Editorial Reviews Review Winner of the Mariposa Award for Best First Novel"A highly entertaining police procedural . . . Hang on tight for the ride of a lifetime across Southern Arizona as Maldonado rises to her written challenge to entertain, enthrall and engage readers in this high-octane thriller." -Suspense Magazine"Maldonado ratchets up the tension with each page, leaving you breathless as you race to the end." -Robin Burcell, New York Times bestselling author"Isabella Maldonado is off to a great start, giving us a tense thriller with a strong sense of place and an insider's look at some of the most dangerous work in law enforcement. This first Veranda Cruz novel will leave readers eagerly awaiting her next adventure." -Jan Burke, New York Times bestselling author"Taut, tense, and relentlessly authentic. Isabella Maldonado-with her unique personal knowledge of the danger, conflict and emotional toll of law enforcement-is an important new voice in crime fiction." -Hank Phillippi Ryan, Anthony, Agatha, and Mary Higgins Clark award winning author Other Praise for Isabella Maldonado· The Cipher Soon to be a Netflix feature film starring Jennifer Lopez· An Amazon Charts bestseller· Editors' Pick: Best Mystery, Thriller & Suspense· An Amazon Best Book of the Month: Mystery, Thriller & Suspense· Phoenix Burning Named One of Book Riot's Best 25 Suspense Books of 2018Praise for the Detective Veranda Cruz series"Maldonado'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." -Library Journal "Delivers a brilliant and complicated heroine, accentuated by a take-no-prisoners plot...It's spicy, smart, and entertaining." -Steve Berry, New York Times bestselling author "Author Isabella Maldonado, a retired police captain, and graduate of the FBI National Academy, draws on her experiences and real life in her endeavor to create a fictionalized world of corruption, crime and violence in Phoenix, Arizona. Phoenix Burning is an intriguing thrill ride; a gripping and realistic tale of choices and tragic consequences; of retaliation and retribution; entitlement, family, dominion and power." -The Reading Café "Now three books into her series, Maldonado's franchise is heating up in a big way, as Cruz joins the ranks of Jon Land's Caitlin Strong and Meg Gardiner's Caitlin Hendrix as one of the premier female protagonists in the genre." -The Real Book Spy "A 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"Phoenix may be burning, but Maldonado's star is rising. Gritty and gripping." -J.A. Jance, New York Times bestselling author Praise for the FBI Agent Nina Guerrera series"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 22 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"A killer of a novel. Fresh, fast, and utterly ingenious." -Brad Thor, #1 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 "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 22 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 About the Author Award-winning author Isabella Maldonado wore a gun and badge in real life before writing crime fiction. A graduate of the FBI National Academy in Quantico and the first Latina in her police department to attain the rank of captain, she served as a patrol officer, hostage negotiator, spokesperson, recruit instructor, patrol supervisor, and district station commander before her final assignment as the commander of the Special Investigations and Forensics Division. Retiring after twenty-two years on the force, Ms. Maldonado uses her law enforcement experience to bring a realistic edge to her writing. She is a member of the FBI National Academy Associates, Fairfax County Police Association, International Thriller Writers, Mystery Writers of America, International Society of Latino Authors, and Sisters in Crime, where she served as president of the Phoenix Metro Chapter in 2015 and sat on the board until 2019. The author of the FBI Agent Nina Guerrera series and the Detective Veranda Cruz series, she lives in the Phoenix area with her family.