Library Journal Review

Bletchley Park was the UK's main decryption center during World War II and where the secret codes of the Axis were broken. For most who worked there, their clandestine activities ended with the war, but the skills they honed were just the ticket for solving crimes. The "Circle" is a no-nonsense group of extraordinarily talented ex-Bletchley women who risk great personal danger to help one another. In the second season opener, "Blood on Their Hands," the women reunite when one of their own is accused of murder but offers no defense. In the second story, "Uncustomed Goods," one of the circle opens a Pandora's box of criminality when she supplements her income by selling black market perfume and cigarettes. Verdict Performances from the excellent cast (Anna Maxwell Martin, Sophie Rundle, Julie Graham, Hattie -Morahan, Rachael Stirling) and tension-filled scripts set in a rather shabby, wonderfully re-created postwar England make for edge-of-your-seat viewing. References to the first season make both sets worthwhile purchases.-Joan Greenberg, -Warminster, PA (c) Copyright 2014. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.