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Nina Guerrera #2
A Different Dawn
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.
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.
352 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 10, 2021
2323 people are currently reading
7423 people want to read
About the author
Isabella Maldonado
26 books1,551 followersWall 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.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 818 reviews
August 16, 2021
Hey, I get it. Reviews for series installments when you haven’t read the first book can be pretty uninteresting, so I’ll try to make this as painless as possible.
If you enjoy thrillers/police procedurals/FBI profiler stories, do yourself a favor and turn that bus back around to scoop up The Cipher, book #1 in Isabella Maldonado’s Nina Guerrera series. A Different Dawn is only book #2! You can still catch up!
What you’ll get in both books is an extremely fast-paced huntin’-for-a-serial-killer plot, lead by an intriguing Latina female main character, written by an #ownvoices author who is a retired crime fighter herself. I would not recommend pressing the FF button and starting with this second book though, because Maldonado wastes zero pages bringing newbies up to speed and just presses the gas pedal hard to accelerate this story about a Leap Year killer on the loose. Much of the action here takes place in Phoenix, which was a nice change of pace.
Now for some good news: Both books are currently available on Kindle Unlimited and include WhisperSync for those who may prefer the audiobook format.
Which leads to the bad news: Kindle Unlimited books are hard to find at libraries. Yours may have a paperback or two, but none will have ebooks or audiobooks to lend. Boo.
If you’re intrigued enough at this point to consider starting the series with The Cipher, my previous review of it can be found here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
But either way, I’ll leave you with this: A Netflix film adaptation is still in the works with Jennifer Lopez (52) attached to play Nina (27). Cool, cool.
Blog: https://www.confettibookshelf.com/
If you enjoy thrillers/police procedurals/FBI profiler stories, do yourself a favor and turn that bus back around to scoop up The Cipher, book #1 in Isabella Maldonado’s Nina Guerrera series. A Different Dawn is only book #2! You can still catch up!
What you’ll get in both books is an extremely fast-paced huntin’-for-a-serial-killer plot, lead by an intriguing Latina female main character, written by an #ownvoices author who is a retired crime fighter herself. I would not recommend pressing the FF button and starting with this second book though, because Maldonado wastes zero pages bringing newbies up to speed and just presses the gas pedal hard to accelerate this story about a Leap Year killer on the loose. Much of the action here takes place in Phoenix, which was a nice change of pace.
Now for some good news: Both books are currently available on Kindle Unlimited and include WhisperSync for those who may prefer the audiobook format.
Which leads to the bad news: Kindle Unlimited books are hard to find at libraries. Yours may have a paperback or two, but none will have ebooks or audiobooks to lend. Boo.
If you’re intrigued enough at this point to consider starting the series with The Cipher, my previous review of it can be found here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
But either way, I’ll leave you with this: A Netflix film adaptation is still in the works with Jennifer Lopez (52) attached to play Nina (27). Cool, cool.
Blog: https://www.confettibookshelf.com/
August 6, 2021
This is a very good thriller, fast-paced and well-thought-out plot.
Nina is a very interesting character, and not only because of her complicated past. She is a strong woman. You can also see how her difficult childhood shaped her and how it influences the decisions she makes as an adult. She is a complicated heroine who works great as the main character of this story. The team she works with is a good background for her, I really liked all these people.
The case Nina is working on is also very interesting. I really liked the idea, which stands out from the rest of the serial killer cases I've read about recently. There is something unique to remember about this one. The murderer is very intelligent, does not make mistakes and is all the time one step ahead of the agents chasing him. I had no doubts that the stakes were high.
This is not a book for very sensitive people. Several newborns are murdered, there are no drastic descriptions, but if you are particularly sensitive to violence against very young children or their mothers, this is not the book for you.
I hadn't read the first book in this series, but it wasn't necessary. You can easily read this book as a stand-alone.
I am eager to read the first book in this series and the next ones.
Thanks to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Nina is a very interesting character, and not only because of her complicated past. She is a strong woman. You can also see how her difficult childhood shaped her and how it influences the decisions she makes as an adult. She is a complicated heroine who works great as the main character of this story. The team she works with is a good background for her, I really liked all these people.
The case Nina is working on is also very interesting. I really liked the idea, which stands out from the rest of the serial killer cases I've read about recently. There is something unique to remember about this one. The murderer is very intelligent, does not make mistakes and is all the time one step ahead of the agents chasing him. I had no doubts that the stakes were high.
This is not a book for very sensitive people. Several newborns are murdered, there are no drastic descriptions, but if you are particularly sensitive to violence against very young children or their mothers, this is not the book for you.
I hadn't read the first book in this series, but it wasn't necessary. You can easily read this book as a stand-alone.
I am eager to read the first book in this series and the next ones.
Thanks to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
August 10, 2021
A Different Dawn is the second instalment in the Nina Guerrera series, set in Phoenix, Arizona. FBI Special Agent Guerrera and her gallant team are called to Phoenix from their Washington D.C. base to begin an important investigation when the FBI’s Violent Criminal Apprehension Program database detects two deaths labelled as bizarre that have undoubtedly been staged to resemble two murder suicides. It is immediately clear from their evidence that the serial killer whose trail they are on only strikes once every four years. The most recent case he has been linked to is that of Orthopedic surgeon Tom Doyle and his wife, ophthalmologist Meaghan Doyle, who have been brutally slaughtered along with their infant daughter in the centre of Phoenix. The killing had been meticulously planned down to even the finest detail which adds to the notion that this mass murderer has real patience to wait such a long time between his kills. But the police are struggling to find a plausible motive. The last crime occurred four years ago in Manhattan. Another aspect they have in common is the fact that they have each been committed during a leap year on the day of February 29. Nina's team then discover that there has been a spate of eight other attacks in which there were triple fatalities—father, mother, baby daughter.
Between each incident, there is always a four-year lapse in time with the first attack having taken place 28 years ago in Phoenix before they traverse the United States. The team must follow the clues and seek out commonalities between the murders in the hope of catching a break. They manage to ascertain a connection to the crimes that precipitated Nina's time in foster care as a child, but once they close in on the suspected Leap Day Killer they turn up to find he has been brutally murdered, and they are too late. Does the LDK know his days are numbered, and will Nina and her colleagues manage to apprehend him before anyone else gets hurt? This is a scintillating, compulsive and heart-pounding crime read with all the thrills, kills and chills required to make it a real page-turner. The mystery is a captivating one and plenty of meticulous police work is being carried out to identify a killer who shows no signs of stopping despite being on a spree that is nearing the thirty-year mark. It's an even better book than its predecessor with a riveting and deftly woven plot in which Maldonado ratchets the suspense up to palpable levels and the mystery with all its gripping twists and misdirection unravel. This is a terrifying, thoroughly entertaining cat and mouse tale that is difficult to put down. Highly recommended.
Between each incident, there is always a four-year lapse in time with the first attack having taken place 28 years ago in Phoenix before they traverse the United States. The team must follow the clues and seek out commonalities between the murders in the hope of catching a break. They manage to ascertain a connection to the crimes that precipitated Nina's time in foster care as a child, but once they close in on the suspected Leap Day Killer they turn up to find he has been brutally murdered, and they are too late. Does the LDK know his days are numbered, and will Nina and her colleagues manage to apprehend him before anyone else gets hurt? This is a scintillating, compulsive and heart-pounding crime read with all the thrills, kills and chills required to make it a real page-turner. The mystery is a captivating one and plenty of meticulous police work is being carried out to identify a killer who shows no signs of stopping despite being on a spree that is nearing the thirty-year mark. It's an even better book than its predecessor with a riveting and deftly woven plot in which Maldonado ratchets the suspense up to palpable levels and the mystery with all its gripping twists and misdirection unravel. This is a terrifying, thoroughly entertaining cat and mouse tale that is difficult to put down. Highly recommended.
September 3, 2021
A Different Dawn
August 29, 2021
Book Review
A Different Dawn
Isabella Maldonado
reviewed by Lou Jacobs
readersremains.com | Goodreads
Criminal Minds ran for 15 seasons and ended on the 324th episode on 2/19/20 after attracting a legion of fans. Rejoice fellow junkies! Another elite team of FBI agents have been formed by Isabella Maldonado. Your fix is right here!
Maldonado utilizes her more than two decades of law enforcement to craft a wonderful addition to the lore of the elite members of the B.A.U. (Behavioral Analysis Unit, based in Quantico, Virginia. Called in by local police forces to assist in the investigation and apprehension of the nation’s most heinous crimes. She tells this entertaining and insightful story of this newly formed team.
Featured is Special Agent Nina Guerrera, who already has gained notoriety in aiding in the resolution of a high-profile case in Phoenix (as told in the first book of this series). The local newspapers have given her the nomme de plume of “Warrior Girl” (which is the Spanish translation of her name). She answers to Supervisory Special Agent Gerard Buxton, as do the other members of the team. Dr Jeffrey Wade, her mentor and the most senior criminal profiler in the FBI. Even though in his early fifties, he has a doctorate in psychology and a couple decades of experience. The team is rounded out with Special Agents: Jake Kent and Kelly Breck. Kent is a former Navy SEAL and strikes a formidable image with his muscular build and sandy colored buzz cut and somewhat incongruous black framed glasses. Breck is the cyber specialist and never without her laptop. Her sassy attitude is softened by her southern accent.
The tale begins with insight into the origins of Nina’s strengths and motivations with a glimpse into her childhood, twenty years earlier at the age of seven. The scene is a girl’s group home in Fairfax, Virginia. Nina never knew her family, and was reportedly left in a dumpster. Even at seven, Nina was curious and protective of the younger girls. There was little expectation of being adopted. An incident is described when one of the older girls and a bully was taunting and terrifying with the story of La Llorona (“yorona”). The wailing (or weeping) woman whose misdeeds in life have left her spirit trapped on Earth, where she torments little children. ( A Latina ghost story / folk tale that has been forever passed on, and was even the source of a horror film ). Basically, the wife has found out about her husband’s infidelity, and in retribution she drowns his beloved two children. So remorseful she then drowns herself in the same river. She is denied admission to heaven and is banished back to purgatory on Earth until she can find her children. ) It is said to the children, if they hear her, they are next to die. The bully also taunts Nina by calling her “dumpster baby” while Nina comforts and protects several younger girls.
Immediately the reader is subjected to a heinous situation. The UnSub creeps into a home using night-vision goggles, while the inhabitants are peacefully sleeping. Acknowledged are years of planning and weeks of surveillance. (“deaf to pleas, blind to tears and without mercy”) The first stop is the nursery where the newborn girl is suffocated. The lifeless bundle is carried into the master bedroom. The father was quickly dispatched with a single gunshot to the heart. The wife was found in the bathtub, dressed in a nightgown with a pistol resting in her right hand and a single gunshot wound in her right temple. It initially looked to the first responding officers that the mother killed her family before turning the gun on herself. The staging was almost perfect.
The Phoenix police homicide detective noted a small incongruity. A trace amount of blood was noted in the entryway foyer. Crime analysis matched this specimen to that of the father. An impossibility since he died instantly in bed. Further investigation, using an electrostatic lifter, uncovered a barely visible shoe print (“ghost print”) on the foyer floor that did not match anything owned by the father. Submission to the database (VICAP- Violent Criminal Apprehension Program) found a match from a case four years earlier in New York City. A mother, father and newborn girl were murdered in their Manhattan apartment, also staged to look like a double-homicide-suicide; and, also occurring on February twenty-ninth (on leap day)
Based on these horrendous events, the B.A.U. team was tasked to determine whether the two cases are related and to assist in the investigation by the Phoenix police department. The team immediately began the search to uncover any other murders that were misidentified anywhere in the country. With painstaking effort, they uncovered a clear pattern with the UnSub hitting on leap day (therefore every four years) dating back to the oldest incident twenty-eight years ago, also in Phoenix. All eight murders occurred in major cities. Obviously, they were dealing with a unique predator. Although severely disturbed, he was able to pass himself off as normal, and probably charming … and apparently able to blend invisibly into his surroundings. He is ruthless, manipulative, and completely without conscience. In other words, a self-disciplined psychopath. But what is the purpose of his elaborate staging? Obviously creating a scenario that he wanted the police to believe, but more importantly it satisfied an emotional need. Strap in while the wild and twisted hunt begins! Guererra will uncover revelations that rock her world.
Isabella Maldonado crafts a riveting and complex tale with concise and gritty prose that progressively ratchets up the suspense and tension resulting in a page-turner that can’t be put down. Her law enforcement experience allows her to be both insightful and entertaining in exploring the many terms encountered in crime fiction. A clear understanding is obtained in regards to MO, signature, precipitating stressors, as well as the difference between sociopath and psychopath—and the newer terminology of ASPD (antisocial personality disorder).
Thanks to Isabella for this wonderful ride, and to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer Books for supplying an uncorrected proof in exchange for an honest review.
Published at MYSERY AND SUSPENSE MAGAZINE ....
August 29, 2021
Book Review
A Different Dawn
Isabella Maldonado
reviewed by Lou Jacobs
readersremains.com | Goodreads
Criminal Minds ran for 15 seasons and ended on the 324th episode on 2/19/20 after attracting a legion of fans. Rejoice fellow junkies! Another elite team of FBI agents have been formed by Isabella Maldonado. Your fix is right here!
Maldonado utilizes her more than two decades of law enforcement to craft a wonderful addition to the lore of the elite members of the B.A.U. (Behavioral Analysis Unit, based in Quantico, Virginia. Called in by local police forces to assist in the investigation and apprehension of the nation’s most heinous crimes. She tells this entertaining and insightful story of this newly formed team.
Featured is Special Agent Nina Guerrera, who already has gained notoriety in aiding in the resolution of a high-profile case in Phoenix (as told in the first book of this series). The local newspapers have given her the nomme de plume of “Warrior Girl” (which is the Spanish translation of her name). She answers to Supervisory Special Agent Gerard Buxton, as do the other members of the team. Dr Jeffrey Wade, her mentor and the most senior criminal profiler in the FBI. Even though in his early fifties, he has a doctorate in psychology and a couple decades of experience. The team is rounded out with Special Agents: Jake Kent and Kelly Breck. Kent is a former Navy SEAL and strikes a formidable image with his muscular build and sandy colored buzz cut and somewhat incongruous black framed glasses. Breck is the cyber specialist and never without her laptop. Her sassy attitude is softened by her southern accent.
The tale begins with insight into the origins of Nina’s strengths and motivations with a glimpse into her childhood, twenty years earlier at the age of seven. The scene is a girl’s group home in Fairfax, Virginia. Nina never knew her family, and was reportedly left in a dumpster. Even at seven, Nina was curious and protective of the younger girls. There was little expectation of being adopted. An incident is described when one of the older girls and a bully was taunting and terrifying with the story of La Llorona (“yorona”). The wailing (or weeping) woman whose misdeeds in life have left her spirit trapped on Earth, where she torments little children. ( A Latina ghost story / folk tale that has been forever passed on, and was even the source of a horror film ). Basically, the wife has found out about her husband’s infidelity, and in retribution she drowns his beloved two children. So remorseful she then drowns herself in the same river. She is denied admission to heaven and is banished back to purgatory on Earth until she can find her children. ) It is said to the children, if they hear her, they are next to die. The bully also taunts Nina by calling her “dumpster baby” while Nina comforts and protects several younger girls.
Immediately the reader is subjected to a heinous situation. The UnSub creeps into a home using night-vision goggles, while the inhabitants are peacefully sleeping. Acknowledged are years of planning and weeks of surveillance. (“deaf to pleas, blind to tears and without mercy”) The first stop is the nursery where the newborn girl is suffocated. The lifeless bundle is carried into the master bedroom. The father was quickly dispatched with a single gunshot to the heart. The wife was found in the bathtub, dressed in a nightgown with a pistol resting in her right hand and a single gunshot wound in her right temple. It initially looked to the first responding officers that the mother killed her family before turning the gun on herself. The staging was almost perfect.
The Phoenix police homicide detective noted a small incongruity. A trace amount of blood was noted in the entryway foyer. Crime analysis matched this specimen to that of the father. An impossibility since he died instantly in bed. Further investigation, using an electrostatic lifter, uncovered a barely visible shoe print (“ghost print”) on the foyer floor that did not match anything owned by the father. Submission to the database (VICAP- Violent Criminal Apprehension Program) found a match from a case four years earlier in New York City. A mother, father and newborn girl were murdered in their Manhattan apartment, also staged to look like a double-homicide-suicide; and, also occurring on February twenty-ninth (on leap day)
Based on these horrendous events, the B.A.U. team was tasked to determine whether the two cases are related and to assist in the investigation by the Phoenix police department. The team immediately began the search to uncover any other murders that were misidentified anywhere in the country. With painstaking effort, they uncovered a clear pattern with the UnSub hitting on leap day (therefore every four years) dating back to the oldest incident twenty-eight years ago, also in Phoenix. All eight murders occurred in major cities. Obviously, they were dealing with a unique predator. Although severely disturbed, he was able to pass himself off as normal, and probably charming … and apparently able to blend invisibly into his surroundings. He is ruthless, manipulative, and completely without conscience. In other words, a self-disciplined psychopath. But what is the purpose of his elaborate staging? Obviously creating a scenario that he wanted the police to believe, but more importantly it satisfied an emotional need. Strap in while the wild and twisted hunt begins! Guererra will uncover revelations that rock her world.
Isabella Maldonado crafts a riveting and complex tale with concise and gritty prose that progressively ratchets up the suspense and tension resulting in a page-turner that can’t be put down. Her law enforcement experience allows her to be both insightful and entertaining in exploring the many terms encountered in crime fiction. A clear understanding is obtained in regards to MO, signature, precipitating stressors, as well as the difference between sociopath and psychopath—and the newer terminology of ASPD (antisocial personality disorder).
Thanks to Isabella for this wonderful ride, and to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer Books for supplying an uncorrected proof in exchange for an honest review.
Published at MYSERY AND SUSPENSE MAGAZINE ....
August 27, 2021
A Different Dawn by Isabella Maldonado is the 2nd book in her "Nina Guerrera" series.
The Cipher, the 1st book in the series, was excellent and this book is just as good!
The author's background in law enforcement and the FBI allows her to give us a realistic thriller story based on fictional character, FBI Special Agent Nina Guerrera, "Warrior Girl".
Nina and her team are faced with a serial killer when two different horrific crimes are connected. The tension builds as complications in the case arise with many twists and turns occurring. The extra element of Latin folklore combined with Nina's backstory was an excellent addition to the story.
Highly Recommended!
Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for an arc of this novel in exchange for my honest review.
The Cipher, the 1st book in the series, was excellent and this book is just as good!
The author's background in law enforcement and the FBI allows her to give us a realistic thriller story based on fictional character, FBI Special Agent Nina Guerrera, "Warrior Girl".
Nina and her team are faced with a serial killer when two different horrific crimes are connected. The tension builds as complications in the case arise with many twists and turns occurring. The extra element of Latin folklore combined with Nina's backstory was an excellent addition to the story.
Highly Recommended!
Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for an arc of this novel in exchange for my honest review.
March 17, 2024
What a book, full of twists and surprises, it was nice seeing Nina and the gang again and the cute love triangle is a nice side plot. hopefully we will get more in the next book (there better be another book or several books honestly ^^)
The story ha a quick pace and will make you want to rush to find " What is next", some of the plot was a give away and i managed to guess most of it but never the less i enjoyed every single word of it.
Highly recommend this series.
Now am off to reread the 1st one again cause WHY NOT ^^
The story ha a quick pace and will make you want to rush to find " What is next", some of the plot was a give away and i managed to guess most of it but never the less i enjoyed every single word of it.
Highly recommend this series.
Now am off to reread the 1st one again cause WHY NOT ^^
February 17, 2022
A Different Dawn is the second book in the Nina Guerrera series. Managed to keep me interested on every page. I was drawn to this absorbing story by author Isabella Maldonado.
Mother, father, and newborn baby were murdered in the middle of the night inside their home in Phoenix, AZ. Their bodies were staged to look like a double-murder-suicide. It happens every four years on leap day. The neighbors told reporters that the crime reminded them of the legend of La Llorona.
Finished the book in two days. This is my New Year's Day book read. It never disappoints. However, Nina seems to insert her personal life in every case she works on. That's the only thing that I didn't like but maybe this is what makes this book unique.
Fast-paced, you'll never get bored, and I learned a Mexican folklore tale. There is character development, great storytelling, clear plot, and great writing as I've also seen on her first book in the series The Cipher.
*Immersive reading through Kindle Unlimited
Read the full review on Nica's Musings.
Mother, father, and newborn baby were murdered in the middle of the night inside their home in Phoenix, AZ. Their bodies were staged to look like a double-murder-suicide. It happens every four years on leap day. The neighbors told reporters that the crime reminded them of the legend of La Llorona.
Finished the book in two days. This is my New Year's Day book read. It never disappoints. However, Nina seems to insert her personal life in every case she works on. That's the only thing that I didn't like but maybe this is what makes this book unique.
Fast-paced, you'll never get bored, and I learned a Mexican folklore tale. There is character development, great storytelling, clear plot, and great writing as I've also seen on her first book in the series The Cipher.
*Immersive reading through Kindle Unlimited
Read the full review on Nica's Musings.
February 18, 2025
І знову чоловіки творять хуйню. Очікувано? Так! Цікаво? Теж так! Якщо чесно, то я не очікувала в 2 книжці що Ніна знайде свою біологічну родину, хоча наступну книжку мені вже цікавіше буде читати, бо буду знати, що у неї з'явились родичі. Тепер до сюжету, вбивця вбиває цілі родини, а виставляє ніби мати вбивця, а сама скоїла самогубство. І це все почалось з його молодшої сестри, коли йому було 12😀 Гаразд, я ще зрозуміла(ні) що він не хотів щоб мати любила більше сестру, ну окей. А інші що йому зробили? Гидкувато було. А ще, його 2 вбивство було родини Ніни, її там переплутати і вбили іншу дівчинку, яку вважали рідною. І ось тут вбивця вирішив, що «а хулі ти жива, треба і тебе вбити, бо ти не повинна була жити» знайомі слова😀 схожі казав і в першій книжці її гвалтівник+вбивця. Кінець книжки мене порадував, там зібралися 2 родини і раділи її поверненню.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 26, 2022
3,5 Sterne (= solide Empfehlung)
Nina Guerrera ist als junge FBI-Agent nun fest in ihrem Profiler-Team angekommen. Gemeinsam werden sie zu einem Fall hinzugezogen, in dem ein Paar und deren neugeborenes Baby ermordet wurden. Doch der Tathergang erinnert stark an einen Fall vor fast 30 Jahren. Handelt es sich um einen Serienmörder?
Auch dieser Fall ist wieder verlässlich und zielgerichtet erzählt, ohne irgendwelche Längen oder sinnlosen Abzweigungen. Die Reihe erinnert mich allgemein stark an Criminal Minds, ist mindestens genauso unterhaltsam, bringt aber gerne auch die gleichen an den Haaren herbeigezogenen Zusammenhänge mit. Gleichzeitig liefert sie aber auch die gleiche schöne Teamdynamik.
Nina Guerrera ist als junge FBI-Agent nun fest in ihrem Profiler-Team angekommen. Gemeinsam werden sie zu einem Fall hinzugezogen, in dem ein Paar und deren neugeborenes Baby ermordet wurden. Doch der Tathergang erinnert stark an einen Fall vor fast 30 Jahren. Handelt es sich um einen Serienmörder?
Auch dieser Fall ist wieder verlässlich und zielgerichtet erzählt, ohne irgendwelche Längen oder sinnlosen Abzweigungen. Die Reihe erinnert mich allgemein stark an Criminal Minds, ist mindestens genauso unterhaltsam, bringt aber gerne auch die gleichen an den Haaren herbeigezogenen Zusammenhänge mit. Gleichzeitig liefert sie aber auch die gleiche schöne Teamdynamik.
May 30, 2022
excellent read without having to think too hard ... unlikely coincidences ... good detective work
April 21, 2022
FBI Special Agent Nina Guerrera is part of a team that comes up with profiles of killers. A current triple homicide of a husband, wife, and newborn daughter is linked to a similar crime from 4 years ago and every 4 years back for a total of 28 years. The murderer only kills in a leap year. The FBI team is tasked with finding the killer and taking him down.
The story contains a lot of profiling and police procedurals. Yes, sometimes this is slow and seemingly tedious work but I like methodical protocols. Nina is known for not following protocols. I had a Criminal Minds vibe with the group discussions among team members, private plane to carry them to the scene and of course, the black SUV. I did not read the first book in this series so I don't know how the group came together. I got the feeling I missed a bit.
The killer narrated some paragraphs pretty early on in the story. I thought I wasn't going to like this, but never fear, his real identity was a long time coming. There's a big reveal about Nina mid-way through the book.
The story contains a lot of profiling and police procedurals. Yes, sometimes this is slow and seemingly tedious work but I like methodical protocols. Nina is known for not following protocols. I had a Criminal Minds vibe with the group discussions among team members, private plane to carry them to the scene and of course, the black SUV. I did not read the first book in this series so I don't know how the group came together. I got the feeling I missed a bit.
The killer narrated some paragraphs pretty early on in the story. I thought I wasn't going to like this, but never fear, his real identity was a long time coming. There's a big reveal about Nina mid-way through the book.
September 18, 2021
The Warrior Girl Turns full circle
What an incredible story! I cried at the end actually it was that good. The villain is killing families every four years on leap day. A father, an infant girl, and a mother and he makes look like a murder-suicide. Until he takes a wrong step. That brings him into the Warrior girls sight and she is determined to make him pay. Once she is after him, some alarming truths are brought to light but her team stands by her side. She becomes the hunted and they band together to bring the serial killer to justice. But the Warrior Girl is taken hostage and now they have to save her. What a wonderful story. I loved the direction this story took and I hope to read more stories involving her and her team. Flashpoint!
What an incredible story! I cried at the end actually it was that good. The villain is killing families every four years on leap day. A father, an infant girl, and a mother and he makes look like a murder-suicide. Until he takes a wrong step. That brings him into the Warrior girls sight and she is determined to make him pay. Once she is after him, some alarming truths are brought to light but her team stands by her side. She becomes the hunted and they band together to bring the serial killer to justice. But the Warrior Girl is taken hostage and now they have to save her. What a wonderful story. I loved the direction this story took and I hope to read more stories involving her and her team. Flashpoint!
September 25, 2021
If the first book was about strength, the second was about family, whether blood-related or not.
We're not going to talk about any coincidence that happens in the novel, because frankly, I don't care. I thoroughly enjoyed the story and I'm already bitting my nails, waiting for the next adventure.
The second installment of Nina's series was as dark as the first one on the one hand, but on the other hand dealt with much more emotion. Where the first book focused on her kidnapping and what made her the Warrior Girl, A Different Dawn dives into her origins and where it all began.
Nina was thrown in a dumpster as a baby and was never adopted. Bounced from foster to group homes, she has never known what it felt like to be loved and cherished. And when a cold case that pulverised two families and a whole community drops in her lap, she wants to solve it.
28 years ago, on February 29th, a woman murdered her husband and infant daughter before killing herself. The famous case that destroyed Phoenix is called La Llorona and still haunts everyone who was implicated to this day.
And when another murder-suicide is found on another leap year, Nina's team believes they are facing a serial killer and discover he has hit every four years since La Llorona.
A Different Dawn was about the serial killer, but also about Nina's team coming together and Nina coming to terms with being a throwaway. And I loved it.
I love the characters. The team completes each other well, Perez is a nice addition, Kent is *chief's kiss*, and Nina is such a strong character. She makes a few mistakes in this book, driven by something she doesn't understand quite yet, but she is a formidable heroine I can only root for.
I cannot wait for next year and the next book. I rarely follow thrillers and mystery series for a long time but I will definitely make it to book three. As a member of the Anonymous Books Buyer Addict club, I am proud to inform anyone I have already pre-ordered it.
> Multiple POVs
> No romance
> No cliffhanger
> Can be read as a standalone but I would suggest you start with book one
Trigger warning:
The book is not as gruesome as the first but the serial killer has antisocial personality disorder and all his murder-suicide stages include an infant daughter.
October 29, 2021
A Different Dawn was a satisfying follow up to The Cipher. I enjoyed following Nina Guerrera and her FBI team as they take on a new case. The pacing is wonderful in both books. They are action packed and I couldn't stop reading "just one more chapter."
The case in this book is a serial killer who murders families and then makes it look like the mother is to blame. We get to peek in the head of the killer so it doesn't really allow the reader to play along. We do get to follow the FBI team as they figure out the case and how they stretch the rules along the way.
As this series *hopefully* continues, I hope the author progresses with the relationships within the team. We get some character development but I would love to go deeper into the background of each team member. The first two books have been primarily focused on Nina and her story (which is fine, it's her series) but I would like their relationship as a team to be strengthened with deeper bonds.
Overall this was a fast paced, compelling FBI drama. I will continue on with the series.
The case in this book is a serial killer who murders families and then makes it look like the mother is to blame. We get to peek in the head of the killer so it doesn't really allow the reader to play along. We do get to follow the FBI team as they figure out the case and how they stretch the rules along the way.
As this series *hopefully* continues, I hope the author progresses with the relationships within the team. We get some character development but I would love to go deeper into the background of each team member. The first two books have been primarily focused on Nina and her story (which is fine, it's her series) but I would like their relationship as a team to be strengthened with deeper bonds.
Overall this was a fast paced, compelling FBI drama. I will continue on with the series.
April 15, 2023
2.5⭐️ ugh I realize I seem to be in the minority here but this book was so annoying to me lol. As with the first installment of the series, the case itself was interesting enough to keep me reading but everything else fell flat. This book was worse for me than the first one, and these are my main problems:
-Ok so we have a serial killer that only kills exactly every 4 years, on a leap day. It really took a team of (mostly experienced) FBI agents 50 pages of discussing this case to come to the revelation that the killer’s initial stressor/trigger must have happened on a leap day? DUH🙄
-The police procedural aspect of this book was SO dumbed down most of the time and it was exhausting. Like, I think it’s pretty common knowledge what it means to call a welfare check on someone. You don’t have to explain that to your readers, who most likely have a basic knowledge of law enforcement terms like that.
-You’re really telling me that our main character has these deep connections to TWO serial killers? NOPE. Not buying it, that’s so stupid.
Annoyances aside, I am happy for Nina in that she finally found the family that she’s being longing for her whole life. Girlie deserves it😂 I will not be reading the 3rd installment of this series though, I am not vibing with these books.
-Ok so we have a serial killer that only kills exactly every 4 years, on a leap day. It really took a team of (mostly experienced) FBI agents 50 pages of discussing this case to come to the revelation that the killer’s initial stressor/trigger must have happened on a leap day? DUH🙄
-The police procedural aspect of this book was SO dumbed down most of the time and it was exhausting. Like, I think it’s pretty common knowledge what it means to call a welfare check on someone. You don’t have to explain that to your readers, who most likely have a basic knowledge of law enforcement terms like that.
-You’re really telling me that our main character has these deep connections to TWO serial killers? NOPE. Not buying it, that’s so stupid.
Annoyances aside, I am happy for Nina in that she finally found the family that she’s being longing for her whole life. Girlie deserves it😂 I will not be reading the 3rd installment of this series though, I am not vibing with these books.
August 21, 2021
What a story!!!!
I truly loved the first book. It was the beginning of Nina's heartbreaking story. The second book took you full circle. I hope there will be more FBI drama in the next book. Highly recommend!
I truly loved the first book. It was the beginning of Nina's heartbreaking story. The second book took you full circle. I hope there will be more FBI drama in the next book. Highly recommend!
October 2, 2021
I loved the first book, which blew me away. And, WOW, she rocked this one too! Once again, I was on the edge of my seat. Outstanding! Can't wait for the next one. ;)
February 4, 2022
After reading this second book in the Nina Guerrera series I can say for certain that this series will soon go on to become one of my favourites. I think the plotting of the books so far is just brilliant: every new case Nina and her team are assigned to solve brings her face to face with an aspect of her past and identity. I have enjoyed reading both the books and look forward to reading how the story moves forward in future installments.
I received an e-Arc of the book by the publisher Thomas and Mercer and the author Isabella Maldonado via NetGalley.
I received an e-Arc of the book by the publisher Thomas and Mercer and the author Isabella Maldonado via NetGalley.
August 12, 2021
I love this series! I was never a child who whined about her Barbie dolls not looking like her but, finding this awesome, Latina agent makes me relate to her more. The story gets personal again, and I l loved how she and her team are finally becoming like a family. The bad guy is super-smart so, even if Nina makes mistakes, she's not one of these dumb agents who make bad decisions. In short, I'm adding the next volume to my tbr.
January 25, 2022
A Different Dawn is the second instalment in the ‘Nina Guerrara’ series and I loved this just as much as the first book ‘The Cipher’. It’s an excellent well-crafted plot with an unexpected emotional element at the end which rounds Nina’s story off nicely. She is a strong female protagonist you really root for, with her team just as equally likeable.
FBI agent Nina Guerrera and her team are assigned a triple murder case in Phoenix, Arizona. They quickly learn this case is likely to be connected to other murders of the the same setting spanning over 28 years and taking place every leap year in various large population cities across the country. As the investigation progresses, the team are on a race against time to catch the unsub and catch this dark and chilling suspect.
Can’t wait to read the third instalment already! 5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
FBI agent Nina Guerrera and her team are assigned a triple murder case in Phoenix, Arizona. They quickly learn this case is likely to be connected to other murders of the the same setting spanning over 28 years and taking place every leap year in various large population cities across the country. As the investigation progresses, the team are on a race against time to catch the unsub and catch this dark and chilling suspect.
Can’t wait to read the third instalment already! 5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
August 5, 2021
I loved the first book and recommended it to so many people that I was actually quite apprehensive about starting book 2 in the Nina Guerrera series. I had nothing to worry about as Isabella Maldonado smashed it out the park again!
The plot line was a more subtle serial killer story than the first one. While it wasn’t as intense as the first one there were plot twists and suspense and very cleverly thought out scenarios. I loved that we got a little bit more character development and got to find out more of Nina’s background.
I will definitely be picking up book number 3 as I can’t wait to find out what Isabella Maldonado has in store for us. Definitely a new go to author for me.
Thanks to #NetGalley for the opportunity to read and provide an honest review of #ADifferentDawn
Publish date 10 August 2021
The plot line was a more subtle serial killer story than the first one. While it wasn’t as intense as the first one there were plot twists and suspense and very cleverly thought out scenarios. I loved that we got a little bit more character development and got to find out more of Nina’s background.
I will definitely be picking up book number 3 as I can’t wait to find out what Isabella Maldonado has in store for us. Definitely a new go to author for me.
Thanks to #NetGalley for the opportunity to read and provide an honest review of #ADifferentDawn
Publish date 10 August 2021
April 8, 2022
I absolutely loved the first book in the series but this one fell flat for me. The characters felt contrived rather than real like the did in the original. There are simply too many great books out there to read any more by this author.
August 23, 2021
Extraordinary story!
While I thoroughly enjoyed The Cipher (Nina Guerrera Book 1,) I had no idea that I could be emotionally overwhelmed by A Different Dawn (Book 2). How could a thriller about the hunt for a serial killer leave me, a 71 year old guy, in tears? The book was so well crafted that I was completely taken by surprise. It was such a stunning plot twist that should encourage everyone to want to read this book. It is extraordinary!
While I thoroughly enjoyed The Cipher (Nina Guerrera Book 1,) I had no idea that I could be emotionally overwhelmed by A Different Dawn (Book 2). How could a thriller about the hunt for a serial killer leave me, a 71 year old guy, in tears? The book was so well crafted that I was completely taken by surprise. It was such a stunning plot twist that should encourage everyone to want to read this book. It is extraordinary!
September 9, 2021
The Warrior Girl is back!
When the murder of a family is found to be eerily similar to another murder that occurred four years earlier but thousands of miles away, the specialized FBI team that agent Nina Guerrera is part of finds themselves assigned to determine if the two crimes are connected.
In Isabella Maldonado's A DIFFERENT DAWN, the second book in the Nina Guerrera series, the team quickly uncovers the truth that those crimes are connected. Worse yet, they find that there's a serial killer that has been active for nearly thirty years under the nose of every law enforcement agency on the planet.
Nina is now pretty famous not only for the viral video that started off the first book in the series but for the confrontation with the killer from her past. But when the team travels to Phoenix, Arizona to check on one of the series of murders, her unwanted fame becomes a hindrance as it once again puts her in the cross-hairs of a killer determined to avoid capture.
The way the author builds up not only the gruesome details of the crime, but the compelling backstory of Nina is just so good in this story. Nina struggles with her past as an abandoned child and though she's now part of a team that might very well double as a surrogate family, she struggles with that aspect of her life as well. Throw in next door neighbors who have adopted her as well, and the abandoned Warrior Girl has more than enough on her plate.
But what makes A DIFFERENT DAWN such a compelling read is the deft way that Maldonado ties Nina's professional work with her personal past. Let me say this, at first when I saw the direction the story was headed, I thought it was going to be entirely too coincidental and forced. It seemed like it was just a ham-fisted attempt to advance the story in such a way as to not drag certain plot aspects out.
But that's why you READ the book! The way this story builds up the intensity of not only tracking the killer down but the step by step process that finds the investigation brings so much more of a personal stake to Nina's doorstep left me breathless. Faced with certain truths that shatter beliefs she'd long held, those truths threaten her ability to stay involved in the case at all. But those truths revealed also strengthen the ties between the agents and spin out with a resolution that gives rise to not only a new direction for the series but for Nina as well.
I should've known that my doubts would turn out to be unfounded. But what makes the book special is that even after each part of the story is resolved, there's so much more to delve into that you find yourself more than a bit eager to go along for the ride and see where Isabella Maldonado is going to take Nina (and by extension, the reader) next.
When the murder of a family is found to be eerily similar to another murder that occurred four years earlier but thousands of miles away, the specialized FBI team that agent Nina Guerrera is part of finds themselves assigned to determine if the two crimes are connected.
In Isabella Maldonado's A DIFFERENT DAWN, the second book in the Nina Guerrera series, the team quickly uncovers the truth that those crimes are connected. Worse yet, they find that there's a serial killer that has been active for nearly thirty years under the nose of every law enforcement agency on the planet.
Nina is now pretty famous not only for the viral video that started off the first book in the series but for the confrontation with the killer from her past. But when the team travels to Phoenix, Arizona to check on one of the series of murders, her unwanted fame becomes a hindrance as it once again puts her in the cross-hairs of a killer determined to avoid capture.
The way the author builds up not only the gruesome details of the crime, but the compelling backstory of Nina is just so good in this story. Nina struggles with her past as an abandoned child and though she's now part of a team that might very well double as a surrogate family, she struggles with that aspect of her life as well. Throw in next door neighbors who have adopted her as well, and the abandoned Warrior Girl has more than enough on her plate.
But what makes A DIFFERENT DAWN such a compelling read is the deft way that Maldonado ties Nina's professional work with her personal past. Let me say this, at first when I saw the direction the story was headed, I thought it was going to be entirely too coincidental and forced. It seemed like it was just a ham-fisted attempt to advance the story in such a way as to not drag certain plot aspects out.
But that's why you READ the book! The way this story builds up the intensity of not only tracking the killer down but the step by step process that finds the investigation brings so much more of a personal stake to Nina's doorstep left me breathless. Faced with certain truths that shatter beliefs she'd long held, those truths threaten her ability to stay involved in the case at all. But those truths revealed also strengthen the ties between the agents and spin out with a resolution that gives rise to not only a new direction for the series but for Nina as well.
I should've known that my doubts would turn out to be unfounded. But what makes the book special is that even after each part of the story is resolved, there's so much more to delve into that you find yourself more than a bit eager to go along for the ride and see where Isabella Maldonado is going to take Nina (and by extension, the reader) next.
March 9, 2021
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!
No sophomore slump here! I must confess to enjoying this book more than the first in the series, The Cipher. After a couple and their newborn daughter are found dead, the FBI discovers that there have been nearly identical murders across the country over the past 30 years. As two of the crimes took place in Phoenix, Nina and the new FBI team she is part of start there. What follows is a book that is interesting, suspenseful, and unexpectedly heartwarming, all at the same time.
I very much liked Nina's character development in A Different Dawn. The depiction of Phoenix was spot on, which I appreciated, having lived there for many years.
No sophomore slump here! I must confess to enjoying this book more than the first in the series, The Cipher. After a couple and their newborn daughter are found dead, the FBI discovers that there have been nearly identical murders across the country over the past 30 years. As two of the crimes took place in Phoenix, Nina and the new FBI team she is part of start there. What follows is a book that is interesting, suspenseful, and unexpectedly heartwarming, all at the same time.
I very much liked Nina's character development in A Different Dawn. The depiction of Phoenix was spot on, which I appreciated, having lived there for many years.
July 22, 2021
A Different Dawn by I. Maldonado, published by Thomas & Mercer, is book two in the Nina Guerrera trilogy.
I recommend to read the books in order. The previous book is The Cipher.
FBI Agent Nina Guerrera and her team are assigned a case that looks like a crime that happened thirty years ago.
And off it goes. I started reading and was immediatedly into the story. This fast paced read didn't need an easying in and there wasn't one.
The writing is excellent and the author kept me in suspense till the last page. A twisty read , suspenseful and heartwarming at the same time. The trilogy concludes in The Falcon.
I recommend to read the books in order. The previous book is The Cipher.
FBI Agent Nina Guerrera and her team are assigned a case that looks like a crime that happened thirty years ago.
And off it goes. I started reading and was immediatedly into the story. This fast paced read didn't need an easying in and there wasn't one.
The writing is excellent and the author kept me in suspense till the last page. A twisty read , suspenseful and heartwarming at the same time. The trilogy concludes in The Falcon.
June 28, 2023
Ооо, під кінець триллер так розчулив, дуже емоційно. Це друга книга з серії і обидві вони класні. Берусь до третьої. Головна героїня і їх команда дуже подобається. Цікаво як все буде далі
June 8, 2025
Люблю, коли автори, пишучи цикл, продумують сюжет наперід🔥 Книга на висоті, надзвичайно цікаво було спостерігати за протистоянням ФБР та напрочуд кмітливого псuxoпата. Історія Ніни ще більше затягнула, а натяк на можливий любовний трикутник змусив одразу взяти до рук наступну частину. Мені надзвичайно полюбився стиль написання авторки, тож нові її книги, які будуть перекладені українською одразу підуть в бажанки!
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