Ever since I was a kid, I was obsessed with spy stories. Whether my elementary school friend (check out her mystery podcast, Ghost Inspectors! It’s perfect for Halloween!) and I were writing messages to each other in a tic-tac-toe code or creating makeshift spy tools with paperclips, pencils, and twine, amateur detective spy craft has always been a part of how I think.
So, when given the opportunity to put a secret message in a published book for people to find, of course I said yes.
Now I’m inviting you to dive into this with me!
The cypher we’re using is called a book cypher or an Ottendorf cypher, and various versions of the cypher were used from the 15th century up to World War II.
To code a message, both the recipient and the coder must be using the same version of a printed material. This can be a newspaper article, a book, or even something as small as a pamphlet. These codes can indicate a letter or a full word. The coder and receiver both determine this early on.
The version of this code I’ve put together uses a full word to create a message. The code is set up in triplets:
The first number indicates the page number as shown in the book.
The second indicates the line from the top down.
The third indicates the word from left to right.
As a thank you for playing along, I’m happy to send you a signed book plate to make your physical copy a signed copy! When you solve this code, please send me a message with the decoded answer and your mailing address. I promise only to deliver the promised book plate.
To solve this, you must have the paperback version. The ebook or large print page numbers will not line up.
Here’s the message:
3-7-7
13-3-7
35-2-12
94-4-5
50-25-4
134-13-2
31-10-9
11-12-5
24-12-11
56-13-7
Happy code breaking!
Book plate offer only valid through October 31, 2026.
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Time Sensitive Updates and Events!
While I have you, I’d love to tell you about some events coming up!
September 20th at 12pm, 7pm, and 10 pm EST:
Live on the Radio!
Listen to an interview between J. J. Hanna and Carl Nordgren on Exploring Your Creative Genius on 97.9 The Hill
Listen on Chapelboro.com
Launch Party for The Regulars of Amanda Lexie
September 26th at 10:00 am
Join me to celebrate the launch of my book at Atlas Coffee on Broadway in Littleton, CO!
We will have themed drinks, a reading, a Q+A, an interview and a book signing.
Learn More
Stay tuned for more events, local and virtual if you’re not in Colorado!