Goodreads asked Carol Ritz:

Where did you get the idea for your most recent book?

Carol Ritz Years ago, I read the Beale Papers, written in the 1800's, which told a tale of a treasure buried deep in the hills of Virginia, and hidden by three ciphers. I was fascinated that these ciphers have never been broken, and the treasure has never been found. Even more intriguing, many members of the National Security Agency and the CIA have tried--and failed--to crack these codes. Why, I wondered, would they care when they've ignored every other treasure story? Exploring that question led me to write a spy story based on this legendary treasure.

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