Fatal Intrusion by Jeffrey Deaver & Isabella Maldonado
Sanchez & Heron #1

Brilliant introduction to a new series that captured my interest immediately and held it to the last page. Can’t wait for book two!

What I liked;
* Carmen: Homeland Security agent, lives in Southern California, follows the rules, big sister to Selina, intelligent, strong, lethal, caring, resilient, sees the bigger picture, a leader, takes initiative, intriguing, looking forward to learning more about her in the future
* Jake: professor of intrusion in History and Present-Day, protection specialist and consultant, elite computer skills, puzzle solver, has his own ethical and moral guidelines that are a bit looser than Carmen’s, intriguing and someone I want to know more about
* Supporting characters that I would like to see again: Mouse, Williamson, Aruba, Selina, Ryan and Declan
* Learning more about spiders than I knew before
* The intricacy of the plot, perfect pacing, setting in Southern California where I grew up, and the writing that drew me in and made me care about the outcome – felt part of the story
* The twists, turns, and surprises that kept me guessing
* The excellent character development
* Knowing that there will be another book in the series

What I didn’t like:
* Who and what I was meant not to like
* Thinking about the evil some people do and how they justify it while even reveling in their actions

Did I enjoy this book? Yes
Would I read more in this series? Definitely

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the ARC – This is my honest review.

5 Stars ( )

A fantastic beginning to a new series from Jeffery Deaver and Isabella Maldonado. I loved the mixture of police work, intelligence, and hacking. The ending had me checking Goodreads, google, and the author's websites to find out when book 2, The Grief Artist, will be released (Sept 2025). With the way this ended, I cannot wait to see what Sanchez and Heron get up to in the next novel and where these investigations take us.

Aida Reluzco and Andre Santana did a great job narrating this book and I hope they continue to narrate the rest of the series. ( )

If I went only by the beginning of this novel, I'd probably rate it a 3. However, after a bit, the story ramped up and I found myself captivated by the interplay between coders/hackers and other characters, so it gets a 4. ( )

Two Authors team-up on Duo Investigators
Review of the Amazon First Reads Kindle eBook edition (August 1, 2024), released in advance of the official publication by Thomas & Mercer (September 1, 2024)

Authors Jeffery Deaver with his twisty murderous tales and Isabella Maldonado with her law enforcement background join forces with this first entry in a planned mini-series (Book #2 is already planned for 2025). Fatal Intrusion introduces Homeland Security agent Carmen Sanchez and professor / security expert / sometime hacker Jake Heron who team up to track down a serial killer who has a secretive cyber backup.

As with just about every Deaver book that I have read, the twists come fast and furious, particularly towards the end as the various levels of culprits are revealed and they begin to turn on each other. What initially seems to be a lone serial killer is revealed to be only the spear point of a much larger conspiracy. It is wildly improbable of course, but Deaver and Maldonado keep the action coming with several 'just-in-time' rescues along the way. Maybe the clues are a bit too easy to figure out and they are being led towards a scapegoat? But then, what is the real plan behind the scenes?

In any case, this was an easy pick out of this month's Amazon First Reads options as the Police Procedural offer. Having two veteran authors as the writers proved to be the best choice. The conclusion to Fatal Intrusion provides a hint about the likely investigation to come in the sequel.

Trivia and Links
Amazon Prime First Reads advance reading copies (ARCs) are available to Amazon Prime subscribers. They offer advance reads of books in Kindle eBook format one month before the date of official release. The current month's selection is available here (Link goes to Amazon US, adjust for your own country or region). ( )

Carmen Sanchez is a Homeland Security agent. When her sister is brutally attacked, she goes after the perpetrator, asking for help from Jake Heron, a private security expert with whom she has a troubled past. With Carmen's background in law enforcement and Jake's in internet hacking they start their quest. And what a quest it is. Carmen and Jake are an interesting pair. Carmen needs to stick to the rules, but Jake doesn't mind bending them. This is a fast paced, violent, thrilling and intriguing read. We get several points of view, including the killer Carmen and Jake are _targeting. This is a book where it's best to suspend your belief and just go with it. Lots of twists and turns make this an entertaining and compulsive read. The matching writing style of these two authors is great. I will certainly read the next book in the series.

Thank you NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for an e-arc of this book. ( )