Alex Segura's Blog, page 2
March 15, 2022
Book Marks on Secret Identity
Click here to read the articleIf you’ve been yearning for a follow-up to Michael Chabon’s The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay since the final panel described in that 2001 Pulitzer Prize winner, it would appear that Segura’s noir mystery set in the 1970s comics world is a worthy spiritual successor. Segura brings his comics experience (writing for The Black Ghost, as well as working at Oni Press) to bear in the story of Carmen Valdez, an underpaid assistant at fictional underdog publisher Triumph Comics. Given the opportunity to bring her superhero creation the Lethal Lynx to full-color life, Carmen agrees to ghostwrite the series—even if she doesn’t get the credit, she’ll have been part of creating the company’s first female superhero. But when the junior editor who took credit for her creation is murdered, Carmen must investigate what was important enough to kill, all while ensuring that the Lynx stays dedicated to her original ideals and doesn’t shapeshift into some soulless corporate creation.
Chip Zdarsky on Secret Identity
Click here to read Chip’s NewsletterAlso great is the new novel from Alex Segura, Secret Identity! Alex has worked in comics for years, but is also an amazing crime novelist, so it was only a matter of time that he set a murder mystery in the world of the comic book industry!
The Big Thrill Up Close: Alex Segura
Click here to read the articleIn his latest interview with The Big Thrill, Segura talks about recreating the gritty world of the 1970s New York comics scene, channeling his own experiences as a Miami-to-New York transplant, and making his novel accessible to readers who might not share his love (and encyclopedic knowledge) of comics history.
CrimeReads on Secret Identity
Click here to read the postAlex Segura’s Secret Identity is a mesmerizing journey into the subculture of comic books in 1970s New York City, where a woman named Carmen Valdez is struggling to put her stamp on a superhero of her own, and finally gets a chance with “The Lethal Lynx.” Things take a dark turn when the project is turned in to the publisher without Carmen’s name attached and the supposed creator turns up dead. Segura’s passion for comics and the creative spirit shines through in this dynamic, character-driven mystery, an ingeniously plotted crime novel with a fresh perspective on cultural history.
Mystery Tribune on Secret Identity
Click here to read the full reviewAlex Segura uses his expertise as a comics creator as well as his unabashed love of noir fiction to create a truly one-of-a-kind novel–hard-edged and bright-eyed, gritty and dangerous, and utterly absorbing.
Crime by the Book on Secret Identity
Click here to read the postFollowing a woman contending with the sexism of her industry (the comic book industry in 1970’s New York), SECRET IDENTITY explores what happens when protagonist Carmen’s work is stolen out from under her, and submitted to a publisher without her name appearing anywhere on it. I love books about books, but I can honestly say I’ve never read a crime novel about comic books—and I can’t wait to rectify that! SECRET IDENTITY looks poised to deliver all the thrills you could want, plus a compelling protagonist you’ll be cheering for every step of the way and a highly-unique storytelling structure. (This book gives readers a glimpse into the comic book that our protagonist has been working on—yes, there are actual comic book pages in this novel, and they are stunning!)
InsideHook on Secret Identity
Click here to read the full articleThe 1970s were a fascinating time for the world of comic books. And, as it turns out, that industry at that time also makes for a great setting for a murder mystery. Alex Segura drew on his own knowledge of the industry to write this story of an up-and-coming writer whose professional challenges overlap with trying to solve a decidedly lethal mystery.
March 14, 2022
Gwenda Bond on SECRET IDENTITY
Click here to read the full reviewThis novel is a love letter to comics, but it’s a clear-eyed one that doesn’t gloss over the rough edges of its history or imagine the “good old days” as perfect. What does come through is an absolute love of the medium and the ways in which sometimes, as the saying goes, comics (and the people in it) will break your heart. If you’re a sucker for the depiction of a publisher or newsroom, you’ll truly eat this up—I had flashbacks to my college paste-up days at the paper. And the novel’s New York feels so lived in, so utterly convincing. I was transported to this time and place, though Carmen’s specific lens. Did I mention you also get comics pages of the Lynx interspersed occasionally, tying into the main plot? This whole book is a treat.
Secret Identity is a PW Pick
Click here to read the articleSet in 1975, this outstanding novel from Anthony Award winner Segura (the Pete Fernandez series) stars Carmen Valdez, an obsessive comic book fan since her childhood in Miami, Fla., who now lives in New York City and works on the periphery of her dream as an assistant at Triumph Comics, an afterthought in the then flailing comics industry dominated by Marvel and DC. When Triumph junior editor Harvey Stern approaches the creatively gifted Carmen to help him pitch a new series, it’s the opportunity to finally see one of her ideas come to life. Carmen agrees to Harvey’s request that she ghostwrite until he can leverage her involvement. They create the company’s first female superhero, the Lethal Lynx, who’s an immediate hit, though Harvey’s erratic behavior and the sudden arrival of an old flame from Miami complicate matters. When Harvey is murdered before he publicly acknowledges Carmen’s role, she’s forced to look for answers as she seeks to prevent someone else from transforming the Lethal Lynx into something soulless. Carmen navigates the shifting loyalties within the industry with aplomb. Segura’s infectious passion for superheroes shines in this page-turning mix of murder mystery and coming-of-age story.
Buzzfeed’s Best Books of March
Click here to read the articleThis comic book world noir (which features comic spreads drawn by Sandy Jarrell) is a fantastic take on a world of both powerful women and women searching for an acknowledgement of their power.
