Contemporary Authors

• Blood's Echo Midnight Ink (Woodbury, MN), 2017
• Phoenix Burning Midnight Ink (Woodbury, MN), 2018

1. Phoenix burning LCCN 2017043124 Type of material Book Personal name Maldonado, Isabella, 1965- author. Main title Phoenix burning / Isabella Maldonado. Edition First edition. Published/Produced Woodbury, Minnesota : Midnight Ink, [2018] Projected pub date 1111 Description pages cm. ISBN 9780738751023 (alk. paper) CALL NUMBER PS3613.A434 P48 2018 Request in Jefferson or Adams Building Reading Rooms 2. Blood's echo LCCN 2016033193 Type of material Book Personal name Maldonado, Isabella, 1965- author. Main title Blood's echo / Isabella Maldonado. Edition First edition. Published/Produced Woodbury, Minnesota : Midnight Ink, [2017] Description vi, 306 pages ; 21 cm. ISBN 9780738750804 CALL NUMBER PS3613.A434 B58 2017 CABIN BRANCH Copy 1 Request in Jefferson or Adams Building Reading Rooms - STORED OFFSITE

• Fantastic Fiction -

  Series
  Veranda Cruz Mystery
  1. Blood's Echo (2017)
  2. Phoenix Burning (2018)

• Amazon -

  Isabella Maldonado is a published author, a retired police captain, and a regular contributor on television News Channel 12 (Phoenix NBC affiliate) as a law enforcement expert. Her last police position was Commander of Special Investigations and Forensics. During her long career, she served as a hostage negotiator, department spokesperson, and precinct commander among many assignments. She was recognized with a Meritorious Service Award and a Lifesaving Award, and was selected to attend executive management training at the FBI National Academy in Quantico. Maldonado is a past president of the Phoenix Metro chapter of Sisters In Crime, and currently sits on the board. She lives in Mesa, Arizona, where she is currently writing the third book in the Veranda Cruz series, which features a Latina Phoenix police detective.

• From Publisher -

  sabella Maldonado

  Photo by SkipStyle Photography
  Isabella Maldonado retired from law enforcement as a Commander of Special Investigations and Forensics. During her long career, she was recognized with a Meritorious Service Award and a Lifesaving Award, and she was selected to attend executive management training at the FBI’s National Academy. Isabella is the immediate past president of the Phoenix chapter of Sisters In Crime. She lives in Mesa, Arizona. You can visit her at www.IsabellaMaldonado.com.

• Thrill Begins - http://thrillbegins.com/2017/03/01/debut-author-spotlight-isabella-maldonado/

  Debut Author Spotlight: Isabella Maldonado
  Jennifer Hillier: Congratulations on the upcoming release of BLOOD’S ECHO! Can you tell us a bit about your journey to publication?
  Isabella Maldonado: My journey is a bit unconventional. After 22 years in law enforcement, I gave up my gun and Hi-tech boots in favor of a computer. I loved reading crime fiction, but my heart’s desire was to write. To learn the art and craft, I joined Sisters in Crime, attended workshops, and pored over countless books on writing. I also wrote three published short stories to try different styles. After four years of serious study, I felt ready for a novel. The next eight months were fascinating, grueling and educational. When I finished my manuscript, I had the opportunity to pitch it to the Acquiring Editor for Midnight Ink, who was appearing at a conference in Phoenix. Shortly thereafter, I was offered a three-book deal, and my writing career began in earnest! I have now completed Book 2 in the series, which will be published next year.
  As retired law enforcement, I can imagine that what you saw every day in your previous line of work contributed greatly to this novel. Do you share any traits with your detective protagonist, Veranda Cruz? In what ways is she not like you?
  Other than being a Latina police officer in a white-male-dominated profession, I’m not much like my protagonist. Veranda is extremely headstrong and single-minded, which makes her a threat to the cartel she’s vowed to destroy. Of course, a powerful international criminal organization won’t tolerate her interference. And they’re just as determined to put a stop to her for good.
  Career-wise, Veranda is a detective, whereas I chose to go for advancement and was eventually promoted to the rank of Captain. I could never imagine Veranda in the hot seat at CompStat, fielding questions at a community meeting, or disciplining officers for excessive force. Earlier in my career, I was a hostage negotiator, and I can’t picture Veranda doing that effectively either. She’s action-oriented.
  Tell us about your writing process. How long did it take you to finish BLOOD’S ECHO? Do you have a writing schedule? Is this your first completed novel? How many drafts did you have to do, and was any special research outside your own personal experiences in law enforcement required?
  It took approximately eight months to complete BLOOD’S ECHO, however, I was also serving as President of the Sisters in Crime Desert Sleuths Chapter in Phoenix, which took up a good deal of time. BLOOD’S ECHO was my first completed (or attempted) novel. I write almost every weekday beginning in the morning and usually finish in the early afternoon. Because of other commitments, however, this can go out the window at a moment’s notice. I’m an outliner, but I’ve learned that an outline is merely a starting point from which I inevitably deviate. I’m also very visual, so I chart the scenes on a poster board using color codes. Seeing an overview of the arc of the story is very helpful to avoid any weak spots or lulls.
  Going back a little further, what led you to a career in law enforcement?
  When I attended university, I planned to study law and become an attorney. I did an internship at a local law firm (now defunct) that specialized in criminal defense work. The research was mind-numbingly boring, the senior partners were egomaniacs and mercenaries, and the atmosphere was toxic. While I loved criminal law, I couldn’t possibly work in such a place. I floundered for a while after graduating, then one day it dawned on me that I could practice law in a more direct way. Turned out to be a great decision. My family was shocked at first, but came around to the idea.
  You moved to Arizona after you retired from law enforcement, and you set your work in Phoenix. Is it hard to write about a different locale than the one in which you served? Is there any blowback from active police in the area?
  I deliberately set out to write about an agency other than the one I worked in. I felt it was important to distance myself from my subject. I chose Phoenix for several reasons, the most important being that it’s a large urban department with less coverage in crime fiction. I love stories set in New York, LA, Chicago, DC and Miami, but wanted to give readers a different vibe and flavor. Phoenix is the perfect place to showcase Latino culture as well. Veranda’s large, loving, sometimes interfering, Mexican-American family gets pulled into the wild ride.
  Fascinated by the desert climate and its unique challenges for police, I sought to capture the daunting feel of July in Phoenix for readers. Members of the PPD (a progressive department with thousands of officers) have been generous with their time and access, which helps me keep details accurate. Because I’m a fellow LEO, they know I won’t expose sensitive information or misrepresent them due to lack of understanding.
  You mentioned you wrote short stories as a way to learn more about writing. Do you plan to continue writing short fiction?
  I do. Ideas for short stories pop into my head at odd times when I least expect it. The short form is fun to experiment with, and offers an opportunity to try new things. For example, the first short story I wrote was in first person POV. The second was in third person and was also my first attempt at comedy. My third had multiple POV’s, and included humorous elements with a super dark plot. In the future, I may use short fiction to try other genres.
  What has surprised you the most about the publishing industry? Is there anything you wish you had done differently?
  I am constantly trying to figure out what’s going on in the publishing industry. For a new author, it’s challenging to know in what direction to aim your writing career. The advent of digital media has put everything in a state of flux. Some readers like the feel of a physical book in their hands, while others only read eBooks. Still others never read at all, but listen to dozens of audiobooks annually. I do believe, however, that there will always be an audience for a ripping good yarn. In fact, I’m counting on it.
  Which writers have influenced your work the most? What’s your favorite book?
  For decades, I devoured anything Stephen King wrote. His prodigious talent hooked me at a young age and inspired me to write. Now that I’m an author, I appreciate the haunting beauty of his prose and his flawless execution. His book, ON WRITING, was the first I read when I decided to take the plunge.
  In the police procedural genre, Michael Connelly is a favorite. Harry Bosch is so fully-realized that I expect to find him sitting at a desk in the LAPD. I loved how well Connelly researched his stories. In fact, his depiction of behind-the-scenes LAPD inspired me to show great depth and detail when writing about the Phoenix PD. I want to give my readers the same vicarious experience of being steeped in a particular agency’s culture.
  The Thrill Begins is a site geared for debut and aspiring novelists. If you had one piece of advice to pass along, what would it be?
  Make a commitment. Set a deadline. Announce it to people around you. Write it down on an index card and put it next to your computer. Drive to the finish line. Leave nothing on the field.
  What will you be working on next?
  I’ve just completed Book 2 in the series and sent it off to my publisher. Throughout 2017, I’ll be working on edits to get the second book ready for publication while I write Book 3. I’m also outlining another completely different story to begin a new series. Busy, busy, busy…but living the dream!
  Isabella Maldonado retired from law enforcement as a Commander of Special Investigations and Forensics. During her long career, she was recognized with a Meritorious Service Award and a Lifesaving Award, and she was selected to attend executive management training at the FBI’s National Academy. Isabella is the immediate past president of the Phoenix chapter of Sisters In Crime. She lives in Mesa, Arizona. Find her at http://isabellamaldonado.com or on Facebook or Twitter.
  To learn more about BLOOD’S ECHO, click on the cover below:

  Jennifer Hillier writes about dark, twisted people who do dark, twisted things. She’s the author of the thrillers Creep (2011), Freak (2012), The Butcher (2014), and Wonderland (2015). She loves her husband, her son, her cat Kobe, Stephen King, and the Seahawks. Not equally, but close. Born and raised in Toronto, she currently lives in the Seattle area with her family. Find her on the web at jenniferhillier.ca.

• The Poisoned Pen - https://poisonedpen.com/2017/04/25/interview-with-isabella-maldonado/

  Interview with Isabella Maldonado
  Posted on April 25, 2017

  Isabella Maldonado is the author of the debut mystery, Blood’s Echo. It’s not that a debut author doesn’t need an introduction. But Maldonado’s personal story is so fascinating that I’ll let her answer the questions. You should read her answers
  Isabella, would you introduce yourself to the readers?
  My journey to publication took a 22-year detour. I always planned to write, but also wanted to be a police officer. I joined the force right out of college and, over two decades later, retired at the rank of captain. While on the department, I was a patrol officer, hostage negotiator, spokesperson, and recruit instructor at the police academy. After being promoted, I was a patrol sergeant and lieutenant. Finally, as a captain, I commanded the Special Investigations and Forensics Division, Gang Council, Public Information Office, and a patrol precinct with over 130 officers, detectives and civilian employees.
  One of my most memorable experiences was graduating from the FBI National Academy in Quantico, which involved eleven weeks of physically and mentally challenging study for law enforcement executives from around the world.
  After retiring and moving to Arizona in 2010, I joined the Sisters in Crime Desert Sleuths Chapter with the goal of embarking on a second career as a crime fiction writer. For five years, I studied writing and published three short stories. In 2015, at the annual “Write Now!” conference in Scottsdale, I pitched to Terri Bischoff, Acquiring Editor for Midnight Ink, and was subsequently offered a three-book deal. The first book in the Veranda Cruz series, Blood’s Echo, debuted in March and is now available in hardcover, paperback, and digital formats. I’m finalizing edits on book two while writing book three…still have to pinch myself!
  Tell us about Blood’s Echo, without spoilers.

  Detective Veranda Cruz is on a mission to bring down the Villalobos cartel. Not content to simply sell drugs, the sprawling criminal empire engages in human trafficking, computer crimes, money laundering, and illegal weapons. Every cop wants to put cuffs on Bartolo Villalobos, but Veranda is determined to see him behind bars for her own reasons.
  After a two-year investigation, she’s on the verge of success, but her quarry is one step ahead of her. Bartolo not only evades her trap, but unearths Veranda’s secret and uses it against her. As she races to solve the mystery of Bartolo’s power, she’s thrown into the path of a hot arson investigator and an overzealous Internal Affairs sergeant.
  Veranda is surrounded by a large, loving family and shares a special bond with her mother, who sacrificed everything to give her a better life. Horrified, Veranda learns the consequences of her determination to end the Villalobos family’s stranglehold on Phoenix when those she loves are put squarely in their crosshairs. As Bartolo closes in, Veranda draws on her experience as an undercover detective to make the most heart-wrenching decision of her life.
  You’ve kicked off a new police procedural series with Blood’s Echo. Can you give us some hints about the second book?
  The second book picks up six weeks after Blood’s Echo ends. The wild ride from the first story creates repercussions for the characters, and the second installment continues their journey.
  As firstborn son, Adolfo Villalobos seeks his rightful place at the helm of the cartel, but must prove himself to his own family. Sensing weakness, rival crime bosses encroach on his territory. When Veranda goes after him, he’s fighting on three fronts and lashes out, cutting a swath of destruction through downtown Phoenix and making national headlines. The FBI, along with an alphabet soup of federal agencies, creates an inter-agency minefield Veranda must navigate.
  Veranda’s career, relationship with her family, and inner strength are tested to the breaking point as she pursues a murderous crime boss who’s determined not just to kill her, but to utterly humiliate and destroy her.
  Why did you decide to write crime fiction?
  As a cop, I had to delve into the psyche of both perpetrators and victims to conduct investigations. I want to give readers a peek into what police do and how much it costs them and their families. So often, what we see on television or in movies is far from reality. Some of this is by necessity due to the constraints of the medium, but novels lend themselves to a more complete portrayal. I owe it to my fellow law enforcement officers to be relentlessly authentic, and that’s what I’ve endeavored to do.
  Readers will undoubtedly think of your career when they think of Veranda. What was your most unusual experience that you can tell us about?
  When I was a uniform patrol officer early in my career, a detective asked me to help him serve a burglary arrest warrant. When we arrived at the suspect’s apartment, which was little more than a tenement, we found him with his wife and two-year-old son. It was near the holidays, and the young father hadn’t told his family the presents he’d gotten for them were stolen. He’d broken into a business office and taken a stereo for his wife and an enormous stuffed bear for his son.
  When we entered the apartment, I was shocked to see they had no furniture. They all slept together on a mattress on the floor and ate at a rickety card table. The stolen items were the only other things in the tiny apartment. As his wife sobbed, the man came to me, head bowed, and held out his wrists.
  The little boy watched as I handcuffed his father. The detective retrieved the stereo, and directed me to confiscate the bear, which was not only stolen property, but evidence. My stomach twisting into knots, I approached the toddler, who clutched the bear as tears rolled down his face. I had just taken his father, and now I would take his only toy. He wouldn’t let go, and his mother was too hysterical to help.
  I had to gently pry the teddy bear out of his little arms. My efforts to console him were useless. I realized that this is what the child would think of the police. That we were monsters who took away his daddy and his only toy. This was not why I became a cop, and I had to make it right.
  After we booked the father, I asked my captain for permission to purchase a big stuffed bear and take it to the child as a replacement. An hour later, I knocked at the door of the apartment holding the biggest stuffed teddy bear I could find at the local toy store. When I walked in, the boy was playing with an empty toothpaste tube. His mother had nothing else to give him.
  What happened next changed everything. My captain contacted a reporter with the Washington Post, who subsequently interviewed me about what happened. The next day, the story ran as a feature in the Metro section. It was meant to be a story about a tender-hearted cop (and I took some ribbing from my fellow officers about it), but it morphed into something much more significant.
  Gifts for the family began appearing at our police station. People brought toys, food, furniture, books, and clothing for the family. Over the next few days, the pile grew until we had to use the conference room to hold the donated items. Television news got wind of the story and sent camera crews to cover the outpouring from the community.
  It soon became apparent there was more than enough for the small family in their little apartment. I spoke to the mother, who readily agreed, and we made arrangements to share the items with other needy families in the building. A moving company volunteered to transport what was now a trailer full of goods to the complex, where many low-income families were able to have books to read, eat healthy food, and sleep in a real bed for the first time.
  So many impoverished children and their families ended up having an amazing Christmas that year. The father served a short sentence, and promised to find a way to provide for his family that didn’t involve theft. To this day, when Christmas rolls around, I think of that family and how the whole community rallied to support them. I’m also grateful for one little boy who won’t think of the police as heartless.
  What authors have inspired you?
  As a child, the first book that blew my mind was A Wrinkle in Time. The idea that a writer could transport me to another dimension amazed me.
  When I was a police lieutenant, a senior patrol officer in his fifties recommended the Harry Potter series…how could I resist? That began a love affair with all things JK Rowling (and Robert Gilbraith) that still goes on to this day.
  As a female crime writer, I owe a lot to Sara Paretsky. Not only did she pave the way for other women to break into a traditionally male-dominated genre, she also helped found Sisters in Crime. I have been a member for seven years, and served as the Phoenix chapter president in 2015. One of my highlights was meeting Ms. Paretsky, who came to speak at our annual conference that year.
  Other than your own, name several books you would never part with.
  Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, The Black Echo by Michael Connelly, One for the Money by Janet Evanovich, The Stand by Stephen King, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by JK Rowling, and You are a Badass by Jen Sincero.
  What’s on your TBR (To Be Read) pile?
  Unsub, by Meg Gardiner, A Reek of Red Herrings by Catriona McPherson, Carved in Stone by Maegan Beaumont, The Accidental Alchemist by Gigi Pandian, Pandora’s Legion by Harold Coyle and Barrett Tillman, Paying the Piper by Simon Wood, and The Kept Woman by Karin Slaughter.
  You live in my favorite state, Arizona. What’s your favorite place to take visitors when they come?
  If the visitor is outdoorsy, there’s nothing more spectacular than the red rocks of Sedona or the Grand Canyon. If the visitor is the type who likes to be pampered, the spa at the Phoenician Resort is truly in a class by itself. But no trip to Arizona would be complete without eating at the best authentic Mexican restaurant in the state: The Barrio Queen in Scottsdale.

• The Big Thrill - http://www.thebigthrill.org/2018/03/phoenix-burning-by-isabella-maldonado/

  Phoenix Burning by Isabella Maldonado
  1 month ago by ITW

  7

  0

  The battle between Veranda Cruz and the Villalobos cartel turns Phoenix into a war zone.
  Homicide Detective Veranda Cruz will stop at nothing to take down the Villalobos cartel. But when a wave of violence in the city escalates, she fears that the secrets of her past will take her down instead.
  Adolfo Villalobos is a crime boss who’s determined to stake his claim. To prove that he’s ready to run his family’s sprawling criminal empire, he devises a plan to silence his siblings and destroy Veranda, leaving a trail of destruction through downtown Phoenix that makes national headlines. Veranda believes the task force she’s been assigned to lead will end the cartel’s reign of terror, until Adolfo’s revenge takes a cruel—and highly personal—twist.
  Author Isabella Maldonado spent some time with The Big Thrill discussing her latest thriller, PHOENIX BURNING:

  What do you hope readers will take away from this book?
  That we are not the sum of our DNA. That people of all backgrounds can make their own choices about who they will be, no matter who their parents are.
  How does this book make a contribution to the genre?
  As a Latina crime writer, I am hoping to put forth a more complete narrative about Latino culture. Many crime fiction stories in books, movies and television seem to portray Latinos as either the bad guy/gal or the funny sidekick. Not as the protagonist–and especially not as a strong female protagonist. In my series, Latinos are on both sides of the law, and a holistic family approach to the life of the detective is on full display.
  Was there anything new you discovered, or that surprised you, as you wrote this book?
  This book is the second in the Veranda Cruz detective series. I wasn’t sure how the first book (my debut) would be received because of its multi-cultural tone and its main character being a woman of color. I was excited and surprised when readers wrote to me about how much they enjoyed Veranda’s large, noisy, ethnic, and sometimes interfering family.
  No spoilers, but what can you tell us about your book that we won’t find in the jacket copy or the PR material?
  This book is about three kinds of families, each with its own culture and rules: Detective Cruz’s Mexican-American family of immigrants, the Phoenix Police Department, and the Villalobos cartel family. Seeing how these three groups interact and their stories interweave is integral to the story.
  What authors or books have influenced your career as a writer, and why?
  Michael Connolly – his Harry Bosch was an inspiration for me to write about the deep underpinnings of a detective’s personal demons.
  J.A. Jance – with Joanna Brady, she showed how an Arizona law woman could manage to balance a complicated personal life while fighting crime.
  Steve Berry – his Cotton Malone is the perfect balance of brains and action hero and his stories are always topical and fascinating.
  *****
  Isabella Maldonado is a published author, a retired police captain, and a regular contributor on television News Channel 12 (Phoenix NBC affiliate) as a law enforcement expert. Her last police position was Commander of Special Investigations and Forensics. During her long career, she served as a hostage negotiator, department spokesperson, and precinct commander, among many assignments. She was recognized with a Meritorious Service Award and a Lifesaving Award, and was selected to attend executive management training at the FBI National Academy in Quantico. Maldonado is a past president of the Phoenix Metro chapter of Sisters In Crime, and currently sits on the board. She lives in Mesa, Arizona, where she is currently writing the third book in the Veranda Cruz series, which features a Latina Phoenix police detective.
  To learn more about Isabella, please visit her website.

• Isabella Maldonado Website - https://isabellamaldonado.com/

  About
  BRIEF BIO

  Isabella Maldonado is a published author, a retired police captain, and a regular contributor on television News Channel 12 (Phoenix NBC affiliate) as a law enforcement expert. Her last police position was Commander of Special Investigations and Forensics. During her long career, she served as a hostage negotiator, department spokesperson, and precinct commander among many assignments. She was recognized with a Meritorious Service Award and a Lifesaving Award, and was selected to attend executive management training at the FBI National Academy in Quantico. Maldonado is a past president of the Phoenix Metro chapter of Sisters In Crime, and currently sits on the board. She lives in Mesa, Arizona, where she is currently writing the third book in the Veranda Cruz series, which features a Latina Phoenix police detective.

  DETAILED BIO
  LAW ENFORCEMENT BACKGROUND:

  Before her foray into the world of crime fiction, Ms. Maldonado wore a gun and badge in real life. She retired as a police captain after over two decades in law enforcement and moved to the Phoenix area. During her tenure on the department, she was a patrol officer, hostage negotiator, spokesperson and recruit instructor at the police academy. After being promoted, she worked as a patrol sergeant and lieutenant. Finally, as a captain, she commanded the Gang Council, Public Information Office and a police precinct with 150 personnel including patrol officers, detectives, specialty units, supervisors, and civilians. Her final assignment was Commander of the Special Investigations and Forensics Division, which included CSI detectives, fingerprint analysts, video and other surveillance specialists, computer forensics detectives and the crime lab.
  A highlight of her law enforcement career was graduating from the FBI National Academy in Quantico after eleven weeks of physically and mentally challenging study for 220 law enforcement executives from around the world. She had the unique opportunity of participating in advanced training with about 220 police officials from agencies as diverse as Australia, NYPD, France, Thailand, the Texas Rangers, and even a Canadian Mountie! She is proud to have earned her “yellow brick” for completing the famous FBI obstacle course. Now her activities involve chasing around her young son and enjoying her family when she’s not handcuffed to her computer.
  She is also a regular contributor on KPNX Channel 12 News, the Phoenix NBC television affiliate, as a law enforcement expert. Using her training and background, she provides comment and analysis of current news stories.
  WRITING BACKGROUND:

  After retiring as a police captain and moving to Arizona, she joined the Sisters in Crime Desert Sleuths Chapter in 2010 with the goal of embarking on a second career as a crime fiction writer. She has always been a huge fan of the genre, and figured years of police work could help her write with credibility about the world of criminal investigations.
  For five years, she attended workshops and writer’s conferences and also studied numerous books on the craft of writing. In order to hone her skills for a full length novel, she wrote three short stories, which were published in Desert Sleuths anthologies.
  In 2015, she was elected President of the Desert Sleuths Chapter. It was an amazing year, full of excitement as the organization grew to 120 members. She had the opportunity to work with an incredibly talented and dedicated group of people on the board of directors and in the chapter.
  At the annual “Write Now!” conference, she pitched her debut novel to Terri Bischoff, Acquiring Editor for Midnight Ink. She was subsequently offered a three-book contract, and her writing career began in earnest. The first book in the Veranda Cruz series, BLOOD’S ECHO, is now available at bookstores nationwide. The second, PHOENIX BURNING, will be published in March, 2018.
  In July 2107, she attended ThrillerFest as part of their Debut Author Program. She was fortunate to meet and subsequently sign with Liza Fleissig of the Liza Royce Agency in New York. She is excited to see what the future has in store. Busy, busy, but living the dream!

  PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS:
  Sisters in Crime (national)
  Mystery Writers of America
  International Thriller Writers
  Sisters in Crime (Desert Sleuths Chapter in Phoenix)
  FBI National Academy Associates

Maldonado, Isabella: PHOENIX BURNING

Kirkus Reviews. (Jan. 15, 2018):
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2018 Kirkus Media LLC
http://www.kirkusreviews.com/
Full Text:
Maldonado, Isabella PHOENIX BURNING Midnight Ink/Llewellyn (Adult Fiction) $15.99 3, 8 ISBN: 978-0-7387-5102-3
An ex-narc leads a war against a powerful crime family.
Veranda Cruise is supposed to meet an informant in her hunt against the Villalobos drug cartel. But after the informant goes up in flames and the hit man who killed him escapes, she's left with nothing except her hatred of the clan that's tried to destroy her family. After spending more than two years investigating the cartel, along with its biggest rival, Veranda was recently ousted from Phoenix's Drug Enforcement Bureau and, after her name was cleared, transferred to Homicide only six weeks ago. So she's very surprised when she's appointed the lead detective in a multiagency task force called Operation Scorpion Sting. It's a great honor, but it also means that if she fails, she'll take several people down with her--and she'll be even more of a target of the Villalobos clan than she already is. Adolfo Villalobos, the heir apparent of the crime family, must also prove himself worthy. Knowing that his ruthless father, El Lobo, has as much reason to hate Veranda as she does him, Adolfo has hired a computer hacker who helps him track Veranda's every move, especially her bold plan to shut down both the Villalobos operation and the rival cartel. Scorpion partially succeeds by putting the other crime family out of business, but El Lobo and all his operatives elude them. The Villalobos cartel now rules Phoenix, and it's all on Veranda. Her supervisors keep her in place, but before she has a chance to form a new plan--and after many, many pages of flashbacks and back story--she comes face to face with El Lobo's chief enforcer and a brilliant plan to discredit her. It nearly succeeds, except for help from an unexpected source and Veranda's own determination to show what she's really made of.
Although this second outing relies too heavily on its predecessor (Blood's Echo, 2017) and Maldonado spends too much time setting up its plot, the payoff, when it finally comes, is satisfying.
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
"Maldonado, Isabella: PHOENIX BURNING." Kirkus Reviews, 15 Jan. 2018. General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A522643088/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=6186d362. Accessed 12 May 2018.

Gale Document Number: GALE|A522643088

Maldonado, Isabella. Phoenix Burning

Sandra Knowles
Xpress Reviews. (Feb. 16, 2018):
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2018 Library Journals, LLC
http://www.libraryjournal.com/lj/reviews/xpress/884170-289/xpress_reviews-first_look_at_new.html.csp
Full Text:
Maldonado, Isabella. Phoenix Burning. Midnight Ink. Mar. 2018. 336p. ISBN 9780738751023. pap. $15.99; ebk. ISBN 9780738753935. MYS
Phoenix homicide detective Veranda Cruz is a tough, streetwise woman with an unwavering dedication to law enforcement. She is relatively new to the squad, having previously worked narcotics. Veranda is familiar with a Mexican drug cartel family, the Villalobos, who have turned the streets of Phoenix into a war zone. In Blood's Echo, she was instrumental in causing the death of the clan's eldest son. With a personal vendetta against her, the Villalobos will stop at nothing to exact their revenge. Appointed to lead a multiagency task force to end the cartel's reign of terror, Veranda is determined to shut them down completely. Veranda now walks a thin tightrope between a boss who is anxious to see her fail and the drug lords who threaten her family.
Verdict Maldonado, a former law enforcement officer, brings her experience and expertise to this gripping police procedural. With its gritty heroine, this action-packed mystery will attract readers who enjoy crime novels about the war on drugs.--Sandra Knowles, South Carolina State Lib., Columbia
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
Knowles, Sandra. "Maldonado, Isabella. Phoenix Burning." Xpress Reviews, 16 Feb. 2018. General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A530232534/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=ea179cc7. Accessed 12 May 2018.

Gale Document Number: GALE|A530232534

"Maldonado, Isabella: PHOENIX BURNING." Kirkus Reviews, 15 Jan. 2018. General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A522643088/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=6186d362. Accessed 12 May 2018. Knowles, Sandra. "Maldonado, Isabella. Phoenix Burning." Xpress Reviews, 16 Feb. 2018. General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A530232534/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=ea179cc7. Accessed 12 May 2018.

• Kittling: Books
  https://www.kittlingbooks.com/2017/03/bloods-echo-by-isabella-maldonado.html
  Word count: 295

  Wednesday, March 08, 2017
  Blood's Echo by Isabella Maldonado
  by Cathy

  First Line: Five hundred kilos of white death snaked through downtown Phoenix.

  Detective Veranda Cruz has spent years learning all there is to know about the Villalobos drug cartel. Now she leads an elite task force on the Phoenix Police Drug Enforcement Bureau. No one suspects Cruz's obsession with the cartel until an operation goes spectacularly wrong.

  Targeted by an increasingly unstable drug lord, Cruz must protect her family and avoid adversaries within the police force while she tries to set another trap, this time as part of the Homicide team.

  Blood's Echo is a fast-paced juggernaut of a thriller led by a strong, interesting woman. While Veranda Cruz tries to bring down one of the most powerful drug cartels in the world, readers learn quite a bit about family dynamics-- both within Veranda's large and caring Hispanic family and the drug cartel itself.

  Veranda and Cole Anderson, the arson investigator, are the strongest characters in the book, and while the secondary cast is good, it's not as developed as these two. I look forward to seeing other characters fleshed out as the series progresses.

  Maldonado is good with action scenes. Anything to do with bringing down the cartel and the search for a possible mole within the police department is exciting and fast-paced.

  All in all, I enjoyed reading this first Veranda Cruz mystery set in Phoenix, Arizona, and I'm looking forward to others.

  Blood's Echo by Isabella Maldonado
  eISBN: 9780738751337
  Midnight Ink © 2017
  eBook, 312 pages

  Police Procedural, #1 Veranda Cruz
  Rating: B+
  Source: Net Galley

  at Wednesday, March 08, 2017

• Publishers Weekly
  https://www.publishersweekly.com/978-0-7387-5102-3
  Word count: 230

  Phoenix Burning
  Isabella Maldonado. Midnight Ink, $15.99 trade paper (336p) ISBN 978-0-7387-5102-3

  In Maldonado’s breathless sequel to 2017’s Blood Echo, Phoenix, Ariz., homicide detective Veranda Cruz continues her obsessive crusade to take down the Villalobos cartel, a Mexican criminal dynasty led by its ruthless and sadistic patriarch, Hector “El Lobo” Villalobos. When the South Side Soldados, a South Phoenix gang with ties to a rival Colombian cartel, threaten to take a piece of Villalobos territory, a violent turf battle turns the city streets into a war zone. Leading a special task force with assistance from the FBI and agents brought up from Mexico, Veranda becomes the focus of media scrutiny when the cartel seems to always be one step ahead of her. Veranda wonders whether there might be a leak from within the department. Also, might Adolfo Villalobos, El Lobo’s underestimated son, be trying to prove his mettle as a possible successor to his father’s empire? What becomes clear is that Veranda’s family history and fate are inextricably tied to the Villalobos clan, and that the secrets of her own past could destroy everything, and everyone, she holds dear. Maldonado’s a writer to watch, and she showcases her own extensive law enforcement background in this tightly plotted police procedural. (Mar.)
  DETAILS
  Reviewed on: 01/29/2018
  Release date: 03/08/2018

Word Count