A big fan of all things Jeffery Deaver I was interested to see what a collaborative work with another author would be like, but I need not have worried, so much so I'm off to investigate Isabella Maldonado's back catalogue!
A great read with the usual cleaver plot twists that we've come to expect from Mr Deaver including the ‘its all wrapped but but you've still get two hours of reading to go’ situations that turn everything you think you know on its head.
Great characters in Scanchez and Heron and finishing with the premise for the rest of the series which I can't wait to read

TW: If you don't like reading endless details about different kinds of spiders, you may want to skip this book.

Fatal Intrusion opens with Carmen Sanchez, a Homeland Security agent who plays by the rules being paired with Jake Heron, a brilliant and quirky private security expert who believes rules are merely suggestions.

It was a bit of a struggle for me to get into Fatal Intrusion. It felt like too many explanations were bogging down the book's first part. For example, when a character went to a casino to play roulette, there were two pages explaining the history of the roulette wheel. Did I care? No. Did it add anything to the storyline? Not at all.

But then things got interesting for me! I enjoyed the pairing of Carmen and Jake. They played off each other perfectly and I started ignoring all of the spider details. (And I like spiders!) Sadly, the book became bogged down again by extraneous parts that made it lose cohesiveness.

I'm not giving up on the series, however! It has so much promise!! I hope there is an editor who will trim some of the chaff from book #2. It's worth giving it another try if only to see Carmen and Jake playing off each other some more!

Many thanks to both #ThomasAndMercer, and #NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an early copy of #FatalIntrusion. This book is #1 in the #SanchezAndHeronSeries, with an expected publication date of August 6, 2024.

This book is the start of the new Sanchez & Heron series by Jeffery Deaver and Isabella Mondonado. I do always like to get in at the beginning of a new series and I have enjoyed Jeffery Deaver's works before. I had not heard of Mondonado prior to this, but it looks like she's written quite a few books herself.

Description:
Carmen Sanchez is a tough Homeland Security agent who plays by the rules. But when her sister is attacked, revealing a connection to a series of murders across Southern California, she realizes a conventional investigation will not be enough to stop the ruthless perpetrator.

With nowhere else to turn, Sanchez enlists the aid of Professor Jake Heron, a brilliant and quirky private security expert who, unlike Sanchez, believes rules are merely suggestions. The two have a troubled past, but he owes her a favor and she’s cashing in. They team up to catch the assailant, who, mystifyingly, has no discernable motive and fits no classic criminal profile. All they have to go on is a distinctive tattoo and a singular obsession that gives this chillingly efficient tactician his nickname: Spider.

Over the next seventy-two hours, Sanchez and Heron find themselves in the midst of a lethal chess match with the killer as they race to stop the carnage. As the victims mount, so do the risks. Because this spider’s web of intrigue is more sinister—and goes far deeper—than anyone could possibly anticipate.

My Thoughts:
The description is right and Carmen Sanchez is one tough cookie. She is absolutely fierce as an agent and seems to bend the rules as she feels justified. Jake Heron seemed an unlikely ally, but turned out to be quite an asset and he and Sanchez worked well together. Heron seemed to "go rogue" quite a bit though, making trust an issue sometimes. This was a fast-paced scenario as Sanchez and Heron raced to find this one before another victim was killed. A great start to the series and I recommend to anyone who likes highly tense, fast-paced novels.

Thanks to Thomas & Mercer through Netgalley for an advance copy.

Two well-known names in the thriller genres and I couldn't help myself especially since I am a fan of Isabella Maldonado; I've read all her books and enjoyed them immensely. Can't say I've read all of Deaver's because his backlist is on a much bigger scale and will probably take me the rest of my life to slowly hack through them. However, this partnership is obviously a gold mine; mixing in POC female federal agent and a CIS male hacker resulting in a high octane partnership.

At first, it sounds like the usual police procedural with a somewhat explosive protagonist agent. When the partner was introduced, I was a little bit sceptical about it because I just don't like enemies to lovers but it was kinda sounding like one. However, as the story goes on, readers were given flashbacks to their first encounter in the past and how that transfers on to the present.

As this pair continues their hunt for the killer, again I felt like it follows on form of the usual procedural novel until the twist drops and then again and again. The last 20% was most definitely unputdownable although I'm slightly annoyed at the fish dangling at the end of the novel. BUT I cannot wait for the follow up to this!

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

A tense and well plotted thriller that kept me hooked and guessing. Liked the fast paced plot, the fleshed out and interesting characters.
The twists and the solutions surprised me
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

When two well-known authors collaborate on a book, readers sometimes have difficulty telling what each author contributed to the final work. However, I can make an educated guess in “Fatal Intrusion,” the serial killer thriller by Jeffery Deaver and Isabella Maldonado. Homeland Security Special Agent Carmen Sanchez seems cut from the same mold as Maldonado’s series protagonists like Nina Guerrera and Daniela Vega. Similarly, her “partner” in the investigation is Professor Jacoby Heron. He’s an expert in the self-described obscure study of “intrusions” and the type of guy Deaver’s Lincoln Rhyme would compare notes with. When they both get on the trail of a ruthless killer, “Fatal Intrusion” becomes an entertaining, albeit somewhat far-fetched, novel.

The killer in “Fatal Intrusion” has a morbid fascination with spiders (even sporting a spider tattoo on his wrist, a key piece of evidence in the case). He’s also a student of police forensics who’s quite good at covering his tracks as he embarks on a killing spree of seemingly random people in various locations around Southern California. “Spider Tatt Guy” (as he’s soon dubbed) makes only one mistake. An early intended victim is Carmen Sanchez’s sister, who narrowly escapes death at her assailant’s hands. An angry Sanchez makes the Spider case a personal quest, and, with the clout she has as a Homeland Security agent, she’s able to work across multiple jurisdictions.

However, the killer isn’t a lone wolf (or spider, in this case). He’s got a powerful hacker helping him evade the authorities. So, Sanchez recruits her own expert, Jacoby Heron. He’s a former Robin Hood hacker, whom Sanchez busted in her last case as an FBI agent. Having served his sentence, Heron teaches a graduate class on intrusions, which he defines as: “someone or something deliberately entering into a place or situation where they’re unwelcome or uninvited.” He also moonlights as a penetration testing expert, someone hired by major companies to test their security devices. He becomes Sanchez’s consultant on what is, in essence, her two-person task force.

Sanchez and Heron have a prickly, combative chemistry that works very well in “Fatal Intrusion.” The book takes place over only four days, so both the cops and the killer move rapidly (at times implausibly rapidly) over a sizable amount of California real estate. Heron uses the internet and his computer skills to get ahead in the investigation, often to Sanchez’s consternation. However, she’s no Inspector Lestrade left befuddled by Sherlock Holmes’s skills. Instead, she’s a pretty shrewd investigator on her own and a deadly force when the inevitable showdowns occur. The Spider is a worthy foe, resourceful and daring. (In one chapter, he literally walks past Sanchez and Heron on a stakeout of a suspect’s location, posing as a neighbor walking his dog.) The authors shift the point-of-view between protagonists and villains from chapter to chapter so readers will be ahead of the characters in seeing how successful the various efforts are.

Anyone who has ever read a Jeffery Deaver novel knows to expect plot twists, and “Fatal Intrusion” has its share. That’s one reason I haven’t described the plot in more detail, although I will note that the storyline is far more complex than it first appears. The book has fewer twists and surprises than the Lincoln Rhyme novels I’ve read, but most readers will probably hit themselves on the side of the head for not spotting some of them. I would advise readers to keep the principle of Chekov’s gun in mind when reading “Fatal Intrusion.” The book has no throwaway details or characters.

This plot complexity is one of the book’s strengths but also its major weakness. I’ve never enjoyed cop shows and movies in which the investigators have an omniscient computer whiz at their disposal. This genius can, within seconds, figure out any missing piece of evidence that would have required days of legwork for investigators in the past. Heron serves that function here. His deductive leaps are needed to allow the authors to wrap up the book in four days. But they sometimes feel overly convenient. Similarly, the Spider’s hacker can take over traffic signal networks and erase surveillance footage as needed to allow the Spider to evade capture.

Fortunately, Heron is more than the stereotypical nerd. He’s the most complex character in the book, and his efforts to stay at the forefront of the investigation despite his “consultant” status provide an entertaining storyline. He and Sanchez form the best type of team, one in which each member contributes their own highly trained skills in a way that complements the other. The book ends with a major showdown and shootout that should satisfy all action fans.

The authors have another Sanchez and Heron novel planned, and this duo forms an offbeat and likable investigative team that could easily anchor a long-running series. “Fatal Intrusion” incorporates the best of the authors’ writing strengths in a thriller that combines high-tech computer wizardry with some good old-fashioned detective work. Genre fans will want “Fatal Intrusion” to intrude on their reading lists.

NOTE: The publisher graciously provided me with a copy of this book through NetGalley. However, the decision to review the book and the contents of this review are entirely my own.

"Seeing a spider is nothing. It becomes a problem when it disappears." (Unknown)

And a demented serial killer with a creepy black widow spider tattoo on his wrist lurks in the background and vanishes in a nano second. This is Southern California where the heat creates pockets of hidey holes for the eight-legged crreatures as well as the two-legged kind.

Fatal Intrusion is the first book in the new Sanchez & Heron Series. We've got a combo of two talented authors in the likes of Jeffrey Deaver and Isabella Maldonado. I'm not as familiar with Deaver as I am with Maldonado. I've read plenty of her books and appreciate the fact that she brings her expertise as a former FBI agent and it shows.

Dennis Fallow, killer at large, has a highly creative mind and implements the tricks of his trade as you stare wide-eyed at his inventive actions to secure his prey. But this time, he's wrapped his web around the wrong young woman. Selina, working on her chenistry thesis, is the sister of Special Agent Carmen Sanchez of Homeland Security. Fallow was outwitted by Selina in his attempt to capture her. She's learned a thing or two from big sis. But Carmen is now more than hellbent on stopping Fallow. She's even taken a leave of absence to do it.

Let's bring in Professor Jake Heron, private security expert. It seems that Jake and Carmen had been tangled up together in the past. Details are still pending. Between Heron and Sanchez and their finite personal skills, Fallow will be crawling deeper into the Dark Web. These two authors delve far below the surface into tech to solve this one. It's twisty and complicated and not easily untangled. It's a smart, smart read with plenty of action and mind games. Just like we like 'em.

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley for an honest review. My thanks to Thomas & Mercer and to Jeffrey Deaver and Isabella Maldonado for the opportunity.

Carmen Sanchez is a Department of Homeland Security investigator whose sister Selina is attacked. She takes leave from her job to investigate. She pulls in a college professor, Jake Heron who is an expert hacker, to help her find the attacker. Jake and Carmen have a history. Carmen and Salina have a history. The attacker turns out to be a serial killer with a fascination for spiders. All of this occurs in the first fifty pages of Fatal Intrusion.

Then we get into the gruesome, but somehow still repetitive, deaths. And detailed, extremely detailed, you might even say encyclopedic details about spiders. And cybersecurity or lack there of.

All the details unnecessarily drag the pace to a crawl in the middle two thirds of the book. I even got tired of skimming at somewhere near 60%. The last fifty pages were a thrill ride. However, it was a boring Wikipedia slog to get there. I love both of these authors separately but together? Not so much. 3 stars for Fatal Intrusion.

Thanks to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for providing me with an advanced review copy.

Jeffery Deaver’s fascination with social media and Isabella Maldonado’s law enforcement expertise blend seamlessly in this fast-paced crime novel about an unlikely pair forced to untangle the mysterious patterns of an elusive killer.

Carmen Sanchez, a tough Homeland Security agent who plays by the rules, faces her biggest challenge when her sister is brutally attacked, revealing a chilling connection to a series of murders across Southern California. Realizing that a conventional investigation won’t be enough to stop the ruthless perpetrator, Sanchez turns to an old acquaintance—Professor Jake Heron.

Heron, a brilliant yet quirky private security expert, has a knack for bending the rules—a stark contrast to Sanchez’s rigid approach. Despite their troubled past, Sanchez cashes in on a favor he owes her, leading to an uneasy partnership. Together, they embark on a race against time to catch the assailant, a criminal who defies all conventional profiles and seems to kill without motive.

Over the next seventy-two hours, Sanchez and Heron find themselves locked in a deadly chess match with the killer. As the body count rises, so do the risks, and it becomes clear that this web of intrigue is more sinister—and goes far deeper—than anyone could have anticipated.

“Fatal Intrusion” is a gripping and entertaining read, filled with interesting characters, plenty of plot twists, and unexpected surprises. The technical terms are well described without overwhelming the reader, and the pacing is spot on, leading to a satisfying and well-crafted ending.

A new series! I don’t appreciate learning quite this much about spiders, but loved the way the authors wove those details into that characters. Like a web. Get it? That aside, the underlying crimes led to somewhere that I never expected it to go. And in a good way. There was a lot of learning in this book. If you don’t like that, you may want to skim at the very least. I found the history of gambling and the fun facts about spiders pretty interesting.

As a fan of Isabella Maldonado’s Nina Guerra and Dani Vega series, I wanted to check out her other work. I’ve never read any Deaver, but I do have some of his work on my to-read list. One of the things that I like about Maldonado’s work is that as a 20+yr veteran of law enforcement and a former agent, she brings a lot of credibility to her characters and stories. Even better though, as a Latina woman, her FMC’s are bold, brass, smart, bad@$$ women, who kick@$$ and take no $#!^ from anyone, least of all some man who thinks he can go around murdering people and causing mayhem! My fave kind of FMC’s!!!

The book summary introduces the primary storyline of Carmen basically inserting herself into the Riverside County Sherriff Department’s (RCSD) investigation of the attack on her little sister, Selina. Because of Carmen’s position as a federal agent for Homeland Security, the RCSD Sherriff extends Carmen every courtesy to their investigation, but makes it clear that it is his department’s case. The young investigating deputy, Ryan, is a little scared of her as well as a little smitten with Selina. Fortunately for Selina, she escaped the attack, thanks to all the self-defense tactics big sis, Carmen, instilled in her. She even managed to injure her attacker and steal his phone. Little sis is definitely a bad@$$ in training!

Carmen brings in Jake, an English Lit professor, as a civilian consultant. Jake also has a side gig as a security expert, who is basically and nerdy tech geek. Carmen and Jake have a “complicated” relationship stemming from an incident four years ago on Christmas Eve. In the after effect of that “incident” Carmen feels like she “owes him one”. It isn’t revealed until much later why. Anyway, Carmen and Jake tie the attacker to a murder prior to the attack of Selina that eventually leads them to more dead bodies before they realize the killer’s motives and agenda. The story flips back and forth between Carmen, Jake and the killer, Spider, because of the spider tattoo on his arm and most of the story revolves around the investigation of the murders and the pursuit of the killer.

I was amused by some of the references to the various SoCA locations, like the one that claimed Anaheim was only 30min from Santa Barbara The only way one could get from Anaheim to Santa Barbara in 30min is if they were flying low, on a completely deserted 101 freeway, at 269mph Even helicopter flights from Anaheim to Santa Barbara are longer than 30min. Yeah, former native Angeleno here (I moved to NoCA in Jan2024). Anyway, I guess they didn’t do their research or they did and just took liberties. No worries, it’s not like it had a negative impact on the story. Liberties like that are funny to me and make me chuckle. Fortunately, I’m not the kind of reader whose enjoyment of the story is contingent on the story’s level of believability. Quite the contrary, the crazier the better usually makes for a better reading experience for me.

The character development of most of the MCs throughout the story was good. The pacing was fast-paced and action packed with lots of scary and intense chase and shootout scenes. The storylines were interesting; I especially liked the one between Carmen and Jake. The writing was good and, once again, I’m not familiar with Deaver’s work, but the story seemed liked classic Maldonado! I’m looking at an overall rating of 4.1 that I will be rounding down to a 4star rating. Looking forward to the next installment. I want to thank NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for sending me this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

#NetGalley #Thomas&Mercer #FatalIntrusion

The first of a new series, an agent from Homeland Security and a computer expert who calls himself an intrusionist get together on the hunt for a serial killer named Spider. Always a step behind the murders stack up with litter rhyme or reason until the discover the link between the victims. I enjoyed this book and look forward to the next installment. Recommended for fans of Jeffery Deaver and readers who enjoy books with profilers. The intrusionist, Jake Heron has some traits reminiscent of Colter Shaw, another series by Jeffery Deaver.

As a fan of both Jeffery Deaver and Isabella Maldonado, I was immediately intrigued when I saw that these two authors had teamed up to write <i>Fatal Intrusion</i>. Having enjoyed their previous works, I had high expectations—and I’m happy to say, I wasn’t disappointed.

This book is a perfect blend of what I like about each author. The writing styles of Deaver and Maldonado mesh seamlessly, creating a narrative that is both fast-paced and intricately layered. The plot pulls you in from the start, with Homeland Security agent Carmen Sanchez diving into a personal case after her younger sister is brutally attacked. What starts as a seemingly straightforward investigation quickly spirals into a complex and gripping chase, with Sanchez enlisting the help of brilliant scientist Jake Heron, a man with whom she shares a complicated past.

One of the standout aspects of this book is the depth of its main characters. Sanchez and Heron are fascinating, multi-dimensional figures—each with their own flaws, which they fully acknowledge. Their differences make them a compelling duo, and it’s easy to see why their partnership is so effective. Their chemistry and the way they complement each other add another layer of enjoyment to the story.

The pacing of the book is exactly what you’d expect from a top-tier thriller—relentless and full of twists that keep you on your toes. Fans of Deaver’s signature style will appreciate the multi-layered plot that only fully reveals itself in the final moments, while Maldonado’s influence is also clear, especially if you’ve read her previous work like <i>A Killer’s Game</i>. The ending is both satisfying and promising. It wraps up the story well, but also hints at more to come, leaving me eager for the next installment. Sanchez and Heron are definitely a pair I’m excited to revisit.

I would highly recommend this book not only to fans of Deaver and Maldonado, but to anyone who enjoys a fast-paced thriller with a complex plot and well-developed characters. This author duo has proven they’re a force to be reckoned with, and I can’t wait to see what they come up with next.

Co-authored by Jeffery Deaver & Isabella Maldonado, Fatal Intrusion (2024) is the first book in a new crime mystery series. Carmen Sanchez is a former FBI agent, now Special Agent for Homeland Security who teams up with a history professor and private security expert, Jake Heron. Due to a previous encounter, the pair have a frosty relationship and contrasting styles of following investigative protocols. They are on the hunt for a potential serial killer, with two murders linked, despite having different methodologies and victims’ identities. Their suspect is a man with a spider tattoo and links to a revenge website, yet the team is always a step behind. It's a fast-paced tale of the cyber-savvy crime-fighting duo whose unusual teamwork makes for a four stars read rating. With thanks to Thomas & Mercer and the author, for an uncorrected advanced review copy for review purposes. As always, the opinions herein are totally my own, freely given and without any inducement.

This was a good thriller, but it lacked some suspense in the cat and mouse style game between the villain and heroes. The story starts off with a strong hook. It wasn't amazing, and I found myself struggling to become immersed into this story. The pacing of the story felt off. Where I wanted the book to ramp up the tension it slowed, and where I didn't need background detail it was given, which resulted in a book that felt lopsided. I honestly don't know how else to explain it. There was something missing in the balance of this story.

What I did like is the use of hackers to drive a more techno thriller vibe. The thing about Deaver is he will try something new with most things he writes. Sometimes they don't pan out that well, but I think the techno thriller vibe was strong. I would have liked it to delve more deeply into that world because what we're given is fairly shallow. But the book is aimed at a general audience. More detail is probably going to discourage readers when this book receives a sequel.

Thinking now on the two protagonists, and I can't yet say I buy into Sanchez's character. I don't find her relatable nor do I feel she's particularly well written. Heron, on the other hand, I do like. I'd be happy for his character to drive the story. I'm going to say outright that the only reason one character is male and one is female is because the authors want to introduce the will they/won't they trope into the series at some stage. There are already hints, so I'd say it's safe to assume book two may drive that trope home stronger.

Overall, not the strongest beginning to a series, especially when Deaver is one of the authors. But it's not a terrible story and I can see this having wide appeal. I admit I don't know anything about Isabella Maldonado. I may need to remedy that, just so I can unravel what influence her writing has on this story.

Jeffery Weaver and Isabella Maldonado have teamed up to write a great thriller. This book is fast paced and relevant to events in today's world. I look forward to future books with Carmen Sanchez; she is an exceptional character.

This is co-written by Jeffery Deaver and Isabella Maldonado, so you can expect a serial killer whose motivation is buried under layers of twists, as well as a hard-as-nails female cop who's willing to bend the rules. So, in one sense, this was exactly what I expected, but that didn't take away at all from my enjoyment. Expecting twists was one thing but figuring them out was completely separate. And Carmen was a fantastic character who was really fun to root for. I really enjoyed this and look forward to the rest of the series!

I’m a massive Jeffery Deaver fan so I was super excited to read this. This is my first book by Isabella Maldonado. I was expecting great things with this collaboration and I’m happy to say I really enjoyed this book. There was a lot going on as there were a fair few characters and plots going on at the same time. It did take me a while to get my head round who was who and where they fit in but once I had it straight in my head it was great. The story was interesting and pretty fast paced and I liked the main characters. This has the potential to be a brilliant series so I hope these two authors do write more books together. All in all a solid read, thoroughly enjoyed it. Looking forward to book 2!

Very good!

Solid, well-crafted mystery read. The majority of the book is focused on finding and stopping Spider, a serial killer targeting people who are successful. It appears that he is working with someone with technical knowledge, but the identity of that person isn't exposed until almost the end of the book, and boy was I shocked! There's another minor storyline that is lightly threaded throughout the book, can't say more there without spoilers.

I liked the interactions between Sanchez and Heron, and look forward to future books in this series.

Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book, but my opinions are my own.

Thank you Thomas and Mercer for early access to Fatal Intrusion. It's been a while since I read a Deaver procedural, I was a big fan of his Kathryn Dance books, and it was fun to get back to his action filled procedural plots. This book has the hallmarks of a Deaver read, strong and engaging lead characters with interesting backgrounds and good chemistry, and a plot filled with twists and turns that jump out! The struggle with this and any start to a new series of finding a balance with introducing new characters, particularly when there are two main leads and their relationship to develop, and here merging writing with two, not one, author... for me this lead to some pacing issues at times and places with a lot of detail that interrupted the flow for me. I chalk this up to the struggles of any start to a new series and will look forward to the next book with Sanchez and Heron.