The Cryptographer's Dilemma. Johnnie Alexander. 2021. [August] 256 pages. [Source: Review copy]
First sentence: Green or brown. Brown or green. Phillip Clayton set the unwrapped crayon upright on the diner's Formica tabletop so it stood like a mocking sentinel.
Premise/plot: While much of Johnnie Alexander's The Cryptographer's Dilemma is fictional, it is loosely based on a real case: The Doll Woman (Velvalee Dickinson). Phillip Clayton (our hero) and Eloise Marshall (our heroine) are FBI agents tracking down a potential traitor to the United States of America. The year is 1942. Eloise is new to the agency, she's a code breaker. She's paired with Phillip Clayton--a man with much more experience, all classified, of course. The two will pose as brother and sister and travel the country together. They've got a mystery to solve....
My thoughts: I found this a compelling read. At the time I started the novel, I didn't know the Doll Woman was real. I was just enjoying it for what it was: historical romance with a strong mystery element set during one of my favorite historical periods to read about. The characters are developed nicely. The romance isn't rushed. The pace is strong and steady. It has its melodramatic moments near the end, but, all in all I enjoyed it.
The Doll Woman received money from the Japanese government in exchange for information about American ships damaged at Pearl Harbor and our shipyards on the West Coast. You can read more about the case here.
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