The Newton Cipher

Prepare for a page-turning romp through the forgotten world of Newton's alchemy research. With the historical suspense of a Dan Brown novel and the lovable magic of J.K. Rowling, Steve Ruskin draws on history and imagination alike to weave a delightful tale linking a forensic writing expert to a newly discovered manuscript written in the hand of Isaac Newton, and encrypted in the language of the angels.

Ruskin deftly brings Isaac Newton to the center of some of the great tragedies of the 17th century and exposes his lesser-known dabblings in the occult. But Newton's magic reaches far into the future and into the hands of those bent on using it for evil.

Ruskin's writing will transport you to London and Cambridge and take you on a trip into the past.

An academic unraveling an historical mystery with a few fantasy touches and some bad guy fight scenes? Yes! Every time!
I fell in love with Trina almost immediately. I was rooting hard for her to be recognized as a scholar with a “real” job and a good guy at her side. I won't spoil it and tell you if that happens. The side characters, Fiona, Ulrich, and Alastair, are wonderful. And the bad guys are really bad people.

A few other things I liked:
Trina isn't the answer to all the problems. She just helps some and needs help from others.
We don't have all the answers to the magic elements. We can make a few assumptions, but there is no info dump.
Trina has low moments and rash decisions sometimes, but she also has high moments and determination. There is growth in her as as a person.

This was a fun fast paced read that had me headed into some historical rabbit holes. I can't wait to read what happens next to Trina and her cohorts! Thanks to Nick Thacker for the recommendation.

I received a copy of the book and this is my review.