Bletchley Circle Review

I do not get to watch a lot of TV. I would like to watch more, but far too much of the time I could use for watching TV is spent writing. The limited time that is left is frequenty spent with the kids or watching kid shows. But sometimes I get to see something great.

I stumbled upon The Bletchley Circle at my local library. I think I was looking for something in the B section and the cover image appealed. Probably the "Cracking a Killer's Code" part more than the title. Then I read the synopsis and, wow, I knew I would like it.

The backstory:
Susan and her 3 friends are code breakers during WWII in Britian's famed Bletchley Park. Nine years after the war ends, each woman has moved on with their lives. 
Susan is a stay-at-home mother of 2 with a stable husband and all the traditional comforts and responsibilties afforded a woman in the 1950's. The only real problem for Susan is boredom. 
Then a string of murders occurs. Susan takes an interest because she knew one of the girls slightly. Given her past work, it's no surprise that Susan finds a pattern in the killer's activities. When she takes her information to the police, they don't find the evidence and discount her theory.
Humiliated but not detered, Susan gets her friends together and they take on the challenge of finding a killer before another girl dies.

Initially I felt a real kinship with Susan. As a former project engineer turned stay-at-home mom, I have suffered from my own sense of boredom and lack of true purpose. Yes, I know raising kids is a worthwhile thing. It's also a very repeative thing and I eventually grew to miss the feeling of accomplishment that came with a job. Unlike Susan, I decided to write.

But, even the stories of the other women resonated. The look at what 1950's were like for a female, especially extremely capable ones who were forced by convention to be less than they could be, has been illuminating. It has also made me grateful that I live in these times.

Still, the interaction amongst the women as the hunt for a killer, is the part that truly captured me. The methods they use to find their man are awesome. Even when used against them.

The Bletchley Circle has two seasons totaling seven episodes. All in all, I highly recommend it for the history, for the thrills and nailbiting (yes, there was nailbiting), for the twists, and for the shear girl-power subltely on display. Season 2 is equally good despite losing the character of Susan when her husband takes a new job.