Cypher's Fall: A Travis Bishop Thriller

Travis Bishop #7

by K.J. Kalis

Travis Bishop thought his days of covert operations were behind him. After a career that took him to the darkest corners of the world, he found peace in the wide open spaces of his ranch in Texas. Now a horse trainer, Bishop savors the quiet life—training his reining horses, tending to his land, and letting the world pass him by.

But that peace is shattered when a brutal attack on former U.S. presidents sends shockwaves through the country. With the situation spiraling out of control, the government turns to Bishop, their best hope to figure out who is behind the stunning attack.

Reluctantly pulled back into the world of espionage, Bishop is partnered with CJ Crosswell, a fearless Secret Service agent who’s as sharp as she is determined. Together, they must journey deep into Russia, to a secret location buried within the unforgiving wilderness, where the Russian government’s deadly plan is unfolding.

As they track their target through a maze of lies and betrayals, Bishop finds himself torn between his old life as a spy and the man he’s become on the ranch. But with every step closer to the truth, the stakes rise higher. The mission is about more than just stopping a madman—it’s about facing the demons of his past and making a choice between the quiet life he’s always wanted and the dangerous world he can’t escape.

The clock is ticking. Moscow watches. Washington’s fate hangs in the balance. Only one side can walk away with the victory.

286 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 17, 2025

Reviews

[Claudete Takahashi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cypher's Fall has so much suspense and action that'll keep you at the edge of your seat from beginning to the end. Travis is called to act on which will probably be the most difficult case whilst working for the CIA. Four ex-Presidents were murdered and important information was stolen by Russian spies. Payback was a must, but will Travis and his new temporary partner, Secret Service Agent CJ, be able to do it? Stakes are really high and Travis is facing glory or painful death. Great plot, fast-paced and easy-to-read. Highly recommended!.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Gary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Always a barn burner

Travis investigates a massacre of all the out of office presidents. He teams up with a secret service agent to get some payback.

[Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Travis is yet again pulled away from his horses.  This time he is working with the Secret Service after a catastrophic incident.  Now he must work with a rookie agent so to speak and go into Russia.  There is non stop action and loads of suspense.  Once you start,  it is almost impossible to put this book down.   I highly recommend this series if you like action packed books. 

[Barbara Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

Different

And a little hard to believe. But I suppose that is the fun in Beijing able to write. Make the story fit your fantasy.

[Andrea J · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cypher’s Fall by K.J. Kalis is an amazing book that from the beginning starts out with unstoppable action, excitement and suspense. Wow, it is so good that it is hard to put down. Every twist and turn keeps you wondering what will happen next and whether the main characters will ever escape from several perilous situations. The characters are well developed and described. You can easily visualize the sometimes horrifying scenes and get caught up in the emotions the characters are experiencing.
No spoilers but the political intrigue is fascinating and definitely makes me want to read more Travis Bishop novels. K.J. Kalis is known for her suspenseful, intriguing stories and this latest completely meets or exceeds any previous novels. You will totally enjoy it.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an ARC through "Booksprout" and I am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

The story begins with Travis on his ranch in Texas when he receives a call from his CIA boos that he is needed at Travis has no idea where he is going until he arrives. The scene he has been called to is regarding the killing of prior Presidents. There was a gathering of five Presidents with their wives. The only survivor of the group was the wive of the President holding the event. Most of the Secret Service personnel were also killed. The Agent in Charge, CJ, survived. They quickly discovered later that this was a precursor to another event where an item was stolen and two Secret Service agents were also killed. The only one that survived was a documentarian who had hidden in the lady's room. Fortunately, she was able to identify what was stolen. Travis and CJ along with David, the CIA Director, were called to a meeting with POTUS.

POTUS was looking for information what had happened. After POTUS learned what happened, then the question remaining is what would they do. Travis was given a task of recovery the stolen item, a journal, and CJ said she was going to. They would also during this action try and obtain names of FSB agents. They quickly left and were then flown to a location in Russia where they believed they would find the requested items.

Read along and learn what steps Travis and CJ did, what danger they faced and how it all worked out in the end.

The story will definitely keep your interest and you won't want to put the book done. This is a definite read.

[Judy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cyphers Fall by KJ Kalis
Travis Bishop Thrillers Book Seven
Travis Bishop is happy working on his ranch. He has some horses to prepare for shows and loves working with them. Yet, he’s agreed to help the CIA when they need his talents. Unfortunately, it’s more often than Travis would like. When he gets the call for help, as much as he’d prefer to stay working with Maddie, a very stubborn mare, protecting this country is a priority. So off he goes.
Agent CJ Crosswell has been given a great opportunity. As a Secret Service agent, she’s been in charge of a large gathering of important people. She isn’t happy with the arrangements…such as eating outside, but her protectees aren’t budging. When tragedy hits, CJ feels she has failed big time.
Travis has an idea of how to show the strength of the US after this tragedy. It’s a suicide mission, but not his first. He’s going in blind, which is bad enough, but now CJ wants to go with too. He understands that she needs to prove herself and take action regarding what happened under her watch. So off they go.
I love KJ’s books. They are always page-turning, heart-stopping reads.
https://justjudysjumbles.blogspot.com...

[Betti · Rating 5 out of 5]

A seemingly quiet night on the border, a chance for colleagues to enjoy the fresh mountain air as well as the opportunity to spend time together and a robbery at an Information Repository - what could possibly be the connection? Travis is called away from his horses and the ranch to deal with the mystery and absolute devastation. But who or what is behind this?

With the help of CJ Crosswell, a rookie Secret Service agent, a hidden mountain fortress in Russia must be found, breached and important information be retrieved. Can Travis and CJ manage without backup? An early copy of this thriller was received through BDM and BookSprout. These thoughts are my own and were in no way solicited.

[Lonnie Huff · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of those books that you have no idea what is going to happen next. Travis is called in from his horse ranch to help out. He doesn't know what its about until he arrives on site and see all the dead former presidents. That is not the worst thing that is going to happen to cause a harrowing mission to a hidden Russian base. There are twists and turns you won't see coming, but this book will keep your attention all the way to the end.

This is a series, but all the books are stand alone. If you like thrilling books then this series is a must read.

[Kevin Cannon (Monty's Book Reviews) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the Travis bishop books. I like the fact that Travis is not perfect and not every ending is as happy as it could be.

When a team of assassins attack a conclave of former Presidents, Travis is summoned from his Texan horse business to help track down the perpetrators.

Great story, interesting characters and an edge of the seat raid on a secure Russian secret complex that thrusts Travis and his Secret Service partner into a deadly search for information

Nicely paced and page-turningly brilliant.

[Vivian · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a shot of adrenaline this book was, from beginning to end you are hooked to the pages of the book wanting to read as fast as possible to learn what comes next, but at the same time you want to slow down so you have more pages in the story to read.
This book is so good, with credible threats and incredible situations this is a thriller at its best. Lost of action, twists and surprises and deadly action.
I can't wait to read what new adventure Travis Bishop is drawn to in the next book on the series.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thrilling!

Another heart pounding thriller in the Travis Bishop series. This time Travis is pulled out of retirement to figure out who attacked the former president and why. I thunk Travis should just give up with trying to have a normal life at this point and either go all in on hiding or just reup. Whenever there’s a tough, crazy and unpredictable case he’s the one that’s pulled back in. You can count on action, surprise twists and a wild ride. Doesn’t disappoint.

[Tricia Law · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another edge of the seat read. Whilst this book is a little far-fetched, it definitely kept my attention. I honestly did not want to put it down. For former US presidents are murdered and Travis Bishop is called to help with the investigation that follows. It is fast paced and I fully recommend it if you like a political type thriller.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Steve · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, this is a very good story for sure. Slightly different than the norm but very good nonetheless. I loved it, the tension in the one slowly ramps up from the disaster right at the beginning through to the ending I did not see coming. I do so love this authors stories, they are always so intricate and engrossing. Cannot wait for the next one. Highly recommended.

[Alicia Beeman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cypher’s Fall - an unputdownable page turning thrill. Amazing cast of characters. You never knew what was going to happen from one second to the next. I’d recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading government secret, spy, a little romance but overall a thrilling ride!.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Kay · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this book as an ARC, but this is my personal review of it. The story caught my attention from the first page and held it until the last. I definitely found the book hard to put down, and had a few sleepless nights to prove it. I’m looking forward to the next installment in the Travis Bishop series and hope that his path crosses with CJ Crosswell’s again.

[Colin Spencer · Rating 5 out of 5]

An interesting investigation for Travis after several former US Presidents are killed along with their security and other staff. The trail of the assassins takes Travis and a Secret Service agent into Canada and then into Russia hunting the team of assassins. Travis is helped by an unexpected source.

[Alice · Rating 5 out of 5]

Travis is at it again...with a new partner.
Excellent edge-of-your-seat reading with things happening between the US and Russia.
Be prepared to read for a while at one sitting because this is hard to put down.