The Women of Arlington Hall
In 1947, Radcliffe graduate Catherine (Cat) Killeen begins her career as a cryptologist and codebreaker at Arlington Hall with a supervisor’s solemn warning: “Discussing your activities here with anyone on the outside opens you up to prosecution under the Espionage Act … And, yes, the punishment for treason is execution.”
After fleeing her own wedding, Cat wonders if she has made the right choice, i.e., career over marriage. But once she has signed the oath, she is excited to commit to being part of the “biggest top-secret intelligence project in America,” known as the Venona Project. Cat soon makes good friends and is surprised to encounter her former Harvard rival, Jonathan Dardis, now working for the FBI. Despite firm intentions otherwise, she is increasingly drawn to him.
Cat’s work escalates as she delves deeper into years of intercepted Russian communications, trying to find the identities of spies and moles, perhaps even within their unit. When the Soviet Union starts its own nuclear tests, the race is on to uncover the traitors who leaked details of the Manhattan Project. As suspicions turn to her, Cat is forced to make a dangerous decision to seek out answers from her own past.
Naturally, Cat and her companions need to let off steam as a counterbalance to the dramatic intensity of their work via their social life with parties and romantic liaisons, but some of these lengthier diversions can dilute the taut principal narrative. The author’s notes provide excellent background into the history and the real individuals involved. A satisfying novel and definite recommendation for fans of Bletchley Park, Cold War spy stories, and similar novels.
