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Daniela Vega #1
A Killer’s Game
An FBI agent with a background in cryptography. A brilliant game maker bent on revenge. A deadly battle of wits and wills. An ingenious thriller from the Wall Street Journal bestselling author of The Cipher.
FBI agent and former military codebreaker Daniela “Dani” Vega witnesses a murder on a Manhattan sidewalk. The victim is chief of staff for a powerful New York senator. The assassin turned informant is Gustavo Toro. His code: hit the target and don’t ask questions. When Dani suspects a complex conspiracy, the only way to take down the mastermind is from the inside, forcing her to partner with Toro. Together they must infiltrate the inner circle at a remote facility.
Except it’s a trap. For all of them.
Locked in a subterranean labyrinth and held captive by an unseen host, Dani, Toro, and others must fight for their lives. Now Dani must stay undercover, unravel a bizarre conspiracy, and survive lethal puzzles. But will Toro be friend or foe? Because in this killer’s game, everything is real: the paranoia, the desperation, and the body count. And only one person can make it out alive.
FBI agent and former military codebreaker Daniela “Dani” Vega witnesses a murder on a Manhattan sidewalk. The victim is chief of staff for a powerful New York senator. The assassin turned informant is Gustavo Toro. His code: hit the target and don’t ask questions. When Dani suspects a complex conspiracy, the only way to take down the mastermind is from the inside, forcing her to partner with Toro. Together they must infiltrate the inner circle at a remote facility.
Except it’s a trap. For all of them.
Locked in a subterranean labyrinth and held captive by an unseen host, Dani, Toro, and others must fight for their lives. Now Dani must stay undercover, unravel a bizarre conspiracy, and survive lethal puzzles. But will Toro be friend or foe? Because in this killer’s game, everything is real: the paranoia, the desperation, and the body count. And only one person can make it out alive.
365 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 1, 2023
5747 people are currently reading
9551 people want to read
About the author
Isabella Maldonado
26 books1,553 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 985 reviews
December 31, 2024
What a pleasant surprise A Killer's Game was. A rocket fueled thriller, full of heightened suspense and fascinating characters.
Narrators Almarie Guerra and Feodor Chin make a fabulous duo. Their collaborative performance is a genuine listening delight. Looking forward to finding out what happens in book two.
Highly recommend this page turner.
Narrators Almarie Guerra and Feodor Chin make a fabulous duo. Their collaborative performance is a genuine listening delight. Looking forward to finding out what happens in book two.
Highly recommend this page turner.
July 2, 2023
2.5 rounded up
An exciting and tense start with a perpetrator who is one step ahead and uses audacious methods to kill. Enter FBI agent Daniela Vega of the Joint Terrorism Task Force.
Now, if you like your action thrillers to feature a bad ass, uber smart female then this is your book. Interpret some puzzling cryptography? Un morceau de gâteau pour Daniela. How’s about dealing with a deadly snake? Pas de problème naturellement. Beaucoup de eye rolling from this neck of the U.K. NOBODY is that clever surely??!!! It stretches credibility too far for me. However, I can get past the smarts but what I cannot stand is the author TELLING me the whole blinking time and not showing. Chuck in over explanation and repetition and that’s me done. So, there’s me, waving from outlier island 🏝️ 🙋♀️Cheerio before I say anymore 😂
An exciting and tense start with a perpetrator who is one step ahead and uses audacious methods to kill. Enter FBI agent Daniela Vega of the Joint Terrorism Task Force.
Now, if you like your action thrillers to feature a bad ass, uber smart female then this is your book. Interpret some puzzling cryptography? Un morceau de gâteau pour Daniela. How’s about dealing with a deadly snake? Pas de problème naturellement. Beaucoup de eye rolling from this neck of the U.K. NOBODY is that clever surely??!!! It stretches credibility too far for me. However, I can get past the smarts but what I cannot stand is the author TELLING me the whole blinking time and not showing. Chuck in over explanation and repetition and that’s me done. So, there’s me, waving from outlier island 🏝️ 🙋♀️Cheerio before I say anymore 😂
May 10, 2023
Terrific police procedural wrapped around a terrifying assassin’s game with superb results. Never left the sofa once I started it. Can’t wait for future books in the series!
May 1, 2023
Thank you, Thomas & Mercer, for the advance reading copy.
Review:
This one will keep you thinking and there’s no safe space to dial the tension down!
I love the writing. It’s fast paced, suspenseful, well planned and well played.
I am so impressed reading a suspense thriller fiction with the detective/police involved without much of the tedious repetitive scenes of investigations and dull dialogues.
Happy reader here. The characters are realistic. The suspense stays. I wish murder mysteries be this entertaining to read. The killer is someone really mysterious and it’s the best part reading about them here.
The blurb stays true I say.
As I said, your head will be pretty busy trying to solve the puzzles throughout this read.
Review:
This one will keep you thinking and there’s no safe space to dial the tension down!
I love the writing. It’s fast paced, suspenseful, well planned and well played.
I am so impressed reading a suspense thriller fiction with the detective/police involved without much of the tedious repetitive scenes of investigations and dull dialogues.
Happy reader here. The characters are realistic. The suspense stays. I wish murder mysteries be this entertaining to read. The killer is someone really mysterious and it’s the best part reading about them here.
The blurb stays true I say.
As I said, your head will be pretty busy trying to solve the puzzles throughout this read.
May 26, 2023
As a fan of Maldonado’s Nina Guerrera series, I thought I would check out her new series when I came across it on NetGalley. I like Isabella Maldonado; she’s a good writer and storyteller. As a former FBI agent for more than 20yrs, she adds a lot of credibility to her crime thrillers/murder mysteries. As a Latina woman, in a predominantly white, male profession, she uses her law enforcement experience to create some truly BAD@$$ female characters. My fave kind of MC’s!!!
The book summary lays out the premise for the primary storyline. Of course, there is a secondary storyline, the relationship between Dani (28) and her younger siblings, Erica (23) and Axel (21), who Dani has been helping support for 10yrs since the death of their military father and institutionalized mother. Dani has a contentious relationship with the aunt who lets Erica and Axel live with her during their college breaks, even though Dani pays her for the additional expense for Erica’s and Axel’s brief stays with her. Without getting into the nitty gritty details, suffice it to say that “Tia Manuela” is a bit of a witch!!!
Dani goes undercover with Toro and most of the story revolves around Dani and Toro trying to make it out alive from some dungeon in a completely wacked out “competition” that is more like a real-life Dungeon’s Nightmares (a really scary video game) that pitted 13 people against each other. Dani and Toro chose to become allies in order to increase their odds of surviving the competition. Things between Dani and Toro get even more complicated when “the Nemesis” (the wacko who created the competition and has been sabotaging the players survival) outs Dani as an FBI agent and places a million-dollar bounty on her head.
The ending comes in a flurry of intense, nail-biting, death-defying, heroics for Dani and her team. The final scenes were very emotional and left a lump in throat. This was a really good read, one that had me up and reading wwwaaayyy past my bedtime😊 I want to thank NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for sending me this eARC in exchange for my honest review.
#NetGalley #Thomas&Mercer #KillingGame
The book summary lays out the premise for the primary storyline. Of course, there is a secondary storyline, the relationship between Dani (28) and her younger siblings, Erica (23) and Axel (21), who Dani has been helping support for 10yrs since the death of their military father and institutionalized mother. Dani has a contentious relationship with the aunt who lets Erica and Axel live with her during their college breaks, even though Dani pays her for the additional expense for Erica’s and Axel’s brief stays with her. Without getting into the nitty gritty details, suffice it to say that “Tia Manuela” is a bit of a witch!!!
Dani goes undercover with Toro and most of the story revolves around Dani and Toro trying to make it out alive from some dungeon in a completely wacked out “competition” that is more like a real-life Dungeon’s Nightmares (a really scary video game) that pitted 13 people against each other. Dani and Toro chose to become allies in order to increase their odds of surviving the competition. Things between Dani and Toro get even more complicated when “the Nemesis” (the wacko who created the competition and has been sabotaging the players survival) outs Dani as an FBI agent and places a million-dollar bounty on her head.
The ending comes in a flurry of intense, nail-biting, death-defying, heroics for Dani and her team. The final scenes were very emotional and left a lump in throat. This was a really good read, one that had me up and reading wwwaaayyy past my bedtime😊 I want to thank NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for sending me this eARC in exchange for my honest review.
#NetGalley #Thomas&Mercer #KillingGame
December 6, 2022
Big thanks to both Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an early copy of A Killer's Game.
4.5 Stars
Welcome to Daniela Vega's world, where she must stay undercover, unravel a bizarre conspiracy, and survive lethal puzzles!!
I'll confess that at first, Dani reminded me a little too much of another series I read, where some young whippersnapper (haha😂) is the only one who understands what is going on. I was wrong! Yes, Dani was the newest FBI Special Agent. And, yes, she was assigned to figuring out lethal puzzles. But, as it turned out, she had a team behind her, plus she had been a code breaker when she was in the military. So ... I went from "I'm not sure that I'm going to like this book" to "I CAN'T PUT THIS BOOK DOWN!!!" What a hair-raising and gripping plot A Killer's Game has!! Picture this as a "locked-room" or "impossible crime" story on steroids!!
I have enjoyed reading Ms. Maldonado's Nina Guerrera Series, so I should have been more trusting. I highly recommend A Killer's Game, and absolutely cannot wait to read the next book in the series!
4.5 Stars
Welcome to Daniela Vega's world, where she must stay undercover, unravel a bizarre conspiracy, and survive lethal puzzles!!
I'll confess that at first, Dani reminded me a little too much of another series I read, where some young whippersnapper (haha😂) is the only one who understands what is going on. I was wrong! Yes, Dani was the newest FBI Special Agent. And, yes, she was assigned to figuring out lethal puzzles. But, as it turned out, she had a team behind her, plus she had been a code breaker when she was in the military. So ... I went from "I'm not sure that I'm going to like this book" to "I CAN'T PUT THIS BOOK DOWN!!!" What a hair-raising and gripping plot A Killer's Game has!! Picture this as a "locked-room" or "impossible crime" story on steroids!!
I have enjoyed reading Ms. Maldonado's Nina Guerrera Series, so I should have been more trusting. I highly recommend A Killer's Game, and absolutely cannot wait to read the next book in the series!
July 25, 2023
I really enjoyed this action packed thriller. It was dark, intense and very entertaining. This was the first book in a new series from this author and I definitely be looking out for more of her books. Crime books are my absolute favourite to read, so when I saw that this was an FBI agent story I was in. Agent Dani Vega is a badass!! I would not want to be on her bad side. She teams up with Tora, a man she has captured after he killed a high profile political assistant. Their mission to to infiltrate a criminal group responsible for some absolutely horrendous crimes. Everyone gets more than they bargained for and the race is on to save Dani’s life. Out today, June 1st. Thanks to Thomas and Mercer for the advanced copy to read.
March 27, 2024
Excellent start to a series!
Former Police Captain and FBI Agent now turned best-selling author, Isabella Maldonado, gives us a thrilling quick-paced novel that I couldn't stop reading.
FBI Agent and former Military codebreaker Daniela Vega witnesses a murder on a Manhattan sidewalk. She quickly becomes involved in the complex conspiracy that took the well-known victim down. She must infiltrate the inner circle in order to find the mastermind and in order to do that must survive lethal puzzles.
How cool is that!
Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for an arc of this novel in exchange for my honest opinion.
Former Police Captain and FBI Agent now turned best-selling author, Isabella Maldonado, gives us a thrilling quick-paced novel that I couldn't stop reading.
FBI Agent and former Military codebreaker Daniela Vega witnesses a murder on a Manhattan sidewalk. She quickly becomes involved in the complex conspiracy that took the well-known victim down. She must infiltrate the inner circle in order to find the mastermind and in order to do that must survive lethal puzzles.
How cool is that!
Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for an arc of this novel in exchange for my honest opinion.
September 26, 2023
Check out all my reviews at: https://www.avonnalovesgenres.com
A KILLER’S GAME (Daniela Vega Book #1) by Isabella Maldonado is a gripping crime thriller that takes off like a rocket and never stops. This is the start of a new series featuring a Hispanic female FBI agent with a unique background in the U.S. Army Special Forces. This is an author introduced to me by Amazon’s First To Read program and I am looking forward to reading more of her books.
FBI Agent Daniela “Dani” Vega witnesses a murder right in front of her on the streets of Manhattan. When the killer is caught, it is learned he is only a part of a group of killers used in a conspiracy to enrich a powerful Senator. The only way to infiltrate this group is for Dani to team up with the murderer, Gustavo Toro, and while she successfully infiltrates the group, this new mission is a trap for them all set up by a brilliant game maker set on revenge.
In an underground converted missile silo rehabbed as a labyrinth, Dani and Toro and the other assassins must now fight each other with only one allowed to survive and leave. In this game everything is real, and the logic puzzles are lethal. Can Dani survive Nemesis’ ultimate revenge?
This is one of those thrillers that pull you in and then you cannot put it down. Dani is a strong, intelligent, competent, and yet vulnerable main character. All the secondary characters were believable, from her siblings to her FBI colleagues and all the antagonists as they are fleshed out, they never slowed the pace of the story. The plot, especially once all the assassins are in the maze, kept me on the edge of my seat and I was trying to solve the puzzles right along with Dani. This is not the usual FBI investigative procedural.
I am anxiously looking forward to more books in this series to see what Dani gets herself into next.
A KILLER’S GAME (Daniela Vega Book #1) by Isabella Maldonado is a gripping crime thriller that takes off like a rocket and never stops. This is the start of a new series featuring a Hispanic female FBI agent with a unique background in the U.S. Army Special Forces. This is an author introduced to me by Amazon’s First To Read program and I am looking forward to reading more of her books.
FBI Agent Daniela “Dani” Vega witnesses a murder right in front of her on the streets of Manhattan. When the killer is caught, it is learned he is only a part of a group of killers used in a conspiracy to enrich a powerful Senator. The only way to infiltrate this group is for Dani to team up with the murderer, Gustavo Toro, and while she successfully infiltrates the group, this new mission is a trap for them all set up by a brilliant game maker set on revenge.
In an underground converted missile silo rehabbed as a labyrinth, Dani and Toro and the other assassins must now fight each other with only one allowed to survive and leave. In this game everything is real, and the logic puzzles are lethal. Can Dani survive Nemesis’ ultimate revenge?
This is one of those thrillers that pull you in and then you cannot put it down. Dani is a strong, intelligent, competent, and yet vulnerable main character. All the secondary characters were believable, from her siblings to her FBI colleagues and all the antagonists as they are fleshed out, they never slowed the pace of the story. The plot, especially once all the assassins are in the maze, kept me on the edge of my seat and I was trying to solve the puzzles right along with Dani. This is not the usual FBI investigative procedural.
I am anxiously looking forward to more books in this series to see what Dani gets herself into next.
May 19, 2023
Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free, electronic ARC of this novel received in exchange for an honest review.
Expected publication date: June 1, 2023
Former military codebreaker turned FBI agent Dani Vega witnesses a murder on a New York City sidewalk. The murder victim is the chief of staff to a New York Senator and after a brief chase through the park, Dani identifies the murderer as a paid assassin. Working with the NYPD, Dani and her team bring in the assassin, Gustavo Toro, who agrees to work with them in order to bring down the people who called in the hit. Although Dani has worked undercover before, she gets more than she bargained for when her and Toro are pulled into an underground game of cat-and-mouse, with a deranged captor hell bent on revenge.
“A Killer’s Game” by former FBI agent-turned author Isabella Maldonado is the first novel in the Dani Vega series. Maldonado is not new to the writing game however, and has written other police procedural novels focused on female agents, such as the Veranda Cruz and the Nina Guerrera series. Maldonado’s police background makes her novels uniquely realistic, and all the more enjoyable.
“Game” has an exorbitantly long list of characters. Not only Vega and her team, but all of the players within the NYPD and FBI’s various departments, who all become involved after the death of a Senator’s staffer. Luckily, only Dani and her boss, Wu, are the protagonists of the novel and readers can watch the story unfold from their perspectives. There are a few other memorable characters as well, but in general there are a lot of official titles that take some concentration to sort through.
The underground labyrinth had a “The Hunger Games” vibe and I loved the billionaire-turned-psychopath behind the entire creation. Maldonado crafted a unique environment, then added stealth FBI moves, some bad guys and a lot of loaded weapons, which is everything you need for an enjoyable police series. The inclusion of some challenging puzzles (speaking to Vega’s history of codebreaking) left for Vega to solve in order to escape was delightfully fun, and added yet another creative element to the plot.
I haven’t read anything else by Maldonado (yet!) but I will anxiously be looking forward to finding out more about Vega and her team and will definitely be reading the next in this series.
Expected publication date: June 1, 2023
Former military codebreaker turned FBI agent Dani Vega witnesses a murder on a New York City sidewalk. The murder victim is the chief of staff to a New York Senator and after a brief chase through the park, Dani identifies the murderer as a paid assassin. Working with the NYPD, Dani and her team bring in the assassin, Gustavo Toro, who agrees to work with them in order to bring down the people who called in the hit. Although Dani has worked undercover before, she gets more than she bargained for when her and Toro are pulled into an underground game of cat-and-mouse, with a deranged captor hell bent on revenge.
“A Killer’s Game” by former FBI agent-turned author Isabella Maldonado is the first novel in the Dani Vega series. Maldonado is not new to the writing game however, and has written other police procedural novels focused on female agents, such as the Veranda Cruz and the Nina Guerrera series. Maldonado’s police background makes her novels uniquely realistic, and all the more enjoyable.
“Game” has an exorbitantly long list of characters. Not only Vega and her team, but all of the players within the NYPD and FBI’s various departments, who all become involved after the death of a Senator’s staffer. Luckily, only Dani and her boss, Wu, are the protagonists of the novel and readers can watch the story unfold from their perspectives. There are a few other memorable characters as well, but in general there are a lot of official titles that take some concentration to sort through.
The underground labyrinth had a “The Hunger Games” vibe and I loved the billionaire-turned-psychopath behind the entire creation. Maldonado crafted a unique environment, then added stealth FBI moves, some bad guys and a lot of loaded weapons, which is everything you need for an enjoyable police series. The inclusion of some challenging puzzles (speaking to Vega’s history of codebreaking) left for Vega to solve in order to escape was delightfully fun, and added yet another creative element to the plot.
I haven’t read anything else by Maldonado (yet!) but I will anxiously be looking forward to finding out more about Vega and her team and will definitely be reading the next in this series.
November 27, 2022
Wow! I picked this one out after recently reading the Nina Guerrera series and loving every second. Isabella Maldonado does not disappoint with these strong Latina lead roles. Daniela Vega will be the next series to follow - a former Army Ranger turned FBI agent forced to utilize all of her experience in an unknown combat situation. When Daniela is forced to go undercover she finds allegiance with someone she least expected. This is fast paced action filled story to the very end. I enjoyed seeing the cryptanalysis theme again in this one. I also enjoyed the dual perspectives of seeing the inside versus outside investigative pieces come together.
I was gifted an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I was gifted an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
July 7, 2023
if you like a new life-threatening challenge around every corner, this is the book for you ... it's not normally my preference yet I could not turn away
September 22, 2023
4.5 stars. A nice taut thriller with a kick butt main character. The author spent many years as an FBI field agent.
October 9, 2024
Omg this book was a nail biter. Sooooo good from beginning to end. The game this fbi agent was forced to play was grueling. The narration was great. I definitely recommend!
December 21, 2022
Thank you kindly to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the eARC!
WOW. THIS. WAS. INCREDIBLE. 👏👏👏
Maldonado’s 𝑨 𝑲𝒊𝒍𝒍𝒆𝒓'𝒔 𝑮𝒂𝒎𝒆 is one of the best crime thrillers I’ve ever read. Dripping with tension and suspense, this was fast-paced, edge of your seat writing at its finest. The intricacies of the plot were so well developed, the prose captivating, and the characters were humanized in all the best ways. I simply could not read this thing fast enough (and yes, that means I binged it all in one evening and stayed up well past my bedtime).
𝑨 𝑲𝒊𝒍𝒍𝒆𝒓'𝒔 𝑮𝒂𝒎𝒆 is out May 23, 2023!
WOW. THIS. WAS. INCREDIBLE. 👏👏👏
Maldonado’s 𝑨 𝑲𝒊𝒍𝒍𝒆𝒓'𝒔 𝑮𝒂𝒎𝒆 is one of the best crime thrillers I’ve ever read. Dripping with tension and suspense, this was fast-paced, edge of your seat writing at its finest. The intricacies of the plot were so well developed, the prose captivating, and the characters were humanized in all the best ways. I simply could not read this thing fast enough (and yes, that means I binged it all in one evening and stayed up well past my bedtime).
𝑨 𝑲𝒊𝒍𝒍𝒆𝒓'𝒔 𝑮𝒂𝒎𝒆 is out May 23, 2023!
June 4, 2023
This was the first book of Isabella Maldonado's that I have read and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
FBI special agent Daniela Vega witnesses the death of a senator's aid and as the investigation progresses it takes an unexpected twist involving an online video game and an underground labyrinth.
The plot was intense and sinister it was fast paced with lots of twists and turns. The characters were flawless and multi layered with a strong female lead.
Thank you to Wunderkind PR and Netgalley for the ARC
FBI special agent Daniela Vega witnesses the death of a senator's aid and as the investigation progresses it takes an unexpected twist involving an online video game and an underground labyrinth.
The plot was intense and sinister it was fast paced with lots of twists and turns. The characters were flawless and multi layered with a strong female lead.
Thank you to Wunderkind PR and Netgalley for the ARC
June 12, 2023
High-octane action and intriguing adventure
The story starts harmlessly with Dani Vega out to get coffee before she went to her meeting at the FBI building.
However, the situation turns dangerous when her superiors contact her about a bomb threat in the Court houses nearby.
Before she can get to the Court House, she sees an murder by an Umbrella man who killed another man with a dangerous toxin.
She chases the Umbrella man who is able to escape by the subway because of better planning. The single incident leads the case to JTTF - the joint task force with the New York Police Department and the FBI chasing down Umbrella Man.
Thereafter Dani and Wu handle the entire matter as the story brings out how gifted Dani is in her line of work - both in the field of encryption and her life in the armed forces. The touch about Conan Doyle made me smile.
That brings in Toro and the 'Puzzler'.
With the dangerous games in the Dark Web which proved to be a maze of life and death, can Dani and Toro make it out of the maze alive?
Though the story also included the procedural part of the police workings, the author has built an exciting game of cat and mouse as the 'Nemesis' always seems to be a step ahead of Dani and the rest of the team.
The story was exciting and unpredictable till the very end. Enjoyed it.
I heard the audio story and it was very well performed.
The story starts harmlessly with Dani Vega out to get coffee before she went to her meeting at the FBI building.
However, the situation turns dangerous when her superiors contact her about a bomb threat in the Court houses nearby.
Before she can get to the Court House, she sees an murder by an Umbrella man who killed another man with a dangerous toxin.
She chases the Umbrella man who is able to escape by the subway because of better planning. The single incident leads the case to JTTF - the joint task force with the New York Police Department and the FBI chasing down Umbrella Man.
Thereafter Dani and Wu handle the entire matter as the story brings out how gifted Dani is in her line of work - both in the field of encryption and her life in the armed forces. The touch about Conan Doyle made me smile.
That brings in Toro and the 'Puzzler'.
With the dangerous games in the Dark Web which proved to be a maze of life and death, can Dani and Toro make it out of the maze alive?
Though the story also included the procedural part of the police workings, the author has built an exciting game of cat and mouse as the 'Nemesis' always seems to be a step ahead of Dani and the rest of the team.
The story was exciting and unpredictable till the very end. Enjoyed it.
I heard the audio story and it was very well performed.
May 25, 2023
Charged, propulsive, and unnerving!
A Killer’s Game is a sinister, action-packed thrill ride featuring the tenacious, skilled former Army Ranger turned FBI special agent Daniela Vega as she gets mixed up in an investigation into the toxic poisoning of a senator’s aid that quickly spirals into something a lot more lethal involving an online video game, an underground facility, numerous deadly challenges and puzzles, twelve men who are willing to do anything they need to in order to be the last man standing, and a “Nemesis” who’s been waiting a long time to exact revenge.
The writing is taut and intense. The characters are meticulous, tormented, and persistent. And the plot is a suspenseful, engrossing thriller full of twists, turns, lies, deception, revelations, obsession, danger, depravity, vengeance, violence, and murder.
Overall, A Killer’s Game is an eerie, tortuous, fast-paced tale by Maldonado that’s a promising start to this new Daniela Vega series with its multilayered characters, intricate storyline, consistent sense of urgency, and satisfying conclusion.
Thank you to Wunderkind PR for gifting me a copy in exchange for an honest review.
A Killer’s Game is a sinister, action-packed thrill ride featuring the tenacious, skilled former Army Ranger turned FBI special agent Daniela Vega as she gets mixed up in an investigation into the toxic poisoning of a senator’s aid that quickly spirals into something a lot more lethal involving an online video game, an underground facility, numerous deadly challenges and puzzles, twelve men who are willing to do anything they need to in order to be the last man standing, and a “Nemesis” who’s been waiting a long time to exact revenge.
The writing is taut and intense. The characters are meticulous, tormented, and persistent. And the plot is a suspenseful, engrossing thriller full of twists, turns, lies, deception, revelations, obsession, danger, depravity, vengeance, violence, and murder.
Overall, A Killer’s Game is an eerie, tortuous, fast-paced tale by Maldonado that’s a promising start to this new Daniela Vega series with its multilayered characters, intricate storyline, consistent sense of urgency, and satisfying conclusion.
Thank you to Wunderkind PR for gifting me a copy in exchange for an honest review.
September 29, 2023
“She’d risked her life for both. Could she ally herself—even on a temporary basis—with someone who had no loyalty, no allegiance, and no moral compass?”
Directed by her superior to an issue in a different direction, Daniela Vega stumbles into an assassination in broad daylight. Disregarding her directive, she follows the assassin which brings her to puzzles after puzzle that turns into a dangerous undercover assignment. Choosing which side of the law to play on becomes a hard decision when her life, and lives of others are on the line.
“So far, her new cohorts consisted of a muscular misogynist and a knife-wielding mutilator. Lovely.”
Read this book if you like action, thrill-rides, a strong FMC, or just a really good fast read. It’s a page turner IMHO. Every time I thought I had the plot twists figured out the author threw in a new one, and I was off spinning in my mind again. I was engaged and cheering for Daniela to prove herself in this story, and I’m ready to read the next. This would be a great television series!
Directed by her superior to an issue in a different direction, Daniela Vega stumbles into an assassination in broad daylight. Disregarding her directive, she follows the assassin which brings her to puzzles after puzzle that turns into a dangerous undercover assignment. Choosing which side of the law to play on becomes a hard decision when her life, and lives of others are on the line.
“So far, her new cohorts consisted of a muscular misogynist and a knife-wielding mutilator. Lovely.”
Read this book if you like action, thrill-rides, a strong FMC, or just a really good fast read. It’s a page turner IMHO. Every time I thought I had the plot twists figured out the author threw in a new one, and I was off spinning in my mind again. I was engaged and cheering for Daniela to prove herself in this story, and I’m ready to read the next. This would be a great television series!
June 19, 2023
A Killer's Game gives nods to Hunger Games, Saw and Die Hard, throws in a tough female character and sprinkles the whole lot with cheese to come up with a fairly decent thriller. Daniela Vega is hard as nails and super smart with it. I found her to be a bit too perfect; every time she came up against a problem, physical or mental, she chewed it up and spat it out immediately, which after a while began to dilute any tension. From reading other thrillers of this type (Hollywood springs to mind), and watching films of this type (Hollywood again), I realise there is a big market for such gung-ho goings on, and I understand why. If fast-moving, fairly predictable action tales with a whip-smart badass lead is your thing, you'll find plenty to like here.
November 27, 2022
Thank you NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the copy of A Killer’s Game by Isabella Maldonando. I loved the Nina Guerrera series, so I was really excited to read this new series. Code breaking and logic problems are FBI agent Daniela “Dani” Vega’ specialty. I loved the chapters when she has to fight her way out of a deadly maze, and her skills come in handy. I was less invested in the chapters that focused on the rescue mission, maybe because the maze chapters were so exciting and filled with action I wanted to keep reading them. This was a promising start to a new series and I look forward to learning more about Dani and her backstory!
June 5, 2023
Okay, so it sounds pretty terrible to say that a police procedural is fun, but I don't really know a better way to describe that just yet. I'll come up with something better lol.
April 16, 2024
I enjoyed this SO much!
It was riveting!
It was riveting!
May 30, 2023
Having read and enjoyed this author's Nina Guerrera series, I selected this one without reading the synopsis. This isn't a police procedural like the other series, although it starts out that way. Instead, it is just as the title suggests, a game.
One thing that is similar to the other series, it features a badass female protagonist, Daniela Vega. Other than being whip-smart, she is very good at anticipating the actions of others, something that becomes critical for her case, and her very survival.
At the heart of the story is determining who hired a hitman to kill a Senator's staff member and why. The focus of the FBI's investigation is clear, but proving their case isn't so easy. And Vega is selected to go undercover. Things go sideways with the FBI's plan and put Vega at a severe disadvantage. That's when her training and intellect come in handy. While probably unrealistic, she does a phenomenal job of solving puzzles to stay alive. I cheered for her the whole way.
While most of the story centers on the game Vega finds herself involved in, under the name of Nicola "Nikki" Corazon, there is another plotline as the FBI searches not only for their agent, but who is behind the game. Their tactics to find out the information were clever and ultimately gave Vega the best chance for survival.
Overall, this was a highly entertaining read. I'm looking forward to seeing where this story leads. Hopefully the next installments aren't as harrowing for this super-agent.
*An ARC was received for an honest review.
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One thing that is similar to the other series, it features a badass female protagonist, Daniela Vega. Other than being whip-smart, she is very good at anticipating the actions of others, something that becomes critical for her case, and her very survival.
At the heart of the story is determining who hired a hitman to kill a Senator's staff member and why. The focus of the FBI's investigation is clear, but proving their case isn't so easy. And Vega is selected to go undercover. Things go sideways with the FBI's plan and put Vega at a severe disadvantage. That's when her training and intellect come in handy. While probably unrealistic, she does a phenomenal job of solving puzzles to stay alive. I cheered for her the whole way.
While most of the story centers on the game Vega finds herself involved in, under the name of Nicola "Nikki" Corazon, there is another plotline as the FBI searches not only for their agent, but who is behind the game. Their tactics to find out the information were clever and ultimately gave Vega the best chance for survival.
Overall, this was a highly entertaining read. I'm looking forward to seeing where this story leads. Hopefully the next installments aren't as harrowing for this super-agent.
*An ARC was received for an honest review.
For more reviews, visit
https://www.instagram.com/afterdarkbo...
https://twitter.com/AftDarkBkLovers
https://www.facebook.com/pages/After-...
FB group
https://www.facebook.com/groups/16325...
https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/2...
https://www.amazon.com/gp/profile/amz...
June 2, 2023
This one started out slow for me, but around the half way part I really got into it, didn't want to stop listening. I liked Danny, her mind was amazing with all that she thought and could come up with, helped her a lot as she ended up in a horrible situation. It really looked like there was no way out, or no way out alive. I'm glad that she made it, glad that those that worked with her saw how great she was and loved how things ended with her siblings and what they learned about Danny!
March 3, 2023
Wow! FBI Special Agent Daniela Vega is one bad**s female protagonist! I was blown away by the nonstop action and totally unprepared for the premise. Not being a computer game player didn’t interfere with following the plot. This is tactical story using gaming, virtual reality, avatars, simulation and training exercises which are done with precision. There’s problem solving, logic puzzles, anagrams, codes, ciphers, decryption and encryption, whew!
There’s a contract killer, poison darts, accusations of a corrupt powerful Senator, revenge, influential politicians and tech billionaires battling for DOD contracts. The FBI makes a deal with Toro, the hitman, in order to catch bigger fish. Dani is unwittingly placed into an unimaginable and seemingly unwinnable game of vengeance. There are frenetic rescue scenes and battles for survival that left me gasping for air.
I’ve read this author before and I must say she’s outdone all previous works with this new series, highly recommend “A Killers Game” Daniela Vega #1 by Isabella Maldonado, Published by Thomas & Mercer. It’s scheduled for release March 2023. NetGalley provided a digital advance reader copy to me. These are all my own honest personal thoughts and opinions given voluntarily.
There’s a contract killer, poison darts, accusations of a corrupt powerful Senator, revenge, influential politicians and tech billionaires battling for DOD contracts. The FBI makes a deal with Toro, the hitman, in order to catch bigger fish. Dani is unwittingly placed into an unimaginable and seemingly unwinnable game of vengeance. There are frenetic rescue scenes and battles for survival that left me gasping for air.
I’ve read this author before and I must say she’s outdone all previous works with this new series, highly recommend “A Killers Game” Daniela Vega #1 by Isabella Maldonado, Published by Thomas & Mercer. It’s scheduled for release March 2023. NetGalley provided a digital advance reader copy to me. These are all my own honest personal thoughts and opinions given voluntarily.
February 13, 2025
if i say that this book was a roller-coaster that would be an understatement.... this book took me on a wild chase of deadly thrilling games and puzzles.
once again Isabella has done wonders and i have to say that Dani is pulling my heartstrings away from Nina but still Nina is my little baby.
can't wait for the next book even though waiting 10 more months is gonna slowly kill me
once again Isabella has done wonders and i have to say that Dani is pulling my heartstrings away from Nina but still Nina is my little baby.
can't wait for the next book even though waiting 10 more months is gonna slowly kill me
July 24, 2023
This book was incredibly fast paced. I couldn't put it down. It was a lot of fun to read and it was exciting to see how the mystery progressed. I really enjoyed trying for figure out what was happening with Dani.
Dani is such a compelling character. I loved seeing her progress throughout the course of the novel.
I can't wait to see what happens in the next book!
Dani is such a compelling character. I loved seeing her progress throughout the course of the novel.
I can't wait to see what happens in the next book!
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