Miami Midnight (Pete Fernandez) by Alex Segura

I remember when Pete Fernandez was just a nosy reporter. During the course of this series he's turned into a hardnosed private eye who can disarms his enemies with a few quick moves like he's Elvis Cole or something. Considering the huge amount of misery and death he's been facing that doesn't come as too big a surprise. Just as it's almost natural that this one ends the series. There's only so far you can take a character through the wringer. And there's only so much backstory you can expand on.
Pete is hired by an aging mobster to track down the killer of his son and his missing daughter in law. That's just a catalyst though for a complex story that digs deep into the death of Pete's mother, has his old enemy Silent Death return and uncovers mysteries that go back to almost every other book in this series.
Also, Pete's complicated relationships with Kathy, the Gina to his Patrick (if you don't get the Dennis Lehane reference, buy Gone Baby Gone or watch the movie) moves in surprising ways. Those scenes are written with such a moving voice you understand Alex cares about his characters.
An engaging and complex read. I think this one is going to nab some awards.

Blackout (Pete Fernandez) by Alex Segura

Now sober, Pete Fernandez the reporter-turned-private eye is back to investigate a cold case from his own past. A girl he had a crush on in college was murdered before it could go anywhere. When new evidence in that case turns up Pete is compelled to investigate of course. He travels from NYC back to Miami where he meets his old partner and former lover Kathryn as well as his FBI agent friend.
The investigation leads him to a dangerous cult and what seems to be a political assassination.
The stakes are higher than ever and the last few chapters are very, very cinematic and exciting. But that last chapter... That last chapter will have you leaving full of surprise for sure...
With every novel Alex seems to become more ambitious and the story more multi-layered, luckily without losing some of the good more pulpy elements of the genre like a wisecrack or two and some good fight scenes. I love how the relationship between Pete and Kathryn evolves, as always reminding me of McKenzie / Gennaro from the Dennis Lehane books. I was sad to see that series end. If you were too, this will be the series for you.

Shallow Grave (Pete Fernandez / Jackson Donne) by Alex Segura and Dave White

I used to love those special times characters like Superman and Spider-Man teamed up. Two great heroes from two creators, together. Showing their differences and what they had in common. So of course I was excited about this crossover between two other beloved characters, Alex Segura's Peter Fernandez and Dave White's Jackson Donne. Both writers love their comic books, so I was sure they would do a good job.
Fernandez is hired to find a missing person. During that investigation he asks Donne for help, as he was the PI who was hired before for the job. The catch here is that Donne is in prison but he still manages to do some more hands-on work than you'd think.
Extra cool points go to the fact the missing person is a musician. As an amateur rock journalist I love the music scene so with the added crossover thing this was the sort of read I love. Add to that it's a novella which form I absolutely adore as well this is a personal favorite.

Dangerous Ends (Pete Hernandez) by Alex Segura

Pete Hernandez is back! Now sober and with a life more or less back together things seem to be looking up for the reporter-turned-PI. When his friend Kathy is asked to write a book about a murder case where the cop was imprisoned for the killing of his wife he is hired to help. The cop and his daughter say he is innocent and they hope Pete and Kathy can prove it.
Soon things get very dangerous as both Pete and Kathy's lives are endangered frequently. Even their ex-FBI agent friend Harras and ex-criminal Dave can't protect them fully.
Every Hernandez novel seems to shake up the status quo of the character and while this one starts out as a pretty standard mystery novel soon Pete get personally involved, especially when we find out there might be a link with the murder case and the death of his grandfather.
Lively characters, clear prose, a good mystery and a satisfying amount of action make this one another winner and the last chapter made me very eager to read the next one in the series.
The first two novels reminded me of George Pelecanos but this one and the Pete-Kathy duo reminds me of the McKenzie - Genarro series by Dennis Lehane. So, if you like those authors, be sure to pick up this one.

Down The Darkest Street (Pete Fernandez) by Alex Segura

I commented before the first book by Alex Segura reminded me a lot of early George Pelecanos. With this book he finds his own voice and style. It is easy to read, engaging and well-paced.
Pete Fernandez struggles with an alcohol addiction and his ex-wife after the first novel. Now he tries to find purpose by trying to find a missing girl. He ends up involved with the FBI's hunt for a serial killer.
I don't like serial killer books much, but if done well it can work in a PI novel. I tried it myself in GUILT even. Alex manages the trick, even though he uses some of the tropes (switching to serial killer POV, then to victim POV, the FBI involvement) that I have grown tired of.
What makes this book work is the fact Pete Fernandez is such a complex character, a real anti-hero and the excellent prose.
I just loved reading the book, couldn't put it away... That is just the most important praise I can think of really. That's what a good book should be about. I wanted to know how Fernandez manages to overcome his struggle against depression, his feelings for his wife... I felt involved.
I think the story would make a pretty good movie as well, that's what makes it unique as a PI book I guess. The PI story is interwoven so well with the more commercial serial killer story it will be a treat to the larger audience as well as the fans of true hardboiled fiction.
I was lucky enough to get the review copy, you will have to wait until April but can pre-order the book here.

The Black Hood # 1 (Black Hood) by Duane Swierczynski

Me, reviewing a comic on this blog? Yep! Why? Well writer Duane has been writing some awesome crime fiction and I am a fan of  Alex Segura's work who is the brain behind the whole Dark Circle line this comic is a part of, so why not. And this Black Hood guy is one hardboiled guy...
Philly cop Greg Hettinger is shot in the face as he takes down a vigilante killer. That makes him a hero, but also a scarred and disfigured man who plunges deeper and deeper into depression. In the end he pulls on the hood of The Black Hood which ends this origin issue.
The story of Hettinger is told at a brisk space and could have been a novel by Duane by itself. The dark, gritty art perfectly enhances the story and has me wanting more.

Favorite Sons of 2014

Every year I tell you all what my favorite PI reads of the year were...
Well, here are my favorites again...

BEST PI NOVEL: Wolverine Bros Freight & Storage (Conway Sax) by Steve Ulfelder
BEST DEBUT: Silent City (Pete Fernandez) by Alex Segura
BEST NEW PI: Gypsy Moran (in Wink of an Eye) by Lynn Chandler Willis
BEST ACTION SCENES: Jianghu (Randall Lee) by Charles Colyott


I also want to thank Keith Dixon and Sean Dexter for helping me bring out my own stuff again.

Q & A with Alex Segura

Alex Segura came out with a wonderul debut novel, Silent City featuring Pete Fernandez, which reminded me strongly of early George Pelecanos... Now that sounded like someone I would need to inteview...

Q: What makes Pete Fernandez different from other hardboiled characters?  
That's a great question. I think the big difference is where Pete is at in his evolution. He's not really defined as a detective or hero when you meet him in SILENT CITY. He's aimless - drinking himself to death, feeling sorry for himself and hating his job. All things I think everyone's felt at one point, to some degree. I do think there are some familiar hardboiled elements to him, like the drinking. But I really wanted to show what would happen when a "normal" person was thrust into a dangerous situation. How would he respond? Would he survive?

Q: How did you come up with the character?  
I wish I could say I woke up and he was in my head, fully-formed, but that wasn't the case. Pete grew out of a lot of other, non-crime stories I was writing that will hopefully never see the light of day. I wanted to have a protagonist from my hometown, Miami, who was Cuban-American and still relatively young. That idea was formed pretty early. But after I shelved those early writing attempts, including a few short stories and parts of a novel, the idea for Pete was also shelved. When I realized I wanted to take a stab at writing crime fiction, my first attempts were more epic in scale - family sagas spanning the entire history of time. But that, too, went away and I was left with a desire to tell a quick, engaging and "Miami" crime story that also spoke to the state of journalism, the city and its people. So, that's when proto-Pete and crime fiction met and that eventually became SILENT CITY.

Q: What are your thoughts on the whole eBook revolution? 
I'm fine with anything that gets people reading and widens the audience for authors and their work. I love a printed book as much as the next guy, but I also see the value of an ereader and understand why some people swear by them. I own one and use it pretty frequently. That being said, very little tops the thrill of coming home with a bag full of new books!

Q: What's next for you and Pete? 
Next up is the second Pete Fernandez book, DOWN THE DARKEST STREET, which I hope will be out relatively soon. It's - believe it or not - a much darker story, and shows what I hope is a natural evolution for Pete, considering where we left him.

Q: What do you do when you're not writing?
Well, I have a day job in publicity which takes up a lot of time, but is very fulfilling and fun - I head up the PR department at Archie Comics and edit some of their upcoming superhero titles. I also play in a band, Faulkner Detectives. We've been a little dormant of late - we had a lineup change and lots of life stuff happening, but we're kicking things up this year and should be playing some shows in the NY area soon. I spend time with my wonderful wife and our friends and family, read a lot, try to stay fit, watch some TV and movies as time permits.

 Q: How do you promote your work?   
I think platform is important. I try to message news out via my channels, like Twitter, my website, Facebook, etc. I take opportunities - like this one! - when presented to me and when they make sense. I try to also engage in a way that isn't just about me. I like Twitter because I can talk to people about what I'm reading, listening to or experiencing. I like Facebook because it keeps me connected with people I know. If, in the process of that, I can sneak in a mention or two about my work, that's great. But I think people get turned off by too much of that, so I try to be fairly judicious about it. My publisher, Codorus Press, has been really great about getting the word out on the book, too - it's gotten some wonderful review attention considering it's coming out from a small publisher.

Q: What other genres besides crime do you like?  
I love sci-fi. In fact, I'm co-writing a short story with my good friend Justin Aclin for an upcoming anthology titled APOLLO'S DAUGHTERS, which should be a lot of fun. It'll hopefully lead into more set in that universe. I'm a bit of a Star Trek nerd and I love comics and graphic novels, not surprisingly. I've written a few, too - including ARCHIE MEETS KISS and "Occupy Riverdale," to name a few.

Silent City (Pete Fernandez) by Alex Segura

The new George Pelecanos is here...
Alex Segura is a guy who keeps himself busy: he writes comics (Kiss Meets Archie), plays in a rock band AND writes some awesome crime fiction.
I was really impressed with this debut. The pop culture references, the way protagonist Pete Fernandez drinks a lot and can be somewhat of a slacker, the whole vibe and style reminded me of George Pelecanos books in the Nick Stefanos series. What more of a recommendation do you need really?
Anyway, the story is about a reporter in Miami (and son of a cop) who gets involved in the search for an ominous killer named The Silent Death. He endangers his job, his friends and his health during that search. It's a really classic hero's journey in a noir setting.
Pete is such a real character. I felt for him, but couldn't always thinks of him as a nice guy. He's a good investigator and can handle himself in a fight, but Mike Hammer or Spenser he's not, which was refreshing.
I am very happy to say there will be another one in this series coming up soon.