Sometimes it’s hard to rate a book that is completely out of your norm. I have never been a fan of Superheroes nor comic books. I was delighted to give this book an opportunity though, because of personal growth and ability to relate to many of my children who enjoy mixed media.

This wasn’t an easy read for me and it did take me a few weeks to get through. That is only because of being easily distracted by the “comic” aspects of the book.

I will say that Alex Segura’s overall writing was excellent and the overall plot was intriguing enough to make me want to continue.

I will recommend this one to all comic book fans alike and especially for my own who only want to read comics…this is a perfect way to get them to read an actual book also.

Thank you NetGalley and FlatIron Books for my gifted copy in exchange for my gifted copy.

The collision of worlds can provide rich fodder for storytelling. Not in the literal sense, of course (although plenty of excellent speculative fiction has sprung from just such a scenario), but rather finding new ways to combine contexts in the service of a compelling tale.

Take “Secret Identity,” the new novel from Alex Segura. It’s a mystery with noir elements, only set in the world of comic book publishing in the mid-1970s. It might sound strange, but these oddly shaped pieces have been fit together to form something altogether different, a story both of and beyond its parts.

Fast-paced and quick-witted, it’s a novel that takes full advantage of its disparate elements, finding room for moments seedy and sublime alike as it takes the reader on a twisting and thoughtful ride.

Carmen Valdez has loved comic books since she was a little girl growing up in Miami. She loves them so much that she’s trying to make a career out of them. She works at a small publisher called Triumph Comics, serving as the personal assistant to Jeffrey Carlyle, owner and editor-in-chief. Triumph is a bit player in the business, lacking the cachet of the one-two titans of Marvel and DC. Still, Carmen works hard, always holding in the back of her mind her dream of writing her own comic book.

So when Harvey Stern, a junior editor at Triumph, comes to her with a proposal – a team-up where they would come together to create a new character and the stories to go with it – she leaps at the chance. Her other efforts have been dead-ended, and sure, her name won’t be on the work to begin with, but eventually, she’ll be able to reveal herself.

And so The Lethal Lynx is born, a character built heavily on the foundation that Carmen has been building her entire life. It’s an idea with great potential, to be sure.

When Harvey turns in completed drafts without consulting her, Carmen begins to suspect that she has been tricked. But when someone turns up dead, Carmen finds herself thrust into the shadows in a manner that she could never have predicted – shadows from which no hero, not even The Lethal Lynx, can rescue her.

Throw in some unwanted intrusions from her past and a few new acquaintances with opaque and questionable motivations and you can see just how complicated things are for Carmen. And if she isn’t careful, she’s going to find herself trapped in the middle of it all. Can she stay safe AND realize her dreams? Or is the new state of affairs simply too messy?

I’ll concede that “Secret Identity” was likely always going to click for me because of my deep-seated affinity for comic books in general and that era in particular. That affinity was the main reason I picked up the book in the first place. But while Segura fully embraces the opportunities offered by that setting – we even get some pages of “The Lethal Lynx” sprinkled throughout – it’s all a means to an end. Specifically, crafting a thoughtful and entertaining mystery.

(Note: The “Lethal Lynx” pages are quite good – evocative of the period, yet very much their own. More aren’t necessary, but I’d have enjoyed seeing them regardless.)

Bringing this kind of noir sensibility into the brightly-colored world of comic books might seem counterintuitive, but the truth is that the industry was definitely struggling during this era, with smaller companies falling by the wayside left and right. By building on the underlying sketchiness of these lower-tier operators, Segura develops a story of high stakes nestled within a world of low stakes. It’s an engaging juxtaposition that makes for great reading.

Carmen Valdez is an interesting protagonist for a story such as this, an outsider desperately seeking a way into a world of which she’s always dreamed. Her circumstances are in many ways reflective of those lived by the heroes in the comic books that she has grown up loving. She is passionate in her love, whether it be for art or an individual, but also relentlessly self-aware. Smart and capable, yet also vulnerable, she makes for a great hero in a story about those who create heroes.

Of course, all of this is in service to a very sharp and sturdy narrative. One hesitates to give away too much – it IS a mystery, after all – but it’s important to note that while the world-building is top-notch, it is the story being told that truly elevates this book. Page after page, chapter after chapter, we’re swept along as the shadows deepen and Carmen’s journey tumbles to a conclusion.

“Secret Identity” is a book that will resonate with mystery lovers, comic book lovers and really anyone who digs a well-crafted story well told.

Now, I’m a huge fan of anything noir fiction that can have that pulpy feel to it, so when I read the synopsis for SECRET IDENTITY I knew I needed to give this one a read. Not only does it have a great cover but the murder mystery will suck you in right from the start. If you’re a fan of comic books and murder, then I think this will be the perfect fit!

Carmen is working as an assistant at Triumph Comics with dreams of one day writing her own superhero book. Her dream is becoming a reality when one of the writers asks for her help with their first female hero, The Lethal Lynx. Per his request, her involvement needed to be kept secret which turns out to be a big problem when he turns up dead and the scripts turned in without mention of her. Of course, things get complicated further as she tries to unravel all the secrets to try and get her due credit.

All kinds of action and it was interesting getting that glimpse into the comic book world, I also enjoyed getting some actual comics included in the book which really helped pull you in even more. The writing was gripping and engrossing, the pace was quick, the author’s knowledge of the comic book industry is very evident, and I can’t wait for more from Segura in the future.

A thoroughly engaging mystery set in the 1970s comic world. I was intrigued by the mystery, invested in Carmen, and loved the rich details about comic publishing. The actual Lynx comics interspersed throughout were an added bonus that really added to the fun of reading this.
Thanks the the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC in return for my honest review.

The part of the book that worked best for me was the world-building. It's fun to immerse ourselves in the 70s comic industry, especially since we know that things can (and will) only get better. And speaking of fun, the decision to include panels of the Lynx stories within the book is a good one. Not only do they complement the main plot, but they're evocative of their contemporaries.

I do wish, however, that there had been more details about the making of the Lynx story itself. Carmen basically blinks and has six scripts. The brief shot we get of her and Harvey creating the character just wasn't enough for me.

Further, the actual mystery in Secret Identity also fell a little flat in my experience. As we meet the various characters, Harvey's murderer seemed obvious. I wish it had been more of a surprise. In addition, the Katrina subplot didn't work as well as I would have liked.

I understand she serves as a femme fatale, as Secret Identity is also Alex Segura's take on a noir story. However, too often she just felt like a distraction from the more interesting main story. Still, though, Carmen is a fully-realized character portrait and the novel Secret Identity is worth a read.

This is a great story about a woman's dream to write comics, interrupted by murder and conspiracy. Vert well told, full of intrigue. Great for fans of detective novels, as well as those interested in the history of comic books.

3.5 stars

An intriguing and unique mystery that gives you a peek into the creative world of comic books with a noir twist. I found the story to be entertaining but there was a great deal of build-up to actually get to the murder mystery aspect of the book. This was a very introspective narrative, which I did enjoy but because it was so focused on Carmen’s struggles in trying to become a comic writer, the mystery ended up taking a backseat for a large amount of the book. I would almost consider this to be a literary fiction until the final third part. Despite my critiques, I did really enjoy the book and found the writing to have a distinct voice. I especially loved the inclusion of comic panels to reflect the embedded narrative of The Legendary Lynx as well as the overarching plot points of the main storyline. I look forward to reading more of Segura’s work as I found this to be a strong novel.

This book is super unique. Today Marvel and DC top the box office and have too many tv shows to count. But in the 1970s, the comic book world was very different. When we meet Carmen, she recently moved and started a secretarial job at a comic book publisher. Triumph comics isn't exactly Marvel, but she has to start somewhere, and she's got her foot in the door.

The day her boss crushed her dreams, her coworker turned up at her place drunk with a business proposition that might turn things around. Her good fortune doesn't last long because as soon as they make progress on a new comic series, when said coworker turns up dead.

Forever trudging on, Carmen hides the author's identity as herself due to sexism in the office. She realizes she's not the only one in the workplace with secrets. Carmen makes it her mission to solve the crime and get her work published. Can she do it all?

Secret Identity mixes media and showcases comic book pages intermittingly throughout the novel. This blend gives readers a glimpse into graphic novels' beauty and the power images provide to the story. This book is set in the 1970s, which most people consider the golden age of comics. It's the time you think of little boys going to the comic book store during the summer in coming-of-age movies. If they only knew what would eventually become of the industry.

Segura's writing and vision for the book allow it to fit in multiple categories and will appeal to a wide variety of readers. There is a murder mystery thriller element, but the imagery and artwork give it an artsy feel. The comics element is well researched and makes the pages between the action jump off the page and not lull.

I give Secret Identity four stars. If you need to mix your reading up and pick up something different, this book would be a good choice, so don't judge it by its cover. Compared to the beautiful art inside, the cover looks like it was put together on Canva. I wish the cover brought in more of the comic element.

Segura does an excellent job making the setting believable--this is a story that could only have occurred in the time and place it's set. Likewise, the characters fit perfectly into the roles they've been cast in. All of that world-building and character work means the murder doesn't occur until about 1/3rd of the way into the book. This might not be a problem for some readers, but for mystery fans, it's a big ask to wait over a hundred pages for the suspense to really kick in. Literary or general fiction readers will likely be more patient--especially since Carmen's life is so richly detailed and fascinating, with or without amateur sleuthing attached.

What do you get when someone who is both a celebrated noir mystery author AND talented graphic novel writer combines his skills into one mixed medium novel? A incredible experience that only Alex Segura can create.

Introducing Carmen Valdez, a lover of the medium of comics from an early age and an aspiring writer herself despite the barriers that face her in the bronze era comics industry of 1975 New York. Carmen's talent and promise are evident to her boss and colleagues but she is still unable to claim the opportunity to save the fledgling Triumph publishing company with her writing and character of the Lethal Lynx. That is, until her colleague, Harvey Stern, presents her with the opportunity to pass her work off as his own with the promise that he would reveal her provenance when the Lynx reaches her inevitable high levels of success.

It looks like Carmen has found her avenue into comics writing until she is betrayed by Harvey and then he is unexpectedly and violently killed. Suddenly Carmen is put in a position where she must solve Harvey's murder to reclaim her beloved character, clear her name, AND unravel a web of betrayal, theft, and passionate jealousy.

This book is noir at it's finest. It's also a brilliant mixed medium as panels from the main character's comic (The Lethal Lynx) are peppered between chapters to highlight the tension and emotions in the ongoing real life story. It's clever, meta, and like Segura's Pete Fernandez books, almost musical in it's flow and atmosphere. It reads like a well curated playlist and is enjoyable from beginning to end. Fans of comics history, noir mystery, graphic novels, superheroes, and strong female characters will absolutely love this book.

Secret Identity is a character driven super book that takes place in the world of comic publishing.
Our hero, Carmen Valdez, works as an assistant/secretary.
Harvey, an ex-employee of Triumph Comics comes up with a new super hero called The Lynx.
As the story progresses, Carmen and The Lynx kind of mirror each other.
That's all I can say without spoilers, but make sure you read this book!
Interestingly, some chapters are separated by pages and panels of the comic book in the novel, which I thought was really cool.!

**4.5-stars rounded up**

In 1975-New York City, Carmen Valdez finds herself working for the head of Triumph Comics as his administrative assistant. Carmen dreams of becoming a writer, but for now her assistant position will have to do. Unfortunately, it's just the way in the industry, in the times, in the culture. Carmen has so many ideas, but good luck having them heard.

When one of her coworkers, a seemingly harmless man named Harvey, approaches her with a proposition to fulfill her dreams, she can't refuse. He wants her help creating a new character. Of course her involvement would need to be kept secret initially, at least according to Harvey, but he sells her on the fact that after it is a success, they could reveal the truth to their boss. Then he'll have no choice but to take her ambitions seriously.

Carmen isn't naive. She knows she can't trust Harvey completely, but honestly, what choice does she have. She's desperate for a chance and her boss has repeatedly shot her down. This could be it. Putting her reservations aside, Carmen agrees to help Harvey and over multiple brainstorming sessions, the two create Triumph's first female hero, The Lethal Lynx.

After their scripts have been submitted, with Carmen's name absent from the credits per their earlier agreement, Harvey is brutally murdered. With Harvey's death comes absence of proof that Carmen played any role in their creation. Harvey was the only person who knew the amount Carmen contributed to The Lethal Lynx. She is completely gutted. Carmen needs to find out what happened. It doesn't seem random, but who would want Harvey dead?

Secret Identity took me completely by surprise. I wasn't quite sure what to expect going into this. Being pitched as a 'literary mystery' made me a little nervous. That's not really my genre. I've read from Alex Segura before, however, and enjoyed his writing style. Additionally, the fact that this has the comic book industry as the backdrop was extremely interesting to me. I decided to give it a go.

I'm so glad that I gave it a shot. This is literal scientific proof that reading outside of your comfort zone can be a good thing! Just trust me on this. This entire book is dripping with atmosphere. 1975s New York City was a thing; a character unto itself. Segura brought all of that to life within these pages.

Carmen was an extremely likable character. It was captivating getting to know her, a bit about her past, and of course getting to see behind the scenes of the comic book industry. I was super impressed with the film noir-quality Segura was able to channel into this story. It is such a unique and enjoyable experience.

As a side note, I did listen to the audiobook and highly recommend that format. Included in the narrative are occasional excerpts from The Lethal Lynx comics, for which super fun sound effects are included in the audio version. That was really a treat!

I would definitely recommend giving this one a go. There's so much to enjoy in this story for a vast array of Readers. Go ahead, give it a shot!

Thank you so much to the publisher, Flatiron Books and Macmillan Audio, for providing me with copies to read and review. I had such a great time listening to this book and will definitely be picking up further works from Alex Segura!!

Maybe its just me but I do not see a lot of Noir Fiction as much as I used to. That is why I was so excited about Secret Identity. Combine this with the 1970s and a Female Superhero and this had me hooked. Secret Identity truly made me feel like I was absorbed into a made for TV movie about Comics and heroes and I loved every bit of it.

I thought the premise of this book was really interesting, especially with the mixed media aspect of it. It took on a somewhat tumultuous time in comic history. The pacing of the writing was a little slow, but the experience was immersive to say the least. You are invested in Carmen's overall story and the struggle she faces in the comics industry, but also the mystery. Carmen as a character was compelling and all of the components of her personality, past and more were woven really well into who she was and her actions. While it was a slow building story it was gripping and kept me going until the last page.

Secret Identity: A Noir Mystery About the Uncredited Heroes of Comics History

Secret Identity, the latest novel from Alex Segura, comic book writer (The Black Ghost) and Oni Press SVP of Sales and Marketing, must juggle multiple personas as both a period piece about a crucial turning point in comics history and a murder mystery. While the latter genre layer is more in service to the former, with the killing of a comics editor spurring his ghostwriting partner into investigating the darker corners of their shared world, the combination makes for a diverting read about how many chances these real-life heroes and villains get at comics immortality.

Growing up in Miami, Carmen Valdez learned English from comics, even if she didn’t see herself reflected in the pages. At 28, she’s achieved her dream of moving to New York City and working in the industry that created some of her most treasured childhood memories… even if she still doesn’t see people like her among the writers, artists, and editors who pass through Triumph Comics’ offices. In the thankless role of assistant (but really more secretary) to Triumph’s sexist editor-in-chief Jeffrey Carlyle, Carmen occupies the tricky space of “no longer a fan, but barely a professional”—achingly familiar for anyone who has taken a job out of genuine love for the art and thus been exploited for that emotional investment.

Add the fact that it’s 1975, and comics seem to be on a slow slide to obscurity. After all, who would want to keep picking up monthly escapist superhero stories when the world is ending? Even the bigwigs at Marvel and DC are worried about no one remembering their iconic characters a generation later, which means that lower-tier operations like Triumph are just limping along, having second-string or has-been talent turn out derivative superheroes until the lights get turned out. Someone like Carmen doesn’t stand a chance of writing something that will actually matter… at least, not as herself.

Carmen’s shot comes in the form of Harvey Stern, a prototypical gentle nerd down to the distinctive glasses and shy affect. A junior editor at Triumph, he has the access to pitch a new series to become the company’s new flagship superhero, as well as a mysterious pressing need to do so immediately. She has the talent but will have to settle for being uncredited, lurking in the shadows and metaphorically masked even as their (her) creation the Legendary Lynx looks to be a game-changer.

But when Harvey is murdered before he can publicly acknowledge Carmen as his collaborator, it transforms her fledgling double life into a noir mystery. Because someone didn’t want the Lynx to exist out in the world, and it’s only a matter of time before they connect the panels to her. Add in a New York City detective who can see through Carmen’s amateur alibis, and a femme fatale from her old life back in Miami, and the Lynx’s monthly “deadline” takes on a much more sinister meaning.

Not surprising for someone who regularly sees how the sausage gets made, Carmen has a tendency to observe her own actions and interactions from a remove, as if editing a comic book script—which is only exacerbated when she finds herself stalked and endangered on the already-threatening streets of ‘70s Manhattan. Segura’s writing reflects that with Carmen frequently noting how she “felt” everything from a menacing grip on her arm to the chill of being watched from afar by a stranger, instead of fully inhabiting that moment. Unfortunately, that often translates to a similar distance for the reader. It’s difficult to become entirely emotionally invested in Carmen because she has worked her entire adult life to keep anyone from doing so.

Carmen’s Miami exists entirely in memory, evocatively described in contrast to seedy yet compelling New York City. Try as she might, her life in the Big Apple doesn’t yet have the sentimental roots of her childhood, primarily through the monthly ritual of buying a new comic book with her papi. Seeing a father-daughter relationship beginning in the 1950s and based on a shared love for an industry that has historically blocked women from participation is incredibly touching, especially as it makes their later estrangement that much more heartbreaking. It’s rare for a hero’s origin story to be so relentlessly sunny, yet Segura aptly illustrates how even the most carefree-seeming place casts deep shadows.

For all that Carmen and her collaborators create comics out of love for the medium, I was hoping for more sequences lovingly describing the experience of making these stories. Being a writer, Carmen has the less dynamic half of the job, but we don’t even witness her bringing the Lynx to life with the clacking of her typewriter keys; she presents Harvey with a half-dozen fully-formed scripts that need only a quick dusting-off. While this makes a keen point about good ideas just waiting for their moment, it lacks the same transporting feeling as, say, Michael Chabon’s own ode to comics in The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay.

Yet allowing Carmen to see the finished pages at the same time as us readers does tap into her original identity as a fan. In a lovely touch, the book includes selections from the various Legendary Lynx issues, timed to the rapidly rising stakes surrounding Harvey’s unsolved murder. Featuring art by Sandy Jarrell and lettering by Taylor Esposito, the finished product makes the case for why this comic is worth killing for.

Both the novel and Carmen herself circle around the issue of Harvey’s culpability without assigning real blame. In some tellings, he’s a nice guy who meant well, who simply overstepped personally and professionally. In others, his every move was premeditated and cold-bloodedly strategic, climbing the corporate ladder in single bounds, not unlike Superman leaping over skyscrapers. What seems an attempt at exploring the moral gray area of authorship instead comes across as constantly hedging, even as the book name-drops the then-contemporary Jack Kirby credit controversy.

Though Segura throws in a number of red herrings in the form of various editors and artists representing potential friendships, rivals, and/or love interests to Carmen, the resolution to the mystery errs more on the side of the unsurprising for anyone who has followed comics controversies over the decades. Yet that in and of itself is an incisive commentary on how little has changed: how powerful personalities are granted numerous second chances, while outsiders like Carmen dare not waste the one opportunity for their perfect shot at being part of comics history.

With this thoughtfully researched and lovingly crafted novel, hopefully Segura is doing his part to turn the tide in the direction it should have been moving all along.

Secret Identity is available now from Flatiron Books.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a free eARC in exchange for an honest review!

Rating: 4/5 stars

SECRET IDENTITY is the story of Carmen Valdez, a young aspiring comic book writer living in New York. When a colleague asks for help with a new comic pitch and is murdered shortly thereafter, Carmen is unwittingly plunged into a web of secrets and lies that threaten to expose the gritty underbelly of the industry she loves.

I should start this review by saying I know nothing about comic books—in fact, one of the reasons I was excited to read SECRET IDENTITY was that I knew it was set in the world of comics and written by an industry insider, and I hoped it would expand my knowledge of the genre a bit as a result (mission accomplished). I’m pretty confident that if I were a comics fan I’d be head over heels in love with this novel (so if this describes you, you should go pick it up NOW).

Fortunately, even coming in without a comic-related knowledge base, I still really enjoyed SECRET IDENTITY! There may have been some nuance (i.e. references to comics history or other Easter eggs) that I missed, but overall this is excellent crime noir even if you overlook the comic context entirely. I particularly loved the feminist and LGBTQ elements, including the historical context about notable women in a historically male-dominated space, and the diversity of the characters overall was top notch. The mystery itself is a bit of a slow burn, but I was fully invested in Carmen’s character development and story so I didn’t mind this too much—if anything, the secondary plot lines took my eye off the ball enough that they enhanced the mystery aspect.

As a bonus, the book also includes actual comic book pages, which I would bet good money are *gorgeous* in print (they looked plenty good, if slightly small, in the eARC), so I may need to go snag a finished copy for that reason alone!

Recommended to anyone, but especially if you like: comic books; crime noir; women’s history.

CW: Death/murder; misogyny; homophobia; suicide.

Happy pub day (and happy birthday) to
@alex_segura
and SECRET IDENTITY. It's a marvelous mix of 70s crime drama and comics history. Alex is one of the kindest, most generous people in the book biz -- he deserves all the success in the world. Go get the book.

Entertaining detective noir in a fun setting. I'm not sure the killer's motivation or the final confrontation completely made sense, but enjoyed most of the plot, the setting and Carmen as a character. Detmer was also well done.

"The comics business was messy—a slapdash sprint to meet immovable deadlines, a blur of pages flowing from production to editorial and back before being jettisoned out the door to the printer. Carmen loved it."
--------------------------------------
"Miami was a city, too, Carmen knew—but New York was something else. A disease that bubbled and expanded and multiplied and morphed, like some kind of magical, mystical being that seemed from another world."

Carmen Valdez, late of Miami, is where she wants to be. She may not be exactly doing what she wants, but she is trying to get there. A New Yorker for the last year, Carmen is 28. She works at Triumph Comics, a third-tier publisher of such things, and is living the dream, if the dream is to be working as a secretary to a boss who cannot see past her gender, cannot even imagine a woman, let alone a Hispanic woman, actually writing stories for his press. But the stories are there, the ideas filling notebooks. She gives him some, but even if he bothers to read them, he dismisses the work out of hand. All she needs is a chance. And then one appears.

Harvey Stern is a junior editor there, young, friendly. They bond over a shared love of the medium (a love she had acquired from her father taking her out for father-daughter bonding that included the buying of comics). They are friendly without being quite friends. The house has a sudden need for a new character; Harvey is given the job of coming up with one, a female hero who will get a rise out of young male Triumph readers. Carmen sees her opportunity and offers to “help.” Their work together goes well. The story is mostly hers, of course, but Harvey has some skills. They produce a pretty good book. It does well. Problem is that no one other than she and Harvey knows the truth about how it came to be. Then Harvey suffers a BLAM! BLAM! leaving him with even less conscious corporeality than an invisible six-foot pooka. Guess who finds the body? And the noir gets dark.

"I’ve always been fascinated with Megan Abbott’s work and her ability to bring the tenets of noir to areas where you wouldn’t expect noir to exist—gymnastics, cheerleading, science, and so on. She crafts these narratives that are tense, fraught, and loaded with style outside of the typical noir settings. I remember reading Dare Me and just thinking, huh, wouldn’t it be cool to write a comic book noir?" - from The Big Thrill interview

Segura had recently finished writing his Pete Fernandez Miami Mysteries, so has the chops to produce a pretty good whodunit. Carmen sees, in short order, that the police are not up to the task. She also knows that unless she can figure out why Harvey was killed, and by whom, she will never be able to get recognition for her work, or maybe sleep at night. Harvey is not the last person attacked by a mysterious villain.

Secret identities abound here. Carmen hides her true author self from the boss because of the sexism of the age. Everyone seems to have a secret. Harvey certainly does did. Are all the names that we are given really the characters’ true names? Might there be an alias or two creeping around, for dark purposes?

"she had to become someone else to survive"

Segura has been busy in the comic book industry for many years, working on Archie Comics, while living in Miami, then moving to New York to work for DC. He has written detective novels, and a Star Wars book, stand-alone mysteries, short stories, a crime podcast, and probably an encyclopedia. He is married with kids, and I imagine that he must sleep some…time. Maybe he is one of the characters he writes about and his secret power is eternal wakefulness. (Captain Insomnia takes on every request for writerly product, and satisfies them all.)

He has a particular soft spot for the 1970s in the comics industry, when the industry’s body was laid out on the street, bleeding money and readers. Who would come to its rescue?

"Well the comic book industry was really struggling at that time after the glory years of the 50s and 60s. Comics were struggling. It wasn’t like today, where we have shows about Peacemaker or obscure characters – it was considered a dying industry. So I wanted to use her passion for the medium and contrast it with comics at its lowest point, and then show her fighting to control this one thing she loves." - from the Three Rooms Press interview

This was a time when comic books were sold only on newsstands or in small stores, before there were comic book conventions, before the steady drumbeat of blockbuster films based on comic book characters. There was plenty wrong with the industry at the time (there probably still is), with notorious cases of people stealing credit for the work of others. Some of those are noted here. In fact, there are many references made to well-known names in the comic book industry. I am sorry to say that most just slipped past me, as I am not the maven for such things that Segura and no doubt many readers of this book are. I can report, though, that not knowing all the references did not at all detract from my overall enjoyment, and recognizing the ones I did enhanced the fun. He even tosses in a nod to a character of his from another project, as that character’s story was set in the same time period.

There was plenty wrong with NYC at the time. I know. I remember. Fun City, originally a tossed-off line by a 1960s mayor facing multiple municipal crises (“It’s still a fun city.”) had not completed the shift to The Big Apple, itself a reconstitution of a city logo from the 1920s. The city, a political creation of the state, was starved by the state for the funds needed to provide the services it was required to offer, then was looked down on for that inability. It was a time when graffiti was ubiquitous, crime was up, and gentrification was beginning, as landlords were torching their properties to drive out residents so they could transform their buildings into co-ops. It was a time of white flight and a time when a local tabloid featured the infamous headline: Ford to City: Drop Dead, after NYC had turned to the federal government for aid. We get a taste with Carmen’s arrival.

"the drab, claustrophobic walls of the Port Authority giving her the most honest first impression of New York she could expect. As she wandered the cavernous transport hub, a concrete behemoth at the tail end of the Lincoln Tunnel, she got a heavy dose of what she’d only imagined. A city in disrepair, boiled down into this one sprawling bus terminal. Leaky ceilings, shadowy conversations, blaring horns, and unidentifiable smells all coalesced into an unbridled fear that gripped Carmen as she stepped out into the New York sunlight."

Carmen’s mission is to solve the crime of course (When a man’s woman’s partner is killed he's she’s supposed to do something about it. It doesn’t make any difference what you thought of him. He was your partner and you’re supposed to do something about it.”), but it would not be a noir if Carmen did not have some personal struggles going on as she struggles to figure out whodunit. There are parental issues, which might not be quite noir-ish, but a dark episode from her past stalks her, which certainly is. And there are some romantic bits as well, which definitely fit. She may have been raised Catholic, but Carmen is no nun. All this serves to make for a rounded character, one we can cheer for. Part of that rounding involves some flaws as well, and not the sort we are used to in our primary investigators.

For example, did Carmen really believe that the boss would disbelieve her if she told him the truth about authorship of The Legendary Lynx? There is a scene in which Harvey gets weird and take off after a working-together session. Holy Tunnel Vision, Batman! No freaking out over that? And she lets Harvey take her notebooks, her primary and unbacked up material? Even the Daredevil wasn’t that blind. There was something else, of no real consequence, that really bothered me. There is a scene which entails Carmen walking from the East Side to the West Side of Manhattan without any mention of passing through Central Park, which is directly in the path, or walking around it. That just seemed odd, particularly coming from a guy who lives in New York. (view spoiler)Like I said, no consequence.

One thing you will definitely enjoy is the inclusion in the book of seventeen pages from The Legendary Lynx. They presage events in the chapters that follow. It is a perfect addition to the book.

Music permeates, including nods to the venues of the day, The Village Vanguard, CBGBs, The Bottom Line, et al. Her roommate, Molly, is a musician, rubbing shoulders with rising stars, like Springsteen and Patti Smith.

Secret identity covers a fair bit of territory, an homage to a beloved industry in a dire time, a noir mystery, a look at the city where he now lives, when it was on its knees, while saluting the music of the time and the creators of the comic book industry, warts and all. And he tosses in a comic book for good measure. This is a fun read of the first order, even for those, like me, who may not be comic nerds. In producing this very entertaining novel, Alex Segura has revealed his true identity, at least for those who did not already know. Clearly, Seguro really arrived on this planet not in a Miami hospital ward, but probably somewhere in the Everglades, his ship originating in a galaxy far, far away. He may or may not be able to leap tall buildings in a single bound, but he clearly wields otherworldly power as a writer. POW!

"If it got published, I’d be ghostwriting it. . . . I mean, I’d get a shot, and if it did well we’d reveal my involvement, but. . . .”
“You’d be anonymous at first? Like his secret partner?”
Carmen waited a beat, letting her mind skim over what she already knew to be true. She nodded at Molly, hoping her friend couldn’t see her resigned expression in the dark.
“Is that what you want?” Molly asked. “To live your dream—in secret?”
Carmen felt her stomach twist into a painful, aching knot."


Review posted – March 11, 2022

Publication date – March 15, 2022

I received an ARE of Secret Identity from, well, I can‘t tell you, in return for a fair review. Thanks, folks. And thanks to NetGalley for facilitating an e-galley copy.

Secret Identity by Alex Segura is a great introduction into the world of comics in the 1970's as they're expertly woven into this fictional story of mayhem and murder. The end result is a beautifully rendered combo of work with compelling, larger than life characters and a big side serving of mystery and action. Segura's obvious knowledge of the comic industry is evident in the creative writing, and his expertise in delivering a highly entertaining murder mystery will keep readers burning through pages.

Carmen Valdez works as an assistant to the head honcho of Triumph Comics with days spent copying scripts and carrying coffee and lunch to her boss. But Carmen secretly dreams of writing her own comic script about a female super hero that she's secretly been drawing for years. When she's approached by a junior writer about co-writing a new comic book starring Carmen's superwoman, she jumps at the chance even though she has to keep her identity secret. Her boss will never accept it from her. She agrees knowing it's her only shot of breathing life into her creation the Lethal Lynx. The script turns into a roaring success, but when an unforeseen tragedy strikes her co-worker, Carmen is left empty handed with someone else's name on her work. She can't step forward and claim the work now, can she? Just when she thinks it can't get much worse, a shadow from her past comes calling, and Carmen is juggling secrets.

While I found the mystery intriguing, Secret Identity is character driven, and as the story unfolds through Carmen's point of view, I believe readers will find her quite easy to cheer on. Carmen is tough - a girl living alone in 1970's New York City, struggling with her own sexual identity in a misogynistic work atmosphere where every day is an all-out brawl when all she wants is to be recognized for her own talent. I have to admit my favorite part of Secret Identity surprised me - actually shocked me as I'm not a big comic book fan. However, the comic scenes of the Lynx which are inserted between chapters of this book are out of this world! The artwork is excellent, and the comic theme actually mirrors Carmen's own life journey seeking truth, identity and justice. These sequences are a fantastic addition to this book and extremely well done.

Secret Identity is a gritty, unique story with a perfect marriage of noir fiction and comics including an up close and personal look at the comic book industry at the time - one that depended on eager freelancers for the hard work and creativity necessary to produce a winner. Seguar does a great job handling controversial themes of sexual identity, gender roles and misogynistic attitudes in the workplace and the difficulty for women, especially queer women, to ever achieve success. The setting is utterly fascinating - actually playing the role of a major character - the best and worst of New York City with all its tenacity, bright lights, dark shadows, grimy districts and still 100 % intoxicating. I found Secret Identity to be well paced and hard to put down. Highly recommended to fans of mystery, noir fiction and comic books. Segura has gifted readers with the perfect blend!