Author: Jay Martel
Publisher: Wednesday Books
Genre: Mystery\YA
Format: Kindle ARC
No. of Pages: 384
Date of Publication: July 22, 2025
My Rating: 4 Stars
DESCRIPTION:
This original, interactive thriller from debut author Jay Martel follows a brilliant teenage girl as she races across D.C. to decode the clues her father left behind, which may just be the key to saving the country from a devastating tragedy.
Mia Hayes has peaceful plans for the summer—find a part-time job at a coffee shop and work on her application for Harvard. Those plans are shattered one night when government agents arrive unannounced at her home seeking something they believe her father has taken. When the dust settles, her mother is dead and her father is gone, a fugitive on the run.
Three weeks later, and still reeling from her father’s betrayal, Mia spends her seventeenth birthday at a protest in the heart of D.C., where she meets Logan, a rebellious and charming hacker. Just as she’s enjoying her first happy moment since the night her world exploded, a voicemail from her father arrives to upend everything she believed about her family, her past, and what really happened that night three weeks ago. Even more, the voicemail hides another encoded message inside which, once Mia solves it, sets her and Logan off on a mission from her sleepy suburb straight into the heart of the federal government.
With the same agents now hot on their trail, Mia and Logan must navigate their way through American history’s most iconic sites and uncover its most well-hidden secrets to reveal the truth about her family and stop a deadly attack.
In this non-stop thrill ride, the reader has the chance to test their own codebreaking skills alongside Mia, lending an exciting interactive element to this page-turning thriller packed with action, romance, and life-changing revelations.
Mia Hayes has peaceful plans for the summer—find a part-time job at a coffee shop and work on her application for Harvard. Those plans are shattered one night when government agents arrive unannounced at her home seeking something they believe her father has taken. When the dust settles, her mother is dead and her father is gone, a fugitive on the run.
Three weeks later, and still reeling from her father’s betrayal, Mia spends her seventeenth birthday at a protest in the heart of D.C., where she meets Logan, a rebellious and charming hacker. Just as she’s enjoying her first happy moment since the night her world exploded, a voicemail from her father arrives to upend everything she believed about her family, her past, and what really happened that night three weeks ago. Even more, the voicemail hides another encoded message inside which, once Mia solves it, sets her and Logan off on a mission from her sleepy suburb straight into the heart of the federal government.
With the same agents now hot on their trail, Mia and Logan must navigate their way through American history’s most iconic sites and uncover its most well-hidden secrets to reveal the truth about her family and stop a deadly attack.
In this non-stop thrill ride, the reader has the chance to test their own codebreaking skills alongside Mia, lending an exciting interactive element to this page-turning thriller packed with action, romance, and life-changing revelations.
MY THOUGHTS:
Mia Hayes’s mother was murdered, and her father is missing. Following the clues left by her father in a coded voicemail, Mia is determined to uncover the truth. Feeling a sense of responsibility for her mother’s death, she digs deep into the investigation. As she deciphers each code, Mia doesn’t have to do this alone. She teams up with a hacker named Logan who becomes crucial in helping her navigate the dangerous situation.
With government agents closing in, Mia and Logan work tirelessly to solve the puzzles and find answers. This book, which I had as an ARC, didn’t fully engage me with its interactive elements. However, as a puzzle enthusiast, I thoroughly enjoyed watching Mia and Logan collaborate to crack each code. This book would appeal to anyone who loves puzzles, action, and a thrilling pace that keeps you on the edge of your seat.
Many thanks to Wednesday Books and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.
They’ve spent the past twenty years collaborating on everything from theatrical productions to escape rooms to their son, Theo. They live in northern Minnesota where the winters are cold, long, and the perfect excuse to stay inside and write novels together.
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