The Bletchley Circle

Susan, noticing a pattern in a string of London murders, contacts her old friends from Bletchley — Millie, Lucy and Jean — to try to identify the killer. Treating the crimes like a code to be cracked, the women gather all available information and evidence and then, through a sequence of clever deductions, determine how the killer is finding his victims and where a missing girl must have been abducted. Can they reach her before the killer claims his fifth victim?

When Scotland Yard dismisses the women’s theories, they realize it’s up to them to stop the killer before he takes his next victim. They identify a suspect and use Lucy to lure him into a trap, but their plan goes badly awry and Lucy is assaulted. Shaken, the women take a different approach, contacting former war department members. Susan plans to meet with a psychiatrist whom she believes has helpful information, completely unaware of the danger that awaits her.

Susan tells the other women that she came face to face with the killer — and he let her go. It soon becomes apparent that he’s becoming obsessed with her. Following the death of a former spy who had been helpful in identifying the perpetrator, the women consider whether to continue their pursuit, but they know if they don’t find the killer, he’ll move somewhere else and more girls will die. Their investigation resumes. Cleverly planting false clues, the murderer leads Susan into a trap.

Since Alice refuses to participate in her own defense, the women begin to investigate the murder. Clues found in the murdered man’s house lead to Lizzie, a woman with whom he had a relationship. In Lizzie’s apartment, the women find a classified military file and press clippings relating to a chemical spill. Eventually they track down Lizzie, who fears her life is in danger. Susan deduces why Alice is willing to face the death penalty.

Alice is facing the gallows — it’s a race against time to prove her innocence and save her life. Through a search of documents and confidential police information, the women believe the murder was part of a wider military cover-up. When Susan gains entry to a military hospital, she learns the truth. Meanwhile, the other women’s lives are in danger.

Millie is abducted and taken to a seedy hotel, where she meets a young Eastern European girl who indicates that the crime ring is involved in sex trafficking. Jasper, Millie’s black market partner who was caught skimming money, has also been kidnapped and badly beaten. Millie persuades Marta, the crime family matriarch, to let her take over Jasper’s operation. After her release, Millie convinces Alice, Jean and Lucy that they should help the trafficked girls. The four women make a horrifying discovery.