The Cryptographer's Dilemma is a World War 2 story set here in the United States. This book is based on true events about a doll collector who helped the Japanese gain Intel about War ships. This was a very enjoyable story that followed an FBI agent and a young woman who decodes messages for the navy. There is adventure, mystery and romance. I highly recommend this book to any historical fiction readers.
*I was given a copy of this book by the publisher. This is my honest opinion.

I couldn’t put this book down! Elise Marshall is a cryptographer during WW II. Philip Clayton wants to enlist but he is colorblind. The two are forced together to decipher strange messages that can put the United States in danger. I loved this book because it was about spies in the US. This was based on a true story.
If you love historical fiction, this book is for you. This was the first book I read by Johnnie Alexander but it won’t be my last!
I want to thank Barbour Fiction and Netgallery for the chance to review this book. All options are my own.

I really enjoyed this book! The plot was interesting and kept me turning the pages to see how things would end! The characters were likable and I enjoyed their teamwork as they worked to uncover the traitor. I think this is a great start to this new series!

The Cryptographer’s Dilemma by Johnnie Alexander is another great story based on a true crime. The time frame is 1942 after the US has been drawn into World War ll by the attack on Pearl Harbor. FBI agent Phillip Clayton longs to join the fighting but his supervisor and uncle, Richard Whitmer, convinces him there is work for him to do at home and promises he can go overseas after the next assignment. Eloise was a math teacher until she was convinced to become a cryptographer for the Navy and is very good at breaking codes. Richard brings the two of them together to go undercover as brother and sister to find Velvalee Dickinson, known as the Doll Lady who may be passing secrets to the Japanese. Will they be able to stay in the shadows as they travel from coast to coast to untangle the mystery?
I found this one fascinating. I had read about the code breakers before but being in the form of a novel this really brings the story to life. I enjoy the interactions within the story line between real and fictional characters. Very well written and the reader is engaged in the excitement from page one to a satisfying ending. I give this book a solid 5 of 5 stars.
I received an advance copy of this book through Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

Based on a true story during WWII, the FBI race across the United States to find a traitor. Velvalee, an avid so collector/seller used letters with embedded codes to send messages to Japanese leaders. This novel was very interesting, filled with details of how an cryptography decodes messages. I appreciated the author's notes about this event. Predictable but enjoyable.

Johnnie Alexander wrote The Cryptographer’s Dilemma partially based on actual people. This book was a captivating tale taking place in 1942.
Phillip Clayton is an FBI agent who had just recently captured some German spies and was awaiting their trial. Phillip was disappointed that he could not be serving on the foreign front but his color blindness was a hindrance. His uncle, Richard Whitmer, was also with the FBI and his superior. He had another assignment for Phillip and this one needed the help of someone else. They needed the help of someone who could decipher some suspicious letters that had been confiscated by the postal inspectors.
Eloise Marshall is a cryptographer. In fact, when we first meet her, she is trying to solve a puzzling code and we glimpse her method of doing so. I was hooked on wanting to read more. She is a delightful gal with her own story to tell and her involvement with the FBI is totally believable.
The way the author weaved this tale was totally page turning worthy with all the little twists and turns. I wholeheartedly recommend this book.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. #TheCryptographersDilemma #HeroinesOfWWII #JohnnieAlexander

This is the first in a wartime series featuring unsung heroines. The Cryptographer’s Dilemma is set entirely in the USA with the majority set in Portland or Washington and highlights the FBI’s investigation of WW2s number one woman spy, The Doll Woman, Velvalee Dickinson.

Velvalee was a respected member of the national doll-collecting community in 1940s USA, but it was her secret life as a spy for the Japanese that caught the FBIs attention. She wrote letters using a jargon code that provided information about US ships damaged at Pearl Harbour and, in exchange, received money from the Japanese government.

Fictional Elosie Marshall, a codebreaker for the navy, is recruited by the FBI to work on the Doll Case. Phillip Clayton, a fictional FBI agent, poses as her brother and they travel across the States investigating the identity of Doll Woman.

There’s a little of everything in this interesting, quick, and easy read; mystery, romance, family issues, and religious inspiration. Had the book been a little longer, the author could have fleshed out the characters a little more resulting in better reader connection and better plot flow. Some things came out of left field and caused me to do plenty of re-reading. Had more time been spent on their backstory, I would not have wondered why seemingly random events had popped up where and when they did. Regardless, I learned so much about steganography and basic FBI training in addition to understanding a little more about the first American woman to face the death penalty for her wartime betrayal.

“The one thing worse than German saboteurs on American soil was an American traitor. If one of Uncle Sam’s own was betraying the country, the Bureau needed to find the who, what, and why as quickly and quietly as possible.”

“Sometimes I wish God would write a message in the sky so I could understand…so I could know why.”

“You gave him something he didn’t deserve. I think the preachers call that grace.”

This slow-burning Christian historical fiction will be published August 1, 2021.

I received this advance copy from Johnnie Alexander, Barbour Publishing, and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.

If you’re looking for a read with espionage, romance and a likable heroine, look no further. The Cryptographer’s Dilemma is such a treat to read and admittedly hard to put down. Though it’s main characters are fiction, I was enthralled to learn about Velvalee Dickinson, the first American woman to face the death penalty for her wartime betrayal during WWII.

Thank you to NetGalley and Barbour Publishing for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

The Cryptographer's Dilemma was my first Johnnie Alexander novel. Most WWII themed novels take place in Europe, but this historic novel takes place entirely in the US. What I loved most about the story, but did not realize until I read the author's note at the end, is that this is based on a true story. Yes, Velvalee and her mysterious letters did actually exist, as did a FBI investigation. This truly raised my level of appreciation for the story. I thought the characters were well thought out. I liked them all. The plot was a bit predictable, but the conclusion was solid. As for the writing style, I must admit that I never felt "transported" or truly lost in the book. I enjoyed it, but this did affect how invested I felt. Perhaps it was just me, but I would have preferred a style that was a bit more descriptive and perhaps a little longer. Overall, this was a good read.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed are entirely my own.

The first in a series about women heroes of WW2, this novel has lots of action and enjoyable characters. Eloise, a codebreaker for the navy, is recruited to join the FBI to catch a spy named the Doll Woman who sold secrets to Japan. Phillip is the FBI agent who partners with Eloise to uncover the identity of the spy. Posing as brother and sister, they travel cross-country following up leads. This is a fictional account about a real-life spy. The chemistry between Eloise and Phillip develops throughout the story and I was rooting for them by the conclusion. Solid 4 stars.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Barbour Publishing through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

#thecryptographersdilemma #netgalley
What a thrilling historical chase across the US to find the mysterious doll woman. This book is filled with action, suspense, history and romance. I loved it!

The Cryptographer’s Dilemma is the fascinating story of The Doll Woman’s covert activities during World War 2. Eloise Marshall was a talented code breaker and an amazing aid to the FBI in exposing the criminal, traitorous activities of Velvallee Dickinson.

Some parts of the story seemed a bit too remarkable to be believable, but it is a novel not a text book and it was very interesting and enjoyable. .

I received an ARC from Barbour Publishing through NetGalley. This is my own opinion.

I thoroughly enjoyed The Cryptographer's Dilemma. There was enough mystery to keep me wanting to read one more chapter and enough romance to keep me rooting for things to work out. I didn't know until the end of the book that it was based a true story about spies during WWII. Knowing that made me appreciate the story even more.

This was an awesome book about one of the (fictional) unsung heroines of WWII. Women played such a large role so I always enjoy reading books, both fiction and non-fiction, about awesome, strong, intelligent women who did amazing work during this time.

Eloise, a cryptographer who’s working with the FBI to de-code letters to unmask a traitor. Philip is the FBI agent who is paired with her. He initially isn’t thrilled with this assignment but soon begins to appreciate the skill set that Eloise brings, which then leads to growing feelings for Eloise herself.

I liked that this was a nice mix between a sweet romance and suspense. The historical details were interesting, especially with some real historical figures mixed in. Some of the plot is predictable and I initially didn’t love Philip, but as the story progressed, I became engrossed in this book and I think it was a satisfying read.

Thanks to Netgalley for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

This book is not what I expected, but it was a very good read! I thought, based on the title, the story would be full of code breaking and clues. That was about 20% of the story. The rest was a crash course in FBI field training during WW2. The Cryptographer's Dilemma is highly entertaining and enjoyable. The characters were likable, the plot line intriguing, and I had to finish it in one sitting.

The basic plot is about cryptographer Eloise Marshall. She is teamed up with FBI agent Philip Clayton to track down someone who might be sharing secrets with the Japanese. The US Postal Service has intercepted seemingly innocent letters about dolls and doll conferences. But Eloise feels these letters are coded messages about warships. Eloise is suddenly thrown into the private world of spies, espionage, and subterfuge. With her cryptographer skills and Phillip's spy skills they will work together to try and track down the traitor.

If you like historical fiction that is light on romance and high on adventure, then you will enjoy this book. I look forward to the author's next book!

I was disappointed in this as I expected to learn more about the "doll lady," and the FBI and naval Intelligence roles in finding her. This could have been very interesting but the focus was on the protagonists' relationship, which was not very plausible.

Based on the true story of Velvalee Dickinson, aka the Doll Woman, The Cryptographer's Dilemma fictionalizes the story of the hunt for the traitorous spy who was passing information about damaged ships from Pearl harbor to the Japanese. The character of Eloise, a crypotographer enlisted by the FBI is slowly developed as is her backstory. FBI agent, Phillip Clayton's character seems to be stock FBI from 1950's movies. The plot becomes predictable as the attraction between the two main characters grows. References to their faith and "God's plans" for them seem to be randomly thrown in since nothing in the background of these characters leads the reader to believe that either one is especially religious. This could have been an excellent spy vs FBI novel instead it falls to the level of a 1950's paperback romance. Unfortunate, considering the factual story behind the novel; it could have been so much more.

The Cryptographer's Dilemma by Johnnie Alexander is part of a series of novels celebrating the heroines of World War II. This is a fictional account based on an actual FBI investigation into a woman who was selling secrets to the Japanese.
From the first page, I was engaged, and this was a hard book to put down. I loved the characters than Alexander created to tell the story. These characters are people I would like to meet. Eloise is a cryptographer working with the FBI to decipher the code in letters mailed by the suspected traitor. She is paired with Philip, an FBI agent, as they travel around the country following clues and tracking leads, in hopes of catching the traitor, the elusive Doll Lady.

There is great chemistry between Eloise and Philip, and their friendship grows as they spend so much time together. But this is Eloise's story. The story of the cryptographer who faces a number of dilemmas as she works with Philip and the FBI to apprehend their target.

This book is very well written, with engaging characters, and lots of twists and turns thrown it. It is full of adventure and intrigue, along with some romance. You won't want to miss this one. A very good read - once I hated to see come to an end. This is my first Johnnie Alexander read, but it won't be the last!

The Cryptographer's Dilemma by Johnnie Alexander will be published by Barbour Fiction on August 1, 2021. I received an advance reader copy from Net Galley in exchange for my opinion.

The Cryptographer's Dilemma by Johnnie Alexander is a World War II novel focused on studying of codes and secrets. With the heroine's experience and brainpower. She is tossed into a world of secrets and even more daring adventures than she bargained for. While the chase to find the hidden message behind the Doll letters, the heroine and hero find romance as they try to work together and work hard to solve the mystery. The World War II world sounds familiar, even a little chiche at times. Sometimes, I felt like the World War II scenery was not that important that I forgot I was chasing someone who was giving away our nations secrets through these letters. The ending scene where the climactic moment occurred was very unclimactic too. Here is the horrible elements leading up to it. Here is the ultimate showdown. Oops! Story over. Wait! Backtrack. Did I miss something? After reading the ending for the second time, I did see the moments, but it was not all it was cracked up to be. Overall, The Cryptographer's Dilemma started out pretty interesting, and I could not wait to see what happened, but as the story progressed, the stroy and moments fell flat to me.

I received a complimentary copy of The Cryptographer's Dilemma by Johnnie Alexander published by Barbour Publishing through Celebrate Lit. Tours, but the opinions stated are all my own.

This was the first book that I have read by Johnnie Alexander and I will be looking for more. The story caught my interest right away. I really like fiction that is based on true events, this being the investigation into the "Doll Woman" who gave information to the enemies of the U.S. after the attack on Pearl Harbor.
I enjoyed learning more about the cryptographers who left home to aid in the search for any missives and secret information going out within the U.S. These kinds of things fascinate me. The story focuses on the cross country investigation led by a female cryptographer and a male FBI agent who are looking into the possibility that the government has found a traitor. The focus of the investigation is a seemingly harmless woman who sells dolls to collectors.
I am intrigued with this story and it's outcome. I followed the author's advice to seek out more information about this notorious woman. The fictional side of the story was equally interesting. I liked the characters and their story. I enjoy a riveting and clean read with historical information.
I want to thank the author, publisher and NetGalley for my advanced reader's copy of the book. This is my own opinion.