Bill Riley

Ashur's Tears - Cypher Bill Riley

Toby Cypher has it pretty good. He's on the cusp of success with his mimics, programmable morphing robots advanced enough to be indistinguishable from humans. He's got a side gig volunteering in the Air Force Museum and a new job tutoring the prettiest, coolest girl in school, Rachel Majeski. Toby's world falls apart when he learns that his father, Dr. Erasmus Cypher, a scientist who does classified work for the government, has gone down in a plane crash over Iraq. But then Toby's sister, Katie, uncovers a secret message in the last song on their dad's smart phone-one sent after the plane crash. Toby and Katie are drawn into the dizzying world of their father's secret work with the government-a world of untold danger and profound betrayal, where the two siblings will need all their wits just to survive. Science meets magic in award-winning author Bill Riley's debut fiction novel, the fast-paced, intricately plotted first installment in the Cypher series.--Bill Riley