Breaking the Code: A Shadow Files Thriller Book 1 (EBOOK)

Format E-Book: Read on any device.

A global emergency. A desperate mission.

Her blood holds a secret worth a global fortune. He must get "the code beneath her skin" before the people hunting her, or owning him, arrive first.

Jewel Carlone walked away from the arena four years ago, the night a masked intruder came to her hospital bed and a stranger in a white coat saved her life with a whisper: You'll perform again. Now she performs behind a camera, volunteering to photograph a fading baroque theater in Salzburg and help save it from demolition.

What she doesn't know is that the theater, and the trip, have been paid for by Dr. Leal Trelles, the billionaire scientist who's been watching her file for years. The Department of Economic Intelligence wants a cure for an inexplicable infertility outbreak, and it believes the key lies in Jewel's DNA. Their message to Leal is brutal—get the sample, or we will.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Jewel Carlone walked away from the arena four years ago, the night a masked intruder came to her hospital bed and a stranger in a white coat saved her life with a whisper: You'll perform again. Now she performs behind a camera. Her volunteer assignment is simple: photograph a fading baroque theater in Salzburg and help save it from demolition. What she doesn't know is that the theater, and the trip, have been paid for by a man who's been watching her file for years.

Dr. Leal Trelles is the kind of scientist who changes economies. As the head of Trelles Industries, he's built vaccines, bent markets, and made enemies. One of them is an organization most people have never heard of: the Department of Economic Intelligence. The DEI wants a cure for an inexplicable infertility outbreak, and it believes the key lies in Jewel's DNA. Their message to Leal is brutal—get the sample, or we will.

When Jewel arrives at the Adel Theater, old fear collides with new danger. A familiar face stands under the chandeliers—the same man from Montpellier. Only now he's the billionaire paying for the project, and the past won't stay buried. As Leal moves to shield her, forces close in: a prenuptial clock ticking in Manhattan, a tabloid leak, and a shadow unit willing to turn medicine into a weapon.

From a Himalayan rescue that ends in an avalanche to a midnight chase through baroque corridors, Breaking the Code blends high-stakes biotech, European atmosphere, and a slow-burn bond between a woman who won't be used and a man who swore he wouldn't feel. The question isn't whether a cure exists. It's who deserves it—and what it costs to take it.

Perfect for readers who love the pace of Mark Greaney, the biotech intrigue of James Rollins, and the romantic-suspense pull of Sandra Brown—Breaking the Code delivers smart heroines, globe-spanning stakes, and conspiracies that feel one step from the headlines.

READER PRAISE

"A biotech bombshell with a beating heart. Salzburg shimmers; the ethics sting." — Early Reviewer, EU Thriller Club

"Jewel is the kind of heroine I root for—talented, wary, impossibly brave." — Romance-leaning Reader, Bookstagram ARC

"Reads like a cross between a medical thriller and an espionage caper, with a finale I could see."

"The prenuptial twist is fresh, messy, and totally addictive." 

"Crisp prose, credible science, and a slow-burn spark that never hijacks the mission." 

The Shadow Files Thrillers Reading Order

Book 1: Breaking the Code, Book 2: The Kohinoor Conspiracy 

Find the Full series here.

Click here for the full reading guide.

MEET THE AUTHOR: ROSE SANDY

Rose Sandy writes adventure thrillers that blend espionage, technology, and history into fast-paced adventures. Her stories dive into the world of covert intelligence, scientific breakthroughs, and global conspiracies, perfect for readers who love suspense with a twist of "what if?" Whether you're on a morning commute or relaxing on a Sunday, her books promise to entertain, surprise, and transport you to hidden corners of the world.

A true globetrotter and lifelong communicator, Rose draws inspiration from historical archives, cutting-edge tech, and conversations with intelligence insiders. When she's not researching in the British Library or exploring Churchill's War Rooms, she's crafting thrillers that weave intrigue, action, and a hint of romance.

Discover more here or join her newsletter for exclusive content and insider access to her research process.

TROPES YOU'LL LOVE

reluctant protector/target with a secret, shadow government agency, past rescue/present collision, corporate/medical conspiracy, tabloid-exposed prenuptial/legal chess, Alpine set-piece survival, technothriller, infertility epidemic, DEI, economic espionage, Salzburg thriller, Austrian theater, prenuptial scandal, hospital attack, Himalayas avalanche, biotech conspiracy, vaccine research, Shadow Files, photography heroine, billionaire scientist, ethical dilemma, New York tabloid leak, covert agency, romantic-suspense

FEATURED LOCATIONS

Salzburg, Austria - The Adel Theater (Schottenring Platz): Moorish-terracotta details, marble floors, four crystal chandeliers - public elegance masking private surveillance where reunion and early intrigue unfold.

Manhattan, New York - Private Clinic & Mediation Courtrooms: Glossy surfaces and transactional intimacy serving as legal and moral battlegrounds for high-stakes decisions.

Scarsdale, NY - Kaya's Home Office: Sunlit research space where the prenuptial story detonates and changes everything.

Montpellier, France - CHU Hospital: Trauma origin point where masked intruder scene and the first rescue establish the foundation of trust.

Himachal Pradesh, India - Dhauladhar Range/Manali: Whiteout survival, rescue logistics, and avalanche spectacle providing visual metaphor for unstoppable forces.

DEI Facility - Secure Conference Room: Frosted-glass chambers with Department of Economic Intelligence seal where economic espionage decisions are made.

Trelles Industries Laboratory: Corporate research environments where vaccines are built, markets bent, and enemies made.

Manhattan Prenuptial Mediation: High-society legal chess matches where contracts become weapons and privacy becomes currency.

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