I listened to the audio version of this book. This is the first book that I have read by this author. I did enjoy it, but I will admit it was slow paced in the beginning. Once I got into the story, it ramped up the pace to keep me from putting it down. It was an interesting story and plot line. I thought the plot was witty, and I enjoyed trying to work out the ending before getting there. The characters were well written, especially Vega the main female character. I would definitely recommend this book for a fun read.

Thank you Net Galley and Isabella Maldonado

This was a fun thriller with an interesting mystery, although I found one of the villains over-the-top and the action wasn't really believable. Dani Vega is dealing with a loss while trying to solve a mystery where the consequences could be deadly if she doesn't work fast. A hitman has died, leaving behind clues to find another bad guy, and Dani has to work against time. I did give this an extra star because the narrator was fantastic, really helping to hold my interest. Thanks to NetGalley for letting me listen to this audiobook

A thrilling ride - FBI special agent Dani Vega finds herself in a race against the enemy to figure out the secrets left in code by Hitman Gustavo Toro. Dani finds herself leaning on her special forces background to guide herself and her team through the cryptic codes left for the FBI to ensure Gustavo’s secrets are cracked wide open - as he intended.

I always enjoy a strong FMC, and Dani was no exception. However, I thought the romantic feelings sprinkled throughout we’re ill timed, and unnecessary. The romantic bit took away from the story and made her seem distracted - it could’ve easily been completely separate from the action on the outskirts of the story. Some of the futuristic tech was a little too far fetched, as well.

Overall a good story, great narration in the audiobook, and a suspenseful, cryptic adventure for the reader. Thank you to NetGalley and Brilliance Publishing for the audio ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Dani Vega is a very interesting character and I enjoy reading about her adventures. The narrator was good at differentiating between most of the characters, although many of the men sound the same. The plots are fast-moving and suspenseful.

Firstly I said I wasn't going to jump into the middle of a series this year, but this one slipped through the net, but in all fairness, I didn't feel like I needed to have listened to/read the previous books, it felt like it made a good stand alone story, which I would happily read more in this series.

A fast-paced thriller, with a strong female character, in this multiple POV novel, that is gripping to listen to and had me wanting to listen to it at every opportunity.

I liked the characters and the jumping timelines and points of view, really moved the story along, creating suspense and intrigue. This book is action packed, whilst also staying very human, with real heart.

I can't wait to read more in this series.

Thank you NetGalley and the publishers, Thomas & Mercer for this ARC.

The prolog and synopsis of A Killer’s Code by Isabella Mcldonado had me hooked, but unfortunately I lost interest in the book at 36% in.

I also realized that this is apart of a series and I don’t believe this can be a stand alone as I was confused.

Once again, Isabella Maldonado knocked it out of the park in the third installment of the Dani Vega series.

Dani continues her career in the FBI in a case that results in a lot of personal revelations that will have impacts on the future of the series. I loved it and was thrilled to also see an Arizona connection in the story.

A fast-paced thriller, A KILLER’S CODE, is another winner for strong female characters.

📚 #BOOKREVIEW 📚
A Killer’s Code (Daniela Vega, Book 3) by Isabella Maldonado
⭐️⭐️⭐️ / Pages: 344 / Genre: Genre
Audiobook Narrators: Almarie Guerra and Feodor Chin
Duration: 9 hours 45 minutes
Release Date: January 21, 2025

To prep for this review, I read A Killer’s Game, the first book in this series. I enjoyed it and really liked the strong badass vibe that FBI Agent Daniela Vega gave off. I didn’t have time to read the second book so I just dove into this third one. What happened? Ugh. She’s still a badass but now she has her clingy supervisor holding her back at every turn. As the only one with combat military experience on the team, she’s the only one who can take charge on this mission of rescuing a scientist and her child from a band of mercenaries. But he’s so worried about her and wants to make sure he has her back under his watch yet he slows her down and doesn’t understand her combat techniques. He seriously ruined the book for me. And then in the end she realized that maybe she does need someone watching her back. GROAN! I am so done with this series, but if you want to check it out, it’s free with #KindleUnlimited and comes with audio narration.

Thank you, @BrilliancePublishing and @NetGalley for my free copy of the audiobook. Almarie Guerra did a great job narrating her parts, but Feodor Chin’s female voice needs some work (cringe). If they have male and female narrators, why can’t they do all the male and female parts respectively?!

This installment felt like it was meant to build up the rest of the series. It was very good, but felt less twisted than the first two books. The romance element was amped up but I love the core characters a lot, so I'll cheer on their happiness.

Dani Vega is reevaluating the toll her career is taking on her family when she is called in for a special case - to hear the last words of Gustava Toro, notorious hitman. Toro was Dani's informant in Book 1 when they both were abducted. He was always honest about being a criminal, but in the end he sacrificed his life for Dani. Now, his lawyers reveal a secret message left behind for the Director of the FBI. Toro hid evidence against all the people he worked for and Dani is tasked with following his clues.

My favorite thing about this series is that the reader has more information than any of the characters. We get to hear the POV of the heroes AND the villains. But somehow there are still more secrets and mysteries to uncover. This book had the most POVs so far and yet the narration was easy to follow along. The narrators used different inflections so that each core character felt familiar when we switched to their perspective. As I said, the story was more tender and romantic than before and the narration supported that softness. Instead of following a psychopath, we were following Toro as he made plans to secure absolution. But the final conversation between Dani and SAC Wu was.... a long time coming.

The setup is very Davinci Code with a likeable strong female lead. Solid characterization. However all the villains felt too omnipotent, especially Toro in the ambush scene. Unbelievable speed of villain actions and lack of hero response became frustrating. I said “no way” six times by the halfway point. Earlier Vega arrested Toro for murder and racketeering; how did he escape?

Daniela Vega, an incredibly busy FBI agent, intends to take time off to help her mother, who is slowly recovering from mental illness. This gives Dani and her siblings hope. While their mother has begun healing, it is believed that she has acquired something rare—synesthesia. This, along with other factors, gives Dani hope. However, a phone call from her boss changes Dani’s plans.

What makes Dani pull out all of the stops when she is called back into her demanding job? The FBI’s former informant, a well crafted assassin named Gustavo Toro has been murdered. Toro left behind a video with cryptic clues that only Dani can decipher.

Dead men tell no lies, and the video, filled with intricate puzzles, pits Dani and her boss, Special Agent in Charge Steve Wu, against a race against time as they strive to apprehend a ruthless killer.

Multiple perspectives and flashbacks propel this fast-paced novel forward, creating a suspenseful narrative where former FBI Agent Isabella Maldonado’s expertise undoubtedly intensifies the compelling story. I particularly admire Dani’s human side, especially her unwavering devotion to her family. Even amidst the action and danger, Dani consistently prioritizes her family’s well-being, striking a perfect balance between her human nature and her business acumen. This unique blend of qualities truly balances the incredible heroine in this series.

Maldonado’s narrative is a near-perfect gem that readers should not miss.

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

I absolutely love Isabella Maldonado’s books! They are always action packed from the get go! It doesn’t hurt that she’s a retired FBI agent, so you know that what goes into her stories is based on real experience. This newest book in the Dani Vega series was a bit of a shock to me. I never would have guessed the turn Toro’s story would take. There wasn’t as much code breaking as there was in the previous two books, but I still enjoyed the hell out of it. It will be interesting to see how the story continues from here, because now the line separating her work life and personal life isn’t so clear anymore. Not only that, we have the question of whether she will finally allow herself to even have a personal life in the first place. This one has a cliffhanger that is going to have me climbing the walls until the next one, and I can’t wait!

Huge thanks to Brilliance Publishing and NetGalley for sending me this ARC for review! All of my reviews are given honestly!

This was fantastic. I really enjoyed it and couldn’t stop listening. I was hooked from the first minute! The narration was wonderful. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this audiobook.

When I started this book I didn't realize it was part of a larger series. Having not read the previous books in the series did not impact my reading experience. I didn't feel like I was missing any large pieces of backstory and was able to enjoy the story as it played out. I enjoyed the overall premise. I love seeing the characters ferret out clues in real time and expose the story bit by bit over the course of the book. I did feel that there was a larger focus on the action portion of the book than characters and relationships. But not to the detriment of the story. Based on my experience with this book I am definitely adding the previous books to my TBR. I am looking forward to learning more about Dani Vega.
Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Quick Summary: A completely riveting mystery/thriller

My Review: A Killer's Code by Isabella Maldonado is book #3 in the Daniela Vega series. It is scheduled for release on January 21, 2025.

About the Book: "A dead man’s riddles—and secrets—thrust an FBI codebreaker into a deadly cross-country race for justice in a propulsive thriller by the Wall Street Journal bestselling author of The Cipher."

In My Own Words: Murder. Death. Kills. Secrets. Codes. Clues. Targets. Time. Tick, tick, boom!

About the Narration: This novel was narrated by Almarie Guerra and Feodor Chin. From the beginning, their delivery had me. I was drawn in and found myself waiting for every crumb of the dish they served up. The tempo, tones, and the tension they were able to effectively communicate proved to make this story stand out.

My Final Say: This gets a YES! It was 100 percent captivating. The way the story unfolded, the uncovering of details, the interesting mix of characters with their revealed personalities, the POVs, as well as the way the story was laid out - it all made for great reading. All I know is that I plan to go back and read the previous books. I don't want to miss a thing. Challenge accepted!

Do I recommend this book? Indeed. Readers who want thrills and chills served up with a platter of twisted suspense and drama will totally enjoy this book.

Is this being considered for a Netflix, Prime, HBO feature? It should be.

Rating: 5/5
Recommend: Yes
Audience: A
Re-read: Yes
Favorites Shelf: Yes
Status/Level: 🕸💬💣
Series: Yes
Other: Book club recommendation

Sincere appreciation is extended to the author, to the publisher (Brilliance Publishing | Brilliance Audio), and to NetGalley. Thank you for granting access to an ALC of this title in exchange for an honest critique. It is a brilliant work. I look forward to reading more from this writer.

I love a good follow the bread crumbs thriller and Isabella Maldonado writes it brilliantly. She writes with authority that comes from her experience in law enforcement.

A riddle from a dead criminal thrusts an FBI code breaker into a cross country race to unravel a criminal group who have been operating with impunity. As you can imaging this puts our puzzle solver in peril.

I especially like how the main character, Daniele Vega, brings us into her puzzle solving thinking. She requires no Watson to understand how the clues are adding up.

Almarie Guerra and Feodor Chin did an excellent job narrating with a special hat tip to Feodor Chin. His voice is so smooth and made for a fun listen.

OMG I got a Brilliance approval! THANK YOU so much Brilliance! It only took about 87 requests LOL
Anticipated pub: Jan 21, 2025

I have been loving the Dani Vega series. This one was no different. I loved the characters and the storyline and read this in a day! This series is so bingable!
Dani's character is fun to read; I love the way her mind works.
This mystery takes the agents all across the country. There were lots of thrilling moments. Lots of tension. The pacing was good for this as there's certainly a time crunch to find the missing woman that is in danger.

Both narrators were great. The POV of the bad guys was a nice touch to see the "other side" from the police procedural side of the story.

Technically the series doesn't need to be read fully or in order but for MAXIMUM enjoyment do yourself the favor and start with Dani Vega book 1: A Killer's Game, then try A Forgotten Kill. But this one stands alone as a great police procedural thriller too.

A last random note I will ALWAYS comment on. My oddly specific bookish ICK is when an author uses the word "chopper" to refer to a helicopter. Being the wife of a helicopter pilot I've NEVER heard any of the people in his community use that word. I'll always notice and always comment on that word usage, LOL.
THIS AUTHOR NEVER USES THAT WORD. It made my little heart so happy. Helo, copter, bird. Never "chopper" and I'm so thankful for it!

While A Killer’s Code offers an intriguing premise and a fast-paced plot, it falls short of its full potential. The riddles and cross-country chase keep the tension high, but some of the twists feel predictable, and the character development lacks depth. FBI Agent Dani Vega is a strong lead, but her emotional journey is overshadowed by the action-heavy narrative. While entertaining, the story doesn’t quite deliver the complexity or surprises that could have made it unforgettable.

Thank you Isabella Maldonado, Brilliance Audio, and Netgalley for the advanced copy!