Predictable; thin characterization. If you're a Melzer fan BECAUSE of his typical plot and characterization then you will like this. This is my fourth, possibly last, of his....but never say never. Possible i wasn't in the mood for it.
Easy, mindless read for a cold weekend.
I received an ARC in exchange for a honest review.

New York Times best-selling author Brad Meltzer returns with his latest thriller that easily contains everything one would expect from the author, and from the genre. Like any disaster movie from the 70s, The Escape Artist is heavy-handed for the first full half of the book. Packed with character development (A divorced military mortician with a conveniently-short nickname! A hotshot, always-in-control artist with trust issues on the move! Dastardly-evil killers on the prowl!), situational set-ups (Flashbacks to the past that are haunting and relevant! Escape from Alaska! Dover Air Force Base, because, Delaware, man!), and of course, a hefty heaping of people sticking their noses into business they should leave well alone. But seriously, without these tropes, where would the fun be?

The Escape Artist is a fun, escapist (ahem) read, once the action finally kicks in during the second half of the book. Betrayals, twists, and revelations a plenty that are satisfying and, in a few instances, actually surprising. Having the lead, Jim “Zig” Zigarowski, as a military mortician is a unique archetype, as is Nola Brown, the Army’s artist-in-residence. Meltzer makes great use of the setting, bringing realism and an authentic look at the procedures for an Air Force base dealing with care for the fallen.

Whereas his angle of incorporating Harry Houdini and his devices in with the US Government is as close to the standard conspiracy-theory-Meltzer as this book gets, that is the one plot element that deserved more attention instead of focusing on the standard cat-and-mouse chases involving Zig and Nola and their nefarious assailants. After all, this is The Escape Artist, not The Mortician. A deeper sense of legerdemain would have been most appreciated. The true escape artist here is Brad Meltzer himself, who pulls back the curtain on a fun, albeit standard, genre thriller.

Thanks to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for the advance sleight-of-hand read.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Grand Central Publishing, and Brad Meltzer for the opportunity to read and review his latest thriller - I loved it!

I've been a huge fan of Brad Meltzer for decades and his latest work is another great one. As in all his books, it is meticulously researched and you learn so much - this time is was about the government mortuary department. I'm in awe of the care they take of the fallen soldiers' remains and am grateful for all of those morticians who "have heart."

Jim "Zig" Zwicharowski is one of those morticians working at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware. He is struggling with his own grief issues after the loss of his doctor. When there is a plane crash in Alaska that draws the attention of everyone from the President down, he realizes that one of the dead is identified as Nola Brown, a classmate of his daughter's. Or is it? There begins the mystery to try and uncover all the secrets about this plane crash and its passengers as well as the tie to Harry Houdini himself.

A great thriller that I couldn't put down. Another winner by Meltzer - pick this one up today!

An amazing read by one of my favorite authors. Brad Metzler is masterful in drawing you in to his reality. This story begins with a bang and pulls you in to the web of intrigue he creates. The plot lines, the sub plots all well done. Nora ... or is it Nora? Begins the story and weaves the characters all together. There is mystery, there is grief, there is intrigue. This read is the whole package. It could be a non-fiction if true... who knows, could be true. FBI, Dover Air Force Base, the Head of the Library of Congress, the President... all in this book. I’m not going to give away any of the plot lines... I’ll just invite you to read the book. Totally worth the journey.

I found The Escape Artist this be unsatisfying. The story seemed contrived and unrealistic. The plot twists were not believable and the big reveal at the end stretched credibility. Furthermore, the frequent historical switchbacks to the childhood of one of the main characters were distracting.

Who is Nola Brown and why is she supposed to be dead? Throughout this book, readers will be left stunned and salivating for answers for these two questions in addition to many, many more!

When a plane falls from the sky with seven passengers, one of them very important to the President of the United States, all of the bodies are sent to Jim “Zig” Zigarowski at Dover Air Force Base. However, one body causes a problem or him. The ID tag says she is Nola Brown but Zig can’t believe that is true. He hasn’t seen Nola in years but will never forget the night she saved his daughter at a campfire. That same night, she got a scar on her ear that would be unmistakable, the body in the morgue has no such scar. Zig feels he owes Nola a debt and is now on a mission to find out what happened and why her death is being faked. Nola works for the army as their artist-in-residence, a painter who goes into battle and shares a different point of view of what has happened than most. On her last mission, she witnessed something nobody was supposed to see that set in motion a course of events leading to the plane crash and her running for her life. Nola doesn’t know if she can trust Zig but she is running out of options and time. Together they will work to unearth the mysteries dating back to Harry Houdini and a mystery bigger than they could have ever imagined.

This book had a lot going on, between the military aspect to the story, the magic and Harry Houdini references and the actual mystery itself, so readers are going to need to pay close attention to all that is going on. I liked the way Meltzer made the characters memorable, Nola was a unique character in not only her attitude and mannerisms but also the physical features that set her aside making Zig know she wasn’t on that plane. There were a few points throughout the book when it was hard to believe the characters could do what they did without any others becoming suspicious or asking questions, but if you can look past that is still makes for a very enjoyable read. All questions were not tied up until the very last page keeping the reader engaged until the very end. In order to tell the whole story, Meltzer has to give Nola’s backstory in flashbacks. These can sometimes take the reader out of the story because it can stop the progression of what is happening in the present time and the back and forth can leave readers scratching their heads. I understand the need for this and think overall it was done fairly well but would have liked a little less flashbacks and a little more time spent in present tense, especially towards the end. I recommend this book to readers that like a thriller that will leave them thinking,, but not too hard because if they do the realism of the story will seem a little unbelievable.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. The views and opinions expressed within are my own.

“The big move covers the small one"

Jim “Zig” Zigarowski is a gifted mortician at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware. Military deaths and some of the larger civilian death tolls go through the mortuary there. Zig is a master at putting broken bodies back together, preparing them for viewing by their families and friends.

So when a plane crashes in Alaska with a personal friend of the President of the United States aboard, the remains go to Dover.

But when Zig finds that a woman he knew years ago as a teenager was also on the flight, he breaks protocol to do the restoration work on her. As he starts his work on her, questions start arising and he finds himself involved in a massive cover-up.

I loved this book. The characters were great and I enjoyed learning about Dover AFB and the valuable services they provide to our nation. I also learned about the Artist-in-Residence and was enthralled reading about this military position, which I'd never heard of before.

This was a fast moving thriller and it contained more than one surprise to me.

I received this book from Grand Central Publishing through Net Galley in the hopes that I would read it and leave an unbiased review.

Brad Metzer's latest novel, The Escape Artist, is due out on March 6, 2018. My thanks to NetGalley and to Grand Central Publishing, for the pre-publication copy. As usual with Metzer's books, The Escape Artist is full of mystery and intrigue that kept me guessing almost until the very end.

A plane has just left a secret military base in Alaska, and crashes seconds after take-off. There were no survivors, or were there? One of the passengers, Nola Brown's body is found near the site of the crash. She is believed to be dead. Her superiors confirm it.

Jim Zigarowski ("Zig") is a mortician skilled in rebuilding the faces of fallen soldiers whose families, otherwise, would not be able to have an open casket at their loved ones' funerals. Zig knew Nola when she was a child, and knew that the top of her left ear was missing from a childhood accident in which Nola saved his daughter. He sees immediately that the body was not Nola's.

Nola is the artist-in-residence for the U.S. Army, and is and trained soldier who rushes to battle sites, painting scenes of war's aftermath, and sharing observations about war that would otherwise go unnoticed. On the trip to Alaska, she witnesses illegal cash transactions, which puts her life in jeopardy.

When the body of the mystery woman is stolen, Zig looks up Nola, and together, they risk their lives to expose the crime, and to learn who is behind it. In the process, they learn of a centuries-old tradition in the government that began with the donations of the books and papers from the world's greatest escape artist, and exposer of scams: Harry Houdini.

There were several things of interest to me were included in the narrative:

-- many local hacking conventions are organized or backed by our government to (1) find good prospects for national intelligence and, (2) identify potential criminal hackers;
-- the flag-draped caskets in which our fallen heroes are returned to the U.S. are actually containers called "transfer cases' filled with ice to preserve the bodies, and weigh approximately 400 pounds;
-- bodies do not reach the military morticians until identity has been confirmed by DNA, fingerprints, and dental records;
-- if a family adopts a child, then tries to return the child to the adoption agency, that family is labeled unfit, and is required to pay child support to the state until the child is 18;
-- Harry Houdini left his books and papers to the Library of Congress;
-- John Elbert Wilke, a friend of Houdini, was once in charge of the U.S. Secret Service.

Meltzer's accessible writing lets the reader focus on just the story, and it's a great one.

Zig, the main protagonist this (new series?) title, is a sympathetic and authoritative figure who drives the action. His actions are integrally involved with Nola Brown (who may be the main character in future books), who has been compared to Lisbeth Salander for her damaged but fierce nature.

This is a fun, engaging read, one you'll look forward to sitting down with. Look for it, out March 6.

*3.5 stars rounded up.

I was surprised to realize I've never read any books by Brad Meltzer before and found I quite enjoyed this taste. The main character here is Jim "Zig" Zigarowski, a divorced mortician at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware. A small plane carrying military personnel and government officials has crashed in Alaska killing all seven aboard and the victims are brought to Dover for their burial preparations. Zig realizes he knows one of the dead, Sgt. 1st Class Nola Brown, and makes sure he will be the one to handle her care. He is an expert at honoring the dead and making them presentable for their loved ones.

How could Zig ever forget Nola? She went to school with his daughter Maggie and had saved her from an accident. In doing so, Nola received a disfiguring wound to her ear. Zig still feels he owes the young woman for that and wants to do right by her now in death but he soon notes this corpse does not have such a wound. Who is this young woman? In her stomach contents, he finds a note that reads: "Nola, you were right. Keep running." Can Zig find Nola to pass on the warning, perhaps help her before it is too late?

And so begins a taut thriller with many a gasp from surprising twists. Zig soon learns that there is something going on behind the scenes with many tie-ins to the great magician Houdini. The head of the Library of Congress was onboard that plane and the library has all of Houdini's memorabilia. Is there some kind of covert operation going on?

I enjoyed this action-packed thriller quite a bit, although I found some aspects of the story repetitious and overly maudlin...but the reasons for that are revealed towards the end of the story. Nola's backstory is told in flashbacks; she had a disturbing childhood which shaped the capable but violent woman she is in the present.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and publisher for providing me with an arc of this new thriller, a great introduction to Brad's writing.

If you like Brad Meltzer’s Culper Ring Series, you will definitely enjoy The Escape Artist.

Mostly set at Dover Air Force Base where the military manages the final duty to all who have died in service to their country, we see the world through the eyes of mortician Jim “Zig” Zigarowski, whose imperfection as a hero remind me of Meltzer’s character Beecher White.

When he begins working on a young soldier, Nola Brown, who died in a plane crash in Alaska, he knows something is afoot, because the woman on his table is not Nola Brown, who he knew briefly during her childhood.

With secret government projects, conspiracies, politics, twists, and turns, The Escape Artist gives nod to the way magicians – ala Houdini – inspire keeping more secrets to protect – and maybe hurt – National security. Filled with a slew of great characters, most, but not all of the characters are likeable. And honestly? That works for this book because life is like that – you don’t like everyone now, do you?

The Escape Artist is a page turning thriller that frankly had me staying up past midnight to figure out who was behind the plane crash in Alaska and how the story would be resolved.

Four solid stars for this latest thriller from Meltzer.

Thanks to NetGalley, Meltzer, and Grand Central Publishing for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

I have read books by Brad Meltzer previously and know that he will once again deliver a thrilling and mysterious story. And I was right. I was also delighted that the story included a Harry Houdini angle!

FULL REVIEW TO BE POSTED ON PUB.DATE!

I liked this book. The story, of a military mortician and a military artist has a few instances where coincidences were a little forced, but it was very readable and I liked both main characters. Neither had supernatural-like skills that required me to suspend belief in reality. The plot was good, meaning I didn’t figure out the whole thing, just enough to make me feel smart but not enough to make me lose interest.

The Escape Artist
By Brad Meltzer
• Print Length: 592 pages
• Publication Date: March 6, 2018

“The Escape Artist” is the story of a woman believed killed in a military transport plane crash that was carrying the President of the USA’s best friend. As Nola Brown’s body was found beyond the plane crash.. and it was obvious that she had jumped prior to the plane crashing.. her body is taken to Dover Air Force Base. The base where many of the killed in action military folks are put back together in a special morgue.

One of the main morticians, Ziggy.. owes a huge debt to Nola Brown as she saved his daughter many years prior. But, the thing is.. the body is not Nola. “The Escape Artist” is a fantastic conspiracy. You know it’s going to get good when the President of the USA assists with carrying one of the bodies off of the plane. His best friend, was on board the fateful plane that crashed a few minutes after take off from a “hidden base” in Alaska.

I highly recommend “The Escape Artist” for readers who LOVE a well spun conspiracy that keeps you guessing to the very end. The characters are so easy to love.. and hate! Mix in Harry Houdini and special project that dates back to Abraham Lincoln.. and you know you have a story that is going to knock your socks off!! I was not expecting the ending. Not at all. And, that’s HARD to do these days! This was my first experience with the author, Brad Meltzer. He’s a durn good writer! I may have to spend a weekend or two doing some binge reading now!!

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Separate review for Goodreads.

Oh wow!! I'd never read Brad Meltzer's books before.. but, as the book came highly recommended from a friend.. I thought I'd give it a shot! Dayum! Meltzer really knows how to keep up a high octane thriller! The story had me hooked from the beginning to the end. I really enjoyed learning all of the history of Dover AFB and the great work they do there for our lost heroes.

I totally enjoyed reading the story! The characters, Nola and Ziggy capture your heart right away. It's difficult to figure out who is the bad guy and who is the good guy. As all of the characters harbor a little bit of both! A story that folks will enjoy reading! It would make a great movie too!

I will be on the look out for more of Meltzer's books now. So, clearing some space now.. It's time for some binge reading! hehe

One of those books that keeps you guessing right up until the end, when you tell yourself "I should have seen that coming." But you won't.

Brad Meltzer loads up the story with distinct and interesting characters and keeps up a magician's patter of interesting facts to distract you as he spins a complex tale. It's a mystery wrapped in a thriller wrapped in tragedy. And it works.

A wonderful new set of characters brought to us by Brad Meltzer. This book held me in it's grip and hasn't let me go, even days after I've finished reading it. I suggest you read this one - you'll fall in love with Nola and Zig!

As with most good thrillers The Escape Artist starts strong. Then, on page 17, six words absolutely end any chance you have of putting this book down, even for a little while.

A military plane crashes in Alaska. Sgt. 1st Class Nola Brown’s body is sent to Dover Air Force Base for identification and burial preparation. Jim Zigarowski, “Zig,” is a mortician at Dover and someone who knew Nola Brown. Zig’s examination discovers the body is not Nola Brown. And so, the adventure begins as Zig is determined to find out what happened to Nola and is she safe.

Seven individuals died in the crash including Nelson Rookstool, Librarian of Congress and friend of the U. S. President, accompanied by three Library of Congress staff members, Rose Mackenberg, Clifford Eddy Jr. and Amedeo Vacca all of whom had been employees of the ultimate escape artist, Harry Houdini, over a hundred years earlier.

The complexity of this story line unfolds as Zig searches for Nola Brown. Sorting out the relationship between the two primary characters, Nola and Zig, interjects a certain amount of tension as they try to deal with the emotions that surface. As Nola and Zig join forces they begin to uncover information about an important classified operation tied to major historical escape artists like Houdini and Horatio. Ultimately, how all this relates to Nola and Zig is totally unexpected.

Meltzer is a master of suspense. While I was hooked on page 17, I found that his pacing was impeccable and kept me tied to the printed page until I finished. Meltzer’s balance between dialogue and narration is impressive. The richness in the details and building of this story is inspired and unforgettable. The resolution quite surprising.

(3 1/2). I have been a Meltzer fan from the get go. I am glad to see him return to a more standard thrille/mystery from the almost historical fiction style he has been in for a while. This is a good old fashioned romp. A couple of good lead characters, a fun supporting cast and the commsurate number of twists and turns to keep you spinning properly. A little hokey at times (hence marking down to 3 stars) but certainly a fun read.

I have only read 1 other Meltzer book and I guessed I have been missing out. This was a really good, well written story. Fun and I had a hard time putting it down.