It tells the story of a brilliant Chinese mathematician recruited to work as a cryptographer for his country.

In 2017, Jake Kerridge, writing in The Daily Telegraph, declared it to be one of "the 20 best spy novels of all time.

The New York Times described Decoded as "a page turner" with "a gripping plot, otherworldly aura, and flamboyant detail.

"[2] The Guardian wrote that Decoded is "deft in its exploration of the world of mathematics and of cryptography.

[4] It was also positively received overall by the Financial Times[5] and the South China Morning Post.