Codebreakers: A Wordhunter Mystery - The Captivating Sequel Featuring a Puzzle-Solving Detective Duo

by Stella Sands

Maggie Moore and Detective Jackson, the genius sleuths introduced in the brain-teaser mystery Wordhunter, are back to solve another crime.

Steamy, seedy, swampy south-central Florida once again serves as the backdrop for the unlikely duo of loquacious, tattooed, trash-talking Maggie Moore and laconic Detective Silas Gabriel Jackson—linguistic genius and genius detective, respectively. Now operating their own agency and using their extraordinary skills in forensic semiotics (her), and good old-fashioned observation (him), the pair decode clues embedded in words and symbols to uncover a sadistic criminal who preys upon unsuspecting men.

The troubled and painful pasts of both Maggie and Jackson come into play as they try to track down bad guys and old friends, figure out how to trust—and whom to love. Once again, Stella Sands delivers a snappy, sharp-tongued and well observed story about life, love, and language.

Genres: Mystery

304 pages, Paperback

Expected publication August 11, 2026

Reviews

[Margie Bunting · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having thoroughly enjoyed Stella Sands' Wordhunter last year, I was thrilled to pick up the sequel, Codebreakers. The focus is again on Maggie Moore, a recent college graduate with a troubled past, whose expertise in forensic linguistics and semiotics (the study of patterns and symbols) has already enabled her to solve a murder, working with police detective Silas Gabriel Jackson. Now she and Jackson have opened their own private investigation practice, combining their skills--and lifestyles--to help their clients resolve difficult, dangerous issues.

Maggie is brash, profane, tattooed, and a hard drinker, while Jackson is more self-controlled. In their first case, a man who left a drag ball with an unwanted butt cheek tattoo wants to bring the perpetrator to justice, while keeping the whole situation from his unsuspecting wife and family. It turns out that it isn't a tattoo at all, and the design is a symbol that needs a lot of research to unravel its meaning and point to a possible suspect. At the same time, Maggie is desperately searching for her childhood BFF, who has become involved with a shady religious community. And she is intent on finally finding her biological father, who was never identified by Maggie's now-deceased mother.

What was missing for me in this second series book was the wonderful word play of all types that helped Maggie solve the mystery in Wordhunter. Instead, the author has doubled down on the diagrammed sentences--a way for Maggie to calm herself but annoying even for a word nerd like me who had to slow down to read her frequent thoughts this way. And then there were the sentences in backwards writing that required a mirror to read. Also, I couldn't help thinking that Maggie's frequent profanities and outrageous behavior could have been toned down just a bit to make her a more relatable character. But I found the case a fascinating one and the story a quick read. I'm hoping that if there are future series books, Sands will return to what made Wordhunter so delightful and delve more into Jackson's life. There appears to be an attraction brewing between the two protagonists, and I'd like to see how that plays out.

My review is based on a complimentary pre-release copy of this book.

[Dana · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved Wordhunter by by Stella Sands and I was thrilled to see it sequel is coming out in August 2026. I think I enjoyed the first book a bit more than the sequel, but this one was fun in its own way. I do not remember Maggie being quite as sassy (or, dare I say... obnoxious) as she seems in this installment, but again, she is very entertaining in her own way.

The Wordhunter theme reappears in the sequel, with the occasional diagrammed sentence and lots of info on semiotics and other forensic studies. Plotlines from the first book are carried through, but a new case also shares space in the story. I think it makes sense to read the original book first, but if you want to jump right into this one, the author provides lots of details that refreshed my memory and can serve as exposition for new readers.

The characters really shine, each one very colorful and interesting, especially Maggie and Jackson. Their relationship is sweet and funny, and I loved watching them work through their differences and come together to solve the mysteries they face. The oppressive Floridian backdrop drew many memories for me as a former resident, and I enjoyed reading about the place while being very far away.

I recommend this book to fans of the study of the English language and readers who enjoy very colorful characters and wacky stories. There's a bit of a similarity in this series to the Florida-based books of Carl Hiassen and Dave Barry, so fans of those authors might be interested in picking up the books by Stella Sands.

Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for providing a review copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

[Jennifer B · Rating 2 out of 5]

ARC review 📖

📜Codebreakers
✍️Stella Sands
📠Harper Perennial
📚Thriller Fiction
🗓️Pub date: August 11, 2026

Thank you @harperperennial for providing me with an Advanced Reader Copy of this #gifted physical book. All opinions are mine alone.

From the publisher:

Steamy, seedy, swampy south-central Florida once again serves as the backdrop for the unlikely duo of loquacious, tattooed, trash-talking Maggie Moore and laconic Detective Silas Gabriel Jackson—linguistic genius and genius detective, respectively.

Now operating their own agency and using their extraordinary skills in forensic semiotics (her), and good old-fashioned observation (him), the pair decode clues embedded in words and symbols to uncover a sadistic criminal who preys upon unsuspecting men.

The troubled and painful pasts of both Maggie and Jackson come into play as they try to track down bad guys and old friends, figure out how to trust—and whom to love.

Thoughts:

I thought I’d like this, as I enjoyed coding in the likes of The Da Vinci Code. This was a bizarre book with an even more bizarre main character, and a crime that was laughable.
I had a hard time getting into the codes and Maggie’s oddities, and at times the writing felt immature and unpolished.

This wasn’t for me, but might be for someone else who loves a quirky plot and characters.

[Brandon Cederstrom · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the dialogue most. It was fascinating diving into this kind of mystery and how Maggie’s brain worked. It was definitely different than your usual mystery book, which is what had me hooked. Think “behavioral analyst” except with words, sentence structure, meanings, imagery etc. No huge plot twists but still really enjoyed it and an easy read. The ending was good, left me feeling wholesome and happy.

[Stacey Kelley]

I had to DNF this at 18% The first book in this series intrigued me enough to want to pick this one up. However, the writing in this book is just…bad.

Neither Jackson nor Maggie are very likable characters. The internal monologues are cringey. The dialogue between the characters isn’t any better. Both Jackson and Maggie are flat and two dimensional.

[Michelle Kimber · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love this detective duo! I have enjoyed both books in this newer series. The MCs are both full of personality. The puzzles are a great addition and some are not too hard. The story is well written. Can't wait for book three.