I had more fun with this story than I thought that I would!

Everything I've picked up from Lourey before, I've enjoyed so I decided to give this series a try. While totally different from the other items I've read from her, I enjoyed this National Treasureesque adventure where two young women race against time to save their mothers, prevent the assassination of the first possible woman president and fight to decimate a cabal of ruthless men who have been behind the scenes since the dawn of time.

I will be reading the second book in the series.

QUOTE: "Salem realized in that moment, on this critical issue, that she was wiser than her mother. The enormous sadness of that gagged her. She swallowed past it as best she could and held her mom's hand, mourning who they used to be."

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read and review an advanced copy of this novel. I highly enjoyed it and will be recommending it.

This story had a Da Vinci Code feel to it, but it just didn't hold my attention in the same manner.

I love Jess' recent books and I believe SALEM'S CIPHER is one of her earlier works.

Unfortunately, I was confused with a lot of the plot and the meaning of the Underground group.

For some reason, I couldn't match up the correct mom with the correct daughter.

I'm going to read and review the second book, but I have a feeling that story will have the same feel.

Thank you NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for an e-copy of SALEM'S CIPHER to review.

I rate SALEM'S CIPHER three out of five stars.

Salem's Cipher takes readers on a thrilling journey with a brilliant code breaker who dismantles a centuries-old conspiracy while uncovering her own family secrets. Jess Lourey’s writing is exceptionally detailed, vividly bringing the story to life with her immersive descriptions. The book has a gripping, Da Vinci Code-like atmosphere that kept me completely absorbed from start to finish. If you enjoy intricate puzzles and heart-pounding thrills, this is a must-read.

When their moms got kidnapped, Salem and her friend faced a reality check, solve the cryptic puzzles found in certain historical places or forfeit their moms’ lives and their own. It's filled with action and intense drama.

Salem’s Cypher
Jess Lourey
Published 26 March 2023, Read 2024
4 Stars


Thank you NetGalley and Publisher Thomas & Mercer for my copy of Salem’s Cipher. I have not received any rewards or compensation for this review and therefore all views and opinions are of my own, the reviewer. I have purchased a physical copy of this book.

In summary: Mystery, conspiracy, drama

Salem’s mother has been kidnapped along with her mother’s best friend. Travelling across the US using the poet Emily Dickinson’s work to decode messages left to save both women.
I enjoyed reading this book. it cleverly uses Emily Dickens as a device to unravel clues to find Salem’s mother. The story held my interest from the first chapter to the end with interesting plots, a good twist. I enjoyed the writing and character development, feeling they were well written. The story left me wanting more from those characters.

I'm a huge fan of Jess Lourey's Minnesota-based thrillers and was super excited that this book was available to read. The synopsis was intriguing and reminded me of Dan Brown's Robert Langdon series, which I absolutely loved. Unfortunately, I did not enjoy this book as much as I would have liked. The mystery and puzzles were interesting, but the writing just didn't flow well for me. The scientific research and other lengthy descriptions were a bit too much and distracted me from the storyline. I believe that this is one of Lourey's earlier books and it shows. I'm still going to give the second book a try and see if I enjoy it better than this one.

Thank you to the author, Thomas & Mercer, and NetGalley for granting me digital access in exchange for my honest review!

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC of this book. Lourey is an auto buy author for me and I was excited to read this one. It is quite different from her more recent books but still spectacular. This is a story of secrets and brilliant code breaker. The characters were well done and relatable. The story intriguing and easy to follow and paced wonderfully.

I love Jess Lourey but this one just isn't it. It's too new age woke but reminiscent of Dan Brown. I'll be reading the next book, though. I hope it'll be more of what I expect for her stories.

The DaVinci Code + National Treasure, but with an agoraphobic feminist computer programmer and her cop BFF finding and decoding secret messages to save their kidnapped moms, prevent the assassination of the first female presidential candidate, and take down the misogynistic cabal that is hunting them down.

This was fine — I like a conspiracy action thriller from time to time. I don’t know that I’d have had the focus to finish it in print, but the audiobook version that I got from Hoopla kept me engaged and entertained while I did stuff around the house. This would be a solid road trip audiobook!

Book Review: Salem's Cipher by Jess Lourey

Rating: 5 Stars

Salem's Cipher by Jess Lourey is a riveting and thrilling novel that seamlessly blends elements of mystery, cryptography, and history into a masterfully crafted narrative. The story follows Salem Wiley, a brilliant cryptanalyst grappling with agoraphobia, who finds herself thrust into a high-stakes mission when her mother's disappearance becomes intertwined with a sinister plot to assassinate a presidential candidate.

Lourey expertly weaves together a tale of intrigue, secrets, and danger as Salem delves into a world of encrypted messages inspired by Emily Dickinson and ancient codes concealed within the Beale Cipher. The discovery of a powerful and malevolent group seeking global domination adds layers of complexity to the plot, keeping readers on the edge of their seats as Salem races against time to unravel the mystery.

What sets Salem's Cipher apart is not only its engrossing storyline but also its well-developed characters. Salem is a relatable and multidimensional protagonist whose fears and vulnerabilities make her journey all the more compelling. The supporting cast adds depth and richness to the narrative, enhancing the overall reading experience.

Lourey's writing shines throughout the book, delivering a fast-paced and immersive narrative that keeps readers engaged from start to finish. The seamless blend of code-breaking, history, and secret societies evokes shades of Dan Brown's gripping style, making Salem's Cipher a must-read for fans of the genre.

In conclusion, Salem's Cipher is a cracking good read that delivers non-stop action, intriguing mysteries, and a cast of memorable characters. I wholeheartedly agree with the sentiment that this book is immensely entertaining and highly recommend it to anyone looking for an adrenaline-fueled adventure packed with twists and turns. Jess Lourey has crafted a gem of a novel that I devoured in one sitting, and I cannot wait to explore more of her work in the future.

⚠️This review was written based on personal opinions and experiences with the book. Individual preferences may vary⚠️

When Salem’s Cipher showed up on NetGalley I knew I had to grab it. And this was honestly a great decision on my part, because WOW?? This book pretty much ticks off all of my boxes for a fantastic storyline.

It starts off a little slow, opening with a mysterious murder and immediately sets the scene for Salem and Bel. It took a good portion of the book for the situation to be pieced together and have all the players identified but I didn’t mind, after all that is part of the appeal in reading this genre. The timeline felt realistic with just the right amount of “down time” versus action portions.

I really appreciated the constant changing of locations, and the history associated with each location. At times it felt a little like National Treasure in book form, but that remains a compliment in my eyes. I felt that there was a ton of character development which was surprising to me but always welcomed.

This book is a true testament of adult girl power as well as a twisting story of hidden history and puzzles. I’d highly recommend this book if you like any of the above themes.

Not my usual type of read, but it was interesting and gripping, it will also surely be a big hit with fans of The Da Vinci code. It read well and was a good mix of genres. I would definitely recommend.

I thought this was really well written and I look forward to reading more from this author in the future. I think it will find readers at our library, so we will definitely be purchasing for the collection.

As a fan of Jess Lourey’s more recent novels, The Quarry Girls & Unspeakable Things, I jumped at the chance to read this novel in exchange for my honest review, prior to realizing it is a revised version of one of her earlier works. While it was still quite an enjoyable read, I found myself dozing, losing interest here and there, and having a hard time really believing some elements of the storyline. All in all, however, it was a great story about a BA woman and her BA friend, being BA all over the country.
It’s fantastic to see how far Jess Lourey has come, she’s really grown into a brilliant author who has mastered the art of suspense and unraveling secrets.
I want to thank NetGalley, Thomas & Mercer, and Jess Lourey for the opportunity to read this revised edition of this novel before it was published.

I've started reading Salem's Cipher after I thoroughly enjoyed Litani by the same author. I didn't know it was an earlier book that is now re-published and unfortunately, it shows that it is an earlier work.

I found that the writing is really good, engaging and with lifelike dialogue. But you have to suspend all disbelief in order to get engaged in the story, and you have to do it again and again in every chapter. If you are willing to do that, then you have a spinning tale that takes you across the States three times, without much sleep for neither the character or the reader.

I'm glad that it is very noticeable that Jess Lourey has become a much better writer in her later books, but I wouldn't recommend this one unfortunately.

I wish to express a sincere thank you to NetGalley, Thomas & Mercer and the author for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

This is my first book by this author and u really enjoyed it. Will definitely be reading the second book in the series.
I'm actually reading 3 of her books simultaneously because I like her so much.
Great characters, good world building..
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this ARC

This was not a well written story. I found words simply didn’t fit in certain descriptions.

I understand Lourey wrote this a while back and it’s being published again, however, you can tell she has matured in her ability to unfold a story. I loved The Taken Ones.

The storyline wasn’t my cup of a tea. I had to actually skim through this. I hate to do that. Meh

When I saw "new" Jess Lourey on Netgalley I got super excited and immediately downloaded. I didn't realize these are re-pubs of her prior work until later on. I was worried they'd fall flat being earlier works as I LOVE Reed and Steinbeck SO much! This didn't fall flat for me -- in fact I think Salem is up there with my favorite BA FMCs.

This was fast-paced from the start. We literally open with an abduction/ murder crime scene so it opens with a bang. There were mayyybe parts that were a teensy tiny bit slower paced but once Salem and Bel get on their way they do not stop. I loved the ciphers and codes and super old mysteries aspects of this novel. It felt like the characters brains were challenged just as much as they were physically.

Be sure to check out the follow-up: Mercy's Chase after Salem's Cipher.

Would recommend this if you love:
-badass women
-codes/ ciphers prevalent to story line
-fast paced
-cross country travel
-sub plots relating to politics/ secret organizations

I loved how fast paced this book was. It started off with a bang and raced right along until the end. The main characters are very likeable. Even though there are parts of this story that are far-fetched, it was still very enjoyable to read.