BRAINERD — Jess Lourey continues to be one of my favorite mystery writers.

Hailing from Minnesota, Lourey uses real cases and historical events as bases for her novels.

Originally published in 2016 and 2018 but re-released last year, her “Salem’s Cipher” duology deals with cryptic puzzles and ciphers left throughout history, needing to be solved now more than ever. At the heart of the story is one woman who might just be the only one who can do it.

What’s better than a gripping mystery written by a master author? A gripping mystery with powerful women at the helm, working to smash the patriarchy.

While the two have grown apart in recent years, 26-year-old Salem Wiley and 29-year-old Isabel Odegaard are thrust back together when their mothers are kidnapped.

The bloody crime scene at a

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