Codebreakers: A Wordhunter Mystery

by Stella Sands

Maggie Moore and Detective Jackson, the genius sleuths introduced in the brain-teaser mystery Wordhunter, are back to solve another crime.

Steamy, seedy, swampy south-central Florida once again serves as the backdrop for the unlikely duo of loquacious, tattooed, trash-talking Maggie Moore and laconic Detective Silas Gabriel Jackson—linguistic genius and genius detective, respectively. Now operating their own agency and using their extraordinary skills in forensic semiotics (her), and good old-fashioned observation (him), the pair decode clues embedded in words and symbols to uncover a sadistic criminal who preys upon unsuspecting men.

The troubled and painful pasts of both Maggie and Jackson come into play as they try to track down bad guys and old friends, figure out how to trust—and whom to love. Once again, Stella Sands delivers a snappy, sharp-tongued and well observed story about life, love, and language.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction

304 pages, Paperback

Published August 11, 2026

Reviews

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another fast paced, chaotic and fabulous book in this series. I am so attached to Stella and I actually think she is...for the most part... a bit less hectic in this book? I love seeing all the big moves in her personal life, while also unraveling such a perplexing case. There is a lot going on, but it all somehow seamlessly works together and I was on the edge of my seat the whole time. I felt myself getting teary and emotional quite a few times even. I loved the codebreaking in this one and am amazed by how they cracked it. I love all the different dynamics and relationships in this story and I cannot wait for more!

Note: I listened to the audiobook and this narrator is PERFECT for this quirky and complex main characters and perfectly handles all the tangents and drama.

Thanks to the publisher for a free copy; my thoughts and review are my own.

[Erin Clemence · Rating 4 out of 5]

Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free, electronic ARC of this novel received in exchange for an honest review.

Expected publication date: Aug. 11, 2026

“Codebreakers: A Wordhunter Mystery” by Stella Sands is the sequel to “Wordhunter”, which I was honoured to get to read an ARC of in 2024.

In “Codebreakers: A Wordhunter Mystery”, linguistic expert Maggie Moore is back, now running a private detective agency with former police detective Silas Jackson. Their first client is a man whose one-night stand turned into something far more sinister, leaving him branded and alone in a hotel room the next morning. Maggie uses her linguistic skills to try and find the culprit by trying to identify the brand, while Silas uses his detective work to find other potential victims. But if that’s not enough, Maggie finds out her estranged father, who abandoned her as a child, is actually not dead after all, like she’d been told, and she seeks to find out who he is and, most importantly, why did he leave her behind?

Protagonist Maggie has a Lisbeth Salander vibe to her, which I noted in “Wordhunter” as well, pairing up with a man who she has complicated feelings for. Different from Lisbeth though, Maggie’s expertise is words; their patterns and nuances, and she utilizes these skills to help solve crimes. Maggie is the sole narrator, and she is spunky, sarcastic and verbose, which is to be expected from a certified genius.

The crime in “Codebreakers: A Wordhunter Mystery” involves a man who performs as a drag queen, being branded with a symbol during a one-night stand. This is the first mystery Maggie and Silas work on as a professional pair where Maggie can utilize her symbol identification skills, similar to Robert Langdon in “The Da Vinci Code”. The second background mystery is the identity of Maggie’s father, which is also intriguing, and two mysteries add to the drama and the suspense. There is technically a third mystery, which has carried over from the previous book, so there is definitely not a lack of excitement.

The chapters are short and both Maggie and Silas are likable (although completely different from each other). All three mysteries are solved within the novel’s pages, and it is a quick and compelling read. “Codebreakers: A Wordhunter Mystery” has mystery and suspense (with three mysteries in 320 pages) and even a little teasing of romance. Although it isn’t necessary to read “Wordhunter”, it is definitely encouraged as “Codebreakers: A Wordhunter Mystery” is far more enjoyable if you’ve already been introduced to Maggie and Jackson. I am looking forward to book three in this quirky, delightful series.

[Margie Bunting · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having thoroughly enjoyed Stella Sands' Wordhunter last year, I was thrilled to pick up the sequel, Codebreakers. The focus is again on Maggie Moore, a recent college graduate with a troubled past, whose expertise in forensic linguistics and semiotics (the study of patterns and symbols) has already enabled her to solve a murder, working with police detective Silas Gabriel Jackson. Now she and Jackson have opened their own private investigation practice, combining their skills--and lifestyles--to help their clients resolve difficult, dangerous issues.

Maggie is brash, profane, tattooed, and a hard drinker, while Jackson is more self-controlled. In their first case, a man who left a drag ball with an unwanted butt cheek tattoo wants to bring the perpetrator to justice, while keeping the whole situation from his unsuspecting wife and family. It turns out that it isn't a tattoo at all, and the design is a symbol that needs a lot of research to unravel its meaning and point to a possible suspect. At the same time, Maggie is desperately searching for her childhood BFF, who has become involved with a shady religious community. And she is intent on finally finding her biological father, who was never identified by Maggie's now-deceased mother.

What was missing for me in this second series book was the wonderful word play of all types that helped Maggie solve the mystery in Wordhunter. Instead, the author has doubled down on the diagrammed sentences--a way for Maggie to calm herself but annoying even for a word nerd like me who had to slow down to read her frequent thoughts this way. And then there were the sentences in backwards writing that required a mirror to read. Also, I couldn't help thinking that Maggie's frequent profanities and outrageous behavior could have been toned down just a bit to make her a more relatable character. But I found the case a fascinating one and the story a quick read. I'm hoping that if there are future series books, Sands will return to what made Wordhunter so delightful and delve more into Jackson's life. There appears to be an attraction brewing between the two protagonists, and I'd like to see how that plays out.

My review is based on a complimentary pre-release copy of this book.

[Dana · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved Wordhunter by by Stella Sands and I was thrilled to see it sequel is coming out in August 2026. I think I enjoyed the first book a bit more than the sequel, but this one was fun in its own way. I do not remember Maggie being quite as sassy (or, dare I say... obnoxious) as she seems in this installment, but again, she is very entertaining in her own way.

The Wordhunter theme reappears in the sequel, with the occasional diagrammed sentence and lots of info on semiotics and other forensic studies. Plotlines from the first book are carried through, but a new case also shares space in the story. I think it makes sense to read the original book first, but if you want to jump right into this one, the author provides lots of details that refreshed my memory and can serve as exposition for new readers.

The characters really shine, each one very colorful and interesting, especially Maggie and Jackson. Their relationship is sweet and funny, and I loved watching them work through their differences and come together to solve the mysteries they face. The oppressive Floridian backdrop drew many memories for me as a former resident, and I enjoyed reading about the place while being very far away.

I recommend this book to fans of the study of the English language and readers who enjoy very colorful characters and wacky stories. There's a bit of a similarity in this series to the Florida-based books of Carl Hiassen and Dave Barry, so fans of those authors might be interested in picking up the books by Stella Sands.

Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for providing a review copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

[Patricia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you, Partner @bibliolifestyle @harperperennial for the physical ARC of The Codebreakers by Stella Sands.

I was looking forward to reading Codebreakers, because I love wordplay and word puzzles. The book begins with Jackson in a coma in the hospital and includes a quick overview of the backstory that led him there. I'm assuming the previous book, Wordhunter explained the connection between Jackson and Maggie and what led to them forming a detective agency together.

Because of the lack of background, I feel like there wasn't enough character development. Maggie was definitely a wild character, a forensic semiotics genius, willing to take risks, while Jackson was a career detective and more conservative, creating a kind of "opposites attract" tension. But it seems like there was a lot that led up to Maggie's feelings for Jackson that wasn't fully explored in this book.

The actual puzzle of the mysterious brand one of the characters received was interesting, as were the other two mysteries the team of Jackson and Maggie were investigating. Since Maggie was a linguistic genius, one of her coping mechanisms was diagramming sentences in her head. The diagramming was a literary device that didn't add much to the storyline, and in fact distracted from it. I was hoping to see more codes, like the mirror writing, or the process the team used to decode the different "tattoos" victims were branded with.

The book was a quick read, and the author provides interpretations for all 46 diagrams and the sources of the quotes included in the book. Since I'm a linear reader, I didn't discover them until the end, lol!

[Jennifer B · Rating 2 out of 5]

ARC review 📖

📜Codebreakers
✍️Stella Sands
📠Harper Perennial
📚Thriller Fiction
🗓️Pub date: August 11, 2026

Thank you @harperperennial for providing me with an Advanced Reader Copy of this #gifted physical book. All opinions are mine alone.

From the publisher:

Steamy, seedy, swampy south-central Florida once again serves as the backdrop for the unlikely duo of loquacious, tattooed, trash-talking Maggie Moore and laconic Detective Silas Gabriel Jackson—linguistic genius and genius detective, respectively.

Now operating their own agency and using their extraordinary skills in forensic semiotics (her), and good old-fashioned observation (him), the pair decode clues embedded in words and symbols to uncover a sadistic criminal who preys upon unsuspecting men.

The troubled and painful pasts of both Maggie and Jackson come into play as they try to track down bad guys and old friends, figure out how to trust—and whom to love.

Thoughts:

I thought I’d like this, as I enjoyed coding in the likes of The Da Vinci Code. This was a bizarre book with an even more bizarre main character, and a crime that was laughable.
I had a hard time getting into the codes and Maggie’s oddities, and at times the writing felt immature and unpolished.

This wasn’t for me, but might be for someone else who loves a quirky plot and characters.

[Jacquelyn Dohoney]

I love a unique main character and Maggie Moore is definitely that. She kind of reminds me of a slightly unhinged and possibly alcoholic genius version of the character from Not Dead Yet. I don’t know why, but I get the same vibes from them. Maggie is 100% an unlikeable character, but she has this need to help people that offsets her brash personality. The relationship she has with Jackson is also interesting, and in parts of this book there was almost a will they or won’t they feel to it. I’m not even sure if I want them to go in that direction, but they’ve definitely evolved from their first very awkward encounter. As far as the rest of the storyline, I liked the direction they went with the PI agency because I wasn’t sure how things would work after the last book. The PI agency was the perfect answer to that question. And their first case really was interesting. I never would have thought of that angle! I’m really curious how the next book will go because Maggie seemingly has answers to all of her questions and got everything she wanted. So where does she go from here? I’ll definitely be reading the next book to find out!

Huge thanks to Harper Perennial and Paperbacks | Harper Perennial and NetGalley for sending me this ARC for review! All of my reviews are given honestly!

[Andria Lambert · Rating 4 out of 5]

I came across Wordhunter last year at the library and it sounded very interesting and unique. I ended up thoroughly loving it, the main character is unique and a genius at words and word patterns and solving linguistic puzzles and she's not your cookie cutter character, she's messy and had some trauma in her past, she's just a quirky likeable character. In Codebreakers, she is back again as the main character with Detective Silas Jackson, they open an agency together and work on solving crime cases. The first case, is a man that is on a one night stand that is tatooed with a symbol without his permission and knowledge that it was happening. Maggie uses her linguistic skills, while Silas uses his investigative skills to try track down the suspect. There is also the mystery about Maggie's father and also a mystery about a childhood friend that is left over from the prior book that is also involved in this story. I am not going to give spoilers about the cases. I thought this book was a solid read, but I really loved the first book. I would recommend reading the Wordhunter first before reading Codebreakers.

Thank you Netgalley and Harper Perennial for the complimentary copy of the story.

[Sarah Abelson Eelkema · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you like: The DaVinci Code, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Series: 2
Rating: 🌕🌕🌕🌗
Genre: 🔪 Thriller
Violence: 🪓🪓🪓
Spice: 🔥🔥
Triggers: substance abuse, abuse/assault, kidnapping, discussion of suicide

Premise: After solving a case together, linguistic phenom Maggie opens a detective agency with former cop Jackson. Their 1st case depends on Maggie’s knowledge of symbols as they track a man who leaves his victims vulnerable & marked with mysterious symbols.

Thoughts: I 💞 book 1 in this series. Its dark themes & emphasis on the logic of language may not be for everyone. But it’s catnip for word nerds, with its application of forensic linguistics to the detection of crime. Codebreakers builds on protagonist Maggie’s expertise in this area but turns from breaking down word choices to the arena of signs & symbols. Though genius-level smart, Maggie plays against type in her struggles with substance abuse & impulse control. Plus a vocabulary to make a sailor blush. This dichotomy propels the narrative. Authors often bemoan the difficulty of sophomore novels, and those growing pains show in this sequel, which perhaps tries to accomplish too much. While the concept of the 3 mysteries engaged me, the plot relies too heavily on coincidences to uncover clues & the mysteries’ resolutions come too easily, with minimal setbacks or narrative tension. That said, the characters make this worth the read & its dive into understanding symbols is fascinating. I’m definitely on board for book 3!

Thanks to Harper Perennial & NetGalley for this book in exchange for an honest review

[Alexandria Gunn · Rating 2 out of 5]

This one just didn't work for me. I was looking forward to getting into the mystery and the case, but there wasn't a lot of focus on that. Instead, we ended up with three sort of mysteries that were all solved quickly and didn't really have much threat or danger to them.

I got no real sense of Jackson's character, and Maggie was just too annoying with butting into conversations rather than letting people speak. I could feel Daisy's frustration with every part of my being at one point.

I do think you need to read the first book to understand some of the nuances, even though the "main" case is a standalone one. I'm disappointed as I had high hopes for this and the main case itself could have been really interesting with just a little more fleshing out and focus.

[Crystal · Rating 4 out of 5]

The second installment in the Wordhunter series, a mysterious tattoo on a client from a night he can’t remember has the S&M Detective Agency finding answers.

The gang is back for another tryst into infiltrating a cult and finding answers about a client’s mutilation, Maggie’s family, and the emotions that bind them all together. While I didn’t get the same feelings as the first Wordhunter novel, I still found this second book in the series to be compelling and I read it all in one sitting. I do wish the pacing was faster with higher feeling stakes, but I found all of the mystery threads intriguing and curious. I love the complexity of the story and how multiple conflicts pervade the novel, but never in an overly busy way.

Thank you to Harper Perennial for my gifted arc copy!

[Luv2TrvlLuvBks · Rating 2 out of 5]

Unsatisfactory sequel.

Maggie's persistent, intellectual character from the first books seemed overdone in the second book. Her loyalty to her business partner was certainly admirable. But each time she would interact with Jackson it seemed to wear on him, and at times, the Reader.

Then there were the vast amounts of plots. Maggie trying to locate her missing childhood friend as well as Maggie and Silas trying to solve their first case of the drag queen assailant (more hokey than mysterious). Then add in the mystery of Maggie's childhood father which is suppose to tie one of the mysteries up.

Too much plot going on, Maggie's character was over the top and Silas' seemed more one note, then a three dimensional character.

[Brandon Cederstrom · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the dialogue most. It was fascinating diving into this kind of mystery and how Maggie’s brain worked. It was definitely different than your usual mystery book, which is what had me hooked. Think “behavioral analyst” except with words, sentence structure, meanings, imagery etc. No huge plot twists but still really enjoyed it and an easy read. The ending was good, left me feeling wholesome and happy.

[Stacey Kelley]

I had to DNF this at 18% The first book in this series intrigued me enough to want to pick this one up. However, the writing in this book is just…bad.

Neither Jackson nor Maggie are very likable characters. The internal monologues are cringey. The dialogue between the characters isn’t any better. Both Jackson and Maggie are flat and two dimensional.

[Mayar Mahdy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I love seeing an employed linguist.

However, this book was much weaker than the previous one. The mystery was solved in such a simple, straightforward manner. The writing also felt different than I remember (although that could be my memory). I read it, it was fine, but I won't be recommending it to anyone.

[Michelle Kimber · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love this detective duo! I have enjoyed both books in this newer series. The MCs are both full of personality. The puzzles are a great addition and some are not too hard. The story is well written. Can't wait for book three.

[Richard Jackson · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. I liked the story/plot but tired of all the alcohol, makeup and hair styling that seemed to go on forever. Also the diagramming like last time seemed to be too much. Maybe next time more story and less filler

[Chelsey · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was similar to the first for me in that the plot was interesting but the writing felt odd. The characters are definitely interesting people, and I'm glad we got resolution from some of the questions from book 1.

[Shirley Breheny · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great strong spunky characters. Love the sentence diagrams!

[Samantha Rodriguez · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thank you to Stella Sands and Harper Perennial for the gifted copy and the opportunity to read and review this book!

Codebreakers was an okay mystery, but it didn't completely grab my attention. I liked the idea of the story and enjoyed trying to piece together the clues, but some parts felt a little predictable and the pacing was uneven.
The characters were interesting enough, but I didn't feel especially connected to them. There were some twists that kept things moving, although I didn't find them particularly surprising.
Overall, it was an entertaining read, but it wasn't a favorite for me. If you enjoy quick, easy-to-read mysteries with secrets and puzzles, you may still enjoy it.

[Marisha (MarishaReadsALot) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you Harper Perennial for the gifted ARC!

Maggie Moore and Detective Silas Gabriel Jackson return, now running their own agency using Maggie’s linguistic prowess and Jackson’s detective skills. This time they must team up to find someone preying on unsuspecting men.

After seeing @jordys.book.club recommend Wordhunter, I picked it up and was delightfully surprised! It was super unique and the linguistic elements were very intricately written.

Codebreakers was a return to form and I also really enjoyed this one! Maggie is a deeply flawed but very unique protagonist that I have no trouble rooting for. I enjoyed how the past and present weaved together seamlessly too.

Highly recommend to fellow mystery/thriller lovers!