Codebreaker

by Jay Martel, Sara Brodt (Read by)

Overview

This original, interactive thriller from debut author Jay Martel follows a brilliant teenage girl as she races across D.C. to decode the clues her father left behind, which may just be the key to saving the country from a devastating tragedy.

Mia Hayes has peaceful plans for the summer—find a part-time job at a coffee shop and work on her college applications. Those plans are shattered one night when government agents arrive unannounced at her home seeking something they believe her father has taken. When the dust settles, her mother is dead and her father is gone, a fugitive on the run.

Three weeks later, and still reeling from her father’s betrayal, Mia spends her seventeenth birthday at a protest in the heart of D.C., where she meets Logan, a rebellious and charming hacker. Just as she’s enjoying her first happy moment since the night her world exploded, a voicemail from her father arrives to upend everything she believed about her family, her past, and what really happened that night three weeks ago. Even more, the voicemail hides another encoded message inside which, once Mia solves it, sets her and Logan off on a mission from her sleepy suburb straight into the heart of the federal government.

With the same agents now hot on their trail, Mia and Logan must navigate their way through American history’s most iconic sites and uncover its most well-hidden secrets to reveal the truth about her family and stop a deadly attack.

In this non-stop thrill ride, the reader has the chance to test their own codebreaking skills alongside Mia, lending an exciting interactive element to this page-turning thriller packed with action, romance, and life-changing revelations.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9798228637535
Publisher:	Tantor Audio
Publication date:	07/22/2025
Product dimensions:	5.20(w) x 5.70(h) x 0.00(d)

About the Author

JAY MARTEL is the pen name of husband and wife writing team Andy Bennett and Katy Helbacka. They’ve spent the past twenty years collaborating on everything from theatrical productions to escape rooms to their son, Theo. Andy works in cybersecurity and has an MFA in creative writing from NYU and Katy is an award-winning theatrical producer, writer, actor, and director. They live in northern Minnesota. Codebreaker is their debut novel.

Editorial Reviews

One of PW’s “New and Noteworthy Children's and YA Books: July 2025”

One of WAMC’s “Roundtable” Picks

One of Bookstr’s “New in Young Adult: Fiction Books Releasing This July”

One of Beyond the Bookends’s “July 2025 Book Releases”

One of Perfect Duluth Day’s “Duluth Book Releases in 2025”

One of Thrift Book’s “July Books We're Excited About”

“Clever codes, puzzles, and ciphers form the base of this intricately designed codebreaker mystery that’s enlivened by page-turning action and Mia and Logan’s sharp banter and magnetic chemistry. A beginning author’s note instructs readers on how to participate in the codebreaking and investigating alongside Mia, injecting a playful interactive element to Martel’s propulsive debut novel.”—Publishers Weekly (Starred Review)

“The propulsive plot is peppered with their clever banter, which balances the weightier themes of social justice and Mia’s sympathetic struggle with disillusionment as she suddenly makes disorienting discoveries . . . A smart, gripping thriller with engaging interactive elements.”—Kirkus Reviews

“If The Da Vinci Code had a YA cousin, it would be Codebreaker . . . With a lot of heart, especially regarding how Mia’s grief manifests itself, this propulsive novel will appeal to fans of puzzles and spy stories.”—Booklist

“Author team Andy Bennett and Katy Helbacka debut under the Martel pen name with an exciting adventure that is a blend of National Treasure and The Inheritance Games . . . This uniquely engaging thriller features an interactive format . . . [and] is an engrossing, adrenaline-packed mystery. Recommended for fans of Jennifer Lynn Barnes, Holly Jackson, and Kayvion Lewis.”—School Library Journal

“This Duluth writing couple have real talent . . . [Codebreaker’s] breakneck pace will attract readers of all ages.”—The Minnesota Star Tribune

“Codebreaker is an exciting interactive adventure filled with spies, codes, twists, and romance. You’ll love working alongside Mia to solve puzzles, decode ciphers, uncover buried secrets, and work to save the country in this innovative thriller from Jay Martel. I know I did.”—G. T. Karber, internationally bestselling author of the Murdle series

“The Da Vinci Code for Gen Z. Teen mystery (and history!) fans will devour this. Once I started reading, I couldn’t stop!”—Alexa Donne, author of The Ivies and The Bitter End

“At once an action-packed political thriller, captivating puzzle game, and heartfelt love story, Codebreaker is a delight from start to finish! Perfect for fans of National Treasure, this whip-smart, original debut will have readers tearing through the pages as they race alongside Mia to find answers.”—Olivia Worley, author of People to Follow

“A fast-paced, ingenious, and twisty caper, Codebreaker is a roller-coaster ride with a heart of gold. Fans of The Inheritance Games are in for a treat.”—Ripley Jones, author of Missing Clarissa

“Codebreaker is a touching and witty coming of age story disguised as an action-packed suspense novel. You'll be looking for secret codes long after you finish the last page.”—Kate McLaughlin, author of Pieces of Me

From the Publisher

2025-04-19
In this debut, a young woman must traverse Washington, D.C., and decipher clues left by her father.

Seventeen-year-old Mia’s globetrotting family has always been close, despite their busy lives. Her father, a history professor and cryptography specialist, has moved them around the world through his various jobs in academia; her mother’s work as a freelance journalist focusing on “political unrest and social injustice” has also been well suited to travel. When her dad accepts a position at Georgetown University, the Hayes family returns to the States. Mia is trying to decide on college prospects when a night of unexpected violence upends her entire world. Set against a backdrop of fictional yet meaningfully realistic political unrest over societal wealth disparities, the story follows Mia as she finds herself on her own, trying to solve the clues in a scavenger hunt designed by her father that takes her across the city. Along the way, readers encounter ciphers that they can try to solve on their own. By chance, Mia meets Logan, a guy about her age who accompanies her through various twists and turns—and she must quickly decide whether she can trust him. The propulsive plot is peppered with their clever banter, which balances the weightier themes of social justice and Mia’s sympathetic struggle with disillusionment as she suddenly makes disorienting discoveries. Mia and Logan present white.

A smart, gripping thriller with engaging interactive elements. (content note, note to readers)(Thriller. 13-18)

Kirkus Reviews