Jessica Lourey | Salem’s Cipher Thrillers

Salem's Cipher

First in the Salem's Cipher Thrillers

A brilliant code breaker shatters a centuries-old conspiracy and unravels her own family secrets in an addictive and heart-pounding thriller by Edgar Award–nominated author Jess Lourey.

Salem Wiley is a genius cryptanalyst. She’s also a loner who prefers a safe and familiar path. Until her mother disappears in the wake of a brutal murder, leaving behind a cryptic warning of threats to come. Forced out of her safe zone, Salem embarks with her best friend, Bel, on a dangerous quest that reaches back centuries into America’s hidden history.

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.

Now Salem must follow a cross-country trail of clues in a desperate bid to unravel the conspiracy, which threatens not only the present but the very course of history.

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"The fascinating historical information combined with a story line ripped from the headlines will hook conspiracy theorists and action addicts alike."
―Kirkus Reviews

"This suspenseful tale has something for absolutely everyone to enjoy."
―Suspense Magazine

"Troubled, razor-sharp Salem is truly a heroine to cheer for. I'd follow her anywhere."
―Alison Gaylin, USA Today bestselling author

Mercy's Chase

Second in the Salem's Cipher Series

A genius FBI code breaker unravels the mysteries of one of history’s most monumental puzzles in a propulsive thriller by Jess Lourey, the Edgar Award–nominated author of Salem’s Cipher.

Working for the FBI, cryptanalyst and agoraphobe Salem Wiley vows never to return to the conspiratorial underworld her mother revealed to her. Until fieldwork draws Salem to an Ireland farm where a curious discovery has been unearthed: a near-perfect replica of Stonehenge in miniature—except for one extra stone engraved with the word mercy.

When seven-year-old Mercy Mayfair, a child in Salem’s family’s care, is kidnapped, Salem knows it’s more than an unsettling coincidence. Mercy’s centuries-old lineage holds the key to understanding the greatest Neolithic mystery of the ages. A dangerously patriarchal society, just as ancient, will kill to solve it.

As Salem follows a serpentine trail of clues and ciphers, the clock is ticking and her fears are escalating. Because the only way to save Mercy is for Salem to crack the unbreakable code of Stonehenge first.

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“An immersive voice, an intriguing story, a wonderful character - highly recommended!”
—Lee Child, #1 internationally-bestselling author

"Action-packed, great writing taut with suspense, an appealing main character to root for―who could ask for anything more?" —Buried Under Books

The Adventure of the First Problem

A Salem's Cipher Short

Before Salem's Cipher, there was the first problem.

In this short story, future world-famous cryptanalyst Salem Wiley must crack a 150-year-old code to rescue a dying child trapped inside a tomb. She also meets her Moriarty.

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