Alter Ego tells the story of Annie Bustamante. She has worked on some of her favorite characters over the years, but now she gets to work on her most important character, the Lethal Lynx.
Alter Ego follows along with Alex Segura’s previous book, Secret Identity, which sets the stage for this one.
This is a finely crafted mystery. Every character stood out as unique. The setting (the backdrop of the comics industry) was a fun look at names and characters both real and imagined.
I liked the inclusion of comic panels from the Lethal Lynx book. Those were nice touches.

You don’t have to be a fan of comic books to enjoy this book, but it helps.

Anne Bustamante has been laying low since her last project was shelved, the mighty have fallen quickly after being Oscar nominated. She and her daughter are enjoying a quiet life when she gets the chance to come back and direct a movie about her favorite superhero, the Lynx. A heroine with a Cuban woman co-creator, she has always been close to this story. And the defunct triumph comics apparently still owns the IP.

I always think it’s weird, character ownership and dispute and selling IP. This book is about the movie industry; with a little comic lore and murder mystery thrown in. The ultimate bad guy reveal was a bit of a letdown; there is really only one person it could ever have been. I really loved the villain Mindbender, who makes you believe things that aren’t true. What a throw back name. He’s like a gaslighter.

This book is no stretch for any woman who has ever had a man take credit for her ideas.

Thanks to @netgalley and @flatiron_books for the ARC. Book to be released Dec 3, 2024.

#netgalley #bookreviews #booksbooksbooks #bookstagram #booktok #alterego

This one was hard for me to get into. I don’t think it was bad so much as just wasn’t my cup of tea. I still would like to announce its publication date but probably won’t post a review publicly.

THE COOLEST! Alex Segura is the author Secret Identity and has written anew standalone sequel set in the world of comic books.

Annie Bustamante is a writer, a comic book artist and she has fought tooth and nail to blaze a reputation in a group of fans that can sometimes skew misogynistic. Through a series of flashbacks, we learn that Lethal Lynx (shown in great comic form at the start of chapters), has been her obsession and inspiration. When she is approached with the opportunity to help recreate that little known but powerful icon she wants to jump right in. There is a bit of mystery, however, as to who is covering the paycheck and why.

Follow Annie as she forges ahead to face fears and misgivings and find out what the real story is with Lethal Lynx! A steller thriller, valentines to comic book writing and an altogether exciting character study!
#flatironbooks #alexsegura #alterego

I usually don't read books like this, but this one sounded unique. It is okay and has some amazing parts, but I am not the right audience for it. I also think there is a book before this one in a series.

Alex Segura takes us on a thrilling journey filled with twists and turns in Alter Ego, a nearly perfect sequel to his hit Los Angeles Times Book Prize novel, Secret Identity, that I simply could not put down.

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.

Secret Identity is a book that fell right in my wheelhouse. A book that crosses from the comic book industry into the world of mystery novel. While I am always interested in more from a book I enjoyed, I was super satisfied with how Secret Identity ended. However, Alex Segura somehow was able to author a followup novel that rivals the first in the series like very few can do. Alter Ego elevates the duology to new heights and explores the comic book world even more in depth.

The addition of Annie Bustamante, a complex and compelling protagonist who is not afraid to challenge the status quo, added depth to the overall narrative. As she navigates the murky waters of the comic book industry, readers are given a glimpse into the inner workings of a world filled with secrets and betrayals. Alter Ego is an examination of the tension between creativity and consumerism while dealing with such topics as creator rights. Segura gives us a duel between the art and intellectual property, and the tug-of-war between legacy and profit. Segura has a keen ability to craft a story that delves into real-life issues comic book creators deal with while adding a layer of fiction, suspense and mystery to the story.

While on the surface Alter Ego is a story about comic creators fighting for something they believe in, Segura masterfully weaves in themes of intergenerational trauma, the complexities of parenthood, and the quest for personal identity. As the story unfolds, we get a gripping novel that reads like a thriller set in the world of comic book creation. A truly innovative and masterfully crafted novel.

Segura's writing ability shines on each and every page, making for a novel we simply did not want to stop reading. The book is written for those die-hard fans of the inner workings of the comic book industry, while also offering an engaging and fast-paced story that any fan of mystery novels can enjoy. You don't need any real comic book industry knowledge to dive into Alter Ego, but knowing a bit more makes the journey that much more fun. Segura have a working knowledge and appreciation for the art form is evident throughout, adding so much more to the story.

Finding a novel that meets all of the items on your checklist can be difficult, but Segura seems to have made it a bit easier for me. Novels such as Secret Identity and Alter Ego allow me to enjoy my passion for comic books while also sinking myself into a great mystery novel.

Alter Ego is truly a work of art filled with suspense, intrigue, family dynamics, and the inner workings of the comic book industry. While I thought the story was tied up with a bow in Secret Identity, I could not be happier to have just finished reading Alter Ego. This novel is a love letter to those who love comics, but can be enjoy by anyone looking for a great mystery novel.

This book ended up being not for me. The blurb held the promise of a tale about a fiction creator connecting with that fiction so much that it was part of her, and that spoke to me. I was also curious to learn a bit more about the comic book industry, and pleasantly surprised by comic book panels included in the text. That said, in the end I found the mystery predictable and exaggerated, the main character engaging in too much of pathos-infused internal monologue and the idea of finding yourself banged on with such frequency and force that it lost all possible depth and meaning. My personal peeve is Annie’s daughter Margot - a pre-teen who is smart and empathetic and just so convenient all of the time that I kept thinking that in a real kid that would likely be a sign of trauma.

As for the story itself, it occurred to me closer to the end of the book that perhaps all those things I found to be simplistic and over the top were meant to be just that - like your classic comic book where the beats are necessarily loud and dramatic, the villains grotesque (I mean, Russian mafia, really?) and the big ideas semaphored across every second page. If so, well-done with transforming a visual medium into text as much as possible - still it was not my cup of tea.

I had no clue this was a follow up, so I definitely need to read that before diving back into this.
That being said, I will. Hopefully sooner rather than later. Thank you Netgalley

***Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC of this book***
When I first came upon this book, I didn’t even realize that it was a sequel/prequel to the author’s previous novel, Secret Identity. I was a little bummed about that at first because I have read a lot of books since that one but I had enough of a grasp of things to remember most of the major players and plot points that are referenced.

This book continues the drama and controversy that surround the fictional comic book character, The Legendary Lynx. It is a fast paced mystery that reads even better if you are a fan of comic books and comic book movies.

I highly recommend both this book and it’s predecessor, Secret Identity.

Love that Alex is getting such a great publication for this book and his previous ones. I love how this one follows the first while being something completely different and of its own.

I was given an ARC of this novel by Flatiron Books and NetGalley. Though you don’t have to read the first book, Secret Identity, to understand this book, you should, as it is also very good. I thoroughly enjoyed this well-written and gripping mystery set in the world of comics. The flashbacks and tales told in different timelines were woven together to make for an enjoyable story. The characters were richly written, and the book was fun from start to finish. I couldn’t put it down!!!

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.

I have to admit to having been lukewarm to Secret Identity, the book this loosely sequels. Like the first book, Alter Ego is a loving tribute to comics, and a clear-eyed condemnation of the industry's worst impulses. Also, like the first book, the mystery itself is perfunctory; twists and thrills are few and far between, the reveal not at all surprising, and the villain pretty cardboard.

Thankfully, then, the mystery is a small piece of the story. It's well written, with a richly delineated protagonist who speaks to Segura's intimate understanding and passion for the medium. And the story hums along -- particularly when it isn't grinding through the motions of a crime novel.

If you liked Secret Identity, I feel like the highs are higher this time around.

Thanks NetGalley for the preview copy.

I enjoyed this book, as I did "Secret Identity." It was a novel way to follow-up on some of the characters that were introduced in "Secret Identity." I felt that the main character was well developed, though not so much for the "villains" of the story. In fact, my main issue with the story, in general, was the motivation of these characters. I kept saying to myself, "would someone really kill over this?" Maybe I don't really understand the world of corporate espionage, or whatever category this would fall into, but my answer to my own question was consistently "probably not."

I loved this book, excellent work with Annie Bustamante, a character does not have to be perfect to be strong. Annie has her ups and downs but she is so strong. I enjoyed every page of this book. Great work Alex Segura!

This premise was so fun, but my experience was definitely impacted by some mistakes in marketing. I think to truly enjoy this book, you need to know it is essentially a sequel to Segura's previous work "Secret Identity." I may have to double check, but I don't recall this being in either the Goodreads of NetGalley descriptions. Without that basis, I went through most of this book wondering "why do we even care?" Where is our narrator getting this information from? How is she making these connections? (I gather that all of this background is stuff we would have learned in Secret Identity, but I had no way of knowing that as a new reader.)

Many of my other complaints from this book just come down to things that will hopefully be fixed in editing. The point of view shifts several times mid-sentence, the pacing feels a bit off, and certain descriptors just need to be cleaned up. The story itself was interesting, but nearly impossible for new readers to get invested in or understand. I would love to see a finished copy with the comic panels and final edits because I think that's a fun format for a book. I also may revisit my public star rating after reading Secret Identity to see if that answers any of my questions.

To be published by Flatiron Books in December, 2024

Alex Segura has found a brilliant way around the problem of sequels. ALTER EGO takes place a generation after the events of his comics-based thriller SECRET IDENTITY. Annie Bustamante is a comics artist, a filmmaker, a mother, and a woman with a turbulent past. Her dream is to work on a revived version of The Legendary Lynx, the comic created by Carmen Valdez in the first novel. Segura even manages to give shout outs to other characters in his oeuvre— investigator Peter Fernandez from his Miami series and The Dusk, the subject of his forthcoming comic series. You don’t need to be a comics nerd to enjoy this fast-paced thriller, but it helps. Names, real and imagined are dropped. Mostly, ALTER EGO is a story about mothers and daughters, about missing fathers, and about the intense world of intellectual property. The novel is illustrated with some sample pages from a Lynx comic, which were unavailable in the NetGalley version.

I'm not very knowledgeable about comics, and I didn't realize this was a sequel until toward the end of the book, so some of the backstory was unclear to me, but nevertheless I found it quite absorbing. A Cuban-American woman from Miami who grew up loving a comics, and in particular one about a woman superhero she really identified with, is contacted about helping a sketchy company with a reboot. Then it all gets complicated, Quite a lot of time is spent on the artist's childhood friendship that fell apart and the quest to find the woman behind the original comic.

My favorite parts being the narrator's voice and her description and her creative approach to the art of comics. The thriller plot was fine, too, and certainly kept me turning the pages, though I kept thinking "all this violence over an intellectual property claim?" But it gets explained in a way that works. At times the recitation of famous artists and publishers was a bit much for me, but readers who are into comics will feel seen.

Alex Segura does it again. This is a worthy successor to Secret Identity. I loved this book; it's one of my favorites for the year. It'll have you staying up all night just to see what happens next.