Book 3 of the Soldier Spy series by Rosemary Hayes
Published February 2026 / 251 pages
SEE THE REVIEW BELOW
‘Rosemary Hayes’ Soldier Spy is a first-rate historical thriller, full of period detail, fascinating characters, unexpected twists, mystery, intrigue and action… I am pleased to see that it is the first of a trilogy and look forward to reading more about the dashing Will Fraser.’
~ Peter Tonkin, author of The Richard Mariner thrillers
1812
Britain’s war against Napoleon continues.
Will Fraser and Duncan Armstrong have served their country well as spies, exposing traitors and rescuing betrayed royalists.
Now they are asked to support military operations in the Peninsular War. The French are using a new code which is proving impossible to decipher. Will and Armstrong must work with Spanish guerrillas to intercept messages between French Commanders and pass them to Wellington’s codebreakers.
Will is reluctant, however. Portugal was where he was falsely accused of cowardice and desertion and forced to leave the army. And Captain Harcourt-Browne, the jealous and vengeful officer who caused his downfall, is still serving there.
But Will is given a compelling – and personal – reason to carry out the operation. If he does so, there’s a slim chance he could be reinstated.
Enemy agents are soon on their trail; agents who want them dead. Somehow Will and Armstrong must evade them and join the guerrillas in a daring attempt to uncover Napoleon’s battle plans.
But Will’s troubled past catches up with him. Four years ago he lied to protect the woman he loved. Now he must own up to that lie to save himself.
Rosemary Hayes has written many books for children in a variety of genre, from edgy teenage fiction, historical fiction and middle grade fantasy to chapter books for early readers and texts for picture books. Many of her books have won or been shortlisted for awards and several have been translated into different languages.
Rosemary has travelled widely but now lives in South Cambridgeshire. She has a background in publishing, having worked for Cambridge University Press before setting up her own company, Anglia Young Books, which she ran for some years. She has been a reader for a well-known authors’ advisory service, runs creative writing workshops for both children and adults and reviews for historical publications
Rosemary has now turned her hand to writing adult fiction. Her historical novel ‘The King’s Command’ is about the terror and tragedy suffered by a French Huguenot family during the reign of Louis XIV.
Traitor’s Game is the first book in the Soldier Spy trilogy, set during the Napoleonic Wars. The King’s Agent is the second and the third, Code of Honour, has recently been published.
Here’s my review of Code of Honour
I’ve been looking forward to reading this book, the third in the trilogy by Rosemary Hayes, and I wasn’t disappointed. It can be read on its own, but it helps if you have read Traitor’s Game and The King’s Agent as loose ends are tied and secrets revealed.
The main characters in the series, Will Fraser and Duncan Armstrong, remind me of Bernard Cornwell’s Richard Sharpe and Patrick Harper, and I can’t give much higher praise than that. At the start of Code of Honour, Will is working on his parents’ farm near Durham, and Duncan is running a London inn with his wife, Sal. Of course, this humdrum existence can’t last, and they are persuaded to have one last adventure in the secret service, aiding codebreakers in the Peninsular War. So, off they go to Portugal and Spain to find Wellington (Sir Arthur Wellesley) and Sir George Scovell, who led the codebreaking operations.
I found the sense of “being there” convincing, and that speaks well for the research behind the fiction. Some of the small details about horses, London streets, and messages in the early nineteenth century helped to make scenes vivid and authentic. I also liked the way that real characters were brought into the story, especially Sir John Reeves and Sir George Scovell.
The main plot runs along at a good pace and kept me turning the pages. I was drawn into Will’s character and hoped it would all work out in the end. There are quite a number of threads that need to be resolved, and it can be difficult to end a series in a way that leaves the reader satisfied without resorting to unlikely twists of fate. Rosemary Hayes has achieved this with Code of Honour. For me, it’s a great, five-star read.
Author Links:
Website: www.rosemaryhayes.co.uk
Twitter / X: https://x.com/HayesRosemary
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rosemary.hayes.129
Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Rosemary-Hayes/e/B00NAPAPZC
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/80106.Rosemary_Hayes
Universal Buy Links:
Book 1 – Traitor’s Game: https://books2read.com/u/bwwEee
Book 2 – The King’s Agent: https://books2read.com/u/bQLn8Z
Book 3 – Code of Honour: https://books2read.com/u/bQLnNZ
@HayesRosemary @cathiedunn @rosemaryhayes1 @thecoffeepotbookclub
#NapoleonicWars #Spies #HistoricalAdventure #TheCoffeePotBookClub #BlogTour
Thank you for welcoming Rosemary Hayes to your blog today, Paul, and for sharing your lovely review for Code of Honour. I’m delighted you enjoyed the novel.
Take care,
Cathie xx
The Coffee Pot Book Club