A Wall Street Journal bestseller.
For nearly thirty years a serial killer has been hiding in plain sight. So has the key to an FBI agent’s dark past.
A family is murdered as they sleep. FBI Special Agent Nina Guerrera and her new team are tasked with determining whether there is any link between this attack and another triple homicide from four years earlier and more than two thousand miles away. In the process, they’ll discover a serial killer so cunning that his grisly trail of death spanning nearly three decades has gone undetected. Each crime scene reminds Nina of the ghostly Latin folktale of La Llorona, which terrified her when she was an abandoned and vulnerable child. Now it’s back to haunt her.
Nina has known evil, but these macabre reenactments are as disturbing as they are baffling. Now she must uncover the meaning behind the rituals as the evidence leads her in an unexpected direction—far closer to home than anyone could have imagined. As the team narrows in on a suspect, the present collides with Nina’s past in a twist of fate that forces her to make the ultimate sacrifice.
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"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
A killer of a novel. Fresh, fast, and utterly ingenious.
— Brad Thor, #1 New York Times bestselling authorThe 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 WeeklyWow! A riveting tale in the hands of a superb storyteller.
— J. A. Jance, New York Times bestselling authorIntense, 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 authorMaldonado’s a writer to watch, and she showcases her own extensive law enforcement background in this tightly plotted police procedural.
— Publishers Weekly (starred review)Maldonado, a former law enforcement officer, brings her experience and expertise to this gripping police procedural. With its gritty heroine, this action-packed mystery will attract readers who enjoy crime novels about the war on drugs.
— Library JournalPhoenix may be burning, but Maldonado’s star is rising. Gritty and gripping.
— J. A. Jance, New York Times bestselling authorMaldonado’s writing always bristles with urgency and authority.
— Mystery Scene magazineDelivers a brilliant and complicated heroine, accented by a take-no-prisoners plot…It’s spicy, smart, and entertaining, definitely worth your time.
— Steve Berry, author of The Lost OrderA highly entertaining police procedural…Maldonado rises to her written challenge to entertain, enthrall, and engage readers in this high-octane thriller.
— Suspense MagazineA tense thriller with a strong sense of place and an insider’s look at some of the most dangerous work in law enforcement.
— Jan Burke, New York Times bestselling authorThe Phoenix sun isn’t the only thing burning in this thrilling debut, and I look forward to more.
— Shannon Baker, bestselling author of the Kate Fox mystery seriesAn ex-narc leads a war against a powerful crime family. The payoff is satisfying.
— Kirkus ReviewsIf you’re in the mood for a nonstop exposé of every fear you’ve ever had about cartel crime, Veranda Cruz is the woman to follow.
— Kirkus ReviewsFinally! A kick-ass female protagonist and an author who knows firsthand the world she writes about. The combination makes for an explosive read that grabs you from page one and doesn’t let go.
— Alex Kava, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of Lost CreedRed alert to all readers of police procedurals with a strong thriller bent: Isabella Maldonado’s Death Blow delivers nonstop action with substance, grit, and surprises.
— Lisa Preston, author of The ClincherGritty, raw, and realistic, Isabella Maldonado’s Death Blow is the real deal.
— Bruce Robert Coffin, bestselling author of the Detective Byron mystery seriesA gritty, gut-wrenching, page-turning thriller featuring a woman cop bent on bringing down a twisted cartel leader for reasons of her own, Death Blow grabs you from the first jaw-dropping scene to the last, and Maldonado’s stellar writing weaves it all together.
— Jamie Freveletti, internationally bestselling author of Blood Run“A killer of a novel. Fresh, fast, and utterly ingenious.”
— Brad Thor, #1 New York Times bestselling authorA horrifying crime, cat-and-mouse detection, aha moments, and extended suspense…
— Kirkus ReviewsMaldonado 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 WeeklyA 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 CrashBe the first to write a review about this audiobook!
Isabella Maldonado is an award-winning author, retired police captain, and regular contributor on News Channel 12 as a law enforcement expert. Her last police position was Commander of Special Investigations and Forensics. During her career, she was a hostage negotiator, department spokesperson, and precinct commander supervising over one hundred and fifty personnel including patrol officers, detectives, specialty units, first-line supervisors, and civilians. She was selected to attend executive management training at the FBI National Academy in Quantico. The first Latina to attain the rank of captain in her department, she received Meritorious Service and Lifesaving Awards. Isabella is a past president of the Phoenix Metro chapter of Sisters in Crime. She has written several books, received a starred review in Publishers Weekly, and was named one of the twenty-five best suspense books of 2018 by Book Riot.
Roxanne Hernandez is an audio narrator and a top narrator choice for young adult, adult drama, and Latin American/Chicano literature. She was a finalist for the prestigious Audie Award for best narration in 2011.