Review: Fatal Intrusion (Sanchez & Heron #1) by Jeffery Deaver & Isabella Maldonado

                                                                      

Print Length: 434 pages

Publisher: Thomas & Mercer (September 1, 2024)

From Goodreads.com:  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 Rating: 1 star out of 5

If this book had been my introduction to the Sanchez and Heron series, I would have crossed this series off my list and moved on with my life, which is a shame as I enjoyed the second book more than I did this one.

I think one of my main issues is that what should have been a fast-paced thriller instead felt like an endless parade of side quests, technical explanations, random facts, and enough spider-related information to make me wonder if I had accidentally picked up a National Geographic magazine instead of a crime novel.

Another issue for me is that this story tries to do absolutely everything, all at once. We've got serial murders, cybercrime, family drama, dark web shenanigans, romantic tension, conspiracies, psychological manipulation, hackers, assassins, and approximately seventeen other plot threads all fighting for page space at the same time. Rather than creating a complex thriller, it creates a reading experience that feels bloated and exhausting.

What's worse is that every time the story started building momentum, it would slam on the brakes so someone could explain a technical process, provide a history lesson, or dump another chunk of information that didn't seem remotely necessary. By the time the action picked back up, I had forgotten why I was supposed to be excited in the first place.

I also found myself constantly wondering which author had written which parts of the book. Not because their voices were distinct enough to identify, but because the novel often felt like two different books awkwardly stitched together. One moment we're in the middle of a thriller, and the next we're buried under pages of exposition, technical jargon, or information dumps that seem determined to derail whatever momentum had finally been built. Whether that was a collaboration issue or simply an editing issue, I don't know, but the transitions frequently felt clunky enough that I noticed them. 

I did like Carmen and Jake well enough, their dynamic shows flashes of potential, and I can see the foundation of the stronger partnership that develops later in the series. Unfortunately, they're forced to carry a story that is far more interested in showing off how much research was done than in telling a tight, engaging thriller.

By the end, I wasn't impressed by the complexity of the plot. I was just relieved it was finally over.