Customer Reviews

The Crimson Cipher

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

You have got to read this book! If you love U.S. history, maybe if you don't, this book will make you a lover! From the first page to the last, I was totally engrossed in the story of Emma Shuster. This story is set in pre Great War Maine and Washington, D.C and its surrounds. It centers on a love story, a mystery and field of code breaking. The main characters, Emma Shuster and Lieutenant John Patterson are charming, intelligent and endearing. Emma becomes a master at decoding
secret messages from the enemy. You will learn about
simple ciphers to the very complex. Even the cover of this book is mysterious. A beautiful woman with a black hat covering and shadowing a good of her face will intrigue you. And if you tilt the cover with the light shining on it, you will have a surprise. That will be for you to find. Before the book begins, Susan Page Davis puts the story straight as to what is fiction and what really happened. And what really happened is amazing. You will learn about the terrorism that occurred in the U.S. just before the Great War!
The book demonstrates bravery, intelligence and love of country hope for the ideals of United States and a profound personal trust in God.

I loved this book. It snatches you up on the first page and pulls you in. It's an easy read. I finished it in just a few days. I love the characters, mystery, the suspense, the storyline. All of it. You won't regret reading this book!

Another good book By Susan Page Davis.
This book is set during WW1 but before the USA commit to the war. I found it interesting and informative as I knew the US didn't join in the war very early but didn't know of alot of the reasons. I also didn't know about the domestic issues in Canada also.
This book starts with the murder of Emma's father and what happens after. Lt. John Patterson invites Emma to become a Navy cryptographer due to her expertised gained from helping her father develop a cipher system. She is also still trying to find out who killed her father and what they wanted. This was a good read learning about cryptography and how solving the cyphers saved many lives and help turn certain areas of the war. It was good reading about WW1 and this side of the fight.

I'm enjoying the trend of novels set in the early half of the twentieth century. That period of history is close enough to be familiar, but far enough to capture the sense of "once upon a time." The Crimson Cipher is one of those books. Set in 1915, when the U.S. is on the brink of war, in many ways it feels like it could be happening now. After all, we are familiar with war. But there are little details that remind us it isn't now. The characters call each other Mr. or Miss, unless given permission to use first names. They light kerosene lamps when they enter rooms. And telephones are located down the hall, not in their pockets.

But the characters could be our neighbors and I would be proud to know them. Emma Shuster is a cryptologist for the Navy's Signal Corps. She is one of an elite group of people who decipher coded messages from Germany. Her love interest is John Patterson who acts on the messages if they threaten the security of the U.S. The story flows smoothly through the circumstances of Emma's recruitment, the risks John takes and some danger Emma faces because of her job and background.

I can't say it was an intense story of espionage and intrigue, but it kept my interest throughout because of the characters and setting. Davis has crafted a wonderful story that balances mystery, danger and romance. I think you'll enjoy it as much as I did.

Pros: Likeable characters in an accessible setting with a well developed plot.

Cons: I don't see anything to caution you about. It's a great story.

The original review was posted on Pix-N-Pens

The Crimson Cipher by Susan Page Davis is a fast-paced and intriguing look at the world of code-breaking in the days leading up to WWI. When Emma Shuster's father is found shot dead in his office, she assumes that he was murdered for information about the new ciphering machine he was creating for a bank. Navy lieutenant John Patterson arrived to talk to Professor Shuster but ends up helping Emma deal with funeral preparations and plans for the future in the wake of her father's death. The couple feels drawn together by the tragedy, and he helps her find a job with the military as a code-breaker. But suspicious activities by Emma's aunt, uncle, and cousin, and a suitor put in her life in danger, as does the man who will stop at nothing to find that machine. Davis truly brings to life the tense days when Europe is at war and the US tries to remain neutral, even when its ships are being attacked and sabotage is happening all over the country. Her portrayal of the fascinating role code-breakers played in that time makes the story compelling and enjoyable. I hope that she isn't done writing about this era, Doris and the other women rooming at Mrs. Draper's boarding house could each support their own book!

Emma Shuster's peaceful, academic world is rocked when she discovers her father, a professor and researcher, has been brutally murdered. His death leaves his most important work unfinished - a new machine designed for the secure encryption of sensitive information. With war raging in Europe, and the United States government skirting a delicate balance of maintaining neutrality while protecting political and economic interests, the need for new methods of encryption and deciphering codes has never been greater. Thanks to her own knowledge of ciphers, Emma is recruited to join the Navy's Signal Corps and their top-secret group of cryptographers working to stop the sabotage plots of German spies and sympathizers on U.S. soil. Between her work and a blossoming romance with a handsome lieutenant, Emma's life has taken a turn she never could've imagined. When Emma learns that because of her father's machine she's being targeted by Kobold, the shadowy leader of the German saboteurs, she doesn't know who to trust. It's a race against time to capture the spies and catch her father's killers before they can eliminate Emma and stop the critical work she's now a part of in defending the country.

The early day of World War I, especially prior to U.S. involvement in the conflict, is a sadly overlooked time period in the historical fiction market in my experience. Happily, Davis' The Crimson Cipher illuminates this time period with a tale rich in detail and historical authenticity. The only other story I can think of that deals so intensely with cryptography during this time is The 39 Steps (I love both the Hitchcock and recent Masterpiece Classic versions of the story). While Cipher is less of a rollicking adventure than the film versions of The 39 Steps, what sets it apart is its focus on the ins and outs of cryptography and its applications, and the type of personality and training required to become a successful code breaker. In a day when computer programs can encrypt or decipher information in mere seconds, the discipline and trial-and-error work it took to manually crack codes blew me away. Emma and her real-life counterparts were brilliant and could look at number and letter combinations in ways I have a hard time fathoming, and I loved reading all of the detail concerning their work that Davis peppers throughout the text.

I have to applaud Davis for crafting a novel with a strong female heroine like Emma in an extremely unusual profession to boot during a time when women couldn't yet vote, and if they worked it was often as secretaries or the like, not in male-dominated fields. Emma is extraordinarily smart, but Davis is careful that quality doesn't translate into a modern, pushier personality - her character feels wholly true to the early twentieth-century's customs and manners, without seeming forward or out of place. I was occasionally frustrated with Emma though, because I feel like her emotional reaction to her father's murder is really glossed over and its impact on her decisions given the short shrift. And while I loved John's character - he very much embodies the dashing, gentlemanly quality I have always imagined a spy must've possessed during this time period (I blame old movies, LOL!) - the romantic in me wishes there'd been a little more focus on the romance aspect of the novel, since John is such a sweetheart . But solid research and an engaging storyline, a unique heroine, and a fascinating premise make The Crimson Cipher a thoroughly enjoyable read. Given her in-depth research and affinity for the time period, I hope that Susan Page Davis chooses to revisit this time period - she clearly has a knack for penning a thought-provoking spy tale.

I love a good historical fiction read. Not a historical romance, mind you. They are two completely different genres. Now, a sprinkle of romance in the historical fiction is ok but not so much that the only historical aspect of the book is that it doesn't take place in present time. No, give a me a book where it is clearly obvious that the author has done lots of research to make sure that facts are correct and historical figures are portrayed accurately. And that's exactly what this book gave me.

I believe this is the first fiction book that I've read that deals with cryptography. I'm very limited with my knowledge about breaking codes. In fact the only two recollections I can recall about my experiences with this subject in pop culture are a James Bond film (For Your Eyes Only) and an episode of Ghostwriter (remember the first episode? THABTO?). Therefore I was really interested in the subject matter of this book and how Davis was able to bring it to life. Because breaking codes are usually top secret material that the general public doesn't know about until years later, it was fascinating to read about the lives of the code breakers. During the first World War there were many opportunities for those skilled in the field to help out the government. I was pleased at all the opportunities for women to be able to participate and help out during this time period even though the 19th Amendment hadn't been passed yet. Emma still faces some discrimination because she is a woman but because of her skilled background she became respected.

As for the romance part of the story, there is chemistry between Emma and John but not so much that it distracts from the historical aspect of the story. In fact the characters are separated most of the time so each is allowed to focus more on their work than each other. I found this to be quite refreshing as, to be honest, I was more involved with the code breaking aspect of the story and found their jobs to be more interesting than their love life. One extra plus for me about this story was that several scenes take place in Fairfax, VA which is where I live now. Even though there is nothing that is the same, due to the time difference, it was still nice to know that this area had a big impact with the story.

Overall, I found this book to be a fascinating read. It's a really good historical fiction novel, heavy on the historical aspects but written extremely well. The religious aspects of the book are downplayed and are respectful of the era that the book is set in. I found this book to heighten my interest in code breakers and look forward to finding out more about them in my own personal research. A great book for those looking for a new twist on the same old war story.

The Crimson Cipher is unlike any book I've read. It's based in the early days of World War One, prior to any official involvement by the US. A neutral nation, this novel is set amidst some of the early code-breaking efforts of the navy. I found that a fascinating historical hook and was also intrigued by all the sabotage going on against the US and Canada.

Emma Shuster finds herself swept into the Navy's efforts after her father is murdered. And the intrigue follows her from Maine to D.C. When her heart becomes entangled with a suitor, she has to decide whether to allow the navy lieutenant in. The romance is well-blended with the suspense, and the characters and setting had me transported back to that time period. This was a very enjoyable read that I inhaled.

Set in 1915 before America declares war, this novel about cryptography intrigued me from the beginning Note to Readers until the finish which offers a code to break. (I must admit, I'm no Emma--the protagonist--and I gave up.) What a strong character Emma is... an intelligent, mannerly woman, who has to deal with the murder of her father. I admire her.

I loved reading this Christian historical fiction about the lives of code breakers. I'd never considered the intensity or dedication of the work. Add to that a romance with handsome Lieutenant John Patterson, a guy who would cause any one's heart to beat more rapidly, and you have a winning plot.

Readers may try their hand at solving the ciper message in the back of the book and enter a contest to win another Summerside Press novel.

Here is an intense novel, full of mystery that most will enjoy. Thank you to Summerside Press for my copy.

I have read lots of books concerning WWII, but not nearly as many about WWI. Consequently I was fascinated by "The Crimson Cipher" which deals with sabotage and espionage in America before it entered WWI. I loved the characters that were dealing with murder, mystery and so much more as they tried to uncover danger before it happened. Emma is a strong young woman that is devastated when her father is killed over what seems to be the project he was working on designing - a machine that can encrypt messages and maybe decode them as well. The Navy gets involved and soon Emma is working as a civilian in a secret part of the Navy that is responsible for trying to decipher intercepted messages from the enemy regarding sabotage on American and Canadian soil. In the meantime, somebody wants Emma dead and they want her father's machine.
I loved learning about what was going on before America joined the war. Susan Page Davis has a section that tells which parts are fact and which parts are literary license, it is so interesting. I had never really heard about this before and I would like to learn more. That is an interesting book, something that can grab my attention and hold it and then make me want to learn more. Excellent characters, excellent time period and storyline and a wonderful book all around!