Alex Segura, award–winning author of Secret Identity, returns with a clever and escapist standalone sequel 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. Alex Segura is the bestselling and award-winning author of Secret Identity, winner of the Los Angeles Times Book Prize for Mystery/Thriller and a New York Times Editor's Choice and an NPR Best Mystery of the Year. He's also the author of the Pete Fernandez series, as well as the Star Wars novel, Poe Dameron: Free Fall, and a Spider-Verse adventure called Araña/Spider-Man 2099: Dark Tomorrow. He lives in New York City with his family.
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 th
