Another wonderful suspense author, one that I have no problem doing a one click buy. This story was not a disappointment. With a horrific past, Dani Vega, a FBI agent wants to know what happened with her dad. She goes to the local police station, except they want help with a serial killer that is roaming the streets. As Dani navigates through this case, her past secrets come to life and wow, was it an eye opener. With each page I turned, I became more enthralled with the story. A must read for suspense enthusiasts.

3.5 stars
There was a lot going on with this second installment of the Daniela Vega series. Dani helps an NYPD detective to find a serial killer in exchange for him helping her get to the bottom of her mother’s murder. I felt like things came together somewhat unbelievably but it was a solid book for the genre.

F.B.I. agent Daniel Vega is waiting for the all-clear from her review board to go back to work when she is requested to see her mother. Her mother is locked up in a psych facility for a mental breakdown and for killing her husband Daniel’s father. After this visit, she begins to question the day in question ten years ago because she was the one who walked into the apartment to the scene. The story then evolves into a series of murders throughout New York that puts her in the sights of the killer. Who is the killer is a surprise along with the story which is fast-paced and full of energy from the beginning to the end. The characters are excellent and this is one fabulous story, very much worth the read.

Dani Vega is back in this second installment of her series looking for a serial killer that has been active in NYC for over 10 years and investigating her own father’s murder on the side. I enjoyed this episode as much as the first. Filled with suspense and twists I did not see coming, it kept my interest from the first to the last page.

📖 ARC REVIEW 📖

Thank you @amazonpublishing for an early copy of A Forgotten Kill by Isabella Maldonado. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. 🤍

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
Release date: March 26th, 2024

Blurb: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/124935432-a-forgotten-kill?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=nTnv0yQ1xX&rank=1

🛑Read on with caution; review may contain spoilers🛑

Unlike most sequels, A Killer’s Game is so much better than the first book in Isabella Maldonado’s Daniela Vega series. Not only does it dive deeper into Dani Vega’s character and her family’s past, but it also gives an interesting and disturbing take on this book’s antagonist, Conner.

Wanting to have her father’s murder re-investigated, we see more of Dani’s abilities in cryptanalysis when she discovers a series of killings spanning years, with the suspect following a strict schedule and pattern. I enjoyed learning more about her fantastic ability apart from her combat skills, which were highlighted in the first novel.

What I really enjoyed in this sequel is the antagonist’s POV. Despite being very disturbing, I found his POV so fascinating that I couldn’t put down the book. Even though his thoughts and actions were morally wrong, I admired his intellect and was astonished and amazed at how he managed to avoid being captured after stalking, raping, and killing all those women for years.

Maldonado’s works have proven to be very thrilling and kept me hooked from the very beginning to the end of each novel and I can’t wait to read more of them!

This is the second book in the Daniela Vega book. Whereas the first book really showed us how smart, resourceful and badass Daniela Vega was, this second book showed her in a more personal light. It showed her vulnerability and how much she had to overcome to get where she is. I loved this book even more. There is still a lot of action and all around bad-assery as she gets her man.

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas and Mercer for providing this e-galley in exchange for an honest review.

This book was great. Loved the two cases and their intersection, lots of action, smart and strong lead character. Want to read more of this author.

A Forgotten Kill by Isabella Maldonado
Daniela Vega #2

Seeing patterns and connections is what Daniela has been trained to do. Having her mother speak for the first time in nearly a decade and say something that makes her question who really killed her father…well…that had her wanting to see the old case files and in order to do so, her special skillset is bartered in exchange for the information. Little did she know that there might be overlap in her father’s and the other murder cases.

What I liked:
* Dani: Ex-Army Ranger with lethal skills, intelligent, team player, loves her brother and sister, works for the FBI, strategic thinker, is growing on me
* Finding out more about her backstory including who killed her father
* Learning more about the process of breaking codes
* Hearing a bit about the backstory of the serial killer – didn’t make me like or sympathize or understand the killings but it was interesting
* Not really feeling like I *know* Dani or what makes her tick but hoping to find out more about her – does she have friends, what does she do in her spare time, does she have hobbies or date or???
* The police procedural aspects of the story and how the police and FBI worked together
* That I wasn’t SURE who the serial killer was until Dani figured it out
* Not knowing what is going on with her supervisor and how that will play out in the future
* All of it except…

What I didn’t like:
* Who and what I was meant not to like
* Trying to wrap my mind around the killer’s motivation
* The way Dani’s aunt treated her

Did I like this book? Yes
Would I read more in this series? Yes

Thank you to Net Galley and Thomas & Mercer for the ARC – This is my honest review.

4-5 Stars

Once again, Isabella Maldonado comes through with a kickass heroine in an unbelievable situation in this taut thriller.

Dani Vega is still recovering from what happened in Book 1 and visits her Mom, who tells her a secret about Dani’s father’s murder. Suddenly, she’s on the hunt for the truth - even if it’s vastly different from the one she’s always known.

Along the way, a battle worn detective invites her to look at some open cases…before long Dani notices a pattern that no one else has. And there are a lot more bodies than anyone originally thought.

Well written, action packed, and heart tugging at the right moments—A Forgotten Kill is a great read from a new favorite author.

Maldonado’s background in the FBI gives her stories a real and credible feel. This mystery was just as good as the first book. I love Daniela Vega! She’s smart and tough and I love that she’s a codebreaker. If you enjoy action packed, fast paced serial killer thrillers then this book is for you! I highly recommend it and her Nina Guerra series which I just discovered will be a Netflix movie starring Jennifer Lopez.

This is a new favorite series of mine and was thrilled to read this one. It did not disappoint. Thank you NetGalley and publisher.

The second book in this series featuring army ranger turned FBI agent, Daniela Vega, and this time, she also gets to dig deeper into her murky past. The novel opens with her visiting her mother and receiving a somewhat cryptic message that prompted her to review that incident in her past. But, before she can review those files, she has to do a favour for a NYPD detective. Then begins their hunt for a killer across NY boroughs.

Crime novels are my jam so this was an easily enjoyable read for me. I also have enjoyed all of Maldonado's novels especially the Nina Guerrera's series. As much as I love just how kick-ass Vega is, I love Nina more! This novel isn't so much about whodunit as the reveal was about halfway of the book but more about the suspense on the chase. It was a pretty good chase and near unputdownable in the last half. There were just some things about the 'solving' that didn't gel for me but overall, a pretty good read.

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

It's rare that I like the second book in the series better than the first, but this is the case with A Forgotten Kill. FBI Agent Daniela Vega is back to work--but this time it's a little closer to home. While working on a cold case, she begin to find more clues into her father's murder. Did her mother really kill him? The cryptanalysis aspect is a win here too. I hope there more books in this series to come!

I received a complimentary copy from the publisher and all opinions expressed are mine.

This is my second book by Isabella and I went in with just the blurb as guideline. The book follows an FBI agent Daniela who at the ripe age of seventeen lost both her parents when her mother murdered her father. Years later she starts believing otherwise and can you ever truly take everything at face value? We follow her as she helps a seasoned detective take outa serial killer. This is a perfect read for fans of thrillers centered around serial killers and the dynamics of trust and mother and daughter relationships but subtle.

Rating:3.5/5

I accidentally requested this book without having read the first one (I confused it with another book by this author). I missed out on the backstory about why Dani was on administrative leave from her job, but other than that it works well as a stand alone book.

That said, I will read every book in this series! I love Dani Vega, she is such a badass both mentally and physically. It was also refreshing to have a female MC not have a romantic interest.

I do think some parts were a little hard to believe, like how easily she was given access to her father’s case file, but overall this was very entertaining and kept me on my toes. Looking forward to more books featuring Dani Vega!

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

Isabella Maldonado brings FBI Agent Dani Vega back for another novel in spectacular fashion. I really enjoyed the first book in the series, but this one was even better. I love the fast pace of the book and we got some amazing twists and turns in this one as each time it took a direction, Maldonado switched up into another excellent direction. I'm already excited at the prospect of a third book and will keep reading as long as she wants to write them.

Special Thanks to Thomas & Mercer and Netgalley for the digital ARC. This was given to me for an honest review.

Isabella Maldonado has become one of my favorite writers of crime- thriller- action packed everything. In this second installment of the Daniela Vega series, Maldonado has tasked her code breaking heroine with a personal as well as public battle. It is a killer of a story, literally and figuratively. Vega assesses the situations, makes her choices, and is prepared to live or die with the consequences .

Whip smart, physically able, tactically aware I can’t help thinking that there is an awful lot of Ms. Maldonado in her heroine. While there is a lot of action, there is a equal amount of cerebral gymnastics and a plot that keeps coming at you from so many angles. As in the author’s other series, this story is tightly crafted, never flinching and almost impossible to set aside until the last page is turned. Few writers do this genre better than Isabella Maldonado.

So many thanks to Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for a copy.

Another fantastic police procedural featuring FBI Special Agent Daniela “Dani” Vega. This time she is helping to bring down a serial rapist and killer with many kills under his belt. Along the way she will get clues as to who killed her father. I'm all for this this plot but I have a hard time believing that the NYPD homicide detective on her father's case would be so easily willing to share the file with her, or that Dani would find a pattern after all these years that would open up a special task force in search of a serial killer. Like the first book in this series, the action in this book is nonstop. Dani is definitely a bad ass, in both physical and mental strength, and I truly appreciate the way her mind works to solve problems and puzzles of all kinds. I like her working relationships and I think it is awesome (not to mention realistic) that we are on book two without a romantic involvement for Dani. I find this refreshing. She is dedicated to her job and at seeing through the tasks she has been assigned. I hope there will be a book three as I will definitely read it!

Thank you NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for my copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Book Review
A Forgotten Kill
Isabella Maldonado
reviewed by Lou Jacobs


readersremains.com | Goodreads


“Criminal Minds,” a show that captivated audiences for 15 seasons, concluded with its 324th episode on February 19, 2020, leaving a dedicated fanbase craving more. Isabella Maldonado steps in to satisfy this hunger with her thrilling narrative. Delving deep into the psyche of a cunning and twisted serial killer, she presents a story that’s bound to enthrall.



This narrative is the second installment in the Special Agent Daniela Vega series, which continues to exceed expectations. Maldonado’s novel, while part of a series, stands strong on its own, offering readers a comprehensive backstory. With over two decades of law enforcement experience, Maldonado infuses this gripping tale with authenticity, exploring the dark interplay between Daniela and a malevolent predator known as “Connor.” The story skillfully reveals Connor’s backstory and motivations alongside his gruesome acts.

Daniela Vega’s journey begins with a traumatic discovery at seventeen when she finds her mother in a shocking scene, leading to her mother’s commitment to a psychiatric facility. Daniela’s subsequent path into the military and then the FBI is marked by her exceptional skills and determination. After a decade, with her mother showing signs of lucidity, Daniela is drawn back into the unresolved mystery of her father’s death.

Now on administrative leave, Daniela seizes the opportunity to investigate her father’s case with the help of NYPD Detective Mark Flint and Detective Chapmen. Despite Chapmen’s reluctance to reopen the case, Daniela’s expertise in pattern recognition propels her into the heart of a serial killer investigation, uncovering a trail of victims linked by disturbing patterns and a lack of forensic evidence.

Isabella Maldonado crafts a complex, riveting narrative with precise, gritty prose that builds suspense and tension to an unputdownable climax. The story takes readers on a tumultuous journey, filled with clues, suspects, and misleading trails, challenging them to solve the mystery alongside the protagonist.

Maldonado’s insightful and engaging storytelling, enriched by her extensive experience in law enforcement, makes for an enthralling addition to the crime fiction genre. This novel not only offers a thrilling experience but also leaves readers eagerly anticipating more adventures with FBI Special Agent Daniela Vega. Special thanks to Isabella Maldonado, NetGalley, and Thomas & Mercer for providing an Uncorrected Proof in exchange for an honest review.

Eh. It was ok but didn't pack much of a punch as the last book in the series. It's not terrible but it wasn't gripping my attention the same, especially from the uneven pacing. Developments and unfolding events became more on the repetitive side as the story went.


Thanks to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for providing a copy for an honest review.