THE ENIGMA CHALLENGE by S.C. Godfrey

4 stars

Super fun thriller with cryptology puzzles to solve at its heart. Zoe Wilder is a crack puzzle solver, who’s currently finishing her doctorate in cryptology puzzles in literature. She’s just arrived to present a paper at a conference in Madrid, when she breaks up with her deeply controlling boyfriend and boss, Eric, who’s overseeing her doctorate. Zoe simultaneously enters an expert puzzle solving contest associated with the conference, named The Enigma Challenge, which is shrouded In mystery and is said give the winner millions in prize money. Zoe wants to both prove his mastery of puzzles, as inspired in her since childhood by her Dad, and also to get enough money to help her sister make desperately needed repairs to the family home which they inherited after both their parents died in a car crash.

Zoe ends up partnering with Dane Seaver, a much-hated rival of Eric’s as she finds out the game may prove deadly if she tries on her own. Dane’s smart, handsome, and has his own reasons for participating in the Challenge – even though he won the past two years. Enter a cast of characters and criminal syndicates, and Zoes both solving the 5 core challenges while she runs for her life. There are crosses and double-crosses galore as the action speeds through Barcelona, Paris and Edinburgh. Romance smoulders with Dane, while Eric continues his pursuit of Zoe.

All this ends in a cliff-hanger, teasing a much welcome follow-on!

Thanks to Viking Penguin and NetGalley for an advanced reader’s copy.

Stacy DeBroff

Stacy DeBroff, founder and CEO of Mom Central.com and social and digital consultancy, Influence Central, is a social media strategist, attorney, and best-selling parenting author. A sought-after expert for national media, she trend-spots regularly with national brands and speaks frequently to national and international audiences on a wide range of subjects, including influencer marketing, social media, entrepreneurship, and consumer trends. A passionate cook, gardener, reader, and tennis player, she adores this new chapter of post-college-age parenting.