The Enigma Challenge

Overall Rating: 5/5

You have solved the kickoff puzzle.

The Enigma Challenge begins now.

Zoe is a cryptologist... leading a rather normal, unassuming... boring life as a cryptologist studying ciphers in literature at a California university. That is until her research leads her to a cryptology conference in Madrid, Spain...and she finds herself involved in a dangerous competition with stakes that are far too high...and if you lose? Your identity is gone forever.

It doesn't take long for her to realize that she is in far over her head. That's when a mysterious hacker makes his appearance... Enter Dane Seaver... who knows the Challenge's secrets and its players. Regardless of how this ends up... for better or for worse, they need each other.

Twelve million dollars lies at stake. Six days. Five puzzles. Three countries.

Multiple lives at risk.

Will Zoe and Dane make it through the Challenge unscathed? Even more important... will their growing feelings for each other grow more... or will they be shattered apart?

Allow me to tell you now, grab on to something, and hold onto it tight... because you are absolutely not prepared for the wild ride that The Enigma Challenge will take you on. This starts off with a bang, and then descends into a rapidly dropping, utterly thrilling rollercoaster of a ride... one that I found so utterly thrilling that I just kept reading and reading until I was finished with it at 3 am in the morning.

And oh my stars, can S.C. Godfrey write. The scenery! She writes in such a vivid fashion that the whole novel seems to spring to life... and throughout the whole thing I almost felt as though I was experiencing the cities for myself... the sights, the smells, and the landmarks that each of these cities is known for...even though I have only managed to visit one or two of them myself. She then uses this same vivid imagery and wraps it into a masterful, heart-racing tale of puzzles, symbols, and ciphers... where danger lurks around every corner... all at the same time, we have a blossoming relationship as our two main characters get to know each other.

There is plenty here that will keep you engaged, and there is also plenty more that will leave you yearning to know more about the Challenge, about its puzzles, and all-in-all, the ultimate winner of the prize. S.C. Godfrey's writing is always a delight, and I cannot wait to see what she releases next.