Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this eARC.

The Falcon is the third installment in the Nina Guerrera series by Isabella Maldonado, a Wall Street Journal bestselling and award-winning author.

This thrilling and suspenseful novel follows Special Agent Nina Guerrera and her FBI team as they investigate a series of disappearances and murders at an elite university.

Maldonado does a great job of creating a realistic and compelling story with complex and well-crafted characters. You will feel empathy for Nina, who is haunted by her past and struggles to overcome her fears, but also admiration for her courage and determination to stop the killer.

This book is a gripping read that explores the dark side of human nature and the power of mind control. If you are looking for a book that will challenge you and entertain you, this is one to check out...

This was my first introduction to the series and I'm going back for the rest. It's a tight mystery with engaging characters and so well written. One of the scariest antagonists I've ever read.

The mystery was unpredictable and the writing was fantastic.
Many thanks to Thomas & Mercer and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

If you are a fan of fast paced, FBI procedural thrillers, then this book is for you. It was hard to put down so I flew through it. The behavioral analyst team gives me Criminal Minds vibes which I loved. I really like all the characters and look forward to more in the series.

A cunning serial killer stalks the campus of Arizona Institute of Technology in Phoenix.

FBI Special Agent Nina Guerrera and her team are working out of the Phoenix field office when they get the assignment to assist the AIT police after 5 female undergraduate students had vanished from the school campus. The women had started to disappear about 3 1/2 months earlier and the families insisted that the FBI be called in to help find the missing. It doesn't take long before the joint task force makes a chilling discovery in an abandoned mine -- and their findings show that a very unusual madman is at work.

This is the third in a series, but the first I have read. I was immediately captivated by the writing style and the main character, Nina, who is damaged (aren't they all?) by a horrific event that she endured as a teenager. I enjoyed the relationship of the FBI teammates and the details about their hunt for the unknown subject in the case. I won't say more about the perpetrator (spoilers), but the investigation has a lot of red herrings so it was hard to identify the unsub. I don't know if there will be more books featuring this team, but I definitely would like to read them and perhaps go back to the first. The only detractor was an overly long section of the thriller that describes captivity and behavior of one of the nabbed women. For some reason, reading about frantic escape efforts never quite appeals to me as much as the detective action. I really liked, however, finding out so much about the person responsible, their motives, profile, and techniques. All told, it was a very good read.

Fun read, great insight into running an FBI/police investigation, also enjoyed Phoenix as the novel's setting (lots of interesting facts about the city that worked into the plot), good pacing.

The Falcon had to go some to keep my attention. It's the story of Nina, an FBI agent, and Bianca, a runaway foster child. Nina understood Bianca deeply because she, too was a foster child. When Nina comes upon Bianca she has run away from her current foster home. Nina gets her hooked up with her neighbor, Mrs. Gomez. Bianca is a brainiac and is a whiz on computers. When she gets through school she has chosen three colleges she wants to attend. One of them is Arizona Institute for Technology in Phoenix.

Nina and her new FBI team are called to AIT to investigate four missing female college students. Bianca has received a personal invitation from Dr. Dawson at AIT to tour the school, so she joins Nina. Nina puts her up at her aunt Teresa's home.

While the team is investigating, another coed goes missing. Before long they are called to a make shift grave in a mine where four of the young women have been placed. The team have yet to find the fifth student. Before long, they find her in the library. In the meantime, Bianca has met with Dr. Dawson. She has written software that has to do with human beings, so she tells the doctor that she wants to see the cadavers.

The team has video showing the fifth student with a police officer. Through a process of elimination they decide the unsub is Lieutenant Hazel, who once worked for the Phoenix police department but is currently with the college police. They interrogate him but he sticks to his denial of any involvement with the coeds.

The same day Lieutenant Hazel is questioned, Bianca disappears. Now the team is on high alert. They pull up video showing her entering the building with the cadavers but she doesn't exist. So they go to that building and scour the place. They locate underground tunnels but Bianca is no where to be found. She's elsewhere. The unsub would tether his victim's ankle to a pole and zip tie their hands behind their backs. Nina had shown Bianca how to get out of zip ties and she slips her hands free. And she finds a way to break the anklet. She's able to escape through a vent. Traveling through the tunnels she finds a control room with a computer. She's able to send a signal to the team, which they receive. It's decided that the signal is coming from downtown.

When they get there they discover there are underground tunnels there as well. Nina, Kent and a detective go down in search of Bianca. After a while they find her in the ground unconscious. Nina asks the detective to take her to safety and she and Kent go on search of the unsub. The unsub causes an explosion which knocks Kent to the ground. Nina comes around the corner to find Kent unconscious and the unsub standing over him with Kent's gun pointed at him. It turns out the unsub is Dr. Dawson. Nina tells him to drop the gun, which he doesn't. They're in a stand off. I'm assuming Dawson shot the overhead light out. He moves toward Nina but she is able to avoid him. He shoots blindly but misses her and Kent. She shoots and drops him. Nina locates his body and finds he doesn't have a pulse. He's dead. She and Kent find a way out. And they live happily ever after.

The first 40 chapters moved so slow I could hardly stay awake. Things didn't really start picking up until chapter 41 when Bianca was kidnapped. Then the book was exciting. After they found her it slowed to a crawl. In my opinion, there was way too much about Dawson's obsession with birds, Egypt and mythology. It took up several chapters. I would definitely not recommend this book.

I love this series and I was thrilled to reunite with the characters. The team is fantastic and the character development throughout this series has been fantastic. This newest case was shocking and perplexing. The plot moves along at a fast pace and the conclusion was very well done. I flew through this in one sitting and can’t wait for the next in the series!

This is the best of this series so far! 4.5 stars cause I knew that one thing was definitely going to happen but all the rest, what! Lots of short chapters keep the story going although more technical detail needs to be discussed. I'm really liking the family aspect and seeing Nina grow, getting more vulnerable while still be a badass, as Bianca would say. The third in a series, it has enough backstory to be read alone.

The Falcon
July 12, 2022
Book Review
The Falcon
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.

This is the third Special Agent: Nina Guererra book in the series, which keeps getting better. Your fix is right here! The Falcon follows A Different Dawn and Guererra’s debut in The Cipher. This tantalizing thriller can be enjoyed as a standalone as Maldonado expertly supplies the necessary backstory. Expect Nina Guererra to explode into your living room, as Netflix has plans to adapt “The Cipher” with Jennifer Lopez cast as Nina.

Maldonado utilizes her more than two decades of law enforcement to bring reality to this twisty addition to the lore of the elite members of the B.A.U.. (Behavioral Analysis Unit). Five beautiful young undergrads at the elite AIF (Arizona Institute of Technology) in Phoenix, have vanished without a trace. No witnesses or video evidence of abduction, with campus cams mysteriously exhibiting glitches and deletions during relevant time intervals.

The FBI team has been called in after an extensive investigation by the AIT police has failed to reveal a substantial lead. The team is comprised of Special Agent Dr Jeffrey Wade, FBI’s most senior profiler (and effectively Nina’s mentor), Agent Kelly Breck, with an extensive background in both video forensics and cybercrime, Agent Jake Kent, ex-Navy SEAL trained in psychology, linguistics and behavioral profiling, and badass Agent Nina Guererra, who brings with her a background as a street cop and detective – all under the guidance of their boss, Supervisor , SSA, Gerard Buxton.

Nina has already gained notoriety in aiding in the resolution of a high-profile case in Phoenix. The local newspapers have given her the nomme de plume of “Warrior Girl.” Kelly is never without her laptop and her sassy attitude is softened by her southern accent. Nina’s back story is neatly revealed to compliment her ongoing motivation. Herself, an actual victim of the serial killer, known as “The Cipher” as a sixteen year-old teenager. The world watched as Nina was left with both psychological, emotional, and physical scars. This case has a visceral connection with Nina.

The investigation is further complicated when the reporters and TV cameras show up. The family is offering a fifty-thousand-dollar reward for information. Naturally for every actionable lead, the tip line will receive a hundred crank calls and dead ends .. and even false accusations designed to send the police after someone the caller despises. To make matters worse, the reporters film a stocky, balding man, wearing a purple Hawaiian shirt with his arm around the waist of one of the grieving co-eds’ mothers. He is none other than the self-proclaimed psychic detective, “Arthur Mage” – real name, Alvin Scrudd – and an often thorn in the side of Phoenix police. As always, praying on the fear and grief of victims’ family in exchange for notoriety and ultimately money.

Once the team arrives, a sixth co-ed is abducted, last seen on video kissing her boyfriend goodbye, followed by a brief video of her heading to her dorm before the cam recording goes wonky. While the team is engrossed with further investigation and establishing a profile a hiker stumbles upon a grisly scene in a remote, abandoned cave. Five bodies are found. Laid out on a slab of stone reminiscent of an ancient stone altar. Three were completely wrapped head to toe in strips of white cloth… the other two were nude, but covered in white granules that apparently was desiccating their bodies. This sick monster was making mummies of them. They no longer were tracking a kidnapper … but, rather hunting a serial killer.

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. The narrative is told in a linear fashion with multiple points of view, including the unidentified monster, incrementally revealing his backstory and motivation, while progressively revealing his heinous actions. Along the bumpy ride, the reader is presented with multiple clues and possible suspects, as well as red herrings, defying the reader to solve the mystery.

Maldonado’s extensive law enforcement experience allows her to be both insightful and entertaining in exploring the many terms encountered in crime fiction.

Thanks to Isabella Maldonado for this wonderful ride. And to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer Books for supplying an Uncorrected Proof in exchange for an honest review. Hopefully there will be many more enthralling cases with Agent Nina Guererra.

These books have a bit too much Fast & Furious "we're a family" kind of cheese (although I do love actual cheese), especially since it is only directed at Nina as if she is the only one with problems and a real life outside the investigations. However, I love the mystery and thriller aspects. The author's writing really pulls me in. I will read every book in this series.

Thanks to Thomas & Mercer for a free digital galley via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review!

The Falcon is the third book in the Nina Guerrera series and while it could be read as a standalone, you will get more of the background if you read the first two. Nina and the team are back in Arizona to try and catch a serial kidnapper who is targeting college freshman.

I have really enjoyed the first two books so this one was kind of a let down. The main reason is a bit of a spoiler so if you don't want to know any details just know this is a solid book and I will be continuing the series. Okay spoiler time: I just cannot believe that once again someone close to Nina is the victim. First book, okay believable. Second book, okay this was a bit much but does serve for background. Third book, yeah that is not going to work for me. From chapter one I knew Bianca was going to get taken and it just did not work for me. Hopefully if there is a next book we can see the team actually solve a crime not related to Nina

If you are a lover of police procedurals searching for a serial killer, centering around a strong female FBI agent this book is for you. The story is complex and riveting with great characters that take you for a ride through the twists and turns.

Since this is my first book in the Nina Guerrera series I will definitely be going back to read the first two to get a better background of the characters and their development. I can see this series becoming a favorite of mine.

A fantastic book and a great addition to a great series. Nina is complex and absolutely riveting. The storyline is interesting with a very surprising conclusion.

I love this series and the strong female characters. Murder aside—I actually learned a lot about both, detective work and falconry. Looking forward to reading the next I’m the series!

A cunning serial killer stalks the campus of Arizona Institute of Technology in Phoenix.

FBI Special Agent Nina Guerrera and her team are working out of the Phoenix field office when they get the assignment to assist the AIT police after 5 female undergraduate students had vanished from the school campus. The women had started to disappear about 3 1/2 months earlier and the families insisted that the FBI be called in to help find the missing. It doesn't take long before the joint task force makes a chilling discovery in an abandoned mine -- and their findings show that a very unusual madman is at work.

This is the third in a series, but the first I have read. I was immediately captivated by the writing style and the main character, Nina, who is damaged (aren't they all?) by a horrific event that she endured as a teenager. I enjoyed the relationship of the FBI teammates and the details about their hunt for the unknown subject in the case. I won't say more about the perpetrator (spoilers), but the investigation has a lot of red herrings so it was hard to identify the unsub. I don't know if there will be more books featuring this team, but I definitely would like to read them and perhaps go back to the first. The only detractor was an overly long section of the thriller that describes captivity and behavior of one of the nabbed women. For some reason, reading about frantic escape efforts never quite appeals to me as much as the detective action. I really liked, however, finding out so much about the person responsible, their motives, profile, and techniques. All told, it was a very good read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for this e-book ARC to read, review, and recommend.

Special Agent Nina Guerrera and her team of agents, IT expert, and profilers have a problem. Six female undergrads from the elite university AIT have disappeared. There is nothing tying these females together, except their affiliation with the school and the fact that they are all physically beautiful women. As Nina, the agents, and the police department track each clue, they realize the perpetrator is both exceptionally intelligent and extremely patient. When five of the six bodies are found perfectly preserved, they show no signs of violence or abuse, and no indication of how the women were killed. Families gather on campus with the media to demand action from the police and FBI. When the sixth woman is found dead, another woman named Bianca (“Bee”) is taken during a campus visit for the graduate program. Suspicion is purposefully cast on someone else by the murderer. Bee has close ties to Nina, and the hunt for a cunning, mind-controlling serial killer becomes even more personal. Nina puts everything on the line when the race is on to find Bianca before she becomes victim number seven.

“The Falcon” is excellent book, full of surprises and misdirection. It is intelligently, smoothly, and hauntingly written, with very well-drawn characters and vivid descriptions throughout. The details are especially skillful, notably the depiction of the serial killer’s profiling, ancient rituals, and falconry. I found the novel fascinating, and I literally could not put this book down, devouring every page. I’m sorry I began at Book Three of the series, and plan to go back to Book One to read more about Nina’s past and what made her the character she is in this book, although it’s a thoroughly enjoyable read as a stand-alone work as well. It’s my first book from author Isabella Maldonado, but I guarantee it will not be the last!

I’d like to thank NetGalley, Isabella Maldonado, and Thomas and Mercer for the ability to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I continue to enjoy getting to know Nina Guerrera, FBI agent and her team in this 3rd book in the series. Working with the Phoenix police department, the agents are searching for the killer who is abducting and killing female students before he can act again Quite a page turner.

Another great book by Maldonado and continuation to the Nina series! Great characters and storylines and it was definitely one of the best books in the series so far! This was a great page-turner and I really enjoy how realistic the investigation seems (no doubt to the author's real-life experience). Can't wait for the next book in the series! Highly recommend!

This thriller starts off with a mystery. Six female undergraduate students disappear from an university. Special Agent Nina Guerrera takes on this case and there is already pressure on her to find answers fast. The parents of the missing students are demanding action and the media attention that is growing. As Nina searches for clues, she comes to the realization that she is dealing with a calculating killer and the clues are disconcerting. Bodies are being discovered and no trace of how they died is found. With the killer still on loose, obstacles are thrown at her and she’s still in a time crunch. The killer and his motives freaked me out a little. This is an exciting thrill ride, from start to finish. Twists and turns, that characters and the riveting plot will keep the reader guessing.

“Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for allowing me to read and review this book.”