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  THE VOYNICH CYPHER

  Russell Blake

  ©2012

  Copyright © 2012 by Russell Blake

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used, reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage or retrieval system, without the written permission of the publisher, except where permitted by law, or in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews. For information, contact [email protected].

  Rave reviews for Russell Blake books:

  For "King of Swords"

  "Russell Blake is no stranger to the thriller genre. His previous thrillers have turned the headlines inside-out, with gritty, no-holds-barred, edge-of-your-seat plots. With King of Swords, Russell Blake has clearly taken the best of his previous novels and combined them into an honest, often brutal, heart-stopping thriller that left me gasping for air and squirming on my couch. I know this sounds overly dramatic, but in reader-speak...this book kept me glued to the Kindle screen.

  In King of Swords, the reader is taken on a journey through drug cartel-ruled Mexico, where violence often trumps hard cash as the dominant cultural currency. Blake clearly draws on his own knowledge of the political and cultural climate in Mexico to present a realistic and stark backdrop to a thriller in the fast-paced, intelligent tradition of Frederick Forsyth's, "Day of the Jackal." - Steven Konkoly, Amazon bestselling author of the Jakarta Pandemic and Black Flagged

  "King of Swords is a great read for anyone who enjoys thrillers like those by Forsyth and Ludlum. Forsyth's first, and best, book, Day of the Jackal, is one of my favorites. I've read it at least five times over the last thirty years, and it always gets my pulse quickening. King of Swords has the same effect and reads much faster, with surprises that keep you guessing right to the end. You want to just turn the pages as fast as you can push your kindle forward button. I have a feeling King of Swords will be one of the books I come back to again and again. It's that good. I like the author's other books, having read most or all of them, and their all good, but this one is in a different league. This is a no excuses heavyweight you could put up against any of the big names, and they'd be in trouble. Whatever kind of tequila he's drinking I'd say keep it up, because with novels like this pouring forth, I've got no need to read any of the big traditionally published names anymore. Russell Blake is an example of an Indie author who is surpassing many of the best of the name writers, and KOS should put him right in the same ranks as them." - David A

  "I've read a few of Blake's novels and found them diverse in voice and message therein. My favorite was The Geronimo Breach but this latest has a kind of will of its own. The reader can't help but respect the bad guy along with the MC. If I read the subtext right, then I realized who the real bad guys are - I'm not spoiling the plot, so you'll have to decide for yourself on that score. If you like your plots quick, deep and faithful, I'd give it a read..." - Write Into Print

  For "The Geronimo Breach"

  "The best thriller I've ever read. How often do you hear a review say that? Well. that's what I'm saying. Other reviews describing it as near perfection and incredibly well written aren't lying. Russell Blake is on par with the biggest names in the business. And I mean Grisham, Turrow, Ludlum, Forsyth, Brown. The plot is intricate and completely unexpected at every turn. Al Ross is a hateful, extremely well-written character with believable complexity and nuance, plunged into a global conspiracy nightmare he's ill-equipped to survive. Don't want to spoil the end, but it's a barn-burner. Overall, the best read ever." jennifer989

  "The artistry in this work as the brush strokes build layers, brings you to wonder if something like this could be true! That's the work of a true artist. Many works of fiction have a main character that is so scrubbed up that he no longer resembles a human male. No problems with this one. You start out despising him, then start to feel sorry for him, until finally you almost like him and wish him well - although that outcome seems unlikely, the way the story develops. This is almost a 'How to..' for budding writers. How to write without one word or one sentence that could be edited out! Tight narrative, great story, scary scenario. I almost never give five stars, but this has earned it!" K. McDicken

  "Russell Blake is fast becoming my favorite new author. Take an unlikely main character, a scarily probable conspiracy, a government run amok, cocaine dealers, commandos, whores, a burro, and a tightly meshed action/intrigue plot, and you have what to me is the most original thriller of the year. I don't want to spoil the ending but it completely blew me away, and how the suspense was sustained to the last few pages as a surprise was great. I loved Fatal Exchange and had tears of laughter running down my face for How to Sell A Gazillion Ebooks, and now spent a big chunk of my night reading till 4AM to get to the end of Geronimo Breach. Highest recommendation for a highly original and entertaining novel." Semi-Used

  "Okay, I'm from the other side of the pond (you can find most of my reviews and on the UK site) and I'm not a patient/forgiving reader if the writer confuses me or dawdles in their narrative. I was pleasantly surprised to find myself going along with the easy style and broad strokes of the narrative. The plot is very skillfully contrived but the real art I found was in the affinity I found myself unable to resist with the down-on-his-life main character, Al. I also love burros after following Al's steady transition as he encounters hurdle after hurdle. I laughed aloud in some scenes (I won't spoil it) when Al is, let's say...compromised. I loved the ending but also wished the story hadn't ended - so for that reason I'm taking the trouble to recommend it." Write Into Print

  For "Zero Sum"

  "Blake's latest is absolutely amazing. I literally could not put down my Kindle until I finished all three books in the trilogy! Russell Blake has a very unique talent at painting a beautiful story with words, and the Zero Sum trilogy practically reads like poetry. 5 stars aren't enough to rate this wonderful trilogy: 10 stars would be more accurate!" Amber Norrgard

  "Russell Blake's Zero Sum Trilogy is truly amazing. I initially downloaded Book 1 because it was free and before I was done I had purchased the Book 2 & 3 bundle. This is my first time reading a book from Russell Blake and I felt privileged to have found a book written so intelligently with such a powerful impact.

  Nicolas Griffen is a character that you will grow to despise. A Wall Street financier associated with organized crime and government agencies using the stock market to make huge amounts of money to the detriment of others. Dr. Steven Archer is determined to stop this activity by publishing a website to expose Griffen and his associates for what they really are. When he is discovered to be the owner of the website life is forever changed as he is now the target to be destroyed.

  This trilogy will take you on a extremely fast paced and unexpected roller coaster ride of the fight between good and evil. Zero Sum is an addicting complex thriller that you will not be able to put down. I highly recommend this book, it is writing at it's best.

  I look forward to reading more from Russell Blake."Marilou George (The Kindle Book Review)

  "I read a review of the Zero Sum trilogy on Steven Konkoly's blog, and then several reviews here, so I took the plunge. I mean, I don't know a put from a call (though I did get a short lesson from Mr. Blake when I mentioned that) but that didn't stop me from enjoying this thrill ride. I was recuperating from a medical procedure, so I read all three books over the weekend. I even kept a map of one of the locations open on the computer and that made the story all the more vivid. The hero was smart, made good use of his resources, yet still kept a bit of naivete that had some almost disastrous results. There was a bit of irony at the end, but it worked. I'd like to see more of Steven Archer..." Ms.
Nancy L. Barth

  For "Fatal Exchange"

  "Fatal Exchange is a page-turning roller coaster ride of action, adventure and thrills. I can't tell you how much I enjoyed this presumably debut offering from Russell Blake. It's an awesome read. I couldn't put it down, and stayed up all night to finish it, no exaggeration. Six Stars, if they had that high a review!"Katherina J.

  "This is a book that took me completely by surprise. I thought I'd give it a shot based on the Amazon description and 5 star reviews, and it quickly became a page turner I couldn't put down. The plot is complex, sort of like a Forsyth or Ludlum, and the characters are gripping. It's a real novel. Can't wait to see what Blake does next." Anthony M.

  "A woman on the airplane sitting next to me was entranced with the book and recommended it to me, and I have to say it's a great read by a complete unknown. Kind of like caramel pop-corn in the guilty pleasure department. It tastes so good you don't want to stop munching. A must read for action or intrigue junkies." David A.

  "Fatal Exchange is a gritty," edge of your seat" thriller by first time author Russell Blake. The author cleverly combines a well paced, CSI styled crime thriller, with a "no holds barred", plausible international conspiracy. […] I can honestly say, that if I could find more books like Fatal Exchange, I would be left with absolutely no reason to read some of the "Brand" name authors on the market today." Steven K.

  "This book is in a class by itself. The main plot of the book is exciting and scary (and maybe a little graphic). The pacing is fast, the descriptions are visceral and the twists are unexpected." Stacy K.

  For "How To Sell A Gazillion eBooks In No Time (even if drunk, high or incarcerated)"

  “How to Sell a Gazillion eBooks In a Year is by far the most important book ever written on any topic, although I exclude the Bible since the Bible wasn’t exactly written in the way we mean the word “written.” But other than that, Gazillion does it all. For everyone. A can’t miss, sure fire Gazillion hit-a-thon from the master of them all.”

  - John Lescroart, NY Times bestselling author of over 20 novels, including The Vig, The 13th Juror, Treasure Hunt, Damage, Second Chair and a host of others

  “…a joyously vicious satire and parody that makes sport of John Locke, and indeed of the whole brave new world of self–publishing and self–promotion. If you don’t find Mr. Blake outrageous, and indeed offensive, you would seem to be missing the point. And the same thing goes if you only find him outrageous and offensive.”

  - Lawrence Block, bestselling author of Telling Lies For Fun & Profit, The Liar’s Bible, A Drop Of The Hard Stuff, and Getting Off

  “Anybody who’s ever read a self-help book will appreciate the cynical humor from the nimble mind of Russell Blake in this parody. Piercing sarcasm, the ability to turn a phrase into a missile and an impressive vocabulary (he makes up words if he doesn’t know an appropriate one – I’ve asked him, but still don’t know what a Gazillion is) combine into a book that is alternately rant, grovel, trash-talk and Bizarro-world counsel. Irreverent fun.”

  – David Lender, author of Trojan Horse, The Gravy Train and Bull Street

  Excerpts from Russell Blake’s books

  King of Swords is an epic assassination thriller framed against a gritty backdrop of brutal drug cartel violence in modern Mexico.

  Go to King of Swords excerpt

  The Delphi Chronicle is a serial trilogy chronicling the saga of NY private eye Michael Derrigan, as he unwittingly comes into possession of a manuscript that will change the world order if its secrets are aired. Clandestine factions of the U.S. government will do anything to keep the story buried, and a trail of butchery follows Derrigan as he races for his life in a chase that takes him from New York, to Mexico, to Havana.

  Go to The Delphi Chronicle excerpt

  Excerpts from Steven Konkoly's Novel, Black Flagged

  Purchase Black Flagged

  A graduate of the Department of Defense's experimental Black Flag program, Daniel Petrovich carries a secret he'd rather keep buried. A secret his government has hidden in the deepest vaults of the Pentagon. Unfortunately for Daniel, some secrets carry a debt that can never be repaid, and certain acquired skills will always hold their value. Someone is trying to raise Black Flag from the dead, and bring Daniel back with it..

  Daniel's life is about to disintegrate, as he becomes the focus of a relentless FBI manhunt, and the target of a vengeful CIA agent. To survive, he'll be forced to release a dark side he fought for years to keep suppressed. A dark side with few boundaries, and even fewer loyalties.

  Go to Black Flagged excerpt

  Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life:

  he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:

  John 11:25, 26 – King James Bible

  PROLOGUE

  2:38 a.m.. Two Weeks Ago – Dorset, England, The Abbey of St. Peter at Abbotsbury

  Moonlight bathed the Abbey in an otherworldly glow as serpentine tendrils of foggy mist blanketed the countryside. The medieval buildings in the compound were blue-gray in the eerie lunar luminescence, and the encroaching vegetation appeared black instead of green. The Abbey was silent, with many hours remaining until activity on the grounds would begin, and only the dim illumination from a single incandescent bulb housed in an ancient rusted lamp above the massive stone entry hinted that the structures were occupied.

  A dog barked in the distance, its throaty voice muffled by the thick haze.

  The scarred brick well at the edge of the Abbey grounds, worn by the centuries and long since obsolete, blended with the landscape. But the guard who leaned against it, armed with a SIG Sauer 228 pistol, seemed out of place.

  The crumbling aperture was surrounded by overgrown shrubs and weeds, rendering it virtually invisible. The sentry was dressed in dark army surplus camouflage pants and jacket, doing his lonesome duty on the latest of thousands of uneventful nights. He’d grown lax over the years, but in his defense, there was little to be actively vigilant against, save for an errant fox or badger that occasionally strayed into the vicinity. Even then the man didn’t bother to shoo the furry intruders away.

  Live and let live.

  If a more boring or uneventful posting existed, he’d never heard of it. Still, a lifetime of indoctrination had molded him for guarding the Abbey’s forbidden secrets, and that’s what he would do, even if he privately thought it was pointless.

  His instructions were simple: stand ready throughout the night at this hidden entrance to the Abbey’s subterranean chambers. While part of him questioned why it needed to be guarded, and what, if anything, it required to be guarded against, he knew that if he was remiss in his simple function he would be punished in a brutal and medieval manner – some things hadn’t changed over the eons. His first duty was to God, and after God, to the Order. And the Order had wisdom in its directives, even if he didn’t fully apprehend them. His role was to do as he was told, which is why he was posted in the middle of nowhere, waiting for nothing to happen, just as it hadn’t happened for centuries.

  The edict to watch and wait came from the very top, so every night for almost a decade he’d maintained his vigil, performing his duty at the eleventh-century Benedictine monastery without question, just as his many predecessors had done before him.

  Wearing black cargo pants, rubber-soled paratrooper boots and a light black windbreaker, the intruder moved silently through the shrubbery – virtually invisible in the darkness. The perimeter motion detectors had been easily de-activated; the intruder had known where they were hidden, as well as their operating frequency.

  The guard had finally settled into his usual sitting position on a weathered stone bench facing the brick opening and was surreptitiously listening to music on an iPod, tapping his fingers in time to the rhythm. He registered nothing as the intruder stealthily approached from the rear, a hypodermic syringe clenched in a gloved hand. At the final moment, sensing a presence, he attempted to spin around, but
it was too late – the needle had penetrated his neck, its payload delivered with an abrupt depression of the plunger.

  The man’s pupils lost focus and took on a glassy stare as he slipped painlessly into unconsciousness, his head almost tenderly supported by the intruder as he slumped to the ground. After glancing around to ensure the scuffle hadn’t alerted anyone from the Abbey, the intruder closed the guard’s lids, ensuring his eyes wouldn’t dry out during the hour he’d be in dreamland. Even after the surprise attack the man appeared at peace, other than having a faint expression of astonishment.

  The intruder considered his inert form. I don’t envy you the headache you’ll have when you wake up.

  Satisfied the guard was out cold, the intruder extracted a bundle from a form-fitted nylon backpack and clipped an anodized black rappelling wire to the well’s sturdy iron cross-post, and after ducking into the brush to retrieve a rucksack with equipment in it, crawled over the crumbling lip and dropped sixty feet into the inky darkness below.

  The intruder dropped down the shaft and swung into a passageway that punctuated the end of the sheer descent, alighting soundlessly on the worn stone floor of the subterranean passageway before quickly scanning the area.