In 1940, eighteen-year old Juliet Armstrong is reluctantly recruited into the world of espionage. Sent to an obscure department of MI5 tasked with monitoring the comings and goings of British Fascist sympathizers, she discovers the work to be by turns both tedious and terrifying. But after the war has ended, she presumes the events of those years have been relegated to the past for ever.

Ten years later, now a producer at the BBC, Juliet is unexpectedly confronted by figures from her past. A different war is being fought now, on a different battleground, but Juliet finds herself once more under threat. A bill of reckoning is due, and she finally begins to realize that there is no action without consequence.

Transcription is a work of rare depth and texture, a bravura modern novel of extraordinary power, wit and empathy. It is a triumphant work of fiction from one of this country’s most exceptional writers.

'How vehemently most novelists will wish to produce a masterpiece as good' Telegraph

First published: 2018
Pages: 332
Genres: Espionage, thriller
Amazon Rating: 4.1 out of 5 9,200 reviews

Our review in brief:

1. Rating: 4.9 out of 10
2. Recommended: Most people said they would not recommend the book
3. Audience: It would probably appeal to older women. It was not a serious spy novel
4. Type of Read: As the book jumped back and forth in time, it was not the easiest read. The pace was slow and several people found the story line lacking. There were also too many characters
5. Quality of Author: Although the book was not a favourite, the quality of some of the writing was good.
6. Other Observations: A few members had tried to read other books by this author in the past and were not impressed, which was interesting as she has such good reviews on line.