The Key to Rebecca
North Africa in the summer of 1942 and Rommel seems unbeatable. His secret weapon is Alex Wolff, master spy, and a deadly code buried in the pages of du Maurier's novel, Rebecca. Crossing the blazing Sahara, Wolff enters Cairo to steal British military plans. His pursuer, Major Vandam, engages the lovely Elene to lure him into range. As Rommel's troops come closer to victory, the pursuit continues across the desert to a startling, explosive confrontation.
Ken's view
After the success of Eye of the Needle, my publishers would have liked me to write another World War Two spy story every year for 25 years. But I was only 29, and not ready to be put in a box. I was very firm that I was going to write anything that caught my fancy and the fancy of my readers. However, while researching Eye of the Needle, I had come across a wonderful true story.
There was a spy ring based on a house boat in Cairo in 1942 which involved a belly dancer and a British major she was having an affair with. The information at stake was crucial to the battles going on in the desert. The code used by the spies was based on one of the great suspense novels of all time, Rebecca, by Daphne du Maurier. The spycatcher in the story is trying to find the key to the Rebecca code. The Key to Rebecca was my third bestseller. After that, I really started believing that I was a success.
Audio and text excerpts
Reviews…
- "A top-flight adventure thriller... violence, intrigue and exotic passions...a vivid page-turner!" - Washington Post
- "The most exciting novel in years!" – Cincinnati Enquirer
Published as ...
The Key to Rebecca by Ken Follett; William Morrow, New York 1980. Available in print, CD and audiobook formats.
Le code Rebecca in French by Robert Laffont
Der Schlüssel zu Rebecca in German by Lübbe
Il Codice Rebecca in Italian by Mondadori
