The Lusitania Code: A Lady Butterschloss Mystery
In this meticulously researched political thriller, Lady Emmeline “Foxy” Butterschloss is drawn out of her comfortable retirement in the country when confidential documents pertaining to the sinking of the Lusitania are stolen from the desk of her adopted grand-nephew, Dinwiddie “Dinny” Custus, at the Admiralty Records Office. Dinny is threatened with dismissal and court martial, as is his friend Addie, who has also uncovered records pertaining to the Lusitania. When the two are nearly killed in a car accident that may well be no accident, Foxy suspects a conspiracy that sheds new, unflattering light on Winston Churchill’s role in WWI, as he prepares to run for parliament in 1922. With the aid of Sir William Ainsworth, an old friend who wishes he were something more, Foxy sets out to use her old connections in the intelligence and code-breaking worlds to clear her nephew’s name.
Foxy’s and William’s service during WWI puts them in a unique position to spot the connections between past tragedies and present conspiracies. However, relying on these two protagonists, as engaging as they are, also diminishes the story’s narrative drive, as Dinny is forced into a largely passive role. That issue is exacerbated by several extended flashbacks where survivors recall the tragedies of WWI that have traumatized them. The result can sometimes feel more like a dramatized history lesson than a novel. But for those who prize carefully researched details of a fascinating historical “what if,” this is an engaging tale with a memorable protagonist in Foxy.
