Reviews with content warning for Sexual assault - Schreie in der Dunkelheit

“In order to catch the monster, she would have to drag those pieces - and the pain that came with them - out from where she had carefully stowed them and into the light.”

I still can't believe I've only just recently discovered her work, but I loved my first experience with Isabella Maldonado's writing and I've been looking forward to read more. My TBR jar thought I shouldn't wait and decided I had to pick up The Cipher ASAP. Not that I'm complaining, because I ended up having a great time reading this first book of the Nina Guerrera series! True, I don't exacty think it's credible that the FBI let's Nina actively investigate a case that is so personal to her, and especially after certain events in the plot and things escalate further and further. BUT. If you are able to suspend your belief and just enjoy the ride you will be in for a bucketload of action and suspense. The Cipher isn't afraid to go VERY dark and disturbing indeed, and this story isn't for those with a weak stomach. There is constant danger lurking around every corner, but then again the team IS hunting a twisted serial killer... Most of the story is told from Nina's POV, but I could really appreciate that some chapters were from the serial killer's POV. It definitely took the story to the next level for me! The plot isn't all that original with the cat and mouse game and the serial killer taunting the police, but it does make for a very entertaining ride and the ciphers added a nice touch. Was the final confrontation exactly credible? Maybe not, but it did make sure that the story went out with a bang. I do wish there would have been more character development in Nina beyond the basics and stereotypes, but there was enough there to make me look forward to read the next book.

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larkken's review against another edition

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dark inspiring fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.75

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isobelo's review against another edition

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challenging dark mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

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jillgoober's review against another edition

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4.0

4 stars
This was like reading a really long Criminal Minds episode (not that that's a bad thing). If you like the show, you'll probably love this book. The most interesting part of this book was the team finding more and more information about the unsub. However, the plot itself was relatively predictable. One thing that got on my nerves was the fact that the team would EVER leave Nina alone when they know this guy is out there hunting her?? It makes no sense to me that she wouldn't have another agent with her at all times for safety. That seemed like a plot hole used to make sure the Cipher was able to find her.

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jencanread's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

This book should come with like every single trigger warning, but holy shit. I couldn’t put it down

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100_pages_hr's review against another edition

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dark mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

Absolutely amazing. Basically better than an episode of Criminal Minds and that is one of my favorite shows!

I love how strong, brave, and resilient Nina is. I loved her growth in the book too. I loved the FBI team she was on.

This book kept me guessing and was very descriptive without being too much.

I can't wait to listen to the next 2!

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jelavision's review against another edition

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challenging dark mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

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kingrosereads's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

I’m starting to get back into murder mystery/thriller books. When I was 12-15 years old I loved Tess Gerritsen and Iris Johansen novels, so I was looking for a more modern and diverse version of those types of books, especially books written by women and people of color. Isabella Maldonado did a great job writing the opening to the world of Nina Guerrera and I am excited to read more of Nina. I loved the book and the characters were great. There were moments when it was a bit choppy and clinical, and there wasn’t too much suspense, but I did enjoy the book as a whole.

I wished the ending battle between the Cipher and Nina was a bit more drawn out. It didn’t have me on the edge of my seat as much as I would’ve liked. I think because since book is marked as the first of the Nina Guerrera series I didn’t think much was at stake like I feel it would’ve been if he took Bianca and Nina. I do like that Nina came out of her shell a bit more and started a foundation of trust with her team and that the story didn’t focus on any romantic interest. Can’t wait to read more.

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