Publishers Weekly
09/16/2024
Crime and comics make for a lively mix in Segura’s enticing follow-up to Secret Identity. Comic book artist turned filmmaker Annie Bustamente has been offered the opportunity of a lifetime: lead artist on a reboot of The Legendary Lynx, the superhero saga that inspired her to become a comics artist. The series ended after the financial collapse of its publisher, Triumph Comics, in 2007. Now, Bert Carlyle, son of Triumph’s founder, hopes to revive Triumph as a multimedia company. Initially thrilled, Annie soon becomes skeptical about Carlyle’s intentions for the project, and walks away from the deal when conflicts arise over creative control. After she begins investigating who actually created and owns the rights to the Legendary Lynx, she receives anonymous threats of physical violence unless she stops her digging. Then the murders begin. Segura’s plotting is vivid and fast-paced, and his experience as a comics artist lends depth to the proceedings, with gorgeous excerpts from Annie’s in-progress Legendary Lynx comic sprinkled throughout. This will thrill traditional mystery fans and comics devotees alike. Agent: Josh Getzler, HG Literary. (Dec.)
From the Publisher
Praise for Alex Segura's Alter Ego
"Alex Segura knows how to write a propulsive mystery that hooks you from chapter one. Most of all, I loved Segura's deep and compassionate portrayal of Annie Bustamante, a reluctant heroine I wholeheartedly rooted for until the very end. Alter Ego is a must-read." —Zoraida Córdova, USA Today bestselling author of Star Wars: The High Republic Convergence
"Alter Ego is a love letter to comics, creation, and the mystery of family. Alex Segura writes with such assurance and joy, a sly wit and a clear love for the characters. I was pulled in from page one and tore through this moving tale." —Victor LaValle, author of Lone Women
"The follow-up to Segura's thrillingly original (and wildly fun) Secret Identity is every bit as standout as the original. Slick, surprising, and witty, Alter Ego brims with surprises and heart—the literary equivalent of nerding out with your most passionate and knowledgeable comics-loving friend." —Andrea Bartz, New York Times bestselling author of The Spare Room and We Were Never Here
“A clever and escapist mystery set in the world of comic books.” —The Nerd Daily
“The suspense and tension in Alex Segura’s Alter Ego builds slowly, like the best of Hitchcock’s films, and then, with the turn of one more page, all the setups and foreshadowing explode in this finely-tuned plot. Annie and daughter Margot are true gems, steeped in authenticity and visceral emotion. Segura is an excellent writer and he brings his A-game to this rollicking page ripper. Don‘t miss it.” —David Baldacci
"No one is writing books as unique and riveting as Alex Segura. Alter Ego is a smart, fantastic ride through a mysterious world you may not know but will feel totally comfortable in thanks to Segura’s creative genius. It pulls you in and keeps you turning pages." —Michael Connelly
“Not only does Alex Segura's Alter Ego contain the best Jewel reference in fiction ever, it’s the kind of book that makes you feel so much—a creative and inspiring mystery that is also smart and romantic. This book arrived at the perfect time for me, and I couldn’t stop thinking about it.” —Caroline Kepnes
“Alter Ego is both a thriller and a character study. At the core of this masterfully told story is a woman artist trying to make her way in a treacherous world of intrigue and betrayal. That she is attempting to do so in the arcane business of comic book publishing is fascinating and highly entertaining. Segura writes with the cool efficiency of a professional assassin. Buy this book NOW and you will read it in one sitting.” —T.J. English, New York Times bestselling author of Havana Nocturne and The Last Kilo
Library Journal
10/01/2024
Anthony Award winner Segura follows up his 1970s comic-book mystery Secret Identity with this sequel set in contemporary times, during an effort to reboot the Legendary Lynx, the comic book character at the center of Secret Identity. To carry on the legacy of the Legendary Lynx, Triumph Comics taps Annie Bustamante (an uncompromising comic book artist and filmmaker with a childhood connection to the original material) and Arturo Spinoza, a cancelled, once-influential film director. As Annie and Arturo butt heads with a publisher more interested in milking intellectual property than artistic integrity, Annie receives cryptic warnings that make her question Triumph's claims of creation. It sends her on a dangerous exploration into the past. Fans of Secret Identity will be interested to learn where the future took its protagonist, Carmen Valdez, and learn how her story intersects with the narrative. Readers new to Segura will also enjoy this book without the context of its predecessor. VERDICT This entertaining sequel vividly depicts the IP-obsessed contemporary comic book world and its threats to comic artists, such as being replaced by artificial intelligence. It's a compelling setting for Segura's richly complicated characters, who make up for some clunkiness and contrivance in the plotting.—Jon Jeffryes
