The Code Hunters

by Jackson Coppley

Get Ready for Action and Adventure!
Meet Nicholas Foxe and his team of code hunters…

• In Afghanistan, a young boy stumbles into a fierce firefight.
• An Army Ranger makes a snap decision that sets in motion events beyond his imagination.
• In New Mexico, caver Tom Littleton discovers a 10,000-year-old coded tablet far too advanced for ancient people to have created it.
• In Boston, Rachael Friedman, a leading physics professor, unlocks a key to the mysterious code.
• And in Italy, a violin maker and his autistic daughter show the way to a secret chamber where a medieval scholar has locked away more clues.

Wealthy adventurer Nicholas Foxe leads this unlikely team to solve the mystery of the code. But dark forces threaten to destroy The Tablet and the people who know about it…

• The Televangelist who intends to profit from his “religious” interpretation of The Tablet.
• A Washington Senator who secretly serves a powerful constituent.
• The mysterious Texan who foresees extraordinary wealth by owning The Tablet.
• A Bombmaker in Queens who serves the latest in destructive products.

The Code Hunters is a Thriller for the reader who:
• Wants the Adventure of Indiana Jones,
• Likes the pace and puzzles of The Da Vinci Code,
• Or just enjoys a Mystery Page-Turner.

Genres: Fiction, Science Fiction

410 pages, Paperback

Published April 26, 2019

About the author

Author also writes under E.K. Mitchell

Jackson Coppley is the author of Action-Adventure novels. His stories are packed with suspense and thrills that will keep you on the edge of your seat and have you coming back for more. Whether it’s a story about a daring mission or a thrilling journey, Jackson Coppley’s books are sure to captivate you.

His stories are perfect for those looking for a thrilling read and an exciting escape into a different world. Check out his latest book today and start your next adventure!


Follow Jackson on BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/jacks...

Reviews

[Anthony · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Review

My first reaction as a reader is…wow. Just a fantastic collection of action, adventure and thrills that delve into so many different genres and facets of the story that it immediately draws readers in. From the introduction of the mystery discovered in caverns by cavers to the people brought together by Nicholas Foxe to decipher the mysterious discovery and the people trying to exploit or profit from it, the author does an amazing job of creating a cast of characters readers will either love or hate.

What really stuck out to me as a reader was the various moving parts of the novel thanks to the wide array of characters the author brought into the narrative. The way readers are given a look into the mindset and actions of each character really set up the shocking action scenes and built up the importance of the discoveries to be had. The use of a slow burn to build up the suspense early on before revealing the discoveries was an inspired choice of writing style, and created an engaging read that is not to be missed.

The Verdict

This is a brilliant thriller that really gets the mind working and the heart pumping. A lengthy read to be sure, the novel does an amazing job of keeping the reader interested and creates a cast of characters readers will thoroughly enjoy reading about and becoming invested in throughout this story. It’s a must read action/adventure and thriller that captures the spirit of classic mysteries, blending a mix of Indiana Jones style action and history with a The Historian thrill. If you haven’t yet, be sure to grab your copy of “The Code Hunters” by Jackson Coppley today!

[Emily Portman · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really great read - throughout this book, I liked how all the characters constantly looked out for one another and worked as a team to try and solve the mystery of the code. To do so, they had to travel across the world, meet new people and use their brains and initiative to problem solve and find some crucial answers. I grew really fond of this team, and by the end, I found myself rooting for them more than I expected. I wanted them to find the answers they were looking for - not only for their sake, but for mine too!

This book was perfectly descriptive and I thoroughly enjoyed the mystery solving elements. The characters, although there are many, really made the story complete. Their relationships with one another gave me a few laughs too. Coppley has created a solid plot, and each scene, chapter and conversation has been combined together to create a fantastic novel. I look forward to checking out more of your work, Jackson!

[Robert Williams · Rating 2 out of 5]

Just not for me. Really didn’t get in to it at all.

[Happy Booker · Rating 4 out of 5]

The code hunters is a thriller fiction novel about Nicholas Foxe, an Archaeologist, hearing about a discovery made when a team of expert cavers goes wondering in new Mexico. The massive slab of metal found appears to be far more interesting than what they thought. It is at least ten thousand years old and comes with an unknown inscription.


Slowly but surely others become interested in the slab, and all come together to follow clues, visit exotic locations, and share a thrilling journey discovering the mystery.



The story was complex, and the characters were strong. Many plot twists were keeping the reader intrigued, and towards the end, it felt a little rushed but still satisfying.



I believe what stood out the most was the dynamic relationship between the characters — the dialogue between them and how everything was weaved together.



I recommend this book to people who like to read action, adventure, and thrills stories.

[Judy Ferrell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh! A mystery!!

A mystery that leads to advanced like no other. This book is exciting! It has clues,plot twists, and enough adventure to thrill everyone. There's even a touch of romance to add some spice.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is good but very formula driven. First the discovery, the tablet. Then race to solve the mystery. Bad guy trying to get it. The betrayal. Etc.

[Literary Portals · Rating 4 out of 5]

What Made Me Read It I was sent a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review. The author described it as "Indiana Jones solves The DaVinci Code". Having enjoyed Dan Brown's Robert Langdon series that caught my interest so I decided to give it a try.

The Plot Tom Littleton is an experienced caver who, on a dare from a stranger, sets out to explore undiscovered pathways connecting to the Carlsbad Cavern complex in New Mexico. Instead, he finds an impossible artifact buried deep underground: a 10.000-year-old metallic wall engraved with small black dots arranged across its surface. With the help of a former colleague and friend, the socialite scientist Nicholas Foxe, the two try to decipher what at first seemed like simple binary code but which stumped even the best cryptographers in the world.

Rachael Friedman, an assistant physics professor at MIT with a talent for music, sees something in one photo of the now renamed Tablet that might lead to an answer; while Walter Tanner, a former special forces soldier, tells the story of a second tablet found in Afghanistan with a similar code. In Italy, a violin maker named Lorenzo Cristofori owns a set of 800-year-old books that mention legends of an ancient race of people who spoke in music instead of words and who possessed knowledge advanced far beyond their time.

But there are those who want to own the Tablet and others who want to destroy it, for the powerful fear enlightenment unless it turns into a profit. Senator Morrison is in league with a wealthy Texan man who will stop at nothing to get the Tablet for himself. Reverend Josiah Jones, a televangelist with a diminishing congregation, sees the discovery as a way to save his temple and recover the lost flock, while his son Chris has plans of his own that don't include inheriting his father's business.

This group of disparate people will start a chain of events, from a cave in New Mexico to a castle in Italy no one has ever lived in, following the clues to a knowledge the ancients warned would bring danger and death.

The Good "The Code Hunters" is an action-adventure and mystery thriller novel, with science fiction elements, set in modern days New Mexico and Italy. A strange artifact is discovered buried deep underground: a 10.000-year-old metallic wall engraved with a code no cryptographer can decipher, and a set of pictograms that connect with several worldwide legends of an ancient civilization that spoke through music and possessed knowledge that could only be revealed when humanity was mature enough to understand the clues. A team of scholars join forces to try to unravel the mystery: Tom Littleton, an expert caver who discovers the artifact; Nick Foxe, a socialite scientist who sponsors the expedition; Rachael Friedman, an assistant physics professor who sees a clue hidden in a photograph; Walter Tanner, a former special forces soldier sent by a Taliban leader on a quest to decipher the code; Lorenzo Cristofori, a violin maker who owns a set of 800-year-old books written by the Arabic mathematician who first decoded the Tablet; his daughter Maria, an autistic young woman who can understand the musical language spoken by the ancient civilization; Fezile Nodada, a geneticist of the WHO with the connections and manpower to help the expedition. But opposing them all are people who wish to use the discovery for personal gain and profit: Senator Morrison and a Texan wealthy man who have plans of their own for the Tablet; Reverend Josiah Jones, a disgraced televangelist who wishes to save his temple and his son Chris who'd rather destroy his father's business.

The narrative is fast-paced, filled with gripping action sequences and an engaging mystery, plenty of suspense and intrigue. The plot is solid and believable: the worldbuilding, legends and clues created by the author are even within the realms of possibility. Some of the elements have been done before: an ancient civilization (that might or might not have been alien) leaving behind a mysterious artifact with an undecipherable code that leads to advanced knowledge, old manuscripts secretly stored deep inside the Vatican library, landmarks with secret passages and legends passed down through generations... but the author added a twist by making this ancient civilization speak in musical tones instead of words. I also enjoyed how the author described the many ways this discovery would affect different people. Instead of the usual one team of heroes united in their quest to outsmart their opponents for the sake of helping mankind, each element of Nick Foxe's team and the various antagonists have their own unique reasons behind their objectives.

All the characters are 3-dimensional and realistic, with believable motivations and goals. Not only does each character bring his or her own set of skills necessary to solve the puzzle, even the secondary characters with only brief appearances have a full background and a purpose in the narrative, helping to move the plot along in one way or another.

The Not So Good Even though every character ends up being necessary to the plot, there are just too many of them. I frequently lost track of who was who and had to check my notes to remember who a particular character was supposed to be.

Read the full review on: https://literaryportals.blogspot.com/...

Final Rating 4 of 5 stars. "The Code Hunters" is an action-packed adventure and mystery thriller novel, with science fiction elements, plenty of suspense and intrigue, set in modern days New Mexico and Italy. Recommended for those who enjoy stories about decoding secrets left behind by ancient civilizations.

[Elliot Jackman · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Code Hunters is written by Jackson Coppley. It’s his first book in the Nicholas Foxe series.

The story revolves around an archaeological find in a cave, by a professional caver, that was nudged by an Army vet to take a look for an unknown passage near Carlsbad caverns. The find appears to be something that had to have been created by an advanced race, however, it’s obviously thousands of years old. It’s a massive metallic wall with an encoded message that pulls in Nicholas Foxe and others to try and figure out its meaning.

In this story, the protagonists are a group that winds up working together. Each has their own area of expertise that allows them all to contribute to the adventure in their own way. Nicholas specializes in the archaeological side of things, although it appears that he’s mainly taken over the project due to his wealth and a plain interest in the artifact. Tom, the experienced caver, remains part of the team after the find, but I’m not exactly sure why he wasn’t sidelined. I also don’t recall why Nicholas Foxe wound up at the site at all.

Rachael, assistant physics professor at MIT, sees a photo of the relic and feels like there’s something about it that she needs to follow up on. She winds up going out to the site and becoming part of the group as the scientific/musical mind of the group.

During the adventure of trying to figure out the meaning of the markings on the wall, the media coverage of the find starts to bring a few loonies out of the woodwork. Some want to get their hands on the artifact, or whatever it may lead to. Others want the find to go away and try very hard to make that happen.

The only parts that were disappointing were the conflicts. For instance, the team was once pinned down at a castle by a sharpshooter. This scene had the potential to be very tense, however, I believe that from the first shot to the time the shooter was found and killed was about a page and half. I was also a little dismayed that the police let the entire gang go home while a man was laying there with a bullet in his head.

Overall, I enjoyed the story. I felt that I wanted to see what was going to happen next with the team. The story moves along pretty quickly throughout without any areas that get bogged down in drama. There are a couple of romantic relationships that develop as part of the story, but they don’t take center stage and are not given more attention than needed for the reader to understand what’s happening.

[Wanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Received this book in the Goodreads Giveaways and really enjoyed it. The story moves along at a good pace, there are some interesting characters and I like how they have to work together to figure out things. Each person had their specialty and they were able to blend them together well.
The beginning has several separate chapters with what seems like a different story going on in each but then they start blending together. Events in different parts of the world trigger the hunt for answers to a mysterious message.
A soldier, Tanner, saves a kids life in Afghanistan and is shown a mysterious large metal tablet. He starts trying to figure out what it means and ends up contacting a caver, Tom, who along with some others discover a similar tablet. The caver brings in a man, Nick, who can organize things and has money to help with figure out the tablet. It becomes sensational news as it is in a national park cave and is said to be over 10,000 years old. This is then seen by a physicist, Rachel, who flies to New Mexico to help. The team ends up traveling to Italy where they connect with a man Nick had met many years ago that has some other unusual stories to tell them. His daughter is a high functioning autistic woman who has some special talents that help the team. They also end up with the woman who kept house for them in New Mexico and a doctor from South Africa.
There are of course bad guys in the story, some want the mysterious thing for themselves as in the Texas oil guy and the preacher who wants to use it for his own purposes or they want to destroy it as in the preacher's son who wants to take down his father. There is a bit of romance thrown in between several of the team members that adds to the story.
Quite an entertaining mystery. I did have a hard time when they were first determining that the marks on the tablet related to music. I didn't understand some of the musical interpretation stuff when they were talking about octaves and tones. Also felt like the relationship between Nick and the Senator's wife was just left sort of hanging and it didn't really explain why the tablets where left in the places where they found them or how they were put there. Some interesting theories were discussed and liked how it talked about how some people are just born to be certain ways like being a protector or scholar.

[Nancy Bennett · Rating 4 out of 5]

**Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from a Goodreads Giveaway. My opinion was not affected by this fact.***

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! It grabs your attention and holds it almost to the very end. The author does a great job of skillfully bringing the unconnected characters together to solve an intriguing mystery I'm being purposely vague to not give away anything, but the book definitely lives up to its action/adventure status.

The story was interesting, though I thought the ending was a little, hmm, flat maybe. Up until the very end the plot was intricate and the connecting pieces were falling into place one by one like a puzzle, but the ending just seemed to "happen". I don't know how to describe it. It was a let-down, it just didn't seem to fit the feel of the rest of the book. Additionally, the characters were interesting but rather predicable and followed the standard trope. I liked them, but felt I already knew them.

I really enjoyed the book and am looking forward to reading the next one in the series!

[Gina Rae Mitchell · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Code Hunters by Jackson Coppley is an action/adventure/mystery story that reminds me a little of Close Encounters or Raiders of the Lost Ark. I could certainly see Harrison Ford of that era playing the part of Nick Foxe.

The story itself requires a bit of concentration to keep the players and places straight. The characters are perfectly fleshed out and easy to see in my mind. Likewise, the settings are richly described. I could feel the moisture on the cave walls and breath in the scents of Italy. Very well done, Jackson.

I felt there were a few loose ends left at the finish. Since there are more Nicholas Fox stories on the way, hopefully some of those ends will be tied up.

I recommend this book to fans of action, adventure, and mystery, with a little romance thrown in for good measure.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book started out reasonably slowly but started to get interesting very quickly. The puzzle solving was exciting and fraught with danger. This is the sort of story that I love to read and the whole idea was both imaginative and realistic. The team of Nick Foxe, Tom, Rachel and Tanner worked together perfectly to solve the mystery. As with any kind of puzzle solving, there were twists and turns and false clues that confused them; but they had lots of help from various people who had access to information and resources that proved to be highly beneficial. Once the puzzle was solved, I did find it a little difficult to understand the answer, and I also felt the ending was a bit of an anti-climax. However, I understand that the story continues in the next book in the series so I shall certainly be reading that one to find out more.

[Rita · Rating 5 out of 5]

I won this book in a giveaway from Goodreads. I enjoy mysteries and was a bit sceptical about whether this book was or wasn’t a mystery. I should not have worried. This book is truly a mystery. Three men start a journey inside a cave. One man is sure there is more than meets the eye within the cave. The other two men are not quite as sure. However, the two men know the history behind their leader. As the journey continues the leader finds a very interesting place deep within the cave. The room contains something no one will believe. The government gets involved next. Things get quite a bit more interesting at this point. Grab your copy of Mr Coppley’s book to see what amazing things these three men discovered. This is a wonderful book!

[Steve · Rating 3 out of 5]

I won this book in a giveaway. It was a quick read for me while I was traveling. I liked the premise and felt like this book had some good potential, but I ended up feeling pretty mediocre about it. I enjoyed it, but it didn't hold my attention as well as I had hoped.

The idea of an archeological discovery many thousands of years old that contains advanced technology is an interesting one, and there were many ways this story could go as a result. For me the climax was a little lackluster and somewhat disappointing, but it's still an enjoyable story if you like a decent thriller with a bit of sci-fi.

[Sheila Walker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Life and death adventure

A thrilling story men and women who want to share their find with the world and villains who want to see them dead. Tom who enjoys caving and his friend Nick find the first clue and nearly get blown just escaping of course word gets out where Rachel thinks she can help and just turns up. Tanner a ex soldier saves a chieftains son is shown an artefact that sounds something like Tom and Nick find he then Tanner saves them from a cave in someone does not want them alive. An exciting story full of twists and turns on every page and had me sitting on the edge of my seat. Couldn't put the book down.

[Alanna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Science, ethics, and adventure

I found this story to be engaging and STEM centered. The adventures of the story are similar to "Da Vinci Code" or "National Treasure" but in a younger genre. This would be a fun story to explore ethics type conversations in pre to teen audiences. There are light romantic encounters but they are handled as introductions, careful and without sexual descriptions. I love the scientific references and travel of the world in search of the unknown.

[Allen Randall · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rushed ending

The majority of the book was good, even unique. The characters started to be developed nicely. However, the ending all came too quickly with the introduction of new characters at the insertion of previously minor characters who ended up too involved with the climax. How convenient that they found the device and even more convenient it was able to interface so easily with our technology. It would have been nice to hear more about the benevolent saviors of the world.

[Phyllis · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Code Hunters is a fun adventure - it has secret caves, secret tablets, secrets from the past leading to the future. Of course, Nicholas Foxe and his friend, Tom, along with other team members brought together in strange ways are targets of greedy men wanting their discoveries. There are only touches of romance. Overall, it's an entertaining book to read. I received a copy from Goodreads Giveaways.

[Pat · Rating 5 out of 5]

Action, adventure and mystery

This is a fun action adventure book with a mystery right out of a Dan Brown book or perhaps Erich von Daniken. The locations and the characters are interesting, and the buildup to the ending is surprising. I could see some of the leading characters featuring in future adventures where we learn more about the central mystery of this book.

[Jimmy Duncan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Decent!

Good story, good people and action. The kid was a key player that I enjoyed. Don't know if an "all knowledge" device would be good for us or not. There must be some smart crooks out there that would try to take advantage of people, as they do. But if we didn't have advancement, we would still be in caves.

[Frank Hopkins · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Code Breakers is a superb example of speculative fiction at its best. The novel is a thriller to read. Fantastic situations are introduced to the reader to ponder as the tension mounts as they progress toward the end of the book. Highly recommended.

[Alexandra Dresel · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun adventure!

Was an entertaining read, loved the mix of characters brought together in the storyline. Enjoyable to read, would love to read more adventures with the main character.

[Doug Newton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well written and fun

I liked the premise and enjoyed the story. Seemed like their was social comment hidden in the story as it developed, but maybe that is what the times (covid-19) are bringing forth as we interpret the data these days. Good work Jackson will Nick be back ?

[R Ricalde · Rating 3 out of 5]

OK storyline but seemed like a rip-off of an Indiana Jones movie. Foxe seems like just another rich guy throwing his money around so you never felt a need to root for him. The other main characters were also not particularly compelling. This was a time filler but a reader could do better.

[D.E. Heil · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well Written and Attention Riveting
The Code Hunters was not only well written but kept my attention to the very end… which is not an easy thing to do at times. One of the best aspects of this book was how smoothly and naturally the character development slowly unraveled and built upon itself.

[Larry B Gray · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Story

Awesome adventure and full of intrigue kept me glued to its pages. The strong characters brought it together as a must-read novel. I really like this book and I highly recommend it.

[Laurie · Rating 4 out of 5]

The premise was captivating and it was a fast paced book to read. Other than a few items overlooked in editing that threw me off, I enjoyed it.

[Bruce · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun read

Well thought out, fast paced . I thoroughly enjoyed it and highly recommend it. The story line is believable as are the characters. More please.

[MacGal · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good Read Until The End

A decent adventure that was relatively well written. But a poorly executed and rushed ending spoiled the overall enjoyment of the book.

[Cate · Rating 2 out of 5]

Forgot I won this book and I went back to give it a try but I could just not get into it, I apologize for the delay in my review.