danger. I especially appreciated that Foxy is not a bright young ingénue but a seasoned protagonist with depth and presence. Just remember: this is fiction.
Thank you to Level Best Books for the opportunity to read The Lusitania Code. I received a complimentary copy through NetGalley, and I am writing this review voluntarily.
February 15, 2026
** Thank you to NetGalley and Linda Robertson for an ARC copy in exchange for an honest review**
When I started reading, I really enjoyed the attention to historical detail. However, the further I read, the harder it became to be immersed. A lot was going on - too many side characters and their memories and personal histories
When I started reading, I really enjoyed the attention to historical detail. However, the further I read, the harder it became to be immersed. A lot was going on - too many side characters and their memories and personal histories
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews