Twinning for Books Reviews The Cipher

On By John C. FordLeave a comment

Thanks to the folks (or maybe it’s just folk) at Twinning for Books for a nice review of The Cipher.

The plot had so many twists sometimes I couldn’t keep up. I could definitely see this as a movie because in this techno age, this stuff could happen. It’s a bit scary but I couldn’t put it down until the plot came together at the end. It was a nice wrap up to a thrilling adventure.

Read the whole thing here.

The reviews are in . . . and they’re good!

On By John C. FordLeave a comment

Cipher_Cvr_mediumThe reviews for The Cipher are coming in . . . and they’re good!

Here’s a snippet from a Booklist review that really made me smile:

Ford follows up his debut, The Morgue and Me (2009), with another taut thriller. . . . Composing his novel with short chapters that switch perspectives among key players, Ford knows precisely when to lay his cards out on the table. Readers will speed through this book as they try to solve the narrative’s puzzle before the solution is revealed. Given all the national security leaks making the news, this book about privacy could not be more current.

And here’s a bit of what Publishers Weekly had to say:

Ford (The Morgue and Me) weaves a twisty, paranoid tale of technology, secrets, and lies, as 18-year-old Robert “Smiles” Smylie, heir to a major software security company, gets caught up in a thrilling caper.  Ford capably juggles several threads as he pulls off a complicated series of plans and double-crosses . . . . The end result is an unpredictable story with some audacious twists. Ages 12–up. Agent: Sara Crowe, Harvey Klinger. (Feb.)

School Library was actually first out of the gate with its review, calling The Cipher “an exciting tale with a twist ending that teens will enjoy.”  And when Kirkus Reviews chimed in, they had some good things to say as well:

[T]he focus here is on the fast-moving action and web of double-crosses and buried secrets. Smiles’ confident, upbeat and largely ingenuous voice lends the book charm, and chapters in which Smiles’ fond ex-girlfriend Melanie investigates Alyce Systems’ past are both warm and suspenseful. Many different storylines are at play here besides the NSA scheme: Smiles’ family history, the upcoming Alyce Systems initial public offering, Smiles’ relationship with his dying father and Smiles’ growing attachment to a girl he meets at the conference. Each plotline works neatly with the others and achieves a satisfying resolution.

Color me very happy that The Cipher is getting some nice advance praise.

Kirkus Reviews on The Cipher

On By John C. FordLeave a comment

Kirkus Reviews has released it review of The Cipher, and I’m happy to report they’ve got good things to say.

An excerpt:

A dangerous breakthrough in cryptography leads to a high-stakes adventure for ne’er-do-well Robert “Smiles” Smylie Jr., whose father founded computing security giant Alyce Systems. . . . The basics of public-key cryptography are explained accessibly, but the focus here is on the fast-moving action and web of double crosses and buried secrets. Smiles’ confident, upbeat and largely ingenuous voice lends the book charm, and chapters in which Smiles’ fond ex-girlfriend Melanie investigates Alyce Systems’ past are both warm and suspenseful. . . .  [R]eaders get plenty of suspense and high-tech high jinks . . . .

High-speed fun.

Check out the full review here.  Thanks Kirkus!