Isabella Maldonado has leapt onto my list of favourite Authors. Her books are Amazing. The speed of the read got a hold of me and never let up. A really strong likeable main Character that will have you staying late up into the night to finish this book. A really strong plot, with plenty of twists and turns.
Definitely an Author to watch!

A Different Dawn by Isabella Maldonado reunites readers with FBI Special Agent Nina Guerrera and the rest of her new BAU team. This time she is hunting a serial killer that has been killing for over 30 years, always families of 3, always on February 29th, but thousands of miles apart. What unfolds is a story so thrilling you won't want to put it down. This story will not just keep you in suspense, but will also have you feeling emotions towards Nina that most procedurals don't give us. I highly recommend this book, as well as The Cipher, Nina Guerrera's first book appearance.

This is an example of a book where the writing just did not strike me as that good - it is a bit choppy for my taste, a bit simplistic, a bit pedestrian. Yet did I care? Nope, not after the first few chapters as the story and the characters once again drew me in. As a former police officer, Maldonado clearly knows her stuff - this police procedural nails all the investigative twists and turns needed to find a highly intelligent, super creepy serial killer. She develops her main character in a way that pulls us into Nina's life, rooting for her and cheering her on, even when she makes mistakes and falls into trouble. The high chance of coincidence made me roll my eyes more than once, but still, I was thoroughly entertained + I appreciated the diverse case of characters rather than the typical 'all-white male cast with one token female badass." Once the writing skills get honed a bit more, I think this detective series will be really solid.

A Different Dawn by Isabella Maldonado
Nina Guerrera #2

Riveting read ~ Couldn’t put it down!

Beginning with a group of young girls in a children’s home and a scary story told about a ghost was an interesting idea that tied into more than one aspect of the story that followed. A great addition to the series with a hook to eagerly look forward to the next book hitting the bookstores!

What I liked:
* Nina: FBI agent, part of a specialized field team in the making, abandoned in a dumpster as a baby, a ward of the state, abused, grew up to be a police detective that became an FBI agent and profiler ~ she intrigues me and I can’t wait to see how she grows through the series.
* Her team: work as a unit and are there for one another
- Supervisory Special Agent Gerard Buxton: overall boss in charge of team
- Special Agent Dr. Jeffrey Wade: profiler with many years on the job
- Kelly Breck: originally in cybercrimes division
- Jake Ken: former Navy SEAL with psychological, profiler, linguistic and other skills – reminds me a bit of Clark Kent, but potentially “better”
* The Latin American folktale of La Llorna and how it tied into the book’s plot
* The way the story was excellently told
* The setting – Phoenix, Arizona
* The police procedural aspects of the story
* That it felt believable and real
* I cared about the characters and the outcome
* I am eager to read more though the story was complete in and of itself
* What Nina learned about her past and how it will perhaps help form her future
* The potential love interest that might develop within Nina’s team
* Wondering about the team members and whether they are in relationships…can’t remember from book one.
* That I could so easily dislike the serial killer and want him brought to justice

What I didn’t like:
* The serial killer – heartless, ruthless, amoral, stone cold…
* Having to wait for book three to be ready

Did I enjoy this book? Yes
Would I read more in this series? Definitely

Thank you to NetGalley and Tomas & Mercer for the ARC – This is my honest review.

5 Stars

A Different Dawn picks up a few months after book 1 when the newly formed team is called back to Phoenix to help work a serial killer case. Nina is still struggling to trust herself and her team as they race to solve 8 murders dating back almost 30 years.

If you love Criminal Minds as much as I do you will absolutely love this series. While you do not necessarily need to read book 1, I highly recommend starting there because you get a better understanding for the characters. Some of the plot seems a bit predictable but I was still kept on the edge of my seat for the entire book. I am so excited to see there will be a book 3 because I honestly could read like 20 books about Nina.

Well done Isabella Maldonado! I adore Nina Guerra and this series! This second book had me hooked from the start. I loved the ending and also the courage of the Warrior Girl. And also relationships within the FBI unit that grow and evolve as they work together. I hope the next book is in progress .

I just finished A New Dawn in record pace, and wow, I highly recommend!

The author clearly has experience with law enforcement thrillers, and this does not disappoint. After the first couple chapters, the action took off and I was hooked. That mixed in with some plot twists and surprises, and a few tugs of the heart along the way, and I consider this a great, well-balanced, thriller that I recommend with 5 stars and no reservations. I have not read any books from Isabel Maldonado until now, but I will look into more!

Thank you Net Galley for the free copy. The comments above are mine without influence.

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

‘A Different Dawn’ is the second book featuring FBI agent Nina Guerrera and her new team in a very unusual investigation. It started with a gruesome murder of a couple and their newborn baby.

Soon it emerged that there was a link with other triple homicides over different States in America, spanning over twenty-eight years! The first was in Phoenix Arizona which went full circle to the present day. Nina asked herself why? What is the link? Could this be a serial killer and why were more sickening murders occurring every four years . . . plus why around February 29th . . . Leap years?

I found it interesting to gradually learn of Nina’s upsetting background, feeling rejected, with no known family, yet courageously she turned her life around to become an exceptional FBI agent and was well respected by her colleagues.

As each crime unfolded, it reminded Nina of a frightening ancient Latin folktale of ‘La Llorono’ when she felt so abandoned.

As all the murders started to reveal the distorted mind of the psychopathic killer, the pace increased bringing about startling revelations, involving Nina on a very personal level.

It did take me quite a while to get into the book, possibly because I had to get used to Maldona’s American style - for example, “unsub” for the unknown subject, so four stars was a fair grade.

Galadriel.

Elite Reviewing Group received a copy of this book to review.

Written by a former Commander of Special Investigations and Forensics, Isabella Maldonado’s A Different Dawn is the second of the feisty ‘Warrior Girl’ Nina Guerrera series. It opens with eight-year-old Nina telling her foster siblings the legend of La Llorona which provides the thematic backdrop to the story. Once again Nina, a FBI agent is faced with a serial killer when two different crimes are connected and her team undertakes the investigation. Various clues are discovered, often leading to a dead end or another unforeseen twist. The tension ratchets up and reveals the case complications, causing past and present to collide. This was read as a standalone book but the first instalment seems like a must read too, given this wonderful new hero. A thoroughly enjoyable read with an impressive narrative and a four-star rating. With much thanks to Thomas & Mercer and the author for an uncorrected proof copy for review purposes.

This is the second book in the Nina Guerrera series by Isabella Maldonado, who’s become one of my favorite thriller authors. The first book in this series, The Cipher, made my top ten favorite thriller books of 2020. You can read my review for that book here.

This book is another superb, chilling thriller from Isabella Maldonado who not only writes a creepy thriller but she does a wonderful job in bringing some great, unique characters to life.

The writer’s background as a former police officer with decades of experience adds authenticity to the story. In this book, FBI special agent Nina Guerrera uncovers a serial killer who has gone under the radar for decades. The crimes are chilling–the killer targets young families with a newborn baby, but the taut storytelling and vivid characters makes this an enjoyable read, despite the dark subject.

Having been born and raised in Costa Rica, I enjoy seeing Latino culture in the storytelling and as any latino kid can access La Llorona is an urban legend that kept us up and tonight, regardless of which Latin America country you grew up in, so it was awesome to see that legend featured in the story.

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.

A family with a newborn daughter are murdered in their Phoenix home on February 29. The FBI are called in to assist when a link is found between this murder and another triple homicide that took place in New York four years ago. As they investigate the leap year connection, Special Agent Nina Guerrara and her team members are shocked when they find evidence of 8 similar murders occurring across the country during the past 28 years, all on February 29. The very first killings also occurred in Phoenix so the team focuses on those two cases first.

How did the killer choose each family to target? What type of job would allow him the flexibility to plan and carry out his disturbing ritual Leap Day killings? The La Llorona folklore which had terrified Nina as a child in the orphanage may provide an important clue. But as the team narrows in on a suspect, a bombshell revelation rocks Nina to the core. Nina and her team try to set up a trap but they realizes they are dealing with a devious, remorseless killer who is determined to finish what he started 28 years ago at any cost.

This was another thrilling read in the Nina Guerrara series.

I received a digital ARC from Netgalley and Thomas & Mercer with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book and provided this review.

This was a thriller that definitely kept my interest with its cleverly crafted plot. It is fast paced and the suspense is there. I look forward to the next installment.
Many thanks to Thomas & Mercer and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

After reading ‘The Cipher’ I immediately was waiting for the next Nina Guerrera book to be released.

Unfortunately I didn’t love ‘A Different Dawn’ as much. The author leans heavily on her own law enforcement experience, which is great, but this time it felt like getting the procedure correct and fully explained was more important than any character development. I appreciate wanting accuracy but not when it’s the focus over plot and story.

That said, Nina Guerrera is once again a very strong main character and I loved her growth throughout the book. The team around her is a great group which is why I would love more focus on them as their own characters.
I’ve enjoyed this series enough to be hopeful for a third book and more!

WOW!! What a rollercoaster this book was. I consumed it in a little over 24hours I simply couldn't put it down.

Nina Guerrera is back in a thrilling case with her precocious team of special agents. The case takes them back to Phoenix, Arizona and the scene of a gruesome crime that has even more gruesome consequences as they dig deeper. Nina and the team ruffle some feathers along the way, discover some horrifying details that date back three decades and uncover some unbelievable coincidences in Nina's personal life.

I was completely sucked into this story from the get go, the creepy Latin folktale of La Llorona was ever present throughout the book. I really enjoyed the description of the Latina roots that Nina never got to grow up with but she still felt a very close connection with. I really like each of the characters and enjoyed the banter between the Phoenix Investigator who clearly has puppy eyes for Nina and Kent who perhaps does too.

Nina is fearless, if a little reckless but it wouldn't be her if she wasn't bending a few rules from time to time. I can highly recommend this book to anyone who is keen to give it a try. You could read it as a stand alone but in all honesty why would you, the first one is fantastic too so do yourself a favour and curl up on the couch with a bag of lollies and binge read them both. I thoroughly enjoyed it with all the twists and turns, nail biting edge of my seat bits and even the bit that got me a bit teary (I know... its got it all)!!

Isabella Maldonado has a way of drawing you into the story so you feel a part of the team. You get a feel for police/FBI procedure which I am sure draws on her extensive experience in that field.

I want to thank the author, NetGalley and Thomas and Mercer for an advanced copy of this fantastic book for my honest review. #ADifferentDawn #NetGalley

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 Thomas & Mercer and the author for this Netgalley ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I love this series. I really don't read a lot of crime thrillers/police procedurals, and I wasn't expecting it to be anything special but when I read The Cipher last year, I fell in love with Nina and her story. This second instalment was just as good. The writing is fast-paced and accessible but still detailed and emotive. I love the way all the characters are developed, and I love the slow reveal of information as the team gather momentum with their investigation. Such a great crime thriller series - I would highly recommend.

The Cipher (Nina Guerrera #1) was an Amazon Prime First Reads offer and I was surprised by how much I enjoyed it. I love Free books (who doesn't!) but when it comes to free ebook offer, I have my doubts... Nina was such a strong protagonist and the story a thrilling page turner that when I saw this second book available on NetGalley, I jumped on the chance.

A Different Dawn is just as thrilling and page turning as the first book. As Nina and her team needs to learn to work together as a team, they travelled to Phoenix where a possible serial killer began and has just recently, committed an atrocious act against a young family. As the team raced against time and danger to catch this unsub, he himself worked behind the scene to throw them off their game.

Nina faced her terribly violent past in The Cipher and you'd think the poor girl may have had enough but this Girl Warrior is uncovering more of her mysterious past in this latest instalment of the series. Even as much as I loved the ending to this book, I was scoffing at how both mysteries conveniently centred on Nina's past... What's left for the next book? Maybe now we can move on...? We'll see.

Last night, I started reading thinking that I'll just read for an hour and have an early night but I just couldn't put this down. While I struggled against my unbelief that yet again, Nina stumbled into something from her past, I also wanted to find out what it is! So I chalked up another late night reading but a very satisfactory one.

My thanks to Thomas & Mercer for ecopy of book via NetGalley in exchange of my honest thoughts

Nina Guerrera and her team have to decide if there is a link between a family that were murdered in their sleep and another almost identical crime that was committed exactly four years earlier. I won't say much more than that because I don't want to given anything away but just let me say that there is a lot more.

The author's first Nina Guerrera book was criticised for allegedly having holes in the plot and relying on coincidences. Maybe it did and perhaps this one does too but they went over my head and didn't stop me from thoroughly enjoying both books. So what if it's not Shakespeare or Steinbeck, all I know is that I couldn't turn the pages quick enough to find out what was going to happen next. Highly recommend.