Release: August 12, 2025
Author: Jess Lourey
Publisher: Brilliance

Rating: 4 ★ 

Salem Wiley is a brilliant codebreaker who likes to keep her world quiet and predictable. But when her mother suddenly vanishes after a shocking murder, everything changes. Her mom leaves behind a cryptic warning, pulling Salem—and her adventurous best friend Bel—into a dangerous mystery that stretches deep into America’s past.
As they follow a trail of secret messages tied to poet Emily Dickinson and the famous Beale Cipher, Salem uncovers stunning truths: her mother had a secret life, and a powerful, ancient society is working behind the scenes to control the world. Salem and a small group of women are the only ones who can stop them.
What starts as a personal search becomes a high-stakes race across the country to uncover hidden clues and protect history itself.
This book was a refreshing shift from Jess Lourey’s usual style — still packed with suspense and sharp writing, but with a deeper dive into puzzles, ancient secrets, and conspiracies. It follows two strong female leads on a fast-paced, high-stakes journey that combines historical mystery with modern danger. I loved the mix of action and intellect, especially the cryptic clues and secret societies layered into the plot.
Salem, the main character, did frustrate me at times, but that actually made her feel more real. The supporting cast is well-developed, and Lourey’s way of revealing the past piece by piece kept me completely hooked. I experienced both the eBook and the audiobook — the narration was solid and engaging, even with a couple small mix-ups in dialogue tags. Still, nothing that took away from the story. Overall, it’s a gripping read (or listen), and I’m excited to continue the series with Mercy’s Chase.

Favorite Quote:
"drawn into a labyrinth of messages encrypted by Emily Dickinson and hidden in the legendary Beale Cipher, Salem discovers her mother's double life - and the truth. An ancient and ruthless society is hell-bent on ruling the world, and only a select group of hunted women stands in its way."

This audiobook is quite different from most of Jess Lourey’s work. It follows two women as they search for clues to an ancient truth that will undermine an evil centuries-old group. The storytelling is as exceptional as you’d expect from this author, and the plot is suspenseful with non-stop action. I both read an ebook and listened to the audiobook, which was nicely performed. I enjoyed both versions and am looking forward to reading Mercy’s Chase. I received a complimentary copy of this audiobook and chose to write a voluntary, unbiased review.

Captivating book and fantastic narrator!
I love the mysteries and puzzles and the chase that the main characters undertake, and the context of secret organizations. A few times I did get a little exasperated with Salem, but I love all the (good) characters and the way Lourey describes them, peels away the past for both the reader and the main character to discover.
It's narrated very well, it was a joy to listen to this fantastic story.

There were two instances where the narrator said 'Salem' in a dialogue tag where it should've been someone else, but it was easy to figure out.