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The Crimson Cipher
It’s 1915, and Emma Shuster has far too much on her mind to entertain notions of romance.
Saboteurs are doing their best to keep the United States out of the Great War. Bridges and factories are being bombed, and ships are being sunk. When Emma’s code-breaker father is found murdered and his secret encryption project left unfinished, the navy offers Emma a civilian position cracking intercepted ciphers sent by foreign powers.
With enemies lurking at every turn, can she trust even those closest to her? Is romance the true motive behind her two suitors’ advances, or could one—or both of them—have traitorous intentions?
Emma races to discover the nefarious plans of her country’s foes and unmask their leader before more people are killed. And yet, her greatest challenge may be deciphering the cryptic messages sent by her heart.
Saboteurs are doing their best to keep the United States out of the Great War. Bridges and factories are being bombed, and ships are being sunk. When Emma’s code-breaker father is found murdered and his secret encryption project left unfinished, the navy offers Emma a civilian position cracking intercepted ciphers sent by foreign powers.
With enemies lurking at every turn, can she trust even those closest to her? Is romance the true motive behind her two suitors’ advances, or could one—or both of them—have traitorous intentions?
Emma races to discover the nefarious plans of her country’s foes and unmask their leader before more people are killed. And yet, her greatest challenge may be deciphering the cryptic messages sent by her heart.
304 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 1, 2010
58 people are currently reading
381 people want to read
About the author
Susan Page Davis
176 books525 followersFROM AUTHOR'S WEBSITE: I'm a native of central Maine, and grew up on a small farm with a wonderful mom and dad, three sisters and a brother. Most of my books take place in small towns, many of them in Maine.
My husband, Jim, and I moved to his birth state, Oregon, for a while after we were married, but decided to move back to Maine and be near my family. It allowed our six children to grow up feeling close to their cousins and grandparents, and some of Jim's family have even moved to Maine!
Our children are all home-schooled. When Jim retired from his vocation as an editor at a daily newspaper, we moved from Maine to Kentucky.
I've always loved reading, history, and horses. These things come together in several of my historical books.
Another longtime hobby of mine is genealogy, which has led me down many fascinating paths. I'm proud to be a DAR member! Some of Jim's and my quirkier ancestors have inspired fictional characters.
For many years I worked for the Central Maine Morning Sentinel as a freelancer. This experience was a great help in developing fictional characters and writing realistic scenes. I also published nonfiction articles in several magazines and had several short stories appear in Woman's World, Grit, and Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine.
My husband, Jim, and I moved to his birth state, Oregon, for a while after we were married, but decided to move back to Maine and be near my family. It allowed our six children to grow up feeling close to their cousins and grandparents, and some of Jim's family have even moved to Maine!
Our children are all home-schooled. When Jim retired from his vocation as an editor at a daily newspaper, we moved from Maine to Kentucky.
I've always loved reading, history, and horses. These things come together in several of my historical books.
Another longtime hobby of mine is genealogy, which has led me down many fascinating paths. I'm proud to be a DAR member! Some of Jim's and my quirkier ancestors have inspired fictional characters.
For many years I worked for the Central Maine Morning Sentinel as a freelancer. This experience was a great help in developing fictional characters and writing realistic scenes. I also published nonfiction articles in several magazines and had several short stories appear in Woman's World, Grit, and Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 47 reviews
September 2, 2018
"I appreciate you, Emma. You are practical, and yet you've got a sweet, romantic side that always leaves me feeling uplifted."
As he bent towards her, Emma's heart raced. How long had she waited for this moment? John's lips touched hers, and she laid her head on his shoulders.
Um, WHAT. That might be one of the most unromantic first-kiss scenes I've ever read. Excuse me while I go gag.
This is one of those books that has been on my to-read list forever so when I picked it up and discovered it was a Christian novel with romance, I silently groaned but kept reading anyway. Thankfully, both the Christian part and the Romance part take a subtle backseat to the action. (Or as subtle as one can expect under the circumstances.)
The negatives are the ones you might expect from a book like this. The heroine, Emma, is a perfect main character with over-the-top struggles about silly things like if her beau really loves her and if she was too mean in rebuffing her stalker. She then proceeds to handle death, shootings, and super hard codes with a generally unruffled calm. Unruffled, that is, until the hero comes in to play white night. Then she can break down.
The hero, John, is all that is good and noble in the world. I don't think the book presents him with a single flaw - except maybe when he miscalculates a mission and sulks for, like, a paragraph. Otherwise he is a paragon whose love of the heroine falls only slightly below love of country.
God and random Bible verses make cameo appearances as is usual with these books. Lots of church going. It was skimmable and thus survivable.
However, despite falling for many of the Christian novel plot tropes, it maintained an otherwise interesting storyline. The code breaking was interesting and I enjoyed the rush to catch the saboteur. It seemed historically accurate enough and fun. Emma is plagued by a stalkerish suitor who felt only too familiar. I've run into a few too many of them myself. The girl friendships were nice and not too over the top.
Overall, I'm giving it 3 stars because I enjoyed it in spite of its genre
As he bent towards her, Emma's heart raced. How long had she waited for this moment? John's lips touched hers, and she laid her head on his shoulders.
Um, WHAT. That might be one of the most unromantic first-kiss scenes I've ever read. Excuse me while I go gag.
This is one of those books that has been on my to-read list forever so when I picked it up and discovered it was a Christian novel with romance, I silently groaned but kept reading anyway. Thankfully, both the Christian part and the Romance part take a subtle backseat to the action. (Or as subtle as one can expect under the circumstances.)
The negatives are the ones you might expect from a book like this. The heroine, Emma, is a perfect main character with over-the-top struggles about silly things like if her beau really loves her and if she was too mean in rebuffing her stalker. She then proceeds to handle death, shootings, and super hard codes with a generally unruffled calm. Unruffled, that is, until the hero comes in to play white night. Then she can break down.
The hero, John, is all that is good and noble in the world. I don't think the book presents him with a single flaw - except maybe when he miscalculates a mission and sulks for, like, a paragraph. Otherwise he is a paragon whose love of the heroine falls only slightly below love of country.
God and random Bible verses make cameo appearances as is usual with these books. Lots of church going. It was skimmable and thus survivable.
However, despite falling for many of the Christian novel plot tropes, it maintained an otherwise interesting storyline. The code breaking was interesting and I enjoyed the rush to catch the saboteur. It seemed historically accurate enough and fun. Emma is plagued by a stalkerish suitor who felt only too familiar. I've run into a few too many of them myself. The girl friendships were nice and not too over the top.
Overall, I'm giving it 3 stars because I enjoyed it in spite of its genre
February 15, 2017
by Andrea Renee Cox
Reading this book was like inhaling a warm cup of cocoa on a cold winter's evening. It swiftly soared to the top spot on my favorites list. Thoroughly researched and exquisitely written, this book was filled with mystery, suspense, a dash of romance, and intriguing history. I particularly enjoyed the heavy emphasis on code-breaking during WWI (prior to America joining the Great War). Very interesting stuff. Susan Page Davis remains one of my favorite authors, as her stories continue to amaze me at every turn. Highly recommend!
Reading this book was like inhaling a warm cup of cocoa on a cold winter's evening. It swiftly soared to the top spot on my favorites list. Thoroughly researched and exquisitely written, this book was filled with mystery, suspense, a dash of romance, and intriguing history. I particularly enjoyed the heavy emphasis on code-breaking during WWI (prior to America joining the Great War). Very interesting stuff. Susan Page Davis remains one of my favorite authors, as her stories continue to amaze me at every turn. Highly recommend!
October 2, 2010
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!
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!
May 13, 2018
Crimson Cipher by Susan Page Davis is a wonderful glimpse into history during 1915.
What is the Crimson Cipher? Will cracking this code lead to uncovering a sinister plot?
Susan takes real historical happenings and weaves a credible story around them. I was fascinated by the ciphers and the code breaking in the days before the United States got involved in WWI.
Emma Shuster has met Lieutenant John Patterson on the way to see her father at his college campus office in Maine. John has a scientific question for Professor Shuster. But when they arrive to greet him, they find him on the floor! Emma and her father have been working on a cipher machine for a bank. Now, the Navy is interested in her father’s work. John and Emma aid the government in their campaign against a looming enemy. Will her code breaking skills help the United States combat saboteurs? Is someone out to do Emma harm?
Lots of mystery and intrigue and a sweet romance. For fans of history and suspense. I am partial to them together.
*I received this book from the author. I was not required to post a favorable review. All opinions are my own. *
What is the Crimson Cipher? Will cracking this code lead to uncovering a sinister plot?
Susan takes real historical happenings and weaves a credible story around them. I was fascinated by the ciphers and the code breaking in the days before the United States got involved in WWI.
Emma Shuster has met Lieutenant John Patterson on the way to see her father at his college campus office in Maine. John has a scientific question for Professor Shuster. But when they arrive to greet him, they find him on the floor! Emma and her father have been working on a cipher machine for a bank. Now, the Navy is interested in her father’s work. John and Emma aid the government in their campaign against a looming enemy. Will her code breaking skills help the United States combat saboteurs? Is someone out to do Emma harm?
Lots of mystery and intrigue and a sweet romance. For fans of history and suspense. I am partial to them together.
*I received this book from the author. I was not required to post a favorable review. All opinions are my own. *
December 1, 2025
I finished this as I needed it for my personal reading goal of reading at least one book per year my TBR list spans. But it was a struggle.
I think there is just very little here to keep the reader invested. The book opens with the murder of Emma's father, but the mystery of that is not carried through for any tension or effect. John really should be suspect number one as the man who shows up the day of the murder and kindly offers to help sort through the office and personal documents, but he's attractive and polite and instantly the love interest. The book does not even try to hold his potential culpability in suspense. The murder of her only family member seems quickly forgotten by Emma.
The code breaking was interesting, but there was no plot or deadline to give it any real urgency. The workers take breaks to play baseball and go out for coffee (and often mention their work in public. grr) which really adds to the feeling that none of this is really that urgent.
The most conflict we get in this book is Emma's unwanted suitor. The most character growth we get is when she finally outright tells him she's not interested in him (not that she should have had to, she was giving plenty of obvious signs. But she even feels ashamed afterwards of being rude, so it doesn't feel like she's finally gained confidence or something either)
I found Emma particularly annoying - asking her superior officer she would prefer not to have her unwanted suitor involved in code breaking because she found him annoying - even though that man was the only one who might be able to help with the code machine. And not speaking up about working better in the quiet because she was afraid of the optics if her romantic interest knew she was alone with another fellow codebreaker - even though this is supposed to be a super important message they are trying to crack that could save lives... It's just - this work is either super important and it's not, and the book did not give us any sense of it being so with the main character not taking it seriously herself.
Other little things like every man being very much in love with her might be forgiven in a better work, but here it just adds to the feeling of not being a well crafted story.
I think there is just very little here to keep the reader invested. The book opens with the murder of Emma's father, but the mystery of that is not carried through for any tension or effect. John really should be suspect number one as the man who shows up the day of the murder and kindly offers to help sort through the office and personal documents, but he's attractive and polite and instantly the love interest. The book does not even try to hold his potential culpability in suspense. The murder of her only family member seems quickly forgotten by Emma.
The code breaking was interesting, but there was no plot or deadline to give it any real urgency. The workers take breaks to play baseball and go out for coffee (and often mention their work in public. grr) which really adds to the feeling that none of this is really that urgent.
The most conflict we get in this book is Emma's unwanted suitor. The most character growth we get is when she finally outright tells him she's not interested in him (not that she should have had to, she was giving plenty of obvious signs. But she even feels ashamed afterwards of being rude, so it doesn't feel like she's finally gained confidence or something either)
I found Emma particularly annoying - asking her superior officer she would prefer not to have her unwanted suitor involved in code breaking because she found him annoying - even though that man was the only one who might be able to help with the code machine. And not speaking up about working better in the quiet because she was afraid of the optics if her romantic interest knew she was alone with another fellow codebreaker - even though this is supposed to be a super important message they are trying to crack that could save lives... It's just - this work is either super important and it's not, and the book did not give us any sense of it being so with the main character not taking it seriously herself.
Other little things like every man being very much in love with her might be forgiven in a better work, but here it just adds to the feeling of not being a well crafted story.
August 13, 2019
This exciting novel includes subjects I enjoy reading about: puzzles, such as codes and ciphers, mystery, and active faith in the Lord. It is written with excellence, capturing my attention from the beginning and holding it throughout. The author is adept at demonstrating her characters, their faith, romance, and a challenging mystery.
Emma is the daughter of Professor Alfred Shuster, a mathematics professor at a college in Maine. Since graduating from Smith, she lives with her father and helps him with a project he is working on for a bank, a system of encryption that will help them make long distance telegraph transactions without risk of being intercepted and transcribed. She has her father’s talent with mathematics and understanding complex ciphers.
When going to her father’s office at college, Emma meets John Patterson. He is a Navy lieutenant assigned to the Signal Corp. He asked for help finding her father’s office, and she led him there, not prepared for the horror to come. Her father was murdered, left on the floor of his office with his papers strewn about. Lieutenant Patterson becomes her helper in the following hours.
Patterson was sent there at the request of his boss, Captain Waller, who had served in the Spanish American War with the professor. They had hoped to attract him to work as a civilian for the Signal Corp in their encryption department, as he was the best Waller had ever known. John had to contact Waller with the bad news about his old friend. He wanted to help her until family could arrive, and for Waller, see if she would share her father’s work.
It is 1915, and the Great War is being fought in Europe. Militaries around the world would give anything to be able to design impenetrable ciphers for use within their ranks and decode messages they intercept. They knew the professor had designed a box to automatically encrypt banking information and hoped it would be useful.
Emma must move out of the home owned by the college and find a job. Her father’s office was tossed again, and someone tried to get into the house. John sees the complex understanding Emma has of her father’s work and ciphers, and offers her a position at the secret, civilian center where cryptologists work in another state. John and Emma are attracted to each other even as someone is looking for Emma, possibly tracking her to where she now lives and works.
What a wonderful novel! I am fascinated by the process of how encryption was done in WWI and WWII. It isn’t a career I could have, being math-challenged, so I enjoy the tasks through novels such as this. The mystery of who murdered Emma’s father and continued to search for her permeates her grief as well as her new position and possible romance with John. He travels to sites they learn about through messages decoded in her group for the country they love. Most important, they are Christians who live out their faith each day. Reading their prayers is an inspiration; their love of country is refreshing. The mystery is a true challenge, with suspects begging to be identified…made especially difficult in a time when those who had immigrated from or still had family in Germany could be under suspicion. I was satisfied with the ending, with all loose ends tied up. I highly recommend it to those who enjoy Christian fiction, mysteries, puzzles, and romance.
From a thankful heart: I won a copy of this from the author’s monthly website contest; a review was not required.
Emma is the daughter of Professor Alfred Shuster, a mathematics professor at a college in Maine. Since graduating from Smith, she lives with her father and helps him with a project he is working on for a bank, a system of encryption that will help them make long distance telegraph transactions without risk of being intercepted and transcribed. She has her father’s talent with mathematics and understanding complex ciphers.
When going to her father’s office at college, Emma meets John Patterson. He is a Navy lieutenant assigned to the Signal Corp. He asked for help finding her father’s office, and she led him there, not prepared for the horror to come. Her father was murdered, left on the floor of his office with his papers strewn about. Lieutenant Patterson becomes her helper in the following hours.
Patterson was sent there at the request of his boss, Captain Waller, who had served in the Spanish American War with the professor. They had hoped to attract him to work as a civilian for the Signal Corp in their encryption department, as he was the best Waller had ever known. John had to contact Waller with the bad news about his old friend. He wanted to help her until family could arrive, and for Waller, see if she would share her father’s work.
It is 1915, and the Great War is being fought in Europe. Militaries around the world would give anything to be able to design impenetrable ciphers for use within their ranks and decode messages they intercept. They knew the professor had designed a box to automatically encrypt banking information and hoped it would be useful.
Emma must move out of the home owned by the college and find a job. Her father’s office was tossed again, and someone tried to get into the house. John sees the complex understanding Emma has of her father’s work and ciphers, and offers her a position at the secret, civilian center where cryptologists work in another state. John and Emma are attracted to each other even as someone is looking for Emma, possibly tracking her to where she now lives and works.
What a wonderful novel! I am fascinated by the process of how encryption was done in WWI and WWII. It isn’t a career I could have, being math-challenged, so I enjoy the tasks through novels such as this. The mystery of who murdered Emma’s father and continued to search for her permeates her grief as well as her new position and possible romance with John. He travels to sites they learn about through messages decoded in her group for the country they love. Most important, they are Christians who live out their faith each day. Reading their prayers is an inspiration; their love of country is refreshing. The mystery is a true challenge, with suspects begging to be identified…made especially difficult in a time when those who had immigrated from or still had family in Germany could be under suspicion. I was satisfied with the ending, with all loose ends tied up. I highly recommend it to those who enjoy Christian fiction, mysteries, puzzles, and romance.
From a thankful heart: I won a copy of this from the author’s monthly website contest; a review was not required.
July 4, 2011
I liked this book. Although it was an espionage book, it's also an inspirational that reminded me of Grace Livingston Hill.
Emma Shuster works with her father in the area of cryptology, which is decoding coded messages. Her father was working on a machine that could encrypt messages for the military. The really interesting concept is that this is set in the U.S. during WWI. The U.S. is not in the war but are aiding the Allies. Germany wanted to keep the U.S. and Canada from aiding Britain, so they were actively engaged in the sabotage of factories and ships. After Emma's father is murdered, she meets John Patterson, a naval officer who brings her to the attention of his superiors. She ends up in D.C. working as a code-breaker for the U.S. But she's still in danger. There is a criminal known as Kobold (German for goblin) who is masterminding many of the attacks, but his main objective is to get the machine her father was working on.
There are great moments when they can crack the code and prevent a disaster and others where the bad guys manage to escape capture. The romance is sweet and the historical information was fascinating. I knew there was a lot of code-breaking in WWII, but this earlier era has been somewhat ignored.
The inspirational aspect of the book is present but not preachy or overt. It is simply a part of the lives of some of the characters.
This is a really good book and I hope she writes more aboutthis period of history.
Emma Shuster works with her father in the area of cryptology, which is decoding coded messages. Her father was working on a machine that could encrypt messages for the military. The really interesting concept is that this is set in the U.S. during WWI. The U.S. is not in the war but are aiding the Allies. Germany wanted to keep the U.S. and Canada from aiding Britain, so they were actively engaged in the sabotage of factories and ships. After Emma's father is murdered, she meets John Patterson, a naval officer who brings her to the attention of his superiors. She ends up in D.C. working as a code-breaker for the U.S. But she's still in danger. There is a criminal known as Kobold (German for goblin) who is masterminding many of the attacks, but his main objective is to get the machine her father was working on.
There are great moments when they can crack the code and prevent a disaster and others where the bad guys manage to escape capture. The romance is sweet and the historical information was fascinating. I knew there was a lot of code-breaking in WWII, but this earlier era has been somewhat ignored.
The inspirational aspect of the book is present but not preachy or overt. It is simply a part of the lives of some of the characters.
This is a really good book and I hope she writes more aboutthis period of history.
January 11, 2019
Emma Shuster is on the campus of Bowdoin College to drop off some papers to her father who is a math professor. As she is about to go up to his office, a Navy Lieutenant, John Patterson, asks her for directions to Professor Shuster so she escorts him up. So John is with her when she discovers the body of her murdered father on the floor of his office. Over the next few days, John is present at the funeral and then helps her pack up her father’s office. John is instrumental in Emma being offered, and accepting, a position in Washington with a group of cryptographers working to solve messages and thwart attacks by the Germans ahead of the U.S. entry into World War I. Before his death, Emma’s father had been working on an encryption machine. It seems that someone wants to get their hands on it and will go to great lengths. Can Emma remain safe and help with the war effort? And what about the developing friendship between Emma and John?
I don't remember how I first found out about this - it's available from a neighboring county library system. It pulled me in from the very beginning and I didn't want to put it down. Although classified as fiction, there's a bit of mystery to it in terms of who killed her father and why. The action is set in the context of actual historic events, although she says she took a few liberties with sequence. Didn't bother me in the least. Excellent!
I don't remember how I first found out about this - it's available from a neighboring county library system. It pulled me in from the very beginning and I didn't want to put it down. Although classified as fiction, there's a bit of mystery to it in terms of who killed her father and why. The action is set in the context of actual historic events, although she says she took a few liberties with sequence. Didn't bother me in the least. Excellent!
November 5, 2010
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.
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.
May 26, 2011
I alway enjoy reading mystery books that are written in the 1900's (Miss fortune by Sara Mills...), so it was no surprise that I loved this book.
'The Crimson Cipher' did not disappoint me at all. It had romance, mystery and suspense throughout and was just all-around a great book.
I definitely would recommend 'The Crimson Cipher' if you like mystery and romance together. I loved the code breaking part of this book also, it made me think of how it might be in real life. I hope that there will be a sequel in the future.
'The Crimson Cipher' did not disappoint me at all. It had romance, mystery and suspense throughout and was just all-around a great book.
I definitely would recommend 'The Crimson Cipher' if you like mystery and romance together. I loved the code breaking part of this book also, it made me think of how it might be in real life. I hope that there will be a sequel in the future.
March 10, 2019
This is now one of my favorite books, primarily because the information about encryption, ciphers, espionage and terror attacks on US soil prior to our involvement with WWI made it a very compelling story. The author did good research and wove the true history of this time period into an excellent adventure. I did think the main characters were way too perfect but I loved them anyway.
May 23, 2018
I loved the history part the best, the mystery is a great addition and the love story - super sweet!
There's nothing not to like about this book (I know double negatives) and it would be wonderful if there was a continuation of the story to see how Emma and John's lives and careers progress.
There's nothing not to like about this book (I know double negatives) and it would be wonderful if there was a continuation of the story to see how Emma and John's lives and careers progress.
December 1, 2018
I found this to be a very well written book. The story line, characters, and suspense throughout meshed nicely to make a smooth read. Highly recommend. I received a copy from the author. Opinions are my own.
June 22, 2012
it was very slow and boring. didn't finish it because of those reasons. i could not get into it.
October 10, 2017
I wish I could give this book 6 stars!! Gripping plot, well developed characters and Christian values embedded naturally without being preachy or righteous. Fantastic!!
June 21, 2015
What an interesting story. A girl is asked to work from the navy to decider enemy messages.
April 20, 2016
I could hardly put this book down! It was very interesting and intriguing.
November 5, 2015
I can't say that this book is one of the best I've ever read, but the story is interesting, and unique in shedding light on a time in U.S. history that few are aware of, a time when German spies were in the U.S. and Canada sabotaging munitions factories to stop America from resupplying English troups in WW1. And when German U-Boots sank our ships delivering goods to England.
The story takes place in 1915, before the U.S. entered WW1. The initial setting is the college town of Brunswick, Maine, but later moves to Washington, DC and environs.
I know the author took liberties with many historical facts--she admits as much--but there is still an authentic feel because of the many period details she includes. To read about Washington 100 years ago was sort of magical for me, perhaps only because I lived in that area for decades and thought I knew the city.
Many of DC's landmarks that we today take for granted weren't there 100 years ago, which is hard for me to imagine. The author says that only 3 years before 1915, the Japanese government had given our country the cherry trees for which DC has since become famous. As the book's hero and heroine walk the streets of Washington near the White House, she mentions that the Mall and the Lincoln Memorial were just being built.
At times, I had to stop reading to digest this and other snippets of history, to reflect on how much our country and world have changed. It's hard to imagine that these events took place only 100 years ago. Automobiles still had to be hand-cranked to start. Young, unmarried women still had to be chaperoned or face social ruin. It all seems impossibly quaint today; such customs relics from centuries ago, not just one century.
In 1915, many Americans were still 1st generation immigrants and spoke the language of their homeland with family, friends and neighbors. My father's grandmother lived with the family when he was a boy. She never learned English, so the family spoke German at home.
I asked my grandmother, Dad's mother, once when and why she stopped speaking German, and she said something about a world war and that they didn't want their loyalty to America questioned, that speaking German in public was a sure way to be shunned and pointed at as possible spies. I never asked for details because I sensed even as a child that it evoked painful memories for her.
But I never understood why speaking German in America at that time was viewed as treasonous. That chapter of history was certainly never taught in school when I was growing up. Which seems strange, if it concerned foreigners perpetrating evil, not American citizens. I wasn't even aware that there were German spies in the U.S. then.
We all know about the World Wars, but tend to think only of the battles fought overseas, not about espionage here in the homeland. It seems incredible that we know so little about this chapter in American history. (I'm surprised, frankly, that no one in Hollywood has made a film about it.)
Many German-American families at the time were divided between loyalty to their new country and loyalty to family members still living in Germany. It bothered them that their government was aiding Germany's enemy, whose soldiers were killing young German soldiers in France. Most German-Americans were probably loyal to their new country, but some apparently supported or even joined German saboteurs in North America -- a revelation for me.
The author does an excellent job of bringing history to life. It was a time when everyone's loyalties were tested: Emma, like her father, had only one allegiance, to America. The German-born aunt and uncle, however, do not support America aid to England, and their son takes the sentiment even further.
Emma's father fought for America, however, in the Spanish-American War and has never questioned his allegiance to America. Now a math professor at Bowdoin College in Maine, he has kept in touch with former comrades who are now senior military officers in DC.
Professor Schuster is shot one morning on campus by a German spy trying to find the cipher machine he was working on. Upon hearing of his murder--and recognizing the potential of such a machine--the military officer friend immediately sends a junior officer to Maine to get the machine before the Germans do.
The German spy ringleader "Kobold" (German for gremlin) will stop at nothing to obtain the cipher machine and the professor's papers. Kobold mistakenly believes that the cipher machine is the only possible explanation for the Americans being able to read his coded messages and thwarting German sabotage on American factories.
Which is where plucky Emma comes in. It seems that she has inherited her father's mathematical genius, and just happened to have been helping her father for the past 3 years with his secret project, code breaking. The author goes into some detail on the mechanics of code breaking, but not enough to satisfy me. I think the main reason for my disappointment was that the book just wasn't long enough and ended too abruptly.
In some ways, this is a typical coming-of-age story, about a young adult venturing from home for the first time, meeting new people and forming friendships. On her own for the first time, she must figure out who she can trust--her father's military friend and his junior officer, the kind young man who protects her, or her self-centered, oafish relatives.
Emma is a young woman finding her way in the world, learning to believe in herself and her ability to make a difference. Which she does: Her skills are invaluable at a time when codebreaking in America was in its infancy.
But Emma is also, unlike most, in danger every day while Kobold and his minions are free. She perseveres because of her faith in God and her love for her father and the young man who helps her.
This book reveals a gentler, more innocent America where families attended church together every Sunday and prayed together before every meal. A time of boarding houses that offered home-cooked meals, a time when few owned cars and trolley cars were in cities across America.
But also a time when German spies infiltrated America and Canada to blow up munitions factories, killing American and Canadian citizens. The terorists of yesteryear, if you will; hard to believe from a distance of a mere 100 years.
Some will undoubtedly find the author's emphasis on God and prayer distasteful, but it doesn't detract from a good story about an interesting subject and a unique chapter in American history.
The story takes place in 1915, before the U.S. entered WW1. The initial setting is the college town of Brunswick, Maine, but later moves to Washington, DC and environs.
I know the author took liberties with many historical facts--she admits as much--but there is still an authentic feel because of the many period details she includes. To read about Washington 100 years ago was sort of magical for me, perhaps only because I lived in that area for decades and thought I knew the city.
Many of DC's landmarks that we today take for granted weren't there 100 years ago, which is hard for me to imagine. The author says that only 3 years before 1915, the Japanese government had given our country the cherry trees for which DC has since become famous. As the book's hero and heroine walk the streets of Washington near the White House, she mentions that the Mall and the Lincoln Memorial were just being built.
At times, I had to stop reading to digest this and other snippets of history, to reflect on how much our country and world have changed. It's hard to imagine that these events took place only 100 years ago. Automobiles still had to be hand-cranked to start. Young, unmarried women still had to be chaperoned or face social ruin. It all seems impossibly quaint today; such customs relics from centuries ago, not just one century.
In 1915, many Americans were still 1st generation immigrants and spoke the language of their homeland with family, friends and neighbors. My father's grandmother lived with the family when he was a boy. She never learned English, so the family spoke German at home.
I asked my grandmother, Dad's mother, once when and why she stopped speaking German, and she said something about a world war and that they didn't want their loyalty to America questioned, that speaking German in public was a sure way to be shunned and pointed at as possible spies. I never asked for details because I sensed even as a child that it evoked painful memories for her.
But I never understood why speaking German in America at that time was viewed as treasonous. That chapter of history was certainly never taught in school when I was growing up. Which seems strange, if it concerned foreigners perpetrating evil, not American citizens. I wasn't even aware that there were German spies in the U.S. then.
We all know about the World Wars, but tend to think only of the battles fought overseas, not about espionage here in the homeland. It seems incredible that we know so little about this chapter in American history. (I'm surprised, frankly, that no one in Hollywood has made a film about it.)
Many German-American families at the time were divided between loyalty to their new country and loyalty to family members still living in Germany. It bothered them that their government was aiding Germany's enemy, whose soldiers were killing young German soldiers in France. Most German-Americans were probably loyal to their new country, but some apparently supported or even joined German saboteurs in North America -- a revelation for me.
The author does an excellent job of bringing history to life. It was a time when everyone's loyalties were tested: Emma, like her father, had only one allegiance, to America. The German-born aunt and uncle, however, do not support America aid to England, and their son takes the sentiment even further.
Emma's father fought for America, however, in the Spanish-American War and has never questioned his allegiance to America. Now a math professor at Bowdoin College in Maine, he has kept in touch with former comrades who are now senior military officers in DC.
Professor Schuster is shot one morning on campus by a German spy trying to find the cipher machine he was working on. Upon hearing of his murder--and recognizing the potential of such a machine--the military officer friend immediately sends a junior officer to Maine to get the machine before the Germans do.
The German spy ringleader "Kobold" (German for gremlin) will stop at nothing to obtain the cipher machine and the professor's papers. Kobold mistakenly believes that the cipher machine is the only possible explanation for the Americans being able to read his coded messages and thwarting German sabotage on American factories.
Which is where plucky Emma comes in. It seems that she has inherited her father's mathematical genius, and just happened to have been helping her father for the past 3 years with his secret project, code breaking. The author goes into some detail on the mechanics of code breaking, but not enough to satisfy me. I think the main reason for my disappointment was that the book just wasn't long enough and ended too abruptly.
In some ways, this is a typical coming-of-age story, about a young adult venturing from home for the first time, meeting new people and forming friendships. On her own for the first time, she must figure out who she can trust--her father's military friend and his junior officer, the kind young man who protects her, or her self-centered, oafish relatives.
Emma is a young woman finding her way in the world, learning to believe in herself and her ability to make a difference. Which she does: Her skills are invaluable at a time when codebreaking in America was in its infancy.
But Emma is also, unlike most, in danger every day while Kobold and his minions are free. She perseveres because of her faith in God and her love for her father and the young man who helps her.
This book reveals a gentler, more innocent America where families attended church together every Sunday and prayed together before every meal. A time of boarding houses that offered home-cooked meals, a time when few owned cars and trolley cars were in cities across America.
But also a time when German spies infiltrated America and Canada to blow up munitions factories, killing American and Canadian citizens. The terorists of yesteryear, if you will; hard to believe from a distance of a mere 100 years.
Some will undoubtedly find the author's emphasis on God and prayer distasteful, but it doesn't detract from a good story about an interesting subject and a unique chapter in American history.
December 26, 2023
A woman code breaker era WWI. A fun subject, but draggy novel.
Our heroine and her love interest are so formal and proper.
When she has a stalker who won’t leave her alone and follows her across the country, never taking no for an answer, she frets that she was “uncivil” to him once.
They are urged NEVER to talk about their work outside of the office, but the first thing our heroine does the next time she runs into her “young man” is walk around town, talking all about the work she is doing.
And then just to make it “Christian”, the author threw in a few prayers and church services.
Was really the most tame codebreaker story I’ve ever read.
Our heroine and her love interest are so formal and proper.
When she has a stalker who won’t leave her alone and follows her across the country, never taking no for an answer, she frets that she was “uncivil” to him once.
They are urged NEVER to talk about their work outside of the office, but the first thing our heroine does the next time she runs into her “young man” is walk around town, talking all about the work she is doing.
And then just to make it “Christian”, the author threw in a few prayers and church services.
Was really the most tame codebreaker story I’ve ever read.
June 2, 2018
I loved this book! A combination of suspense, intrigue, danger, murder, and romance set in 1915 pre-WW I Maine and Washington, D.C. Thrilling story written with tremendous attention to historic detail. As an added bonus there is a coded message at the end of the book for us to figure out. I'm going to give it the old college-try. I recommend this book to history lovers. Fans of Susan Page Davis won't be disappointed.
April 5, 2023
This was a great story that had me hooked from the beginning. I am weak on knowledge of America’s history leading up to World War 1, and I was glad to learn a bit. I loved the characters and Emma’s and John’s dependence on God. There was a lot of mystery and intrigue, as well as romance. I really enjoyed reading this book.
April 15, 2023
Cipher headache
Although all the references to ciphering were a complete mystery to me, I still enjoyed the suspense of tracking the evil Kobold and trying to get one step ahead of the saboteurs. Emma and John make a great couple from the first page to the last. Susan Page Davis has not disappointed me yet.
Although all the references to ciphering were a complete mystery to me, I still enjoyed the suspense of tracking the evil Kobold and trying to get one step ahead of the saboteurs. Emma and John make a great couple from the first page to the last. Susan Page Davis has not disappointed me yet.
April 23, 2023
Fascinating History with a gentle romance
I loved this historical romance novel, and learned so much about ciphers and codes, along with WW1 German attempts to keep America out of the conflict. Susan Page Davis weaves a magnificent story, well-researched. It takes a skilled writer to include just the right amount of historical detail without overwhelming her own story. Wow!
I loved this historical romance novel, and learned so much about ciphers and codes, along with WW1 German attempts to keep America out of the conflict. Susan Page Davis weaves a magnificent story, well-researched. It takes a skilled writer to include just the right amount of historical detail without overwhelming her own story. Wow!
November 22, 2025
I found the storyline very interesting. Emma's father was a code-breaker and she learned to do the same. After her father was murdered, the U.S. government hired her to help break coded messages that were coming from Germany as well as from within the country.
April 14, 2023
Very good
Good clean story with WWI in the near future. I liked the people and the story line. My first story by this author, will look up more of her writings.
Good clean story with WWI in the near future. I liked the people and the story line. My first story by this author, will look up more of her writings.
April 16, 2023
Exciting history
Emma and John are real, clever and charming. They both save lives amidst danger and espionage. Was a fun read.
Emma and John are real, clever and charming. They both save lives amidst danger and espionage. Was a fun read.
June 11, 2023
I love historical novels and have read many set during WWII. This one was set at the onset of WWI and it was very interesting to learn about cryptography. I will say that a lot of it went over my head and I skimmed a bit because I couldn’t understand it. But the actual storyline was good and it kept me guessing with a few twists. There’s romance and it was done well, not to sickening, just enough for me.
I encourage you to read the Author’s Notes at the end and learn what events/places were real and what was not.
I encourage you to read the Author’s Notes at the end and learn what events/places were real and what was not.
May 28, 2024
No annoying conflict, it’s a very sweet book, really intriguing mystery and code breaking but nothing annoying or stressful.
August 19, 2010
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.
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.
May 14, 2023
I'm fond of historical fiction and this book has shot up to one of my all time favorites. Set in World War I, it is about the first efforts to study and decode messages sent by wartime enemies of the United States.
Extremely well written and an intriguing plot. Well done, Susan Page Davis!
Extremely well written and an intriguing plot. Well done, Susan Page Davis!
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