Book Review: Mercy's Chase by Jess Lourey

Mercy's Chase
Author: Jess Lourey
Series: Salem's Cipher (Book 2)
Publication: Thomas & Mercer (March 26, 2024)

Description: 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.

My Thoughts: Salem Wiley finds herself working for the FBI in London in this sequel to SALEM'S CIPHER. She's still an agoraphobe who would much rather be at home in Minneapolis working on her potentially ground-breaking computer program. And she does not want to be in the Underground which has furthered the bad relationship she's had with her mother since her father died when she was twelve. 

However, there is an up-coming climate conference that the new President Hayes will be attending, and the FBI is concerned with the various threats made to assassinate her. Investigating one threat leads to Ireland and the discovery of a small, buried copy of Stonehenge which Salem sees as a feminist symbol and a possible code. 

When her young friend Mercy is kidnapped by the evil Order that wants to keep things in the hands of the patriarchy, Mercy finds herself swept into solving a cipher that has eluded both the Underground and the Order for centuries if she wants to save Mercy's life. 

Mercy knows that the Order is watching, and she doesn't know who she can trust, but she knows she needs to find the answer. She's swept way out of her comfort zone as she travels to Stonehenge, other henges in Scotland, sea caves and the Queen's Robing Room at the House of Parliament as she struggles to solve the code in time.

I enjoyed this fast-paced thriller. I liked the intrigue. I liked the various sites Salem visits. I liked the historical details. 

I bought this one May 6, 2024, when it was a Kindle Daily Deal. You can buy your copy here.