Fractured Dawn: Mackenzie Reynolds Thriller Book 2

by D.V. Berkom

Some conspiracies threaten governments. This one threatens everyone she loves.

When elite close protection operative Mackenzie "Mac" Reynolds learns her father didn't die in a Bangkok bombing three years ago, everything she thought she knew shatters.

A captured CIA asset delivers an impossible Chase Reynolds is alive and has gone to ground while he hunts a rogue intelligence network powerful enough to manipulate governments from the shadows.

Following a trail across Central Europe, Mac and her mentor, former Special Forces operator Jackson Jones, uncover Project Eclipse, a deadly conspiracy run by ruthless arms broker Victor Hale. With assassins closing in and allies becoming suspects, every move could be their last.

To stop a global catastrophe, Mac must decide who she can trust—including the CIA officer who also happens to be her mother.

Because if Hale succeeds, nations will fall.

And Mac may lose the last chance she has to save her father.

Perfect for fans of Brad Thor, Daniel Silva, and Jack Carr, Fractured Dawn is an explosive international espionage thriller packed with relentless action, shocking twists, and unforgettable characters.

Genres: Suspense

368 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 16, 2026

About the author

DV Berkom is the USA Today bestselling author of action-packed, riveting adventure and crime thrillers. Known for creating resilient, kick-ass female characters and page-turning plots, her love of the genre stems from a lifelong addiction to reading spy novels, action/adventure stories, and thrillers.

A restless soul and adventurer at heart, she spent years moving around the US and traveling to exotic locales before she wrote her first novel and was hooked. More than a dozen books later, she now makes her home in the Pacific Northwest with her husband, Mark, and several imaginary characters who like to tell her what to do. Her most recent books include the Claire Whitcomb Western Series: Retribution, Gunslinger, and Legend, and the latest in the Leine Basso thriller series: Final Encounter, Terminal Threat, Fatal Objective, A Plague of Traitors, and Shadow of the Jaguar. DV's currently hard at work on her next thriller.

For more information, visit her website at www.dvberkom.com. To be the first to hear about new releases and subscriber-only offers, go to: bit.ly/DVB_RL

Books by DV Berkom:
The Kate Jones Thriller Series:
Vol. 1 (books 1-3): Bad Spirits, Dead of Winter, Death Rites, Touring for Death
Cruising for Death
Yucatán Dead
A One Way Ticket to Dead
Vigilante Dead

The Leine Basso Thriller Series:
A Killing Truth
Serial Date
Bad Traffick
The Body Market
Cargo
The Last Deception
Dark Return
Absolution
Dakota Burn
Shadow of the Jaguar
A Plague of Traitors
Fatal Objective
Terminal Threat
Final Encounter

The Claire Whitcomb Western Series:
Retribution
Gunslinger
Legend

Reviews

[LooseBoots]

Fantastic read. 100% action packed adventure. One of the better spy thrillers well worth a read. Non stop action to the very last page. There is a consistent flow to these books that manages to keep you on the edge of your seat. No chance to be complacent as you known the next intense narrative is not far behind.
A most welcome read indeed and looking forward to the last book in the trilogy.
100% recommended.

[Craig Smedley]

MacKenzie (Mac) Reynolds heads to Europe with her mentor and friend, ex Special Services operative, Jackson Jones, after they learns that her father, Chase Reynolds, thought to be dead, may still be alive and living off the grid. Together they recruit another of Jacksons former team, and with extra assistance from her journalist friend she met in the Caribbean, they learn of the plans of an illegal arms dealer, Victor Hale to corrupt governments throughout Europe and then the world. Hale has infiltrated many sensitive areas with bribes and threats. Mac’s mother, Rebecca, connected to the CIA, attempts to help but it seems there is a mole in the CIA as well, and Mac who does not get on well with Rebecca, is highly suspicious of her mother. The plot thickens, and Rebecca works behind the scenes to unmask the CIA traitor and slowly gains the confidence of Mac and is able to assist the team with contacts from her own past.
Plenty of action along the way as the investigations become more urgent and this all makes for a very interesting conspiracy that MUST be stopped. An excellent read.

[Pierrebleu]

This is a cracking story about, Victor Hale an adversary of Mac after her previous escapade when he evaded arrest. Global instability is his mission and he has a very wide network of operatives and bribed officials including a mole in the CIA department in which Mac’s mother works.
Mac and her mentor, Jackson, are initially looking into confirming her father is in fact dead after his car was blown up three years ago. Hale is believed to be involved in the blowing up of Mac’s father’s car.
Mac’s boyfriend , Nick is away in his continuing pursuit of data on a hard drive left by his dead brother who was believed to be building a dossier of evidence against Hale.
Their pursuits converge into a single chase of Hale with nonstop twists and turns. It is a really engaging story that was difficult to put down, a proper page turner.

[Roger]

Fractured Dawn: Mackenzie Reynolds Thriller Book 2 (Mackenzie Reynolds Thrillers), my fourteenth read from author D.V. Berkom, with a kick-ass female main character, the second book in the Mackenzie Reynolds Thrillers! I love mystery & espionage & Berkom has both in this book. She's created a character you want to read more about! I’ll be reading more by this author about this character, especially since I went out & discovered that I own more books in the series! “I received a complimentary Kindle copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review." The gifting of this book did not affect my opinion of it. High on my TBR list is Final Dawn: Mackenzie Reynolds Thriller Book 3 (Mackenzie Reynolds Thrillers), due out on October 1, 2026. (RIP Marley January 20, 2014 - July 24, 2018).

[Steve]

Wow, so book two in the trilogy and it’s as good as the first one. Twists, turns and action all the way through to an ending I didn’t see coming, not at all. I loved it, I was engrossed from the first page to the last. What on earth is going to happen in the final book, cannot wait to find out. Highly recommended.

[Alexandria]

Very much enjoyed this second installment of the trilogy. The characters are great and I feel attached to them, which is always a good thing for me. Sometimes a second book in three gets a lull, but this one didn't. It did take me a bit longer to get through but I also have ADHD soooo normal really lol! Recommend to keep reading the series!

[Laurie Robertson]

An absolutely ripper of a read, this one should get your blood pumping. Action and intrigue throughout the whole novel, and better yet another follow-up to come. Well recommended for those who like, suspense, action, multiple twists and thrills.

[Jolie Castilla]

This is an awesome 2nd book. I absolutely love love the characters. The suspense and action are outstanding. This is one of my favorite authors and this is a new series and I can't say how much I love it. Don't wait get started with the fantastic series.

[Richard JF Gallick]

What a read for the second book off three, the first set the scene and the second book is excellent read. A great read from first page to last page. I am really excited to read the third book of this series.

[Terry Masters]

Fast paced with realistic characters and scenery you can walk down.
Very well written and enjoyable.
A fast read because I struggled to put it down.
Would highly recommend it to anyone.

[kc]

The intensity continues as Mac, Jackson and Nick work to thwart the evil Victor Hale, while searching for her father whom she believes is still alive. Plenty of twists around every corner. Great storyline and terrific characters.

[Manie]

To call somebody an arch enemy is something not true often enough.
In Fractured Dawn Hale is called an arch enemy and a truer description is not easy to deny.
Author DV Berkom really brought home the evil of this man in a way that simply gives me shivers.The plot for universal overthrow of societies and governments worldwide is somehow real and Mac Reynolds and her mother Rebecca has to reconcile in order to fight Hales' plot for world rule.
Thank goodness they did. Eventually
And just in time.
This spy thriller is complex and full of surprises. I am keen to see what happens next in this series by author DV Berkom.
Enjoy

[Jean Durbin]

Another good one from D.V. Berkom! Fractured Dawn pulled me in quickly and kept the suspense going throughout.

I enjoyed the characters, the action, and the twists that kept me guessing. The pacing was good, and there was enough going on to keep me wanting to read “just one more chapter.”

If you like action-packed thrillers with suspense and strong characters, this is definitely worth adding to your TBR list!

[Dave Wheeler]

Wow and definitely Wham Bam. Action packed drama from beginning to end.

After the revelation and the dynamic revelations of False Dawn, your really should read that 1st it's awesome as well by the way. Anyway after those revelations and subsequent info Mac and the survivors are off across the lands for more explosive action and carnage as the body count mounts the truth will get closer. Just leaving the question what's the cost going to be. As Mac discovers more about her parents and the discovery of a mole in the FBI well isn't there always can the team out wit the foes well it's a trilogy and as answers come so do the question.

This is an amazing series (trilogy) and I can't wait for the next installment this is a described fast passed action packed fun a great read and definitely not to be missed out on highly recommend in my opinion.

[Ken Robson]

Mac and team are back and the fight continues this time in Europe. Hale is targeting the banking system and the banks don't want to talk to the good guys, citing security concerns.
Can they break into the banking system to stop it collapsing in time, the clock is ticking

[Julie Howard]

I am a cozy mystery fan at heart but somehow I discovered this artist (yes artist because I don't think author describes what she can do well enough) back when she was writing her very first series and I haven't looked back or missed a book since. That's because she paints (okay writes) entertaining and captivating stories and this book doesn't disappoint.

This is book two and while it does work as a standalone I would highly recommend you start with the first book False Dawn, as it is written as a trilogy and the books follow on from each other.

There is so much going on that it is hard to explain without giving away too much of the plot and I know that what ever I do write won't do it justice. So I will just say there's plenty of action to stay entertaining, twists to keep you guessing who can be trusted, mystery to have you wondering if they can stop the world from going to hell in a handbasket and friendships to have you loving the characters. All of which happens at break neck speed and I loved every moment. I can't wait for the next book.

Having taken down Drake, the man who had her team killed, Mac can now turn her attention to the supposed death of her father. Joined by his best friend Jackson the pair head to Romania to find out if he is still alive. Her father was deep undercover in Hale's operation when he was reported dead and the only way to find the truth is to discover and stop what Hale was planning. When assets turn up dead, Mac is still unsure whether she can trust her mother or if the CIA does really have a mole in there ranks. With Hale about to initiate his plan for world domination, Mac might have to put her plans to find her father on hold and do the one thing she thought she would never do, work for her mother but can she be trusted?I
I was given this free review copy book at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

[Hazel]

An absolute belter of a second book

After reading False Dawn, I couldn't wait to see what D.V. Berkom had in store for Mackenzie Reynolds next, and this second instalment certainly didn't disappoint.

This time around, Mac finds out that her father might actually still be alive after a bomb blast in Bangkok three years ago. That revelation throws her straight into a deadly hunt across Central Europe alongside her trusted mentor, Jackson. Between rogue intelligence networks, relentless assassins and a shadowy plot called Project Eclipse, the stakes feel even higher than in the first book.

Mac is such a brilliantly written character – tough, smart and completely uncompromising, but still human enough that you're rooting for her on every single page. The dynamics between the characters are fantastic this time too. I loved the inclusion of Harry and also watching the relationship develop between Mac and Nick, which adds a really great personal dynamic amongst all the chaos. Plus, bringing her estranged CIA mother into the mix creates an extra layer of family drama that keeps you hooked.

The pacing is non-stop from the very beginning. The action sequences are gripping, the twists keep you on your toes and the European settings are so vividly described that you feel right in the middle of the chaos. If you love fast-paced, high-octane thrillers with a fierce female lead, you're going to love this. D.V. Berkom has delivered another absolute cracker, and I'm already desperate to see where Mac's journey goes next.

Once again, thank you to D.V for accepting me as a member her ARTeam and for enabling me to read and share my thoughts of Fractured Dawn and my hungry eyes can't wait to read the next!

[Shelda Sparks]

Mr BERKOM… I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I am not at all fond of that very bad F word and I am glad you didn’t use it real often in the book.. I don’t feel a book needs that word. But I thoroughly enjoyed the story. I love McKenzie and I love Jackson and I love Harry and I just love all the characters in this book even her mother. The story is written wonderfully you can’t help but love the characters to me. The best part of the book is Etta and anybody who’s reading this will have to read it to enjoy what Etta is. The story was realistic. I didn’t notice any typos in it. I really didn’t see anything negative about it a little long in the tooth in a few pages. But it did not detract from the story. I just kept turning the Pages so I can finish it. It’s exciting. The people really have a life. They have good personalities. It’s exciting and the book didn’t leave you hanging completely. Of course it’s left so another book could be written, but it didn’t leave you mad because “now you have to read the next book” feeling. The story was so exciting it made you want to read the next book. I look forward to getting a copy of the next book and I recommend when this book comes out. Everybody needs to read it. Nobody chorus me into leaving this review, I got the book from the author and it was just marvelous. I really liked it and I highly recommend it.

[Kim]

Edge of your chair excitement…

Oh my goodness, D. V. Berkom really knows how to spin a spell-binding story! This second book of the Mackenzie Reynolds trilogy is so perfect for all of us armchair thrill-seekers. Truly, there is never a dull moment, never a slow pace, and never a drop of inconsequential filler. This story picks up right after the events of the first book and sends Mackenzie (Mac) and her friend Jackson on a perilous journey to find Mac’s father and to track down a very dangerous bad actor bent on a new world order. Mac is pushed a little outside her comfort zone when this "mission" steers her away from her specialty of close protection work and into the belly of spycraft and espionage, the chosen milieu of her parents. Fortunately, Jackson is a seasoned operative with insight into these types of situations, and Mac’s skill set and instincts serve her well. I was on the edge of my seat throughout this story and am anxiously awaiting the third installment of this trilogy. It promises to be an explosive finale. For my part, there is one character, Etta, who I am hoping will have a larger role to play as she has stolen my heart.
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I was provided with an advance copy of this book, for which I thank the author, but my choice to share my honest and unbiased review is completely voluntary.

[Al]

Mackenzie Reynolds (but we’ll call her Mac like most people do most of the time) works in an interesting job. It’s to protect people who may be in danger from spies and the like. Both parents work in government intelligence so the apple didn’t fall far from the tree. Unfortunately, her dad disappeared a while ago and she assumed he was dead. Then she finds out that might not be true … at least not yet. Mac gets involved in the effort to find him due to clues that someone, it appears to be her dad, have setup for her to find, but the deeper she gets into this search the more fatalities and unexpected stumbling blocks there are. Plus, the relationship Mac has with her mom, already stressed, becomes even worse, reaching the point where Mac isn’t sure her mom isn’t one of the bad guys in this whole mess. This story delivered on what I’ve come to expect from the DV Berkom books I’ve read in the past, intense reads that draw you in and just when you think it can’t get any scarier, it does. How it all shakes out, well, telling you would be a spoiler, but it’s an intense adventure to the very end of this book and sets things up well for the final book in this trilogy too.

**Originally written for "Books and Pals" book blog. May have received a free review copy. **

[Dawn Gill]

I've read all DVBerkom's books, and was delighted to be offered an advance copy as part of the proofing process.

As much as I love Leine Basso, there's a new kick-arse protagonist in town - Mackenzie Reynolds and having now read the first two of the Dawn trilogy, I'm loving getting to know her and her little gang of equally entertaining buddies

As with all books by this author, everything feels meticulously researched and convincing - but written with such a light touch I feel I'm absorbing the details almost by osmosis.

Fractured Dawn picks up immediately where False Dawn stopped, and I'm breathlessly awaiting the next and final (I hope not!) in the trilogy. They are fast paced, interesting, witty and balanced with exactly the correct level of jeopardy and violence - lines such as 'that dude's like a container of sarin gas wrapped in barbed wire' and 'catapulting her into situations Mac had been just fine not experiencing' are two examples of why I love her writing so much

A great book, perfect escapist reading, wherever and however you might be spending your downtime

[Lynda Custer]

Fractured Dawn: Mackenzie Reynolds Thriller is the second book in D.V. Berkom’s new series. Mackenzie is determined to obtain the truth regarding her father’s death. As she follows clues from their past, the people she speaks with starts dying. Starting with a postmark on a three year old envelope, Mackenzie and her father’s best friend travel to Romania.

They are seeking answers but encounter so much more. They suddenly become involved in the world of espionage. Data from her friend Nick’s deceased brother’s hard drive provides documents that expose plans to create a world financial crisis. The fact finding mission becomes a mission filled with urgency. It is difficult to know who they can trust in the world filled with shadows. Friends are suspect. Informants? Can MacKenzie trust her own mother?

Fractured Dawn is a page turning, non-stop thriller! This is a heart pounding race to stop the world changing into chaos.

This is a fantastic series.

[Rosemary]

Fractured Dawn - a review by Rosemary Kenny.

Mackenzie 'Mac' Reynolds must put aside her antagonism for her spy- master Mom Rebecca.
Mac and her mentor Jackson helped thwart mastermind criminal Victor Hale's initial plot towards world domination, but now, 
with a mole inside Langley trying to frame Rebecca, it's down to the dynamic duo, working with Nick, a trusted journalist friend to follow an international trail and  prevent a global banking breakdown - whatever it takes.
With non-stop action scenes DV Berkom's storyline gallops along and takes you on a rollercoaster ride to danger. Mac will have to work with her Mom, while Rebecca covertly tests colleagues and assets behind the scenes. 
Can Mac and the team prevent Hale's coup?

Fractured Dawn will draw you in and keep you guessing, so hurry to get your copy ahead of Book 3, that's coming soon!

[Judy Johnson]

A pulse pounder for sure! Tons of action from the very start. Eastern Europe is the backdrop is this exciting novel that jumps right in to immediate action. No shortage of bad actors as this book picks up right where book one left off. Let me say here that you really should read book one first for the continuity, but you can still enjoy the book if this is your introduction to Mac and the 'crew.' The baddest of the bad guys (Vicor Hale) has stepped it up in his quest to control everyone and everything in the world. A bit more time is spent here on Mac's parents and their involvement in the spy game, and the search for clues as to whether or not Mac's dad is alive and who knew what and when. The CIA is deeply engrained, leaving the reader to imagine who really might be trustworthy. Without a doubt, a masterfully written espionage page turner that you don't want to miss!

[Chapters_with_VDKeck]

Y’all, Fractured Dawn, book two in the Mackenzie Reynolds series, hits the ground running and barely pauses to reload! 💥

When elite protection operator Mac Reynolds learns her father survived the Bangkok bombing, she follows a dangerous trail across Central Europe. With mentor Jackson Jones beside her, she uncovers Project Eclipse—a rogue intelligence network capable of toppling governments. Assassins are closing in, allies look suspicious, and trusting her CIA-agent mother may be Mac’s riskiest move yet.

Mac is tough, fiercely loyal, and emotionally tested as the mission becomes deeply personal. D.V. Berkom’s crisp, cinematic writing delivers tense chases, global intrigue, and twists sharper than a spy’s switchblade. Fast, explosive, and packed with betrayal—a gripping five-star espionage thriller! 🔥🔪

[Hope Gerhardstein]

Mac and her neighbor Jackson Jones, who is a former special forces agent, head to Romania in search of her father, whom she thought died three years prior. Instead he faked his death and went deep undercover to try and catch Victor Hale, an arms dealer who has grandiose ideas of taking over many governments. Victor has many contacts (loyal to his cause) in high places in many government offices of many countries. Mac is unsure who she can trust. Her mother works for the CIA, but has not always been forthcoming with her. As she, Jackson and a Romanian friend, Harry, search for her father, they become hunted for annihilation. Lots of action. Fast paced. Nick, a journalist and Mac’s love interest also comes into play to help with resources and intel. Great story.

[Candy Sue Truskowski]

WoW!! 🙌🏼 I'm so excited I got the chance to read this series early. These books are absolutely amazing. This was book two in the series. Mackenzie and her peeps do not disappoint. I am obsessed with these books and can't stop once I start. The action, suspense and the way it's written will suck you in and hook you. I'm patiently waiting for the third book and I wish I already had it. It's like waiting for the next season of your favorite show. DV Berkom is a new author to me and one I'm so excited I found. Believe me, you need to go start reading book 1, False Dawn, you will thank me later!! Bring on book 3, I'm ready!!! I want to say thank you 😊 for picking me to be part of the team. It’s a privilege and man will I be disappointed when the series is over. 😩

[Lonnie Huff]

A must read thriller. Mac gets a picture of her father showing her with her at a fishing boat. She is convinced that her father is still alive. She travels to meet the owner of the fishing boat who gives her documents her father had left with him for her. Mac's mother Rebecca is CIA and Mac does not trust her. Once she tells her mother about the fisherman she finds out he is dead afterward. Mac feels that her mother is a mole in the CIA and as she and her team of friends travel to try and find him and stop the plans of Victor Hale. People keep getting killed who they talk to.

This is the second book in the series and it has lots of twists and turns. Its a book you will not want to put down.

[Laurie]

WOW! Kept me reading until I finished. The second of three in the Mackenzie Reynolds series.
Mac learns her father may be alive. She decides to go searching for him. She learns about what he was working on and flies to Europe with her mentor.
They are supposed to meet an asset, who is dead when they get there. It turns out Mac and Jackson are on the enemy's hit list. The enemy - Victor Hale, evaded capture in Book one. They try to find out what he is up to and learn about Project Eclipse.
Travels across Europe to find not only Mac's father, but to capture Hale. They are set up multiple times, getting shot at.
This is a must read, especially if you read book 1.

[Richard Gordon]

DV never ceases BB to amaze. I read this in one sitt. Couldn't put it down. The plotflows expertly and there are no ear ill y surprises. The culprit was revealed at around 85% read. I have read everything she's written and she keeps getting better. I don't like to reveal plots, kind of ruins the endings when I see them, so you won't get any plot info from me. In the end, highly plausible situations and I recommend wholeheartedly. Read it and you will be hooked.