I am a huge fan of Jess Lourey! She is one of my go to and favorite authors! I absolutely loved The Quarry Girls and The Taken Ones. I was thrilled to be given the opportunity to read this book that is one of her earlier titles. Initially it hooked me, but soon after I had a hard time getting into the book and the story. There is a lot of technical language, about midway, I couldn’t put it down! I ended up really enjoying it. And I loved the historical references throughout the book, especially the Emily Dickinson ones.

Salem and her childhood friend Bel are daughters of best friends. When both of their mother’s are kidnapped, they begin a chase to find them and find themselves. They find out that their parents were part of a secret society called the Underground. They have been trained their whole lives, even though they didn’t know it. Salem is an incredibly smart, agoraphobic that has been solving puzzles and code breaking her whole life. This takes them on a cross country trip trying to find their mothers! Overall, I enjoyed this book.

Thank you to @thomas @netgalley and the author for the opportunity to read this book! My opinions are honest and my own!

This is a secret history type thriller similar to DaVinci Code or the movie National Treasure. Salem is a genius in her field of quantum computing, but has become an agorophobe since she witnessed her father's death. But after her mother disappears leaving behind clues that the fate of the nation lies in Salem's hands, she and her friend Bel are in a race against time to solve the clues and take down an ancient organization.
Just like with Dan Brown's series, I enjoyed all the real locations and historical figures mentioned in this story. The thrill of keeping ahead of the bad guys, especially Jason with his creepy face changing ability, was exciting and kept me flipping pages well past my bedtime. I'm looking forward to reading the next book!
Thanks to Thomas & Mercer through Netgalley for the advance copy of this book. The opinions in this review are my own and given voluntarily.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this eARC.

In the shadowed corridors of history, where whispers echo through cryptic codes, Jess Lourey's "Salem's Cipher" invites us to unravel a web of enigma and danger. This gripping thriller, the first in the "Salem's Cipher Mystery" series, plunges readers into a world where ancient secrets collide with modern urgency.

Salem Wiley, our brilliant yet reclusive protagonist, is a cryptanalyst—a sorceress of symbols and hidden meanings. She thrives on the safety of her routines, until her mother vanishes, leaving behind a cryptic warning. The brutal murder that follows sets Salem on an uncharted path—one that leads to the heart of America's concealed past.

Lourey deftly weaves together history, mystery, and suspense. The legendary Beale Cipher, encrypted by none other than Emily Dickinson herself, becomes Salem's breadcrumb trail. As she deciphers messages hidden within the verses, she discovers her mother's double life and a clandestine society that spans centuries. A society hell-bent on wielding power, with hunted women as its last line of defense.

"Salem's Cipher" is a symphony of tension. The pacing is relentless, propelling us across the country, from dusty libraries to treacherous landscapes.

Lourey's prose is both lyrical and razor-sharp, evoking the scent of old books and the thrill of cracking codes. Salem's vulnerability tugs at our hearts, her determination fuels our adrenaline.

Yet, there's a whisper of skepticism. The secret society's existence feels improbable—haven't societal norms already suppressed women enough? But perhaps that's the point. Lourey nudges us to question our assumptions, to peer beyond the obvious. In Salem's journey, we confront not only external adversaries but also the shadows within ourselves.

"Salem's Cipher" is a cryptex of intrigue, a literary labyrinth where every twist reveals a hidden chamber. Jess Lourey invites us to unlock the past, one cipher at a time. So, dear reader, take Salem's hand. The journey awaits, and the secrets are waiting to be unsealed.

I'm a huge fan of Jess Lourey and couldn't wait to get into this new series, the first book being Salem's Cipher.

A good mystery with some big conspiracies set in the world of today. I really enjoyed this book, it had a realism to it that could actually happen. Take aside the mystery that Salem and Bel have to solve and get through, I enjoyed the political aspects of this book, something I normally do not show and interest in. But the Underground really felt like it had depth to it. I loved the clues and puzzles that Salem had to solve. Plus I really liked Mercy and can't wait to see where her story takes us (I'm sure we will see her again). Salem was a truly likeable characters, I felt a lot of her daily 'issues' and understood her. Bel took some warming up for me, but once you have her 'truth' she then becomes someone I have more respect for. Also can we take a moment to appreciate the FBI agent too? This book doesn't have a heavy (If at all really) romance to it, but I liked the attraction.

My only issue with this book, if I'm to be really picky was at times I felt it was a little drawn out. The history lessons although vital to a point were a little much (I won't give spoilers as it affects the story). The ending and climax were on point for Jess (Author) and generally the whole book just speaks volumes for me, at how much of a great author she is. I still prefer her books set in the 1980's (Which was how I discovered her) but think for those who love a good mystery thriller, they really should check out Salem's Cipher.

A solid 3.5/4 stars, I enjoyed this and can't wait to read the next book, Mercy's Chase.

With thanks to Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange of an honest review.

This book felt like one of those action adventure movies, like Indiana Jones or the Da Vinci Code, and I love it! It had underground secret societies, the FBI, code cracking, and even a presidential election.

Salem and Bel were good main characters with flaws that made them seem real.

I’ve read a few of Jess Lourey’s books at this point. But I love the way she is able to weave an engaging story!

Even though it sounded promising it didn't live up to my hopes. The plot reminded me a bit of Da Vinci Code and the action was fast paced but the writing was lacking. Too many characters to keep up with and the story wasn't believable. Sadly I can't recommend it. My thanks to Thomas & Mercer for providing a galley via NetGalley for review. All opinions are my own.

I am a huge suspense fan and an even bigger Jess Lourey fan, so seeing her backlog come up, after knowing her thriller works, I knew I had to get my hands on Salem's Cipher and I am so glad I did. While it's a departure from her thriller novels, it is no less thrilling to read, with a breakneck pace and a story that gripped me from the start. Featuring two childhood friends, a police office and a cryptologist, and a murder mystery that transcends time, Salem's Cipher was a can't put down read for me. With a historical mystery at the forefront, Salem's Cipher follows Salem and Bel as they seek to solve the mystery left behind when their mothers are attacked. There's secret societies, a patriarchy against feminism, and code breaking galore. A bit like Da Vinci Code, Salem's Cipher has just the right amount of historical significance and murder mystery to gather fans of any genre.

Lots of adventure and puzzle solving! It took me a minute to learn the characters but once I had it down the second half of the book flew. Looking forward to reading Mercy’s Chase next.

What an engaging story! I loved every minute I spent reading it! Salem's life is disrupted when her mother is kidnapped and she and her best friend Isabel are thrown into the mysteries of The Underground and The Hermitage and all the misconceptions regarding women's place in the world. She learns that she is stronger, much stronger than she believed she was and her ability to read codes and uncover secrets hidden by millenia will open new paths for her in life. Great plot, with amazing historic facts, beautifully written and fast-paced.
I thank the author, her publisher, and NetGalley for the copy of this book.

Salem's Cipher is book 1 in A Salem's Cipher Mystery series by Jess Lourey.
I absolutely loved this book. It was very engaging and kept my attention.
I found this story to be engrossing and riveting, it is well written, with an amazing plot and intrigue from the first page on I couldn’t put it down.

Thank You NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

Interesting read!

Highly recommend if you love books with puzzling scenarios and a thrilling storyline. Enjoyed as a one time read.

This book was a bit like the Da Vinci code but with a secret society of men working to keep women out of power stemming from the founding fathers and another group of women called the underground fighting for their rights and freedom. This book was originally published in 2016 but is being released and I think it’s good. While there were a few bits that require more than a little suspension of disbelief the overall story is compelling. It’s totally believable that patriarchy could be backed by something like a secret society. The two main characters were interesting but not developed the way I liked which stopped me from really liking them as much as I wanted to. I’m excited to read the second part and learn more about Mercy (I’m hoping based on the title). I will say the killer in this one is creepy beyond what I was expecting. He had suffered a lot, but it doesn’t change that he became next level creepy. In contrast I wasn’t impressed with the other bad guy, who terrified even the killer, but never seemed quite as creepy. Bel and Salem are awesome and their super scavenger hunt across the country was interesting.

I was first introduced to Jess Lourey as an author by reading her book 'The Quarry Girls' which I enjoyed reading so I jumped at the opportunity to read this book from her. I didn't enjoy it as much as I thought I would though however it was still a good read however it did drag for a me a few times throughout the book. This is one of her earlier works, just being republished, so I will say her writing has definitely improved, in my opinion, from this book to her newer one. I knew this had National Treasure vibes which did intrigue me. There were parts that I just struggled through or just couldn't quite believe. I wanted more development for the characters throughout the story and didn't get that. The story felt rushed but at the same time it dragged on and I just wanted to be done with it at the end.

Thank you NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the opportunity to read this advanced reader copy. All thoughts and opinions are entirely my own.

4/5 stars: I’m a big fan of Jess Lourey’s, so I jumped at the chance to read this book and it didn’t disappoint! House of Cards meets National Treasure with exciting twists and turns along the way.

I went into this knowing this was an older book for her and I definitely think her storytelling has developed since this book was written, but it is definitely important to get the information from this book before reading Mercy’s Chase.

Thank you NetGalley, Thomas & Mercer and Jess Lourey for the e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This is an honest review in exchange for an advanced reader copy.

Salem Wiley is a cryptanalyst. She is happiest being alone and doesn’t like to be far from home, Her mom goes missing and she is forced to do things she is not naturally comfortable doing but with the help of her best friend Bel. Bel’s mom is missing too and they are told about a brutal murder that is somehow connected to their disappearance .
Things get crazy and now they are looking at encrypted messages from Emily Dickinson which have been hidden in the Beale cipher,. Both girls discover their moms led a double life, one they knew and one that includes an ancient society that will harm anyone or anything that prevents them from ruling the workd, and are held back by a select bunch of women that are being hunted to try to stop them,


Salem must enroll in a cross-country journey of clues as she tries to unravel the conspiracy, which threatens to alter the present as they know it and also the past history,

The style is on point. It’s fast-paced, very well articulated and super super oppressive. I felt anxiety creeping through my body on several occasions while reading this book (which is good because it felt realistic, but not that good for my mental health!)! It feels like the story has a mind of its own, and it decided to grip me by the throat and squeeze, squeeze, squeeze. And I really love that we get different perspectives throughout the story, and not only the two daughters’ one. I identified to Salem a lot, and she is a character that is very well portrayed and to whom I have a lot of affection. If you are interested by conspiration, race against time, threats, secrets, secret organizations, fear and strong women, this book is for you!

I've read this author before and enjoyed her works so when I saw this one marketed as Da vinci Code but with a female lead I eagerly picked it up. I liked this one a lot. The story was fun to read, the characters interesting and overall an enjoyable read.

Many thanks to Netgalley & Thomas&Mercer Publishing for an ARC ♥️♥️

This thriller follows Salem Wiley, a total genius when it comes to codes and ciphers, as she unravels a centuries-old conspiracy that's straight out of a Dan Brown novel.

But here's the thing - it's not just about the codes and puzzles (though, let me tell you, they're super cool). It's also about Salem's personal journey, as she discovers her mom's double life and confronts some serious family secrets.

The writing is engaging and suspenseful, with a cast of strong female characters that'll make you want to high-five the whole squad. And the historical and literary references? Total bonus!
🔥

This is very different to her psychological thrillers I’ve read. Here we are in the world of opposing factions, a political power struggle between men and women.

The Hermitage Foundation who are fighting against women in politics and high ranking positions. The other a group of women called The Underground group trying to stop the Hermitage. Both groups have existed for thousands of years. Salem and Bel have to follow a trail deciphering clues to bring down the Hermitage, and hopefully save their kidnapped mothers who are involved with the Underground.

Salem and Bel are life long friends who have followed in the footsteps of their mother’s friendship. Bel is a cop, Salem a crypto analyst (code breaking). That’s where it gets a bit on the heavy side for me, and too much background info on code breakers etc.

I found this a slow burn. It doesn’t have the same flow and pace of the authors newer books. It feels overly long and drawn out.

Much in the the sections revisiting Bel and Salem’s childhood I didn’t feel added anything to the story. Again with the mention of the witch trials, I don’t think that it added to this story, as the reader seems to have a tourists guide of each of the States visited.

I really like the premise of the story.
The ciphers and tricks for hiding the messages were interesting. However it lacks the pace and action for a thriller, and I found it too drawn out, so this one didn’t hit the mark for me.

“Salem’s Cipher” by Jess Lourey is a thrilling ride from start to finish. Comparable to National Treasure or Indiana Jones, the storyline will keep you moving at blinding speed. With a genius cryptanalyst, ancient codes, and a modern-day witch hunt, this book is a real nail-biter. I highly recommend it! 📚🔍