Review | Blackout | Alex Segura
Thank you to TLC Book Tours and the Publisher for my free copy!
Blackout | Alex Segura
Publication Date: May 8, 2018
Publisher: Polis Books
Page Count: 320
Synopsis: From the publisher-
In Blackout, the latest novel in Alex Segura’s acclaimed Pete Fernandez Mystery series, startling new evidence in a cold case that's haunted Pete drags the exiled PI back to his hometown of Miami. But as Pete and his partner Kathy Bentley delve deeper into the unsolved murder, they become entangled in Miami’s obsession with a charismatic and dangerous cult leader and his even more menacing followers. At the same time, the detectives find themselves at odds with a Florida politician’s fixation on wealth, fame and power. It all converges in the heart of the Magic City and Pete is left scrambling to pick up the pieces—or die trying.
The Pete Fernandez novels have always run on two tracks – the long-buried Miami mystery that Pete is forced to solve, and Pete’s often unpredictable evolution from self-destructive alcoholic to somewhat functional private eye. In Blackout, those two tracks blend into one dark, personal and deadly tale of dangerous obsession that will leave Pete Fernandez completely changed. It’s all been building to this.
Opening Sentence: "She was always running."
My Thoughts: I won't lie- I probably wouldn't have agreed to review this had I noticed that it was book 4 in a series! I'm a completest and like to read things in order, but since that wasn't an option I soldiered on- and I'm glad I did! What originally drew me in was that this centers on a cult leader. There is something so absolutely terrifying about a cult to me- that large groups of people get brainwashed into doing things they wouldn't normally do if not for the leader in charge is fascinating. Pete is a private investigator who is called back to his hometown of Miami in connection with a cold case from his past. This is an action packed page turner that will suck you in right away. Fans of the previous Pete Fernandez books will appreciate that you get insight into his younger days, but those who are new to this series, like myself, will want to go back and read the first 3 books. What events took place that led him to become a (mostly) functioning recovering alcoholic reporter turned private investigator? I really like books like these- ones where even if the lead starts off as a cliché, the more you read on and understand his motivation, the more connected you become. That’s not to say the plot didn’t grab me- once I got going, I was hooked. There were a couple of different mysteries going on at the same time. A missing politician’s black sheep son, cult leader, and missing person weave into this very dark story. This was a very well written crime fiction novel along the lines of Lee Child’s Jack Reacher series and JD Barker’s The Fourth Monkey.
Rating: 4/5
Just in case- here are links to Books 1-3 in the series! Silent City | Down the Darkest Street | Dangerous Ends
Read Alike: The Fourth Monkey, Killing Floor
Purchase Links: Indie Bound | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
Author Links: Find out more about Alex at his website, and connect with him on Facebook and Twitter.
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