The Traitor’s Code: Absolutely page-turning WW2 historical fiction

by Stephen Ronson

Everyone is gripped by Stephen

'A brilliant noir thriller set in the darkest days of the Second World War' Stephen Leather

'A gripping World War Two thriller . . . Every shadow hides a potential threat and the tension never lets up. A must read' Reader review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

'Ronson delivers a cracking yarn, convincingly told. John Cook is the Jack Reacher of 1940s Britain' Damien Lewis

'My God, this was great. It left me with a book hangover. I felt like I was there in 1940s England . . . The writing is really 3D. You really feel like you're there. It's very immersive, and I love the witty humour' Reader review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

'A vivid sense of place with tension on every level, The Last Line dripped with historical detail and authenticity. I absolutely loved it' Marion Todd

'A tough, taut wartime thriller that reads like a cross between Alastair MacLean and Lee Child and atmospherically conjures up the spectre of war, the threat of Nazi invasion and other evils uncomfortably close to home. Dad's Army, it ain't!' Robbie Morrison

'Thrilling and intriguing in equal measure. Like Jack Reacher on the Home Front in WWII' Mason Cross

416 pages, Paperback

Expected publication February 16, 2027

About the author

Stephen Ronson grew up in Sussex, and spent a large part of his childhood exploring the woods and fields around Uckfield, many of which were still dotted with reminders of WW2 - pill boxes, tank traps, nissen huts, and graffiti left by soldiers awaiting D-Day.

He is a passionate student of local history, and when he learnt about Auxiliary Units - groups of men who were instructed to lay low during the predicted nazi invasion and lead the fight back, he knew he had to write about a Sussex farmer, one with a love of the land, and a natural desire and ability to get the job done.

Many of the locations and characters in the John Cook series are inspired by real places and real people. In particular, Stephen was inspired by his grandparents, Eric, Bessie, Peter and Vera, each of whom did their bit on the home front.

Reviews

[Christine · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really love this series! Set in Sussex during WWII, the novels show a different side of the struggle during the war when compared with other novels. Here, the Home Guards are the main characters. Some of them work for the Intelligence Office... In this novel, Cook and Margaret deal with the murder of one friend. Their investigation leads them further than they had imagined: quantum physics, foreign scientists... Whom to trust, who is working for whom? Much action, twists and turns kept me guessing till the conclusion...
What I also particularly enjoy in this gripping series is the fact that the reader learns a lot about the Home Guards on the one hand, and also about the organisation of farming at that time. Very interesting indeed.
A very good read!
I received a digital copy of this novel from NetGalley and I have voluntarily written an honest review.

[Aileen (Ailz) Grist · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excfiting story of heavy water smuggled to England by a couple of scientists who would go on to help at Los Alamos. The part about heavy water being smuggled into England is true - it actually ended up at Windsor Castle, but not in this story. The rest is fiction.

Cook and Lady Margaret are asked to find the scientists, the Aunt of one of them and the heavy water. Of course they're not the only ones. The Germans want it - as do the Russians - but who will get to it first. And who is on which side.

A good book about the area I live in - East Sussex - during the Battle of Britain where British ingenuity was used to keep the bombers away from ancient towns.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher I read an advance review copy of the book. This review is unbiased, honest and my own opinion.

[M.S. Hawthorn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’ve given The Traitor’s Code a fair chance, but unfortunately I’ve decided to DNF at 20%. There’s nothing particularly wrong with the book or the writing, but I found the pacing too slow for my personal taste and struggled to become invested in either the characters or the story.

I enjoyed some of the historical detail and setting, but ultimately I found myself having to push myself to continue reading rather than wanting to pick the book back up. I think this will work much better for readers who enjoy slower-paced, character-led historical fiction, but sadly it just wasn’t the right fit for me.