The Cipher

Nina Guerrera #1

by Isabella Maldonado

У шістнадцятирічному віці Ніна Ґеррера дивом втекла від серійного вбивці. Минуло багато років, Ніна вже не беззахисна дитина, вона спеціальна агентка ФБР. Одного осіннього вечора, під час пробіжки парком дівчина ледь не стає здобиччю нападників. Випадкове відео войовничої відсічі потрапляє в мережу і одразу стає вірусним. Легіони шанувальників шаленіють від її вправності у бойових мистецтвах. Проте несподівана популярність має зворотний бік. Чоловік, який викрав Ніну одинадцять років тому, впізнав її. Вирішивши повернути свою колись втрачену жертву, він скоює жахливе вбивство, маючи на меті залучити її до розслідування, але це лише початок його задуму. Через соцмережі убивця запрошує усіх охочих пограти проти нього. Зашифровані послання перетворюють вбивцю на зірку — загадкового кіберпривида, якого називають «Шифром», - але для Ніни він просто схиблений психопат. Разом із видатним профайлером, доктором Джеффрі Вейдом, Ніна полює за хижаком по всій країні. Підказка за підказкою, жертва за жертвою, Ніна намагається якнайшвидше зупинити небезпечного вбивцю, поки весь світ не зводить з неї очей.

Genres: Thriller, Mystery, Fiction, Crime, Mystery Thriller, Suspense, Audiobook

332 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 1, 2020

About the author

Wall Street Journal bestselling and award-winning 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 her police department, 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 Special Agent Nina Guerrera series, the Special Agent Dani Vega series, the Detective Veranda Cruz series, and the Sanchez and Heron series (co-authored with Jeffery Deaver). Her books are published in 24 languages. For more information, visit www.isabellamaldonado.com.

Reviews

[Regina · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Silence of the Lambs and The Lost Symbol got together and had a little book baby named The Cipher.

Let's unwrap this bundle of joy.

A young female FBI agent works with an older male colleague from the Behavior Analysis Unit to track a serial killer by solving the clues he leaves behind while zigzagging all over the country. Fortunately for us, baby Cipher differs from its Book Mama and Book Papa because its main protagonist was once an escaped victim of the killer, and there’s also way less tweed.

But I kid, I kid. The Cipher is actually a refreshing update on the hunted serial killer trope given its #ownvoices lineage. Both our heroine, Nina Guerrara, and the author are Latina. Isabella Maldonado’s bio is quite impressive: "A graduate of the FBI National Academy in Quantico and the first Latina to attain the rank of captain in her police department, she retired as the Commander of Special Investigations and Forensics." Yeah, I think I’m interested in her take on the genre! I was thoroughly engaged in the cat and mouse game she crafted, and consider me signed up for the forthcoming sequel.

The Cipher is currently available on Kindle Unlimited (and includes WhisperSync for those who may prefer listening on audio).

(Side eye side note: It appears the movie rights have already been snatched up by the 51-year-old JLo for Netflix. Ms. Lopez will be playing the 27-year-old Nina. Insert line mouth emoji here.)

Blog: https://www.confettibookshelf.com/

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you're a fan of Police Procedurals and FBI Behavioral Analysis you will want to read this one! There are just so many things in the mix here that I'm a fan of! "The Cipher" is Book One of a new series by Isabella Maldonado and I will definitely be reading the next one when it comes out!

I'm not sure if I can even sum the plot up easily.. to Maldonado's credit, she seamlessly weaves in a lot of elements without making you feel like you're just missing the kitchen sink. The story focuses on FBI agent Nina Guerrera, she is a special case as she had a more than challenging childhood and then at age 16, was kidnapped, held captive and raped before escaping. Eleven years later, after a video of her fighting off attackers goes viral, her kidnapper resurfaces, determined to get her in his clutches once again. She joins a BAU task force and they always seem one step behind the kidnapper (who is now a killer) as he leaves victims and clues across the country. Also, she is kick-ass!

Ok, so, at points is it a bit far fetched? sure, yes, maybe.. but who cares!! I don't need too much reality in life. There is one far fetched bit of plot that doesn't fit in as tightly but only because I think she overdoes describing it a bit but it does fit with the storyline. Were there some graphic scenes? yes but not too much, and it fell in with the theme of the book considering the fact that he is a sociopathic rapist. Is Nina sometimes a bit too kick ass for belief, ok maybe yes.. but honestly, I loved her. Like sorry, a female main character that is too strong of a fighter and isn't tripping over her feet, I'll take it! Woohoo! She is also super proud of her Latina heritage, which is not only some solid representation in a lead character as an FBI agent but also the food descriptions made my mouth water. Anyway, I'm trying to think of some negatives and am turning them all around. There are times when it's a bit procedural with team meetings discussing details of the case but it's literally that kind of book so... and if it has moments of slow in the middle, I sped through the last 1/4, couldn't put it down!

I loved that Maldonado incorporated today's world into this book, twitter, Facebook, livestreams, and she showed what would happen if a serial killer used those in the same way that killers mailed codes and letters to the newspapers in the 1960/70s, especially without editors to keep things from the populous nowadays. Everything was updated in this book, including the strong female lead, bravo! I loved her team, her neighbors, the supporting characters in this book were great, all fleshed out and believable.

The Cipher, as the killer becomes known, is also believable. He gets a chance to have a POV every once in a while and those chapters are chilling and give an eye to his character, which is fully developed and layered. Scary stuff right there...

There are also a lot of references throughout to myths, movies and other cultural references, some blatant and some alluded to and I loved those added details! At one point the characters describe the random citizens who are trying to solve the case as "Scoobies" which I thought was a great nod to a classic team of meddling kids but by the end of the book, I was thinking that this FBI BAU team was as likeable and quirky as the classic ones that rode in the Mystery Machine🐕

Anyway, enough chat about the book, if you need a good psychological police novel reminiscent of Patterson's Cross but tweaked for 2020, I ++ recommend you see if you can figure out the cipher!🧩

*Thank-you to Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for providing me with this early reader copy in exchange for an honest review*

[Kat (Books are Comfort Food) · Rating 5 out of 5]

FINALLY! A terrific, strong, female-based thriller that left me fully satisfied.

Nina Guerra is a force to be reckoned with. In spite of the fact that during her informative years, so many people let her down, she rose up through the ashes like a Phoenix, to carry on, because the alternative wasn’t in her vocabulary.

She spent time as a beat cop and went on to the FBI academy where she became a successful FBI agent. She, and her temporary team of agents, play cat and mouse with a horrible serial killer known as The Cipher.

This is a taut thriller (yes, a real nail-biter) and every page is filled with something informative and action-based, propelling the story forward. No need to skip pages, or roll your eyes back because Nina or her team are doing something stupid.

The characters are wonderful; relatable and flawed, but no so flawed that they become useless weights or take over the storyline. Nina’s neighbor, B, a college student, is completely heartwarming and sharp as a whip.

I loved the profiling and FBI procedural elements. As the book is written by a former FBI agent and a Latina Police captain, I felt like I was getting the real deal. I also loved how the author seamlessly weaved in technology and used Social Media (FB, Twitter) within the story, and upped the tension.

Most of all, what I loved is the fact that there is resilience in this story, and not just for Nina. Each of the very different books I’ve read this week (Have You Seen Louis Velez, The last Thing to Burn) all have resilience as the center breath that drives life into each of these amazing stories.

This truly is an anxiety based thriller with so many pluses, and I recommend this book to all you crime lovers that love action (you know who you are).

😉 Looks like this will also be a series and all I can say is, “sign me up”.

Read from the KU program with WhisperSync. 👍🏻

[Carol · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn’t find the story itself particularly credible. We are expected to believe that a woman who’s suffered serious abuse at the hands of a killer becomes an FBI agent herself and is assigned to another murder that allegedly was committed by the person who tried to kill her? Can we say “vigilante”? Can we say “conflict of Interest?” Can we picture this killer going free when, and if, his case comes to court? Police of any type do not put officers or agents in positions to have their credibility challenged in court if they don’t want to kiss their hoped-for conviction bye-bye.. I don’t think the FBI would touch this with a 10-ft pole. Nor does it sound like an assignment the FBI ever would make in the first place. I know the story is fiction but from the first 50-pages, I was unable to suspend my disbelief.

[Liz · Rating 3 out of 5]

This story takes on the modern world in a big way. This is a book that couldn’t have been written 20 years ago. The Cipher is a serial killer who uses social media to make a game of his killings. He leaves clues to be deciphered by his fans. The FBI uses DNA testing to try and track him down through familial matches.
I enjoyed the main character. Nina is a strong Latina FBI agent, who hasn’t let her traumatic past damage her. Still she wasn’t a cliché and certainly wasn’t perfect. Her partner, a profiler, also had his share of past troubles and they made for an interesting team.
While the story was entertaining, it relied way too heavily on coincidences. The way some of the clues were solved beggared belief. Moldonado was an FBI agent and while her experience shines through, her ability to tell a believable story was lacking.
I listened to this and the narrator brought nothing to the story. Her male voices actually grated.
While this was an ok story, I will not continue as there are way too many strong mystery series out there.

[Theresa Alan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the escapism of this story—I was able to forget about the insanity of the election and just read about the good guys catching the bad guy.

FBI Agent Nina Guerrera fights off an attack during her jog through the words. Someone had a cell phone handy and posted the video for all to see, including the man who attacked her when she was just sixteen years. The story is fast-paced.

[Tim · Rating 2 out of 5]

Story starts well before disintegrating into young female victimization. 4 of 10 stars

[Monnie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book, the first in a series, was an Amazon First Reads choice that looked intriguing. And you know what? It is. Not only did I enjoy it thoroughly, but I'm now looking forward to the next one.

To be sure, it's on the grisly side; FBI Special Agent Nina Guerrera was the victim of almost unspeakable acts done by a serial killer/rapist back when she was 16. She turned out to be the one who got away - but not without a ton of physical and emotional scars. As this book begins, she's jogging on a Virginia trail during off hours and is attacked. She overpowers her attacker, but as tends to happen in these days of instant "news," the whole thing was captured on video and uploaded to the Internet.

And therein lies a problem: Her attacker of many years ago was watching - and now he knows where she is. Worse, he's decided to play some games before he finally recaptures Nina; he'll kidnap others who resemble her, torture and kill them and leave mysterious clues for her to follow in hopes of preventing an attack on yet another victim. Because the clues often contain numbers and symbols, he's dubbed the "Cipher."

But now, Nina has the full power of the FBI behind her - including Dr. Jeffrey Wade, the Behavioral Analysis Unit guy who nearly got her booted out because he thought her judgment couldn't be trusted. He, too, has emotional scars from the nasty ending of another case for which he blames himself, but they've got no choice but to work together. A couple of other capable members join their team - one a cybersecurity expert - so the race is on to identify the guy before he strikes again (or worse, manages to recapture Nina herself).

I can't reveal more without spoiling things for other readers, but I can say The rest is packed with action as well as psychological analyses for which the BAU is well known. What happens isn't always pleasant, but it sure is exciting. Well done!

[Cristina Lazăr · Rating 4 out of 5]

https://carti.blog/2024/09/08/cifrul-...

[Erth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nina Guerrera has had the childhood from Hell. From being abandoned in a dumpster as a baby to a torrid life in care during which she was abducted,raped and tortured by a maniac at 16. From that background she works to achieve her dream of becoming an FBI Special Agent, despite strong reservations expressed by top FBI psychologist Dr Jeffrey Wade who feels she's unsuitable because of the trauma she's suffered in the attack.

Years later Nina finds herself "going viral" when a video of her beating up an attacker while she's out jogging appears on social media. Shortly afterwards a young girl is found murdered and clues are left to suggest that Nina's attacker of 11 years earlier is the killer,encouraged to come out of the shadows after seeing the online video. Both the modus operandi and a written clue show knowledge only someone connected to her attack would know.
Nina finds herself working as part of a small team,including to her dismay Dr Wade, now under a cloud from apparently messing up a previous case.
As the hunt progresses the Killer revels in the publicity and taunts the police ,and Nina in particular, with cryptic clues as to where he will strike next and using social media as a weapon and to stoke his growing ego.

The book is very well-written, I was impressed with the author's in-depth knowledge of the FBI,then read at the end of the book that she had a very successful career in law enforcement, including graduating at the FBI Academy at Quantico before turning her hand to writing. The story is involving and pacey with plenty of action , Nina's back story plays a big part and there are some quite graphic descriptions of her experiences that are not for the squeamish.

This book is very obviously the beginning of a series, and one that will become very popular. Nina is a great character and her small team work well together. Ms Maldonado has a great writing style, there's non-stop action and some quite difficult scenes that in lesser hands could have been exploitative .
If you like Karin Slaughter or Angela Marsons you'll enjoy this one.

[Antigone Walsh · Rating 2 out of 5]

Unbelievable

Nina , a young Hispanic woman, was abandoned at birth. She survived the treacherous foster care system. Her abduction, rape and torture at sixteen by a man never caught drove her into law enforcement. Now an FBI agent she is determined to prove herself. When a viral video puts her on her abductor's radar she must gather her strength to bring him to justice. But the passage of time gave him the opportunity to hone his craft. Compounding matters is the fact that she is partnered with the disgraced profiler whose reservations about her almost cost her her appointment at the FBI.

I'm usually up for a good serial killer yarn but this one left me cold. Nina is one dimensional and not especially engaging. Her team is sanctimonious and inept. The agents are indistinguishable and the handling of the killer's internet activity including release of Nina's sexual assault is unbelievable. The foray into eugenics was unnecessary. The final showdown was also incredible. That Nina and the team are deemed worthy of a special unit because of their resolution of the case is laughable. Not a fan.

[Aitziber · Rating 4 out of 5]

Libro de lo más entretenido. Capitulos cortos que me han tenido pegada al libro.

El malo, muy malo que va detrás de nuestra protagonista. Persecución contrareloj por encontrar al asesino.
Algunos momentos han sido predecible, pero para nada quien era el culpable.

Parece que es el primer libro de otros que vendrán sobre la protagonista

[Debbie DiFiore]

The Warrior Girl

This was very good. I loved the resilience of the heroine and her courage to take control of her life after years of abuse. The evil Odin truly personified evil. Her will to survive was so strong. She was a perfect heroine. I loved her neighbor Mrs Gomez and I swear I could almost smell the food she kept bringing to the heroine. I totally want carne asada now and empanadas! And Bianca, the genius teenager and I am sure she will be featured in future stories and I do hope there are more. The team with Wade, Kent, Baxter(?) And Nina were so interesting. I want to have more adventures with them and I can't wait. The ending was perfection. That scene on The "Yellow Brick Road" was so amazing. I could picture each one of them as a character from the Wizard of Oz helping Nina ease on down the road. Excellent read. Loved it. Now I just have to find me some Carne Asada.

[Rich · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was my first book from this author. It was a decent read. It reminded alot of a FBI show that just ended criminal minds-was never a big fan of that show lol. The main character was ok-dialogue was ok and the secondary characters were ok . I thought at times it dragged a little bit-and I do not like knowing what the bad guy is doing or thinking, I have said that before. I was not wild about the ending, I saw it coming a mile away. I think it could have been a better book , not sure why just a gut feeling. I give it 3.4 stars. I do not think I will continue with the series when the next book comes out, just not in love wth the main character, she is too perfect in someway ehh. I would say you could do worse and if you like crinminal minds then give this book a spin

[Amber Young · Rating 2 out of 5]

I finished it. I'm not sure how. The story was fast paced. There is a lot of potential for a very interesting read but it just never got there. The characters were uninteresting and I couldn't find an emotional connection with any of them, as hard as I tried. The ciphers weren't even interesting. The story is filled with a lot of movement and yet it isn't anything that adds to the plot. I gave it two stars because I did read it, and the editing seems to be done well.

[Tanzila Tabassum Zisha (Annabel Lee) · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5/5
───────────────
I usually like most detective thrillers I read, even the not-so-great ones. Possibly years of reading the Bengali versions of Three Detectives/Famous Five series in my childhood and adolescence created in me a soft spot for them.

This one I liked a lot, even though the writing wasn't good and was cheesy at times, nor did it delve very deeply into the characters' psyche apart from the main character and the villain.

The Cipher did nothing new as far as detective thrillers go, being a classic "guy abused by father turns into a psycho serial killer" story. What made it more enjoyable for me was the killer who called himself The Cipher and his tactics.

At each of his murder scenes, he leaves clues to where the next victim will be. He publishes them on his social media platforms for the whole world to see and to try to solve them, thus creating an uncontrollable mass chaos where people from all over the USA start clue-hunting much to the inconvenience of the FBI. His cruelty, cleverness, and his obsession with special agent Nina Guerrera that led him to all the atrocities I thought were the most intriguing aspects of the story.

But how quickly and almost coincidentally they solved all the clues ground my gears, so did Nina and the FBI's carelessness to ensure her safety. I found it hard to believe that the FBI would let one of their most valuable agents who a serial killer was threatening on public platforms to torture and kill live in her downtown rented home with normal padlocks and no special security system.

I must put trigger warnings for graphic scenes of torture and rape. This book does get disturbing at times.

▪ He may have digital footage of every murder he committed, which would not be unusual. Many serial killers save trophies, photographs, or video of their victims to . . . enjoy later.” He didn’t need to spell it out. Nina suppressed a shudder at the thought of the Cipher masturbating while he watched her in the throes of agony. Did he wear her necklace when he indulged his fantasies?

More things I liked in the story -
- The twist of The Cipher's identity and how they finally solved it.
- Good Latina representation and conversations of White Supremacy.
- Great female bonding and female character representation. A teenage genius Latina girl going to university from the age of 14, who looked up to Nina the agent, another Latina woman, who didn't sacrifice her femininity for a rough and tough exterior but was extremely resilient despite her painful past.

▪ She had spent years shoring up her internal walls. Her legal name change reflected the fact that she no longer believed in hope. Throughout her childhood, no one had fought for her. When a broken system utterly failed her, she had decided to fight for herself. As an adult, she now fought for others. She had learned to trust only herself. Time to try something different. “Ready to do what it takes to catch this bastard,” she said. “It’s clear the Cipher knew a lot about me before he took me. It’s also clear there are details I don’t recall. Details that might point us in the right direction.” She gestured to Wade and Kent, prepared to do something she had never done. “I’m asking for your help. I need to remember.”


▪ She realized they needed her to accept their help. If she was going to be part of this ad hoc unit, she would have to change her way of doing things. Over the years, she’d learned not to depend on anyone but herself. Others had let her down too many times. Now she had to figure out how to be part of a team.

Also, I disliked the audiobook so much that I had to switch to the ebook version.

[Dharma Kelleher · Rating 5 out of 5]

THE CIPHER Puts A Modern Twist On The Serial Killer Trope

Following the success of her Veranda Cruz series, author Isabella Maldonado introduces us to her latest heroine, FBI Special Agent Nina Guerrera, in her upcoming mystery thriller, The Cipher.

As a teenager, Nina managed to escape from a serial killer who was never captured. Years later, Nina has built a career with the FBI. But when a failed assault involving Nina is caught on video and goes viral on the internet, the serial killer takes notice and decides its time to finish what he started.

The killer, known as the Cipher for his coded taunting messages left at crime scenes along with the bodies of young women, suddenly discovers that social media is a great way to fulfill his pathological need for attention. Each gruesome murder, every social media post goes viral, leaving the Nina and her FBI team not only racing against time to stop the killer but also against amateur sleuth-wannabes who want to be the first to solve the crimes and win a prize.

I generally don’t read a lot of serial killer books because the trope has been so done to death and the stories too often devolve into “torture porn.” But I am a big fan of Maldonado’s Veranda Cruz series and knew she had the chops to create a story that is as fresh as it is exciting.

That said, what really sets Maldonado’s The Cipher apart from so many other serial killer novels is how she explores our pathological craving for information and interaction, the way social media has changed the way we as people interact with the world, and the ways influential people can put their thumbs on the scales in ways most people cannot.

And with Maldonado’s personal experience in law enforcement, you get a story that accurately reflects the reality of the culture behind the badge.

If you’re looking for an exciting, edge-of-your-seat suspense thriller, you won’t want to miss The Cipher published by Thomas & Mercer. The book comes out on November 1, 2020.

I received a free advanced copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

[Ruth · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,5 Sterne. Total unterhaltsam, nicht extrem tiefgängig, relativ brutal, super Auftakt für eine Reihe rund um Ermittlerin Nina Guerrera (inkl. cooles BAU-Team a la Criminal Minds).

[Anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really wanted to love this book, but it took an excruciatingly long time to finish.

First, it’s got solid bones and structure. Second, the author was an FBI agent. Third, she’s a badass.

I expected much more than was given. There are so many plot holes and it was almost cringy in its predictable dialogue and sequencing. Plus you can’t wave off someone who calls out sick when you know they’re going to win or die trying.

I love the character. While I’m adopted and it’s no way the same as a character who emancipated herself out of a treacherous life in foster care, I’m with her at the end of this book. I 💯 fully and completely understand (down into my soul) why she made that decision about knowing or not knowing. I made the same decision decades ago.

It wasn’t enough to bump up the rating. All the plot holes and awkward transitions to advance the plot almost made me DNF.

Karly said I’d either love it or hate it. She loved it so I knew it would be worthwhile to finish. It was and this is a solid 3 star rating from me. I’m interested in the next book in this series because of Nina and her badassery.

PS I do NOT recommend the audiobook version. I tried to switch and that was worse!!

[Aitor Castrillo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hemos leído Enigma en el club de lectura Se ha escrito un crimen y hemos disfrutado mucho comentando en cada meta.

Me ha gustado la prota, Nina Guerrera, porque es guerrerísima y también me ha gustado su enfrentamiento con Enigma, que es un villano villanísimo (una curiosa mezcla entre Ilia Topuria 💪 y Albert Einstein 🧠).

El único pero (pequeñito) es que después de haber hecho muchas hipótesis en el grupo de Telegram sobre la identidad del misterioso Enigma, quizá esperaba un 💥 final, que no se ha producido.

De todos modos, la novela tiene un ritmo endiablado y ha sido genial recorrer diferentes puntos de Estados Unidos junto al equipo de investigación del FBI tras los pasos del enigmático asesino.

[Mlpmom (Book Reviewer) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I grabbed this one on a whim needed and good mystery for this time of year and I am so glad I took a chance on this. It was everything I needed in a good heart pounding read that kept me on my toes and coming back for more. I can't wait to read more in this series!

[Nica's Musings · Rating 4 out of 5]

A suspenseful novel from the first chapter until the end.

A Latina FBI agent changed her name from Nina Esperanza to Nina Guerrero when she was 17 years old. Nina escaped her attacker when she was 16 years old. Her abductor found her 11 years later when a video of her being attacked while running in a park goes viral. Now he is back to finish what he failed to do all those years ago. The serial killer continued to abduct and kill throw away young girls in preparation for when he meet Nina again.

The saving grace of this book is the author's great writing skills and ability to keep you on edge from start to finish. It is fast-paced and the author is knowledgeable of her craft. I do not know the author's background and I do not read about the author when I decide to read a book. The book's description and genre and the first three chapters are how I decide if I will finish the book. However, I couldn't get past how can a survivor of a very traumatic abduction by the person who abducted the protagonist is now coming back for her. She became an FBI agent because of that and I believe that despite that background she can become one. What I can't get past is she's still allowed to be involved or work the case despite the fact the unsub is on to her. This type of situation is too close to home. Even when Nina Guerrera (the main protagonist) said she'll be the subjective side of the case. It would've been more realistic if she's worked as a consultant rather than part of the team going after The Cipher. However, I also appreciated how the author is consistent on how people become flabbergasted when they recognize Nina Guerrera - Warrior Girl. Yeah, they've seen the video. It makes Nina vulnerable. I don't know how Nina can continue to question leads knowing she's the reason for The Cipher's cat and mouse game and the rest of his victims after she escaped 11 years ago.


PS. I read an article that Netflix is doing a movie adaption of the book. Though I'm not sure how 51-year-old JLo landed the role for Nina Guerrera who is 27 years old in the book. How about the actress who played Veronica Lodge on Riverdale or Jane the Virgin?  

*Kindle First Reads pick for October 2020. Audiobook published by Brilliance Audio. Narrated by Roxanne Hernandez

Read the full review on Nica's Musings.

[Steven · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this new series, author Maldonado brings a sense of authenticity that one rarely finds in police procedural thrillers. I am sure this is because she is the real deal. Her experience as a police officer should and does bring a real sense that she knows of what she speaks. But that has little to do with literary talent and this is where she shines. The book is real page-turner. It is filled with many memorable characters but it is the heroine, Nina Guerrera, who comes alive in a memorable way. It is not easy to bring a reader to empathize with a central character but this author does it in spades. I really enjoyed her previous trilogy and this new book only solidifies my belief that she will just get better and better. Make sure to put this book on your to buy (and read) list. This book, by itself, would make a terrific movie or TV series. Coming in November, this is sure to be a winner. Nina rocks.

[Анастасія ꒰⁠⑅⁠ᵕ⁠༚⁠ᵕ⁠꒱⁠˖⁠♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

І знову особа з членом вирішила що вона бог, і йому потрібно позбавити життя жінок, яких знайшли на вулиці в дитинстві. Глави від цього Шифра можна назвати одним словом «гидота», він вважає Ніну, жгг, що вона непотріб, бо вона не потрібна навіть власним батькам і що їй треба померти, і вже ж в дитинстві він її викрав і згвалтував, і вона втекла, через багато років, він потрапляє на відео, де вона б'ється зі злочинцем і він вирішив завершити почате. Це так огидно було, якийсь член на ніжках вирішив що він бог, що він краще за інших, бо він народився через систему, яка робить розумних дітей чи якось так, і що він краще за інших. Хоча він середньостатистична особа, яка нічим не відрізняється від інших, і був середній айк'ю, але він вирішив що він бог, що краще за інших. А особливо дратує в більшості детективах те, що коли отака ситуація, де дівчина народилася в неблагополучній родині, чи вона займається проституцією щоб себе прогодувати, чи що її в дитинстві підкинули чи знайшли на вулиці, то завжди ЗАВЖДИ БЛЯТЬ винна виходить виключно жінка, але не обставини, і жодного разу я не читала коли б вбивали чоловіків, яких знайшли на вулиці, чи таких не існує? А ще оцей Шифр, коли виклав одне відео з жгг, то потім він сказав, що вона негідна підтримки людей, що вона слабка і т.п. через те, що коли він її викрав ВОНА БЛАГАЛА ЦЬОГО НЕ РОБИТИ, і через оцю «слабкість» він сказав що вона якась недостойна. В кінці мені було мало якось його хвилин смерті.

[Kathy · Rating 1 out of 5]

I expected something more with FBI action rather than a highly offensive recounting of horrors inflicted on one female FBI agent.
Truly not my kind of book. I don't know through what channel Amazon offered this book to me, but I have to be nore careful in accepting / reading free books from them. I own it and wish I didn't.

[Gavin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I bought this on a whim as part of an Audible 2-for-1 sale. I’ve been trying to read more thrillers and the premise of this one seemed interesting.

This ended up being an OK read. Nothing special but it did have the feel of an engaging Criminal Minds or Law & Order episode. Readable but not super memorable.

The premise was fairly run of the mill for the genre but still engaging enough. Nina Guerrera is an FBI agent and former victim of a serial killer who finds herself back in the spotlight when a video of her taking down a few youths who tried to rape her while she was out jogging goes viral. Unfortunately for Nina is catches the eye of her old nemesis.

The tale followed the FBI team that tried to track the serial killer that was taunting Nina while killing a bunch of new victims.

Nina was easy to like and as tough as expected without being particularly cynical despite her dark history. The killer was smart and evil but not infallible. The downside of the story is the fact that the rest of the characters are a little generic.

All in all this was an OK cat & mouse crime tale. I’ll probably read the next instalment of the series.

Rating: 3.5 stars.

Audio Note: Roxanne Hernandez did an adequate job with the audio. Not the best narrator I’ve heard by a long shot but not bad enough to damage the story.

[julia ☆ [owls reads] · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Cipher was a really intriguing and engrossing read up until the final climax. The writing was compelling and the way Maldonado developed Nina as a character was wonderful; she was such a complex character and her strength and determination to face her past traumas were very well written. Big content warning for rape and torture as those themes were discussed several times throughout the book.

My issue was with one (1) scene nearing the end of the novel. Spoilers ahead.

I really really r e a l l y didn't buy the way Nina was captured. After everything, for her to be fooled like she was??? It felt very cheap and didn't make any sense with the character and plot development up until then. It came across, to me, like that had to happen at some point and Maldonado had no better ideas on how to write that scene.

Unfortunately, that meant the big twist and climax of the novel fell flat to me. Since I couldn't believe Nina fell for the Cipher's trick, what came after made me feel no sense of danger or fear. The story just... fell apart. Because of that, the ending wasn't as satisfying as it should have been.

So, I will not be continuing the series. Even so, if you're looking for a quick mystery read, this might be the book for you.

[Valleri · Rating 4 out of 5]

Trigger warning: child abuse, rape.

This book is the first one I've read in Amazon First Reads. I guess they can be hit or miss but this one was a hit! When 27-year-old FBI special agent Nina Guerrera is attacked by a high school student while jogging, she fights the boy off and arrests him. A video of the assault goes viral, and just like that, Nina's past nightmare hits replay. The story follows her as she stalks the man who took her hostage and tortured her eleven years prior when she was still a teenager. (That part was difficult to read at times, and a little on the graphic side.) The author drew on her 22 years in law enforcement, which added realism, but I felt the use of coincidence was relied on a little too often.

I loved reading about Florence Martis, the waving girl of Savannah! And even more, I seriously adored Nina's young neighbor, Bianca. I really hope she shows up in future books! I predict this will be a long-running series.

[Mackey · Rating 4 out of 5]

My Amazon First Reads selection for October, The Cipher was an enjoyable piece of crime fiction. Our primary character, Nina, is tough as nails and sigh of relief from the usual protrayal of ditzy female agents. The remaining characters are typical agents but with a biting humor and a great use of word play. One can tell that the author has experience, her writing is detailed and on point. I highly recommend The Cipher and am looking forward book 2 in the series.

[Єлізавета Максименко · Rating 5 out of 5]

Аааааа, відкрила для себе ще одну круту авторку🔥🔥🔥
Треба швидко брати продовження!


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