Had trouble getting into the story. Tried reading along with the book but just struggled. Ended up not finishing. Thank you NetGalley for this arc

A man name Walter Kemp has been killed and also Special Agent Carmen Sanchez’s sister Selena was attacked. Not knowing whether the two crimes have any connection as well as being very worried about the safety of Selena, Carmen approaches her old friend Jake Heron, a professor who also happens to owe her a favor.

Carmen faces a time crunch in finding the perpetrator due to her strained relationship with her sister, preventing her from offering protection. Jake’s unique talent in decoding is crucial to breaking the code behind the crimes. As I read this thriller, I discovered an interesting new term, Jake is an intrusionist, capable of hacking any system.

It soon becomes apparent to Carman that the UNSUB has a specific pattern, a signature. How many federal agencies will it take to b ring them to justice?

As I was preparing this book review and getting the bios for the authors, I found things that I’ve really liked. For example, Jeffery Deaver authored the book that led to one of my favorite TV shows, Tracker! And then, I discovered that Isabella Maldonado has had decades of law-enforcement experience, including being a graduate of Quantico. Also, I used an Audible credit since this book is already released. All of these things made this book very easy to dive into.

Many thanks to Thomas & Mercer and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

I really enjoyed this hopefully first book in this series. The two main characters are interesting but it seems there is there is unexplored depth that can be gleamed from them if we have the chance to meet up with them again. A must read if you like twisty novels with lots of unexpected happenings and additional drama.

Jeffery Deaver is quickly becoming one of my auto-pick authors but I had not read anything by Isabella Maldonaldo yet. This book was a good entry into her writing.

I quite enjoyed the fast pace of this book. This is typical of JD books. I thought some chapters in between suffered from "too much explanation" syndrome. In these chapters, all the points are thoroughly explained so that even the half-asleep reader does not miss anything. But what about the reader who falls asleep due to all this over-simplification?

Sanchez and Heron were a good pair - one is the strength while the other is the brains. But Heron irritated me sometimes. I liked Sanchez a lot. She was decisive and maintained her character throughout.

3.5 stars.

Thanks to Netgalley and Thomas & Mercer for the ARC.

Fatal Intrusion by Jeffrey Deaver & Isabella Maldonado
Sanchez & Heron #1

Brilliant introduction to a new series that captured my interest immediately and held it to the last page. Can’t wait for book two!

What I liked;
* Carmen: Homeland Security agent, lives in Southern California, follows the rules, big sister to Selina, intelligent, strong, lethal, caring, resilient, sees the bigger picture, a leader, takes initiative, intriguing, looking forward to learning more about her in the future
* Jake: professor of intrusion in History and Present-Day, protection specialist and consultant, elite computer skills, puzzle solver, has his own ethical and moral guidelines that are a bit looser than Carmen’s, intriguing and someone I want to know more about
* Supporting characters that I would like to see again: Mouse, Williamson, Aruba, Selina, Ryan and Declan
* Learning more about spiders than I knew before
* The intricacy of the plot, perfect pacing, setting in Southern California where I grew up, and the writing that drew me in and made me care about the outcome – felt part of the story
* The twists, turns, and surprises that kept me guessing
* The excellent character development
* Knowing that there will be another book in the series

What I didn’t like:
* Who and what I was meant not to like
* Thinking about the evil some people do and how they justify it while even reveling in their actions

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

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

5 Stars

If enjoy reading books with lots of action, strong female characters, with funny situations, and "nerd" talk, Fatal Intrusion is a must-read book for you. It's well-written, has a strong plot, makes the reader's imagination fly with the possibilities shown in the tech world, and grabs the interest from the beginning. Very entertaining!
I thank the authors, their publisher, and NetGalley for this ARC.

New series alert! I thoroughly enjoyed this one! The author is one of my favorites so I was thrilled to see a new series by her. I was hesitant when i saw it was co-written but my fears were unfounded- this flows so seamlessly. The case was fantastic and the characters interesting and engaging. I can’t wait for more in this series!

Being a big fan of Jeffery Deaver, I was eager to get into this new series. I've heard good things about Isabella Maldonado, but have yet to check out her solo work. Now that I've read this, I'm going to prioritize this. I've read a lot of Deaver's work (I mean -- A LOT), so when it's his words on the page, I notice them more than most. His style is so distinct that I'm able to tell when Maldonado takes over. But it's not jarring. It's actually pretty pleasant. Makes the book read quick and like a true partnership. The characters are interesting (but nothing too different than a standard thriller main character), but the journey is fun. The SoCal location was also fun since I live in the area. I'll be interested to read the already announced book 2 of the series. Not a bad way to spend the day.

If you’re a fan of gripping police procedurals, this is a must-add to your TBR! The story plunges you into the intense life of Carmen Sanchez as she embarks on a personal mission to find the person responsible for threatening her younger sister's life. Despite it being outside her jurisdiction, Carmen can't stand by and decides to take matters into her own hands. She reluctantly teams up with an old adversary, and together they race against the clock, traversing California to uncover the truth behind a series of interconnected murders. With its fast-paced, high-stakes narrative, this thriller hooks you from the very first page. I can’t wait to see where the next installment in this series takes us!

Best-selling authors Jeffery Deaver and Isabella Maldonado team up in this page turning and captivating novel.
Tough Homeland Security agent Carmen Sanchez plays by the rules. It's not until her sister is attacked, which leads to a connection of murders, that she realizes rules may have to be broken to stop the vicious perpetrator. She enlists the aid of a brilliant private security expert, Professor Jake Heron. They team up to catch the killer who doesn't seem to have a motive. All they have is a distinctive tattoo and a singular obsession.
Over the next 72 hours a game of cat and mouse ensues with thrilling action as they race to stop the murders.
I highly recommend this murder mystery!

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for an arc of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

Deaver and Maldonado are two authors that I will read anything by without even reading the synopsis. Having both of them author a book together is a dream team for thrillers! This story was full throttle the whole way. And while usually I can see who the big bad guy is and why they’re doing it, I didn’t see the twist coming in this one. I can’t imagine how long this book took to write because there is so much information and so many different directions to follow! I loved every bit of it! It’s a wild ride and I can’t wait to see Sanchez and Heron in their next adventure! I already have the ARC and I’m so excited to dive back in!

Huge thanks to Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for sending me this ARC for review! All of my reviews are given honestly!

Jeffrey Deaver is a go to author for me. In fact, he may be the reason I read crime fiction. Either way, I would never miss it. To be honest, I have never read anything by Isabella Maldenado, but now that I have, I will go back and find her other books.
Whether you were listening or reading (I did both) this was a win win. I love when an audio book has multiple narrators. It just makes the book come alive.
Sanchez and Herron play well off of each other and what I understand is that this is the start of a new series!! (insert woot woot here) I love how Maldenado gives credible characters, particularly her portrayal of bold, smart, and tough female main characters who don't take any nonsense from anyone and that’s exactly what Sanchez is.
The storyline flows perfectly. The character development was perfect as well. They are familiar enough, but you want to know them better and see what happens next.

A fast paced thriller authors by two commanding voices who blend very well together.
I sliced Carmen Sanchez’s character and her determination to hunt down the spider killer.
I liked Jake Heron’s talents as a man who can ferret out info that even the government can’t.
The two are a dynamic pair and I’d like to read more of their adventures.

Fatal Intrusion is.the first in the Sanchez & Heron series by co-authors Jeffery Deaver and Isabella Maldonado. It was a thrilling, fast-paced police procedural book that kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time! There was a full cast of characters but they were all easy to tell apart and all added to the story. I look forward to more books in this series.

I recently started exploring Isabella Maldonado's other works after enjoying her Nina Guerra and Dani Vega series. I appreciate Maldonado's credible characters, particularly her portrayal of bold, smart, and tough female main characters who don't take any nonsense from anyone.
Carmen, a federal agent for Homeland Security, delves into an investigation of an attack on her sister, Selina, by the Riverside County Sheriff's Department (RCSD). Despite the RCSD's insistence that it is their case, Carmen is allowed to participate in the investigation. During the inquiry, a young deputy named Ryan displays a mix of intimidation and infatuation towards Selina. Luckily, Selina can fend off the attack by using the self-defense techniques taught by Carmen, demonstrating her strength and determination.
Carmen enlists the help of Jake, an English Literature professor, who also happens to be a security expert and a tech enthusiast, to assist as a civilian consultant. Carmen and Jake's relationship is complicated due to an incident that occurred four years prior. Carmen feels indebted to him because of this incident, which is later revealed in the story. Together, Carmen and Jake connect the attacker to a previous murder, leading them to uncover more dead bodies before they comprehend the killer's motives and agenda. The story shifts between perspectives, following Carmen, Jake, and the killer known as Spider, named after the spider tattoo on his arm. The majority of the story revolves around their investigation of the murders and the pursuit of the killer.

The character development of the main characters throughout the story was skillfully executed. The pacing was rapid and filled with action, featuring intense chase and shootout scenes. The storylines were captivating, particularly the one centered on Carmen and Jake. The quality of the writing was commendable, and despite my unfamiliarity with Deaver's work, the story exuded the timeless essence of a classic Maldonado piece. I'm looking forward to the upcoming installment and wish to express my gratitude to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for providing me with this advance reading copy (eARC).

Although I've read some previous novels by Jeffery Deaver, I've never read anything by Isabella Maldonado and I enjoyed their collaboration on Fatal Intrusion. The story featuring Carmen and Jake takes place in Southern California and is told from their points of view, interspersed with sections from the killer's point of view and lots of information about spiders. Shudder! Not my favourite insect by a long shot. The plot was very complex and I doubt if I would ever have worked out the solution on my own. It's scary what computer hacks can do, at least I assume the events have some basis in reality. The book is fast-paced with lots of action, including chases and gunfights along with murder. Even though I found this an absorbing read, I'm not entirely sure I'd read another book in the series, and I understand there's going to be at least one other book, but that's mostly to do with my own reading preferences.

My thanks to Thomas & Mercer via Netgalley for providing a copy of the ARC of this novel. All opinions expressed are my own.
Publication Date: September 1, 2024

New authors for me, although I'm familiar enough with Deaver to assume I would enjoy this and I did. I loved the two main characters, the crime was clever and twisty - I had NO idea what was coming - and I really liked the relationship building between Carmen and Jake. I'm already anticipating book 2 to see where this unlikely pair end up next!

Good start to a new series. This was full of action, twists and interesting characters. I found the pacing a bit uneven but I really enjoyed this book. The dynamics between Sanchez and Heron are interesting, and I look forward to seeing how they work together with one having rules to follow and the other thinking there are no rules.
I have not read any books by Isabella Maldonado but will definitely be adding to my tbr.

A fantastic beginning to a new series from Jeffery Deaver and Isabella Maldonado. I loved the mixture of police work, intelligence, and hacking. The ending had me checking Goodreads, google, and the author's websites to find out when book 2, The Grief Artist, will be released (Sept 2025). With the way this ended, I cannot wait to see what Sanchez and Heron get up to in the next novel and where these investigations take us.

A very well done crime thriller - I loved the dual pov and how you saw from both the good and bad guys point of view. It was gripping and suspenseful and I look forward to more stories by the authors in the future.