This is a well written, complicated mystery. Strong damaged heroine and a very smart villian. A team of FBI agents and police are looking for a serial killer who abducts and kills young women Part of a series but can be read by itself

I really enjoyed this fresh new thriller. So many twists and turns. Huge character development that kept me totally invested in the story. This was fast paced and beautifully executed.
Highly recommend
Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book

In summary, a tenacious female underdog protagonist works to help find a serial killer. It becomes a race against time when a friend is abducted as unsub's the next victim.

I already read and really enjoyed the previous two books of this series, so I was excited to continue following Nina's career and character development. You would think a series gets repetitive, but each book has a unique plot. While Maldonado digs deeper into Agent Guerrera's background, she entwines twists and chance encounters that make it so that I have rarely guessed the culprit or connection in any of her novels.

This series is difficult to put down and definitely worth a read.

I only have one complaint. I find the insights and explanations of the justice system to be very helpful, but they tend to sound a bit forced overall. Unfortunately, I don't know if there is a better way to insert these little gems.

It’s such a kick to read another fantastic mystery novel with strong female protagonists, a tricky puzzle, multiple twists, and a race-against-time ending, but to throw in Egyptology and falconry and behavioral psychology makes The Falcon that much the richer. The Falcon is the third book in the Nina Guererra series and I feel it’s the strongest so far. While I’m still getting mixed up concerning the men and who they are, the women are stellar.

The mystery takes place at a large unnamed university in Arizona; five coeds have gone missing in a few short months and Nina’s FBI unit is called in. This is more than just a business trip for Nina as her biological family is there and she is still getting to know them. The scenes are divided between Nina and her crew searching for clues, researching and theorizing; visits to Nina’s family; and the truly dark mind of the serial killer. While the killer’s motivations are nothing new, how he exacts his revenge is different, and rather interesting. And his level of revenge is stunning.

The story sped along at breakneck speed and I finished it overnight, completely satisfied. It’s a great series but each story can be standalone-I recommend reading the first two books anyway so you get more of Nina’s story.

(Thanks to Netgalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review)

“You can’t beat a raptor into submission. You must work with its natural behavior to bend it to your will.”

If you haven’t read this series before, you’ll want to read it from the beginning: 1) The Cipher and 2) A Different Dawn. And I would highly recommend doing so!


If you’re already familiar with this series then you know that our female protagonist, Nina, former street cop, works with a special FBI team made up of Breck, a computer wiz, Kent, a former Navy SEAL, and Wade, a criminal profiler.

In The Falcon, the team is back in Phoenix, AZ working on another series of murders.

Young women are being abducted from the AIT campus. No bodies have been found and no suspects have been investigated.

A break in the case leads them to all but one of the missing girls, all in different states of mummification. As their investigation progresses, they discover the culprit not only an obsession with Egyptian rituals and culture, but has knowledge of falconry training and is himself searching for a mate that he will tame and train to love him back.

“This guy is an expert in training. Conditioning. Manipulation.”

“Falconry taught him patience, wisdom, and self-mastery.”

“He tries to control what he cannot understand. The frustration mounts as he repeatedly fails.”

Just like The Cipher, the mind of The Falcon is pretty twisted.

The team becomes extra invested when the next girl to be taken is Nina’s neighbor and ‘surrogate daughter’ Bianca who has been touring AIT to attend there in the fall.


I had suspected in book two that Bianca was going to be joining the team in some capacity in the future, but I hadn’t anticipated her being the victim. I still wonder if she will indirectly assist the team in every book. She’s their secret weapon! And as I had hoped from book two, Bianca did use less f-words so that was nice.

There was some swearing here or there but nothing distracting and excessive.

There was also some technical jargon and explanations that wasn’t super clear, but even if you didn’t understand it, you knew the overall purpose of what the action was going to do and it didn’t take away from the story.


The connection to Egyptian mythology and rituals was interesting but I couldn’t stop thinking about the comment one of our museum tour guides said as we were visiting a museum in London. We had limited time and he had us bypass the Egyptian exhibit saying, “Egypt matters for nothing!”

So if you feel as strongly as our tour guide, you may not enjoy that aspect of this book!

Another random tidbit from my life that is fractionally relevant— the killer gives ostrich feathers to the girls after he kills them because of Egyptian mythology, but they talk about how there’s a lot of ostrich farms in Arizona. I lived there for one year and it just so happened that the annual ostrich festival was being held the weekend of my birthday! They had a parade with ostriches and they did ostrich racing as well. So I feel a special connection to Arizonan ostriches. The end.


I’ve recommended this series to many people and I do so again here. I love the characters and character development (we see Nina and Kent become much closer in this book) as a team and also Nina individually as she continues to work through her hard past.

I love that book two gave Nina a new family, but then it leaves me wondering about the other members of the team. It never seems like they have anything to do or think about other than being with Nina and doing their work. Maybe that’s common in the FBI given the nature of the job? I don’t necessarily want Maldonado to invest more page real estate to all the other character’s families, but it would be nice to know they had lives too.

The writing is suspenseful and reads fast! Maldonado’s expertise in law enforcement and the FBI is very evident in her books and I feel like it’s pretty realistic. And her characters usually don’t go off on stupid ‘hero moments’ without notifying the team so I appreciate that too!


This book releases June 28, 2022, so keep this one on your radar this year! The release date gives you plenty of time to read the first two books in preparation.

Over and out.


Sidenote: I get a kick out of her book covers all having someone running away and looking at other books I’ve read, I’ve realized that it’s more common than I thought. So check out my blog this month because I’ll be doing a post of more books with covers like that!


**Received an ARC via NetGalley**

Out of true crime documentaries on Netflix? Or just want to feel the rush again from a book that you can’t put down? This is the book for you. With her background in FBI work and knack for writing, author Isabella Maldonado keeps delivering!

Nina, our favorite young but bad-a$$ Latina special agent, is back with her FBI gang. This time they are working a case out of Arizona involving kidnapped young women. Of course, the case proves puzzling - and all the while, the disappearances continue.

So yeah, I devoured this book to figure out how this would get solved. The writing is fast-paced. The stakes are high. The plot is twisty. Everything you need for a great thriller! Plus, for being a plot-driven type of book, the characters are surprisingly dynamic. (I want more B and Kent in the next book please!)

There are a few times that I needed to suspend disbelief, but nothing that distracted me from the story or went beyond the normal for police procedural thrillers. There was a little repetition in the writing. And lastly (or perhaps I should say firstly), the beginning of the story could have been tightened up. Despite these critiques, it was a worthwhile read.

Note on book order: this is the third book within the Nina Guerrera series. Each book in the series is a stand-alone story, but with returning (and continually developing) characters. So you don’t have to read them in order to understand the story at all, but having read the prior books will provide better context. Given each series entry has been a hit for me, I would recommend starting at book one and working up!

RECAP: This story ranks 4.5 stars for me
An advanced reader copy of this book was provided in exchange for an honest review

Thanks to NetGalley and Thomas Mercer for providing a free ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed the first two Nina Guerrera novels and this one continues the trend. Solid police procedural with a really creepy serial killer with an extensive back story. Once the mystery was solved and the killer was revealed I really appreciated all the discussions of what led to his particular flavor of crazy.

I am definitely staying with the series and I cant wait to see where Nina and Bianca go next.

I don't ask for much. I just want multiple book series...es that center on a female detective with some early trauma that informs the care with which she approaches her job. This is one of those and it's one of the best.

This book didn't grab me as much as the previous ones (The Cipher and A Different Dawn). At least in the beginning! Halfway through, the story finally started to pick up speed. I think repeating Nina Guerrera's background took away something from the story. Readers should be informed to read the previous books in order to know where she came from.

I'm ready for Nina and Kent to hook up. She needs to have someone who supports her unconditionally and Kent fits the bill. Bianca, her ward, has a close call with a kidnapper, and things get pretty ugly! The tension builds from then on and it won't let go of you. I am ready for a follow-up.

Thank you #NetGalley for providing me with uncorrected AC!

(2.5 stars)
"She recalled gazing into the fathomless depths of his ice-blue eyes. He had debased her in every way imaginable, coming within moments of ending her life. She had looked into the face of evil and lived to tell the tale, but not without deep scars that disfigured her body and tormented her mind." Mills & Boon eat your heart out... all we need is a tumescent erection.

The Falcon is the third book in the Nina Guerrero series by Isabella Maldonado, but the first book I personally have read by this author. It uses a well-worn trope—young women being stalked, kidnapped and killed—but has a quirky impetus for the crimes that is hinted at in the book’s title. As a person picking up these books mid-series I can assure you that it’s pretty easy to get the history of the series without delving into the back catalogue.

The author telegraphs… nay, labours certain points. For example, it is hard to miss that Nina is short, or that Nina is damaged, or that Nina doesn’t do relationships well. I walked away with the impression that this author thinks her audience are either dumb or forgetful with the labouring of these points. As an example, in The Falcon an impending explosion is about to take out Nina’s love interest, and Nina takes off her belt with commentary about how small her waist is meaning it won’t reach him standing in a sewer about to die. It’s odd. It’s unnecessary.

Maybe this is all designed to make the reader want to delve into the back catalogue and read The Cipher where Nina’s damage emerges from. However I found that it was so laboured I felt I didn’t have to do that. This laboured attempt at connectivity detracts from a reasonably interesting storyline that at least has some elements that are different from the usual angry serial killer wondering why the hot young women he kidnaps just won’t love him back. I will note that there has also been considerable evidence discrediting theories like Stockholm Syndrome that features heavily in this book, so it felt a bit dated in that regard. I did find some of the aspects about falconry and the use of birds of prey to combat drone technology quite interesting reading.

3rd in the series and started off a little slower than the previous 2….. I will definitely be keeping my eye out for another instalment as I think there may be a bit of romance on the horizon and no doubt Isabella Maldonado has many an interesting albeit sick and twisted story left to tell.

The Falcon is another gripping entry in the Nina Guerrera series that features a truly disturbing killer who uses unusual ways to control his victims. Nina and her FBI colleagues are called to university in Arizona after a number of women disappear on campus. Just as they begin to piece together what is going on Nina's friend Bianca goes missing. As the team races to find her the killer tries to cover his tracks for good. One of the things I enjoy about this series is how Nina has developed as a character. She went from escaping a serial killer to becoming a compassionate and fierce FBI agent who her team rallies behind and trusts. I also love how Bianca and Nina's relationship has developed. Isabella Maldonado clearly knows how to write compelling books and I look forward to the next one in the series. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

She has done it again. A fabulous mystery that is captivating and keeps you entertained until the very end.

The Falcon finds FBI Agent Nina Guerrera busy tracking a serial killer the likes of which she has never seen. The case takes a turn for the worse, and the bizarre, when several victims are found perfectly preserved. No signs of violence, no hint of how they died. Just more evidence that the killer is cruel, calculating, and a master of mind control.

‘The Falcon’ is book 3 of this series and unfortunately my least favourite one.
FBI Special Agent Nina Guerrera and the rest of her team are once again called back to Phoenix Arizona to help investigate 4 missing college girls. The unsub that has taken the girls is obsessed with ancient Egypt and falconry and uses both subjects on his victims.
And when the bodies of the missing women are found, it’s up to Nina and her team to find the killer before he kills his latest victim, someone very close to Nina.
This was a so-so read for me. I liked it, but I didn’t love it. Mainly because I just couldn’t believe in the unsub and his motives. The merging of ancient Egypt and falconry was a bit messy and confusing. And when the unsub was revealed, I was baffled. Wouldn’t have picked that person out at all. I found it a bit unbelievable.
Overall ‘The Falcon’ was an average police procedural read. 3.5 stars

This book was sent to me electronically for review by Netgalley. Serial killer…friendship…murder and mayhem…police work…themes running throughout this novel that reads like a true crime story…the protagonist is likable while some of the other characters are just not… enjoy this one…the story does move somewhat slowly at times, but it reaches an ending that is satisfying…to some…

If you love a good police procedural, look no further than anything written by Maldonado. She is a retired FBI Special Agent and former police officer, so she knows her stuff and writes in such a way that you feel as if you are right in the middle of the action. Also if you’re looking to diversify you’re mystery reading, Maldonado is Latina and her main character is as well. This is story is full of suspense and keeps the tense taut right until the end. I can’t wait to read more in this series! This is the third book in Nina Guerrera series and while you could start here I can’t imagine not reading first two books, The Cipher & The Different Dawn, first.

The Falcon tells the story of Nina Guerrera FBI detective following the trail of a serial killer. Nina is tough, smart, and motivated by her own personal story of abuse. She was in the foster care system and knew their problems so she rescues Bianca from them. Afterward, Bianca turned out to be a genius and she is looking for a grad school in Phoenix, the same city where a serial killer has been chasing coeds and mummifying them.

The book dwells on the investigative side of the case which was something very interesting and the strong quality of this book. The description of the process and the clues that investigators and detectives look for was really good. Although I haven't read any of the previous books, Nina and her team were easy to sympathize with.
A well-built story and a good read for those who love this kind of story.

Thank you Thomas and Mercer for this copy.
This is series is quickly becoming a favorite of mine. I love the story lines and I love anything that involves the FBI.
Please keep writing these.

In “The Falcon” (Nina Guerrera #3) by Isabella Maldonado we are brought back into the life of Nina Guerrera, an FBI Special Agent. This time around they are brought in when a handful of college girls go missing. As the team arrives on campus, they begin to realize that the abductions are anything but ordinary, as is the high-tech campus itself. As they race to find the abductor he takes yet another girl, but this one strikes too close to home.

A great third book in the Nina Guerrera series. I especially loved seeing the team work together as well as get a better insight into Bianca.

I received an ARC of this book, and this is my honest review.

My thanks to Thomas & Mercer, as well as to NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review an early copy of The Falcon.

What does one do about a killer compelled to fully conquer his victims before they die using a combination of behavioral psychology, Stockholm Syndrome, and Falconry techniques to control his captives?? What can I say? This guy was downright creepy!!

I've really enjoyed this series and The Falcon was quite the nail-biting ride to read! It's a police procedural but also an FBI investigation. I love every member of the FBI team that Nina is a part of. From the first time that young spitfire, Bianca, showed up in the series, I have loved her! She is now 18 years old, quirky, and downright brilliant. She adds so much to the series! It's been really nice seeing Nina's character growth.

If you love books about Falcons, Egyptian mythology, serial killers, puzzles, and strong female protagonists, and don't mind a wee bit of gruesome detail, this one is for you! (Although this book is part of a series, I feel it can be read as a stand-alone.)