Spycraft 101 by Terry Ambrose

Have you ever wondered what, exactly, cracking a secret code involves? Wonder no more. We're going to dive into the world of spycraft. Sorry, I won't be giving away any secret code books or nifty decoder rings. But I am extending an invitation to dive into the intriguing world of spycraft, a subject that takes center stage in my latest Beachtown Detective Agency mystery, "The Case of the Beguiling Brooch."

The Caesar Cipher

Codes have fascinated humanity for centuries, serving as the language of secrets. Used by governments, lovers, and those who want to keep a secret, they create a veil of intrigue and protection over vital information. The Caesar cipher gets its name from none other than Julius Caesar, who created a way to send encrypted military messages. The Caesar cipher works by shifting each letter of the alphabet a certain number of places to create a new code. For example, if you shift each letter three places, "A" becomes "D," "B" becomes "E," and so on. The receiver of the message would then know to reverse the process by shifting each letter back three places to reveal the original message.

The Vigenère Cipher

Another popular cipher is the Vigenère cipher, which takes the Caesar cipher to a whole new level. Instead of shifting each letter by a set number, the Vigenère cipher uses a keyword to determine the shift for each letter in the message. This makes it much more difficult to crack, as there are countless combinations that can be used with different keywords.

The Enigma Machine

During World War II, the Enigma machine encrypted Nazi communications. It was a puzzle that eluded many until Alan Turing came along. Turing was a mathematician and codebreaker whose work on the Enigma machine is credited with shortening the war by two years. The Enigma machine operated similarly to the Caesar cipher but used multiple rotors to create an even more complex code.

Modern Encryption

Today, encryption techniques have become even more sophisticated. You've probably heard the phrase, "We use military-grade encryption." The thing is, military-grade encryption isn't a technical standard or method. The term is actually marketing jargon meant to ensure customers that the company uses complex encryption methods. The good news is that those methods are almost impossible for a human to decipher and can even take a supercomputer years to solve.

The Vigenère Cipher and "The Case of the Beguiling Brooch"

"The Case of the Beguiling Brooch" begins at the funeral of Benji Thompson. I never started writing the second Beachtown Detective Agency intending to dive into codebreaking, but as the character of Benji took form, I soon realized he might well have had those skills. He was, after all, a world-class art thief who had settled down and now ran an art gallery. A Vigenère Cipher became the perfect tool for the catalyst in this story when Jade is hired to find an antique brooch that was stolen during World War II. Jade's only clue is a seemingly indecipherable jumble of letters—a cryptogram created using a Vigenère Cipher. In the book, she combines forces with an art restoration specialist to decipher Benji's message.

Spycraft 101: Final Thoughts

From the ancient Caesar Cipher to the complex Vigenère, codes invite us into a universe where every letter harbors a mystery. They spark our imagination, urging us to explore the hidden and the unknown. I hope you enjoyed this look at the world of codes and that you check out "The Case of the Beguiling Brooch."

Buy Link: Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DJ8MDHCM/

About “The Case of the Beguiling Brooch”

While attending the funeral of family friend Benji Thompson, Private Eye Jade Cavendish is handed a check for $10,000 by an elegant woman. The assignment? Solve a cryptogram and find a family heirloom that has been missing since World War II.

As Jade delves into the puzzle, she learns that Benji’s death was no accident—it was murder. And it’s somehow tied to the cryptogram.

Determined to solve both Benji’s murder and find the brooch, Jade dives into the enigmatic art world where she unearths Benji’s link to an international art theft ring. Each clue brings Jade closer to the truth but also deeper into danger. With every step forward, a shadowy figure known only as Valkyrie looms larger.

With time running out, Jade must crack the cryptogram to recover the brooch and unmask the mysterious Valkyrie—or become the next victim.

Terry Ambrose has written more than two dozen books, several of which have been award finalists. In 2014, his thriller, “Con Game,” won the San Diego Book Awards for Best Action-Thriller. His other series include the Trouble in Paradise McKenna Mysteries, the Seaside Cove Bed & Breakfast Mysteries, and the License to Lie thriller series.

You can learn more about Terry and his writing at terryambrose.com.