Why Cyphers & Sighs Is the Must-Read Prequel for Every Newsomaniac
You know Greg Newsome. Startup exec turned accidental spy. Coffee addict. Walking disaster magnet. The guy who can sweet-talk an FBI agent, survive a sniper attack, and piss off the Russian mob before lunch. But long before Greg was dodging bullets and deciphering corporate betrayal, there was Ryan Harman—chief revenue officer, father, and the poor sap who helped build the world Greg now inhabits and occasionally burns to the ground.
Cyphers & Sighs isn’t just a prequel. It’s the Rosetta Stone of the Newsomeverse.
The Origin Story You Didn’t Know You Needed
Ryan Harman doesn’t think he’s a hero. He’s just a Jersey boy in a suit trying to sell cybersecurity software to intelligence agencies without getting drugged by a spy or murdered in his suite at The Drake. (Spoiler: he fails at both.) But Ryan’s story lays the groundwork for everything Greg later inherits—the AI product, the intelligence connections, the enemies hiding in plain sight.
If Greg is the brawler, Ryan is the chess player. And this book? It’s the game board.
Meet Dee. Trust Us, You’ll Regret It (Like Ryan Did)
Cyphers & Sighs introduces Deandra “Dee” Volkova, the seductive femme fatale with legs that don’t quit and a background check that should’ve come with a skull-and-crossbones warning. Dee is the reason Greg spends half his life looking over his shoulder—and why you’ll never trust a beautiful stranger in a bar again.
She’s smart. She’s deadly. She’s five moves ahead. And if you think Greg’s tangled up in dangerous women, just wait until you see what Ryan walked into.
Familiar Shadows, Earlier Storms
You’ll recognize echoes of the Greg Newsome books all over this one—corrupt intelligence bureaucracies, startup nonsense, strained marriages, and sharp one-liners. You’ll meet Raj, the hilarious Scottish-Indian VP who drinks like a fish and talks like Trainspotting. You’ll watch government agencies fumble over AI they don’t understand. And you’ll see how Checkmate, the software Greg later fights to protect, was born in blood, betrayal, and bourbon.
This Ain’t a Side Story. It’s the First Domino
Reading Cyphers after the Greg Newsome series is like watching Better Call Saul after Breaking Bad—you suddenly understand the machinery behind the chaos. The moral rot didn’t start with Greg; he’s just the poor bastard trying to clean it up. Ryan’s journey is less action-heavy, more espionage-chic. But the stakes are just as high, and the fallout? Well, let’s just say Greg’s still cleaning up the mess.
Final Pitch (Because Ryan Would Want One)
If you’re a fan of the Greg Newsome thrillers and you skip Cyphers & Sighs, you’re basically showing up late to your own party. This is where it begins—the danger, the deceit, the AI, and the moral ambiguity dressed up in a power suit.
Read it. Learn the history. Then go back and re-read Write to Die or Let It Die, and marvel at just how deep this rabbit hole goes.