No Test for the Wicked

Lexi Carmichael Mystery #5

by Julie Moffett

A geek’s worst going back to high school

Returning to high school is not something I ever wanted to do over—it was awful the first time around. So why do I have to go back as part of a new undercover assignment? Because the universe loves playing jokes on me, obviously.

I’ve been ordered to go all 21 Jump Street and track down the students who are breaking into the computer system, changing grades, and causing all kinds of havoc. Although I’m not thrilled about my new gig, at least it gives me something to do other than worry over the fact that I now have a boyfriend. And no freaking idea what to get him for Christmas.

Or it did give me something else to worry about, until I stumbled across a more sinister threat. I was shocked to find distinct traces of a group of international hackers inside the network. What exactly have I gotten myself into?

This book is approximately 81,000 words

Carina Press acknowledges the editorial services of Alissa Davis

Other Books in the Lexi Carmichael Mystery

No One Lives Twice (Book 1)

No One To Trust (Book 2)

No Money Down (Book 2.5) — Novella

No Place Like Rome (Book 3)

No Biz Like Showbiz (Book 4)

No Test for the Wicked (Book 5)

No Woman Left Behind (Book 6)

No Room for Error (Book 7)

No Strings Attached (Book 8)

No Living Soul (Book 9)

No Regrets (Book 10)

And Coming

No Stone Unturned (Book 11)

No Title Yet (Book 12 — LOL!)

Genres: Mystery, Romance, Romantic Suspense, Cozy Mystery, Fiction, Contemporary, Action

331 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 1, 2014

About the author

Julie Moffett is the bestselling author of the long-running, geeky Lexi Carmichael Mystery Series that USA Today says: “…runs a riveting gamut from hilarious to deadly, and the perfectly paced action in between will have you hanging on to Lexi’s every word and breathless for her next geeked-out adventure.” Julie also writes the young adult White Knights spin-off series featuring a cool, teenage hacker girl. Julie's been publishing books for 25 years, but writing for a lot longer. She writes in the genres of mystery, young adult, historical romance and paranormal romance.

Julie has won numerous awards, including the Mystery & Mayhem Award for Best YA/New Adult Mystery, the HOLT Award for Best Novel with Romantic Elements, a HOLT Merit Award for Best Novel by a Virginia Author (twice!), the Award of Excellence, a PRISM Award for Best Romantic Time-Travel AND Best of the Best Paranormal Books, and an EPIC Award for Best Action/Adventure Novel. She has also garnered additional nominations for the Booksellers' Best Award, Daphne du Maurier Award, the Dante Rossetti Award, and the Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence.

Julie is a military brat (Air Force) and has traveled extensively. Her more exciting exploits include attending high school in Okinawa, Japan; backpacking around Europe and Scandinavia for several months; a year-long college graduate study in Warsaw, Poland; and a wonderful trip to Scotland and Ireland where she fell in love with castles, kilts and brogues.

Julie has a B.A. in Political Science and Russian Language from Colorado College, a M.A. in International Affairs from The George Washington University in Washington, D.C. and an M.Ed from Liberty University. She has worked as a proposal writer, journalist, teacher, librarian and researcher. Julie speaks Russian and Polish and has two awesome sons.

Visit Julie's website at: https://www.juliemoffett.com/

Follow Julie on Social Media:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JulieMoffett...

X: @JMoffettAuthor

Instagram: https://instagram.com/julie_moffett/

Reviews

[Madison Warner Fairbanks · Rating 4 out of 5]

No Test for the Wicked by Julie Moffett
Lexi Carmichael mystery series #5. Contemporary self-proclaimed computer nerd story. Some romance. Best read as part of the series in order as thee main characters and lives progress. It can be read as a stand-alone.
It’s back to High School for Lexi as she goes blond and undercover to catch the student group changing their grades online. She asks her best friend Elvis to come to the school as a consultant since he’s the best hacker she knows. In the middle of the investigation, a group of terrorists enter the school, lock the police out and corral all the students together. It’s up to Lexi and Elvis to keep everyone safe.

Too many real school shootings to make this an easy-to-read book topic. This was written in 2014.
Lexi is careful with the students and makes a few friends but it brings up her own difficult high school years with no real friends or support. Her skills and real life experience give her an edge in social situations as well as working on the school software. The mystery and suspense was mixed with her current life and changes.
Overall a compelling mystery adventure. And forward movement in Lexi’s personal life and romance.

[Paula Phillips · Rating 3 out of 5]

Remember that movie starring Drew Barrymore where she goes back to high school undercover while working as a journalist - Never Been Kissed? Back at High School, her nickname was Josie Grossie but all of a sudden, the second time around she finds herself seemingly popular. That was what No Test for the Wicked by Julie Moffett was similar too as this time Lexi Carmichael has been hired by an elite private school to track down a group of hackers who seem to be getting into the school system. When Lexi arrives at the school, she soon discovers that it won't be an easy job to solve and that it will require some deeper work which means she is heading back into high school life. It helps too that Lexi looks young for her twenty-five and can easily pass as a high school student, but can Lexi keep her knowledge to that high school level and not be caught out? What will happen though when Lexi soon discovers that this is bigger than just a group of hackers and that terrorism is now involved and unfortunately it's just Lexi and Elvis trapped at the school without any back-up and weapons. Along with a bit of help from two students Brandon and Piper - can the foursome save the day and make sure the death count doesn't rise any higher? Also in this book, Lexi and Slash finally become official "relationship status" of boyfriend and girlfriend. I love this as Slash loves Lexi for all her awkwardness and quirkiness and supports her no matter what. This is true love for this pair of spies. If you are looking for a series similar to Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum but where the character is more high-tech and a tad geekier, then Julie Moffett's Lexi Carmichael series is the one for you.

[A.K. Lindsay · Rating 5 out of 5]

I finished this book tonight and the end is resonating with me so strongly I can't sleep. It ended in the perfect way, cementing Lexi's romance with Slash in such a poignant, heartfelt manner. This book, which I read after re-reading all the others in the series, kept me turning the pages. Ms. Moffett has a talent for keeping me up into the wee hours of the night as I promise myself just once more chapter...

This book is her strongest yet. I say this knowing full well that book one, No One Lives Twice, is the perfect introduction to the series, with the perfect balance of action, mystery, geekiness, comedy, and romantic tension. I say this even though book three, No Place Like Rome, is my personal favourite since I've been on Team Slash from the beginning. But No Test for the Wicked is deeper, more personal than either of those books. Each book gives a deeper glimpse into Lexi's personality and emotions. This one took me through the wringer.

See, even though I love Slash the best, I've always thought that Elvis was more perfect for Lexi. Many parts of this book still support that theory. When Elvis jumps to Lexi's moral support when she is freaking out about dyeing her hair? That shows me, even more than when he puts himself in harm's way to save her life, that he will always be there for her, that he treasures her. However, the way the book ends brings Slash's virtues into full light, the way that he loves and values Lexi above all others. I'm not sure how I feel about the idea that Elvis might move on and make a lasting connection with someone else, but I love the way Slash steps up to comfort her in what is truly the most fitting way imaginable.

Although her meddling mother is offscreen for the book, I loved the way Lexi connected with her at the end in a way she never has before. I have a close relationship with my mother, and love to see that kind of a loving relationship in this book as well.

This book had me holding my breath for over half of it. It was just one life-threatening moment after another, and it really made the characters' true colours shine in the end. I know the end of this book will stay with me for a long time...which is a good thing, because the next book isn't out for another month.

The anticipation for the next book may kill me.

[Abra · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a free copy of this book at the Romance Times Book Lover's Convention.

This is a really exciting book and I was very unhappy when I had to put it down to interact with real life. The characters are well drawn and the pace is fast.

Since this is the only book in the series I've read and it's book five, I've definitely missed out on a fair amount of backstory, but that didn't affect my enjoyment. As of this book, anyway, Lexi is working for X-corp, a cybersecurity firm. She's a super smart computer geek and not very intuitive with people, but unlike most heroines of her type, she's not a great fighter and she's never shot a gun. I really like that she can't do it all and has to work with other people to solve problems.

At the beginning of No Test for the Wicked Lexi is assigned to a case involving a private school for the technically gifted. Some students are causing problems by hacking into the school computers. She decides to go under cover and join the hackers so she can scare them straight. Lexi is 25 and apparently looks young for her age so it works. During the course of her investigation terrorists take over the school and Lexi, a few students, and her best friend Elvis (who has a good reason for being there) have to try and stop them. As I mentioned before, Lexi can't do everything herself and she doesn't. In this book other people have skills and initiative as well.

Since Lexi got the guy in the previous book, the romance in this one is limited to her trying to navigate her first relationship. I love romances so it means something when I say that I really appreciated that there was no alpha male chest thumping, no emotional crisis in the middle of an actual crisis, and not a lot of pointless navel gazing. Sometimes in the book after the girl gets the guy the author feels the need to add pointless drama to keep the relationship going. Not in this case. It was perfect.

[Heidi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I met Lexi when I read No one Lives Twice and fell in love with the geek girl who couldn’t seem to figure out how to be social but she knows her computers. The most recent book No test For the Wicked Follows Lexi to the one place most geeks never want to see again High School.
Lexi is hired by a private high school to figure out who is messing with the schools computer programs but what started off as a simple tasked turned into international terrorism and only Lexi and a handful of high schools are the difference between life and death. I can’t wait to see if our terrorist will make another appearances in the Lexi Carmichael Mysteries because he is interesting and that is all I am going to say.
Lexi grows so much in the book and the reader will feel her growing pains but those pains also make for some laugh out moments with her best friend Elvis and lack of clothes. I promise you will laugh so hard tears will be rolling down your face.
The book covers issues with bullying once again but this time it was done in the setting of high school making the story strong and believable. Lexi tries hard to fit in but when also can’t step aside watching someone get hurt without stopping it. That is why I think Lexi an amazing female protagonist that girls can look up too.
The author Julie Moffett keeps the story and relationships advancing forward wondering where Slash and Lexi will end up later down the road. No Test for the Wicked kind of reintroduced Elvis to the reader and you watch as he will do anything for his best friend Lexi.
Another win for Author Julie Moffett and Lexi readers all over.
ARC from Netgalley.

I'm not a huge fan of the new cover art.

[Trisha Bullock · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm honestly not sure if this is the best book I've ever read or the worst, at least insofar as the toll it took on my emotions. While I was reading it I had a difficult time remembering to eat, bathe, I had to force myself to put it down to sleep, it was enthralling, and I actually read it in two days or it might have had negative effects on my health had it been any longer.

Lexi Carmichael is hired by a private school to dissuade the more brilliant of the "geeks" to cease and desist from hacking, cracking, and other forms of destructive behavior which now seems innocent enough to their bored minds, but they don't realize the repercussions it could have on their futures.

Lexi decides to go undercover as a high school student and fits in all too well as a student, even after the elite school begins to have strange visitors in spite of its high security.

This is a page turner, a nail biter, and without providing any spoilers it provides some of the best character development I've ever read. I was in near weeping in some scenes, and my suspension of disbelief is not all that great anymore.

I had to seek out and read something light-hearted after it was over just to make sure there were no surprises in anything I read afterward. To say it was a powerful read is an understatement. So I guess it was good. I just won't be reading it again anytime soon.

[Anika · Rating 4 out of 5]

This series is most a mystery but I love Lexi and now she has a boyfriend Slash. But I wonder if it would last because of Elvis. I guess I have no choice but to keep reading to see how things go. This book was intense, an excellent read and packed full of drama. I'm so looking forward to the next installment.

[Nancy]

Good book. A little over the top on believeability, but kept my interest. The characters are developing....

Returning to high school is not something I ever wanted to do over—it was awful the first time around. So why do I have to go back as part of a new undercover assignment? Because the universe loves playing jokes on me, obviously. I've been ordered to track down the students who are breaking into the computer system, changing grades, and causing all kinds of havoc. Although I'm not thrilled about my new gig, at least it gives me something to do other than worry over the fact that I now have a boyfriend. And no freaking idea what to get him for Christmas.

Or it did give me something else to worry about, until I stumbled across a more sinister threat. I was shocked to find distinct traces of a group of international hackers inside the network. Why would dangerous cyber mercenaries be interested in a high school in the middle of Washington, D.C.? What exactly have I gotten myself into?

[Sophie ARGINTARU · Rating 5 out of 5]

J'adore cette série totalement improbable, aussi drôle que pleine d'action ! Alors n'oublions pas que ce présent roman a été écrit en 2014, donc on ne tique pas quand l'héroïne apprend à un jeune ado geek ce que sont les bitcoins... Une fois cette mise au point faite, j'ai bien fait de ne pas lire le résumé, donc l'énorme retournement de situation après le premier tiers du roman m'a littéralement scotchée à l'intrigue.

Les coïncidences sont hallucinantes, mais on s'en fiche ! On suit avec bonheur les aventures de Lexi Carmichael, ses premiers pas en tant qu'amoureuse d'un petit ami de rêve, situation plutôt stressante pour cette geekette dont l'esprit de sociabilité est limité. Et quel plaisir de retrouver ses amis ! Ici, vont s'ajouter plusieurs adolescents, l'intrigue se transformant en une aventure à la "goonies". C'est léger, échevelé, amusant et terriblement dangereux ! Un vrai roman de vacances.

[Alma Collins · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just love me some Lexi Carmichael! I love this series! I love Slash, The Zimmerman twins, Elvis and Xavier, Basia and Finn! Returning to high school is not something I ever wanted to do over—it was awful the first time around. So why do I have to go back as part of a new undercover assignment? I've been ordered to go all 21 Jump Street and track down the students who are breaking into the computer system, changing grades, and causing all kinds of havoc. I was shocked to find distinct traces of a group of international hackers inside the network. Why would dangerous cyber mercenaries be interested in a high school in the middle of Washington, D.C.? What exactly have I gotten myself into?

[Elaine Lucky · Rating 4 out of 5]

Students are breaking into the school computer system & making changes that could get out of hand. A private gifted academy has hired X-Corp to find the student hackers. Lexi begrudgingly goes undercover as a student to infiltrate the group. While in school, nightmares are revisited and she makes friends with the computer crowd while maintaining her new relationship with Slash. A nefarious teacher and questionable students has Lexi scouring the systems & stumbling upon something she's never seen before. As she investigates she enlists 1/2 of the Zimmerman twins (Elvis) to help. As they are working, the school is taken hostage & the threat is real. Life & death holds in the balance and Lexi & Elvis have to use all of their skills & wit to figure what's going on.

[Yvonne Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lexi is on another case. Should be easy and quick. Going undercover at a school. A group of kids calling themselves WOMBAT's having been getting into the schools computers, setting off alarms, changing grades, etc. Lexi needs to get in, find out who is in the group friend them and put a stop to it. Lexi discovers an even bigger problem. With the help with her new friends, and Elvis at her side, can she hope to stop this group that have entered the school with guns and bombs, before anyone gets killed. Can Slash get to her before it's too late?
Very hard to put down. On to the next Lexi adventure.

[Linda Lassman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great read. Excellent plotting and action, great characters, enough laugh-out-loud moments to reduce the adrenaline. It was so interesting to read about Lexi's return to high school and how she and her team outwitted the bad guys. I think that's one thing that I most enjoy about these books--even though Lexi's the "brains" behind the solution, she always, always works as a member of a team that needs all the members to succeed, and she recognizes and values those team members and that its only through teamwork can the goal be reached successfully.

[Sandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am currently binging this series. I read most of the series as the books came out but haven't read the last few so I am re-reading those I have already read and then reading those I haven't. I love Lexi and all her awkwardness. She has a brilliant mind but doesn't always understand social clues. Slash is dreamy and Elvis is one of the best friends you will ever find.

This story also brings in other characters from the school who were a fantastic addition to the story. I can't wait to read more about them since I know they will surface again.

[Wendy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story kept me on the edge of my seat! I had no idea how Lexi and Elvis were going to figure this one out. Lexi goes undercover at a prestigious DC high school – every geek’s dream! She’s trying to infiltrate the WOMBATs (waste of money, brains and time) to get them to change their hacking ways before they ruin their futures. What she finds along the way is a terrorist group using the school’s computer systems. Everyone needs to use all the wits and tricks they have to solve this one.

[Bungluna · Rating 3 out of 5]

I skimmed through the previous entries into this series because I liked the voice of the heroine. This is the first one I read all the way through. I liked her and it was easy to follow the back story of all the ongoing characters in the series. I enjoyed Lexi's adventures back in high school. The action was non-stop and grabbed my attention. I will be trying to read the next installment.

[Caroline · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was fine. There was nothing OMG AMAZING about it, but it held my interest. If my library had the rest of the books in the series (it doesn’t) I would read them, but I wouldn’t spend money to buy them. Especially since there are so many!

This was a book I won from a Goodreads giveaway some time back.

[AmandaJR · Rating 5 out of 5]

Favorite!

Not sure I can explain why, but this book is on of my favorite in the series. I'm rereading the series right now and I was feeling the same as last time. I just love Lexi and Slash.

[Valérie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Définitivement accro à Lexi Carmichael,c’est toujours aussi drôle grace à cette curiosité naïve qui est son trait de caractère principal et si attachant. Mais ce qui donne également un attrait particulier à cette série, ce sont les intrigues qui sont vraiment très intéressantes.

[Sheryl Burnette · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoyable Read

Lighthearted enjoyable read, full of twists of adventure for Lexi in the dating world and in her professional world. It's amazing how she is navigating through normal life and putting herself out there. I look forward to her next adventure.

[Nancy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Lexi, she’s completely lost and yet brilliant. This book sends her back to high school (yuck) and it starts as expected. However, somehow Lexi always ends up in the middle of trouble. His time she’s neck deep with her best friend Elvis. A really exciting book and very hard to put down.

[Donna · Rating 5 out of 5]

fun, fast read

[Jeanne M. Jacquet · Rating 5 out of 5]

Spy hard

Lexi is truly amazing! I'm sorry that the book ended so soon. It is amazing that she has survived all of the books so far. I cannot wait for the next one.

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an amazing book part of a fantastic series. Lexi Carmichael is the perfect heroine. I can’t wait to start the next one.

[Gayle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this series. Great storylines, intelligent and interesting characters, fast paced, and hard to put down.

[Eileen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read all ten books in the series. Love books that have me LOL. Interesting stories, different types of characters than the usual. Geeks of the world smile.

[Donna Maeder · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this series, and this book did not disappoint! Several twists and turns kept me reading past my bedtime!

[Jo · Rating 4 out of 5]

And we're back to normal programming. This is definitely the darkest of the Lexi Carmichael series so far; less laughs, more tension. It was time for Elvis to have a book.

[Laurie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed this series so far.

[JadeShea · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great book in the series. This one was filled with suspense. It was great. The only thing that was a bit confusing was the love interest stuff.