No matter how you might try to hide in a war to escape your past, it is always close at hand. Lady Sophia Huntington Villiers is no stranger to intrigue, as her work with Alan Turing's Bombe Machines at Bletchley Park during the war attests. Now, as part of Simon Barre's covert team in post-war Vienna, she uses her inimitable charm and code name Starling to infiltrate the world of relics: uncovering vital information that could tilt the stakes of the mounting Cold War. When several influential men charge her with finding the death mask of Mozart, Sophie wonders if there is more than the composer's legacy at stake and finds herself drawn to potential answers in Prague.
Simon Barrington, the illegitimate heir of one of Sussex's oldest estates, used the previous war to hide his insecurities about his past. Now, he uses his high breeding to gain access to all four allied quarters of the ruined city in an attempt to slow the fall of the Iron Curtain. He has been in love with Sophie Villiers since the moment he met her, and a marriage of convenience to save Simon's estate has always kept her close. Until now, when Sophie's mysterious client in Prague forces him to wonder if her allegiance to him--and their cause--is in question. Torn between his loyalty to his cause and his heart, Simon seeks answers about Sophie only to learn that everything he thought he knew about his involvement in both wars is based on a lie.
"A damaged post-war city and two damaged post-war hearts collide in Rachel McMillan's latest gripping romantic drama. Ex-codebreaker Sophie Villiers and her MI-6 marriage-of-convenience husband, Simon Barre, are thrown together in Vienna on the hunt for a double agent, a priceless relic, and just possibly love. Murky espionage and burgeoning passion twine beautifully together in The Mozart Code's superbly evocative prose--an enchanting read!" --Kate Quinn, New York Times bestselling author of The Rose Code
"Vienna is the new Paris in The Mozart Code, a World War II spy novel with deft, chess-like plotting, and plenty of old-fashioned romance. McMillan's meticulous research and love of music, architecture, and history shine through in this evocative read." --Susan Elia MacNeal, New York Times bestselling author of the Maggie Hope novels and Mother Daughter Traitor Spy
"Rachel McMillan's The Mozart Code is two parts romance, one part intrigue, with some of the most lavishly detailed settings seen in historical fiction for quite some time. McMillan's love of her characters, the irrepressible Sophie Villiers and Simon Barre, as well as for the splendors of Vienna and Prague, shine through on every page. Above all, the love that Simon feels for his Sophie, and she for him, despite all that would keep them apart, kept me hurtling through the pages. The Mozart Code is a smart, luscious romance, a thrilling suspense, and a thunderously good read. McMillan is a rising star in historical fiction." --Aimie K. Runyan, bestselling author of The School for German Brides
"With sumptuous storytelling and impeccable attention to historical detail, the cities of Vienna and Prague hang like lovers from each arm as McMillan leads readers along the streets of her imagined post-war world of intrigue and romance in The Mozart Code. Before they know it, they're far from their armchairs and deeply in love with Simon and Sophie. Rife with secret codes, haunting melodies, betrayal and sacrifice, at its heart this is a story about the courage it takes to love and be loved. Long after I finished reading, a sweet and hopeful refrain lingers. Highly recommended!" --Kimberly Brock, author of The Lost Book of Eleanor Dare
"Beautifully lush and atmospheric, The Mozart Code is a novel full of nuances and brimming with danger, romance, and intrigue. Simon and Sophie are wonderfully complicated, both in personalities and in their interactions. I lived for the moments Simon and Sophie were on page together and I delighted in the ending Rachel McMillan penned for them." --Jenni L. Walsh, author of Becoming Bonnie and The Call of the Wrens
"Equal parts heart-fluttering romance and heart-pounding mystery, The Mozart Code left me breathless as the strike of an eighth note or a move on a chess board propelled steadfast Simon and whip-smart Sophie through the seedy streets of post-World War II Vienna and Prague seeking not only the answers to the clues set before them, but also the missing notes concealed from the concerto of their hearts." --Joy Callaway, international bestselling author of The Fifth Avenue Artists Society and The Greenbrier Resort
"The Mozart Code is a dashing, elegant, and occasionally heartbreaking adventure that takes us to post-war Vienna in all its beauty and despair." --Diana Biller, author of The Widow of Rose House
"A well-researched and engrossing tale richly woven with intrigue, mystery, and romance. The Mozart Code takes readers on a gripping journey through post-war Vienna and Prague, with its hero and heroine forced to navigate the perils of both treachery and trust. Yet amid a world built on duplicity and deception, Simon and Sophie discover an unexpected truth of their own--that an extraordinary friendship can become the most extraordinary love." --Kelly Bowen, author of The Paris Apartment
"A seamless blend of history, romance, and suspense, The Mozart Code perfectly encapsulates the essence of a beautiful city steeped in intrigue and a relationship filled with both deep trust and poignant uncertainty. Vivid historical detail, moments taut with secrets and danger, and McMillan's luminous prose make this an absolute gem of a book. I was invested in every moment of Simon and Sophie's story!" --Ashley
