4.3
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14,845 ratings
An FBI agent with a background in cryptography. A brilliant game maker bent on revenge. A deadly battle of wits and wills. An ingenious thriller from the Wall Street Journal bestselling author of The Cipher.
FBI agent and former military codebreaker Daniela “Dani” Vega witnesses a murder on a Manhattan sidewalk. The victim is chief of staff for a powerful New York senator. The assassin turned informant is Gustavo Toro. His code: hit the target and don’t ask questions. When Dani suspects a complex conspiracy, the only way to take down the mastermind is from the inside, forcing her to partner with Toro. Together they must infiltrate the inner circle at a remote facility.
Except it’s a trap. For all of them.
Locked in a subterranean labyrinth and held captive by an unseen host, Dani, Toro, and others must fight for their lives. Now Dani must stay undercover, unravel a bizarre conspiracy, and survive lethal puzzles. But will Toro be friend or foe? Because in this killer’s game, everything is real: the paranoia, the desperation, and the body count. And only one person can make it out alive.
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ISBN-10
1978699905
ISBN-13
978-1978699908
Print length
365 pages
Language
English
Publisher
Thomas & Mercer
Publication date
May 31, 2023
Dimensions
5.25 x 0.5 x 6.75 inches
Item weight
2.4 ounces
ASIN :
B0B3XGP3XX
File size :
5190 KB
Text-to-speech :
Enabled
Screen reader :
Supported
Enhanced typesetting :
Enabled
X-Ray :
Enabled
Word wise :
Enabled
Praise for Isabella Maldonado
A Killer’s Game
“…virtually brought to life by the truly exceptional narrative storytelling skills of Almarie Guerra and Feodor Chin…an unreservedly recommended pick.” ―Midwest Book Review
“…Maldonado keeps the plot boiling and the bodies dropping to the end.” ―Kirkus Reviews
“Intense, gripping, and compulsively readable, A Killer’s Game goes from zero to ninety on page one and never slows down. FBI agent Dani Vega is a heroine to cheer for―tough, inventive, and highly capable. A winner.” ―Meg Gardiner, #1 New York Times bestselling author
The Falcon
“Another great read from [Isabella Maldonado]! I’m a Nina Guerrera fan, and this book is the best of the series so far. Don’t miss it!” ―Steve Netter, Best Thriller Books
A Different Dawn
“A horrifying crime, cat-and-mouse detection, aha moments, and extended suspense…” ―Kirkus Reviews
“Maldonado expertly ratchets up the tension as the pieces of the puzzle neatly fall into place. Suspense fans will be enthralled from the very first page.” ―Publishers Weekly
“A thrill ride from the very start. It starts off fast and never lets up. It’s one of the best thrillers of the summer.” ―Red Carpet Crash
“A Different Dawn is a heart-stopping journey on parallel tracks: police detection and personal…Isabella Maldonado has created an unforgettable hero in Nina Guerrera.” ―Criminal Element
“A killer of a novel. Fresh, fast, and utterly ingenious.” ―Brad Thor, #1 New York Times bestselling author
The Cipher
“The survivor of a vicious crime confronts her fears in a hunt for a serial killer…forensic analysis, violent action, and a tough heroine who stands up to the last man on earth she wants to see again.” ―Kirkus Reviews
“[In] this riveting series launch from Maldonado…the frequent plot twists will keep readers guessing to the end, and Maldonado draws on her twenty-two years in law enforcement to add realism. Determined to overcome her painful past, the admirable Nina has enough depth to sustain a long-running series.” ―Publishers Weekly
“The Cipher by Isabella Maldonado is a nail-biting race against time.” ―POPSUGAR
“Maldonado does a superb job of depicting a woman who’s made a strength out of trauma and an even better job at showing how a monster could use the internet to prey on the vulnerable. Maldonado spent twenty-two years in law enforcement, and her experience shines through in The Cipher.” ―The Amazon Book Review
“A heart-pounding novel from page one, The Cipher checks all the boxes for a top-notch thriller: sharp plotting, big stakes, and characters―good and bad and everywhere in between―that are so richly drawn you’ll swear you’ve met them. I read this in one sitting, and I guarantee you will too. Oh, another promise: you’ll absolutely love the Warrior Girl!” ―Jeffery Deaver, New York Times bestselling author
“Wow! A riveting tale in the hands of a superb storyteller.” ―J. A. Jance, New York Times bestselling author
“Intense, harrowing, and instantly addictive, The Cipher took my breath away. Isabella Maldonado has created an unforgettable heroine in Nina Guerrera, a dedicated FBI agent and trauma survivor with unique insight into the mind of a predator. This riveting story is everything a thriller should be.” ―Hilary Davidson, Washington Post bestselling author
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CHAPTER 1
FBI Special Agent Daniela Vega assessed her environment and calculated her chances. She had less than seven minutes to get to her meeting with the special agent in charge of the New York Counterterrorism Division. A stickler for protocol and punctuality, SAC Steve Wu would not appreciate her showing up late.
She eyed the barista. If he kept up his frenetic pace, she could make it from the packed Lower Manhattan coffee shop to SAC Wu’s office on the twenty-third floor of 26 Federal Plaza at a fast walk with sixty seconds to spare.
A woman elbowing her way toward the pickup counter jostled Dani into the man beside her, who was dumping a packet of sugar into his open cup. His piping-hot coffee splashed onto the back of Dani’s hand.
“What’s the matter with you?” the man snapped at her.
Dani pressed her lips together and shook the steaming droplets from her hand, where an angry splotch had already blossomed. The man placed a lid on his cup, sent her another scowl, and squeezed through the crowd toward the door.
The barista shouted her name above the din. “Dark roast, black with an extra shot,” he said, handing the cup to her. “That should jump-start your day.”
It would take a lot more than a jolt of caffeine from strong coffee to get her heart pounding. Perhaps searching a building with a hidden IED would move the needle, but those days had ended with her final deployment before she joined the Bureau ten months earlier.
“Breakfast of champions.” She lifted the cup in salute, then turned and shouldered her way through the throng to the sidewalk. She was about to take her first sip when buzzing from inside her pocket stopped her.
“Hey,” a man sitting on the sidewalk holding a cardboard sign called out to her. “How about some change?”
She slid out the phone with her free hand and lifted it to her ear. “Vega.”
“Have a heart, lady,” the man continued, shifting his gaze to the cup in her hand. “I bet that coffee tastes good.”
SAC Wu’s voice carried through the small speaker. “Where are you?”
“Just left the Starbucks at the corner of Lafayette and Worth, sir,” she said. “Right across the street from you.”
“I’m postponing our meeting,” Wu said. “Someone called in a bomb threat at the courthouse. Given the target, this could be terrorist related. Go over there and check it out.”
Her eyes traveled across the street to the other side of Thomas Paine Park. “Which courthouse?”
The New York County Supreme Court, Thurgood Marshall US Courthouse, and the US District Court for the Southern District of New York were all past the park on the other side of Centre Street.
“County Supreme Court,” Wu said. “And—to make matters worse—there’s a group of over a hundred schoolkids touring the building right now.”
“On my way.” She disconnected and thrust her untouched coffee toward the man on the sidewalk.
“Bless you,” he said, taking it from her outstretched hand and clutching it protectively against his chest.
“You’re wel—” An angry shout drew her gaze across Lafayette Street to the opposite corner.
“Hey,” a man in a business suit called out to a fellow pedestrian who had bumped into him. “Watch where you’re going.”
It was a common sight in the bustle of early-morning foot traffic, and the special agent in charge had directed her to report to the scene of a bomb threat nearby. She should not have registered the brief interaction.
Yet she did.
Some would call it hypervigilance, but to her it was a combination of experience and situational awareness. She shifted her gaze from the man who had made the remark to the person who had collided with him. She couldn’t see his face but took in his short dark hair and billowing tan trench coat. Tall and broad shouldered, he tucked a folded black mini umbrella close to his body, pivoted, and started across Worth Street.
It was late May, and rain was in the forecast, so it wasn’t his foul-weather gear that had caught her eye. Instead, she’d noticed the way he carried the umbrella, which was clasped tightly in his right hand. He gripped it in a way she would describe as tactical. His purposeful steps and powerful bearing reinforced the impression.
Commotion pulled her attention back to the businessman, who had collapsed to the ground. She rushed across Lafayette Street. By the time she reached him, he had begun to convulse. Flecks of foam spewed from the corners of his mouth, and his eyes rolled back in his head.
A woman screamed. Several onlookers took out their cell phones. Some called 9-1-1; others began taking videos and narrating the scene.
Dani had witnessed acute toxin poisoning before and recognized its effects. The reason behind the umbrella became apparent. It had been the delivery system. Given the speed of the reaction, she knew she could do nothing for the man in the business suit, now lying motionless on the sidewalk. But she could catch the man with the umbrella, the man who had crossed Worth Street and was heading toward Thomas Paine Park.
She slid out her cell phone and started after him. Aware NYPD dispatchers were already fielding calls from the crowd around the victim, she tapped redial, connecting her directly to the person who had the authority to activate every resource in the city. Responding to the victim had delayed her, and Umbrella Man had a substantial lead.
Wu barely had time to answer before she blurted out her situation, ending with a description of Umbrella Man.
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Isabella Maldonado
Wall Street Journal bestselling author Isabella Maldonado wore a gun and badge in real life before turning to crime writing. A graduate of the FBI National Academy in Quantico and the first Latina to attain the rank of captain in the Fairfax County Police Department just outside DC, she retired as the Commander of Special Investigations and Forensics. During more than two decades on the force, her assignments included hostage negotiator, department spokesperson, and precinct commander. She uses her law enforcement background to bring a realistic edge to her writing, which includes the bestselling FBI Special Agent Nina Guerrera series (soon to be a Netflix feature film starring Jennifer Lopez), the award-winning Detective Veranda Cruz series, and the Agent Daniela "Dani" Vega series. Her books are published in24 languages.She can be found at www.isabellamaldonado.com.
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Customer reviews
4.3 out of 5
14,845 global ratings
Beth Glass
5
excellent book
Reviewed in the United States on April 23, 2024
Verified Purchase
Really enjoyed the entire book! Very well written. The suspense was just right. Daniela Vega’s character really delves into the complexities of the human spirit and the core values that make up the human psyche.
Lynn Privette
5
On the Edge of My Seat
Reviewed in the United States on May 4, 2024
Verified Purchase
Written with such compelling detail; it was like watching a movie in my head. Riveting action and intriguing character development make this story come to life. Don't let all the details at the beginning deter you. They all are necessary to understand the situation. If you like action thrillers, you'll love this book.
diana jaycox (my friends call me DJ)
5
Great start for a new series! A thrill a minute.
Reviewed in the United States on September 15, 2023
Verified Purchase
A Killer's Game by Isabella Maldonado is a first read for me, but it definitely won't be the last! From the first page to the last, A Killer's Game was a twisted roller coaster of suspense and mystery that captivated me from the very beginning. I fell in love with Maldonado's character Daniela Vega, a sassy strong Latina FIB agent. She is so well-developed, you can almost touch her, as Maldonado puts Daniela through the cat and mouse chase to catch a villain! The action is fast-paced and if you don't stay focused, you could miss a vital clue. And then you, like the rest of characters might stay trapped in the "escape room from hell"!
Isabella Maldonado is a very visual writer. Her scenes are dramatic and are described in away that make the reader a participant rather than a observer. Which to me, a visual learner myself, increases the thrill ten- fold! I can't read a blueprint but I could SEE the layout of the escape room perfect! I may have gotten lost in some of the gamer/coder references, the sheer brilliance of the puzzles and other intricate details. But as soon as Isabella Maldonado explained through Daniela, I caught on again, and was right back absorbed into game! Isabella Maldonado has a magic touch with words! Her background in law enforcement shows in her word choices. Reading her sentences, her word choices, is like savoring a fine meal in a five star restaurant!
I am so impressed with Isabella Maldonado's work, I immediately wishlisted the rest of her books! I will need to buy more memory if I am ever going to be able to read all her books! Oh what a delightful problem!
If you haven't read A Killer's Game, RUN to your nearest DEALER! I guarantee you will be as thrilled as I was!
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5 people found this helpful
robin
4
What a ride!
Reviewed in the United States on April 17, 2024
Verified Purchase
This was a really good book - full of action and a real page turner! Dani is a great character - feisty as they come with (she thinks) a lot to prove. Well-concieved and lots of fun to cheer on.
I loved the setting, and the twist at the end as to who the perpetrator was was terrific!
If you like fast-paced action, great storytelling, and lots of thrills, read A Killer's Game!
There are others in the series - can't wait for Dani's next adventure!
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Rachel Grinstead
3
Adequate
Reviewed in the United States on March 13, 2024
Verified Purchase
Mm, it was okay. Pretty standard and predictable, easy to read. Not really my cup of tea but not really my genre either. Very loose 3 stars for me. I didn’t enjoy the book but I didn’t dislike it either.
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