August Wainwright

Well written in an easily read style, I became fascinated by Remy Moreau and Jay Watts very quickly and could not put it down! Remy feels like a cross between Sherlock Holmes and Agent Pendergast (for those fans of Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child). Quirky, brilliant, and unpredictable - I can forsee this as a series I will devour as soon as each new offering comes out!

Remy Moreau is great. She reminds me of the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo – a strong character, unconventional, unpredictable and smart. Jay Wicks has his flaws, coming back from the war with a serious injury, but his strengths show that he’s a real survivor – witty, intelligent and introspective. Together, they work with the police to solve two murders. The first part of the book is about solving the crime; the second part provides the engrossing back-story and the third part is from show more the killer’s point of view.

I love it when I can read a book and feel as if I’m so involved that I’m a part of the story, then realizing something and saying to myself “Oh wow, so that’s what happened…” This book really delivers. My only complaint was that it’s too short – I could have read a lot more about these people and not tired of it. This is a very good book – good writing, good plot, engaging characters, everything you’d want in a mystery. I’m very happy to have won a free copy of this book in exchange for providing a fair and honest review and feel that it is deserving of 5 stars. show less

If you like modern mysteries with thoughtfully developed characters, unpredictable events and carefully plotted story-lines, you’ll enjoy reading the Remy Moreau series. The books are short – St. Mary’s Cipher only took me about an hour to read – and I’d love to see it in full novel length, but I’ll take what I can get!

Remy is a Sherlock Holmes/Lisbeth Salander sort of character – smart, a bit aloof, and very intuitive. She’s obviously carrying around a lot of baggage from show more her early years, but the reader does not yet know just what makes her tick and why. Her roommate and sidekick, Jay Watts, is a bit easier to understand – very much like Watson in Sherlock Holmes, but with a very different back-story.

In St. Mary’s Cipher – the second book of the series – Jim Fairfield comes to Remy with several coded letters that his wife had received. Fairfield’s wife is scared and paranoid, but try as he might, she will not tell her husband the reason for her fears, why she insisted that they move from their home to a new city and a new life, and why she is unable to shake away the past. When Jim finds the coded letters and emails, she becomes very nervous, begs him not to become involved, but still refuses to tell him what they mean. Frustrated and concerned, he hires Remy Moreau.

The story moves quickly, as Remy struggles to break the code and unearth the mystery – but can she discover the hidden meaning before it’s too late? You’ll have to read this top-notch mystery to find the answer.

Highly recommended!

I was honored to have been given a copy of this book by the author in exchange for agreeing to write a fair and unbiased review. I have never met the author. show less

The St. Mary's Cipher is another short story about Remy and Watts.

I dove into the book still on my Remy kick. It did not disappoint!

It is a modern day Sherlock Holmes type novel with a today's edge. Once again it left me wanting to read more about Remy's world. She fascinates me. The things she considers important, and the things she determines are trivial. I also admit I am wondering what her background is. She hasn't shared any of that with the reader yet. I wonder what her childhood was show more like.

This series is a must. show less