Kate’s Review: “Alter Ego”

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Book: “Alter Ego” by Alex Segura

Publishing Info: Flatiron Books, December 2024

Where Did I Get This Book: I received an ARC at ALAAC24.

Where You Can Get This Book: WorldCat.org | Amazon | Indiebound

Book Description: Alex Segura, LA Times Book Prize–winning author of Secret Identity, returns with a clever and escapist mystery set in the world of comic books. In the present day, a comics legend is given the chance to revive a beloved but forgotten character. But at what price?

Annie Bustamante is a cultural force like none other: an acclaimed filmmaker, an author, a comic book artist known for one of the all time best superhero comics in recent memory. But she’s never been able to tackle her longtime favorite superhero, the Lethal Lynx. Only known to the most die-hard comics fans and long out of print, the rights were never available―until now.

But Annie is skeptical of who is making the offer: Bert Carlyle’s father started Triumph Comics, and has long claimed ownership of the Lynx. When she starts getting anonymous messages urging her not to trust anyone, Annie’s inner alarms go off. Even worse? Carlyle wants to pair her with a disgraced filmmaker for a desperate media play.

Annie, who has been called a genius, a sell-out, a visionary, a hack, and everything else under the sun, is sick of the money grab. For the first time since she started reading a tattered copy of The Legendary Lynx #1 as a kid, she feels a pure, creative spark. The chance to tell a story her way. She’s not about to let that go. Even if it means uncovering the dark truth about the character she loves.

Sharply written, deftly plotted, and with a palpable affection for all kinds of storytelling, Alter Ego is a one-of-a-kind reading experience.

Review: Thank you to Flatiron Books for providing me with an ARC of this novel at ALAAC24!

I will admit that when I saw that Alex Segura had written a sequel to his thriller “Secret Identity”, I was a little shocked. Not because I thought that “Secret Identity” was bad! In reality I really liked that novel, but I thought that it had been wrapped up really well, and that the story of Carmen Valdez and her comic hero The Legendary Lynx was finished. When I saw “Alter Ego” at ALAAC24, clearly I had to pick it up, even if I wasn’t sure where it could go. But I was more than happy to find out!

Note: The ARC I had doesn’t have the comic book excerpts included, as I imagine they were still in process when it was printed. So I can’t speak to that aspect of the story. That being said, I remember this device being used very well in “Secret Identity” and imagine it will be the same here. I intend to check out a finished copy ASAP!

As I said, I was way off the mark when I thought that there wasn’t much more to get from the Legendary Lynx’s story, as “Alter Ego” goes in a new, present day direction, and still finds suspense, passion, and a tantalizing mystery and story about being a woman in comics. This time it’s the story of Annie Bustamante, a comics writer, filmmaker, and author, who has been approached to reboot the Legendary Lynx by Triumph Comics and its CEO Bert Carlyle. Given that Annie loves the Lynx and has ever since she was a child, she is intrigued, but skeptical, in part because of the way Triumph wants her to team up with a controversial film director to execute the vision, but also because Bert seems… cagey. And because she’s getting messages of warning about a hidden truth about the Lynx and the danger she may be in. Segura does a great move in this book, as he picks it up a bit where he left “Secret Identity”… and then completely turns it on its head, leaving the Lynx’s still a mystery, and Annie the one to pick up the mantle of figuring it out. I loved how we got new clues, new revelations, and new moments of intrigue, while still harkening back to “Secret Identity” and the various characters within its pages, from Carmen Valdez to her illustrator to others, some of whom have a less than happy fate (no spoilers though). The mystery about the messages, how the Lynx’s true creator has still been hidden, and what it’s going to take to finally reveal the truth, and the dangers associated with it, are taut and well paced.

But what I liked the most about this book was our protagonist Annie Bustamante. Annie is driven, to the point, passionate, and a little cynical, and we are given such a rich backstory and character arc that it all falls into place very easily. She has dealt with a lot of hardship and loss, but has a resilience that makes it very believable for her to want to not only give justice to the Legendary Lynx, a character she has loved for most of her life, but that she would continue to pursue the truth about her origins even in the face of some pretty serious danger, conspiracy, and adversity. She is scrappy as hell and the perfect amateur detective, with a chip on her shoulder and a little bit of baggage to boot. And I loved that she is also a devoted and loving mom to her teenage daughter Margot, who never comes off as too precocious or unbelievable. As a Mom to a daughter who is my only child, stories like these always hit a little harder now, and I really appreciated the healthy relationship they had. Everything about Annie really worked for me, she’s one of the best thriller protagonists I’ve seen in a novel in awhile.

I am so glad that Alex Segura decided to do another book in the Legendary Lynx story, as “Alter Ego” really brings more complexity and depth to the story as a whole. If you liked “Secret Identity”, the follow up is definitely something to seek out.

Rating 8: A solid follow up with a really endearing main character and a well done mystery, “Alter Ego” continues the story of the women who pay homage to a long forgotten comics icon.

Reader’s Advisory:

“Alter Ego” is included on the Goodreads list “2024 Mystery Thrillers Crime To Be Excited For”.