The Language of the Birds: A Novel

A gifted but idiosyncratic teenager must unlock fiendish puzzles, pore through occult texts, and unearth buried clues—all while reckoning with the outside world in ways she never has before—as she pursues an ancient secret in this brainteasing, YA/adult conspiracy thriller.

When Arizona learns her mother’s been kidnapped and finds a cryptic test accompanying the ransom note, she has no idea that she’s just been enlisted in a treasure hunt, on the trail of an occult, centuries-old secret her father supposedly took to his grave. And if the prize at the end is real, it could shake the world.

Following a trail of cryptic clues across the remote American West, Arizona must use her unique skills and confront her greatest fears, all while staying one step ahead of those working against her as she races toward the dark and dangerous secret that is The Language of the Birds.

“A wondrous unstoppable read, knitted with bookish ciphers and puzzles, alchemy and poetics, all starring a brave, funny, unfiltered young woman whose differences are her greatest gifts—and the keys to deciphering some very dark secrets.”—Matthew Sullivan, bestselling author of Midnight at the Bright Ideas Bookstore

“A high-stakes treasure hunt and an intricate puzzle box of a novel filled with hope, history, and all kinds of heart.”—Ernest Cline, bestselling author of Ready Player One

K. A. Merson is a vaguely reclusive writer who lives in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountains, along with a patient spouse, a malevolent boxer dog, and an Airstream trailer.