Salem & Bel were raised as best friends by their mothers who unbeknownst to them belong to a secret society. Salem - raised to use her brain to find clues, determine how a normal, boring object could be something more and to put together the most difficult of puzzles and Bel - raised to be fast on her feet, physically fit, and able to mentally breakdown the enemy.

When the girls' mothers are kidnapped, Salem is tasked with breaking down codes that are centuries old in an attempt to find a buried treasure. With Bel taking charge of the hunt and using her police training, the girls are off jetting across the country, locating clues, and deciphering them. The question isn't just will they break the code, but will they do it in time to save their mothers?

Salem's Cipher gave me some major Dan Brown Vibes (think Angels & Demons). I loved not only the chase, but finding out some lesser known information about some key women in US history. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this one. I love that there's a sequel to hopefully tie everything together.

I really enjoy her books that have engaging plots and characters that draw you in and enough twist to keep you guessing. Overall a good read

Two women don’t know what to expect when they come together as adults to figure out what happened to their mothers. Intrigue and cyphers abound. ARC from NetGalley.

This is my third book by Jess Lourey. Her books are vastly different and span a range of genres.

Salem is a tech genius. She is called home after her mom and childhood friends mom both disappear. What follows is a fast paced action packed plot.

Salems mom leaves clues and what is revealed is an underground women’s movement that hides a lot of secrets. This book is for fans of action that also enjoy historical puzzles and secret societies. If you are into secret messages in painting. Think da Vinci code. This might be up your alley.

For me I liked the idea of the plot. It seemed like it could have been really interesting. It is a bit far fetched. If you can suspend disbelief and lean into the conspiracy theory you might like it.

My problem is that the execution was well intentioned but missed the mark. The chapters were short and the book was faced paced but the focus was not on character development rather the plot line. I felt that the development of the four main characters was severely lacking. It seemed like we jumped from scene to scene of let’s look for a clue. We were almost killed. Let’s go to another location to find another clue. Oh another close call. I wanted more depth out of this story. I would equate it to watching an action film.

Thank you to netgalley for a copy of this arc. The opinions stated are mine alone.

Rating: 4/5 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
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Salem’s Cipher is being rereleased this March and wow, I’m shocked that I haven’t seen more of this book all over instagram. This is actually my first Jess Lourey book and I can see why so many people love her work.
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Salem’s Cipher gave me some serious DaVinci Code vibes only with two badass women trying to destroy the patriarchy. This was so much fun from start to finish. I loved how with each cipher came a little bit of history behind it, whether it be a person or a historical landmark. I felt like I learned a lot from this book.
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This is told in a multipoint of view and jumps from character to character but I had no problem following along with this story. Salem and Bel are an awesome duo and I loved the insight into Salem’s past throughout the story. Salem’s Cipher is fast paced and will have you on the edge of your seat as you follow these two through on their adventurous path for solving the ciphers.
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If your a Jess Lourey fan but never picked this one up - this is your sign to do so. If you’ve never read a Jess Lourey - what are you waiting for? She is awesome! The rerelease is set for 3/26 e sure to check this one out! Huge thank you to NetGalley, Jess Lourey and Thomas and Mercer for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

This book was so addictive, I couldn’t put my phone down! Not only does it include my favorite poet Emily Dickinson, but it includes a trip around Massachusetts, and solving ciphers. You never know what’s going to happen next! I was on the edge of my seat the entire time. I even loved the eerie parts to it. You won’t regret reading this book!

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, Jess Lourey is amazing. She is amazing at writing and just an amazing person in general! 10/10 plot

Thanks to Thomas & Mercer, Jess Lourey and NetGalley for these copies of "Salems' Cipher" and "Mercy's Chase."

I was so fortunate to be able to read them back-to-back, as many of the same characters (but I won't say which ones...no spoilers!) appear in both books.

Salem Wiley is a brilliant cryptanalyst (code breaker) who gets pulled into a secret buried for hundreds of years.

Then in "Mercy's Chase," she's forced to solve a secret that is older than she could imagine.

Both books were such fun with non-stop action and clues leading to more clues in some of the world's historic landmarks.

I was blown away by Jess Lourey's imagination and creativity as she linked small details about each of these famous places to create realistic puzzles.

Trust me, you're going to want a search engine handy so you can see photos as you read!

Awesome new cover! It is much more fitting and eyecatching. This series is unputdownable! Jess writes in a way you will fly through the books because you want to find out what happens next!

This was a very ambitious effort, well-researched, with a multitude of historical references, but it just didn't connect with me. I tried really hard, mainly because the author has become one of my favorites, but it just didn't happen. I do recognize that this was originally written 8 or so years ago and has undergone some additions and changes, but it still felt very Dan Brown-ish.

I think the author has really found her niche with her newer efforts, and I can't wait for the next one.

I received a complimentary copy of the book from the publisher and NetGalley, and my review is being given freely.

Enjoyed the plot and the female main character. The story was a little unbelievable at times and at other times a little predictable, but overall entertaining and kept me guessing.

Thanks to NetGalley for the arc of Salem's Cipher by J. Lourey, publishers Thomas & Mercer.

This is first book in the Salem's Cipher Series and wow did I love it. On to book 2!!
4stars.

ARC by NetGalley and the publisher.

Childhood friends, Salem and Bel may have drifted apart over the years but after news of Salem’s mother being kidnapped reaches them they team up to save the day. Little do they both know how much their skills as a cryptanalyst and a cop will come in handy. Thrown into a world of underground networks, hidden clues, and centuries past ciphers can Salem and Bel uncover the truth before it’s too late.

I found the premise of this book to be completely up my alley, witches and code breaking yes please. However, despite my interest in the plot and the mentions of history the writing in this made enjoying this read difficult. The overall writing style seemed very disjointed, which disrupted the flow of the book. The cipher, puzzles, and clues were by far my favorite aspects and this is where the author shines with it being clear they did extensive research which I greatly appreciate. I will note that this was my first Lourey book and upon learning that this is a re-release of one of her earlier works, I believe that possibly played a role in the stylistic writing choices as it seemed very rough at times. I will definitely be picking up one of her newer releases, though, as I am curious if my theory is correct. Salem’s Cipher while having lots of suspenseful elements didn’t quite intrigue me enough to continue with the series though.

Salem’s Cipher comes out March 26,2024.

Thank you again NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This was a great book for a weekend with snow covered roads and freezing temperatures because I didn't have anywhere important enough to venture out for and I could spend my days glued to the pages!

The author brought in enough current events and the fight women still have in this day and age to be considered equals that it really hit home what the characters were fighting for. With danger around every corner, the main characters--two young females--have found themselves thrust into the race of a lifetime to beat the bad guys and find information that will change the direction of of our country.

I was very caught up in the book, and feel it is worthy of five stars.

A solid story with exciting twists and a riveting mystery. I especially loved the code breaking aspect. I did find some the writing a bit awkward.

So happy to see this title get a new cover! What a fast-paced thriller! Any book that Jess Lourey writes, I will be reading. It gives me the same vibes of Dan Brown's book, so if you enjoy those, you'd love these!

I’ve only recently discovered Jess Lourey books and have been loving them lately. This book is like national treasure meets witches. A cool ride

This book mixed so many of the things I love about other books and mixed them together. I loved the code-breaking, I loved the mystery, and I loved the "something-isn't-right" feeling that I get when I read Jess Lourey's books. The old lady at the beginning cracked me up. I could picture her so well. Definitely a series I want to continue!

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This story felt like watching National Treasure and DaVinci Code. It is filled with history, conspiracies, government networks, and undercover missions. It took me longer to read than most thrillers do due to the historical details and multiple POV’s that crossed as the story went on, but was very enjoyable. Salem and Isabel’s emotions as they discovered one of their moms was missing, they’d been secretly trained for tasks their parents never informed them of, and worked with cryptic messages to rescue the kidnapped mom and solve centuries of crimes felt accurate and well written. The historical information was well written to the point my history buff husband was intrigued as I told him about parts of this book. I’ve loved several of Jess Lourey’s thrillers and this one is no different.

One woman is dead and her body missing.
There are signs the other has been kidnapped.
One daughter is a cop and the other a computer programmer who has created programs for the NSA.
When the childhood friends reunite to unravel the mysteries surrounding one of their mothers being gone and the other kidnapped, they have no idea the chaos they have been thrown into or the double lives their moms have led.
There is an underground network working to take down the cabal known as The Hermitage.
The girls must find the hidden clues, break centuries old ciphers, and fight for their lives as the FBI and Hermitage network are hot on their tails.
Oh, and the female senator running for president is part of the Underground, and the girls are fighting to save her life as well.

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.

Thank you Thomas&Mercer, NetGalley, and Jess Lourey for an ARC. All opinions are my own.