Dangerous Ends

Pete Fernandez Mystery #3

by Alex Segura

NOMINATED FOR THE ANTHONY AWARD FOR BEST NOVEL IN A SERIES! Pete Fernandez has settled into an easy, if somewhat boring life as a P.I.. He takes pictures of cheating husbands. He tracks criminals who've skipped bail and he attends weekly AA meetings The days of chasing murderous killers are behind him. Or are they?

When his sometimes partner Kathy Bentley approaches him with a potential new client, Pete balks. Not because he doesn't need the money, but because the case involves Gaspar Varela, a former Miami police officer serving a life sentence for the murder of his wife - one of the most infamous crimes in Miami history. The client? None other than Varela's daughter, Maya, who has doggedly supported her father's claims of innocence.

As Pete and Kathy wade into a case that no one wants, they also find themselves in the crosshairs of Los Enfermos, a bloodthirsty gang of pro-Castro killers and drug dealers looking to wipe Pete off the Miami map. As if trying to exonerate Varela wasn't enough, they find themselves entangled in something even older and more a bloody, political hit ordered by Fidel Castro himself, that left a still-healing scar on Pete and his dead father's past.

Fast-paced, hardboiled and surprising, Dangerous Ends pushes Pete Fernandez into a battle with a deadlier, more complex threat, as he tries to shake off the demons haunting Miami's own, sordid past.

Genres: Mystery, Crime, Fiction, Novels

288 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 11, 2017

About the author

Alex Segura is the bestselling and award-winning author of Secret Identity, which The New York Times called “wittily original” and named an Editor’s Choice. NPR described the novel as “masterful” and The L.A. Times called it “a magnetic read.”

Secret Identity received starred reviews from Publishers Weekly, Kirkus, and Booklist, was listed as one of the Best Mysteries of the Year by NPR, Kirkus, Booklist, LitReactor, Gizmodo, BOLO Books, and the South Florida Sun Sentinel, was nominated for the Anthony Award for Best Hardcover, the Lefty and Barry Awards for Best Novel, the Macavity Award for Best Mystery Novel, and won the LA Times Book Prize in the Mystery/Thriller category.

His upcoming work includes the YA superhero adventure Araña/Spider-Man 2099: Dark Tomorrow, the follow-up to Secret Identity, Alter Ego, and the sci-fi/espionage thriller, Dark Space (with Rob Hart). Alex is also the author of Star Wars Poe Dameron: Free Fall, the Anthony Award-nominated Pete Fernandez Miami Mystery series, and a number of comic books – including The Mysterious Micro-Face (in partnership with NPR), The Black Ghost, The Archies, The Dusk, The Awakened, Mara Llave – Keeper of Time, Blood Oath, stories featuring Marvel heroes the Avengers, Sunspot, White Tiger, Spider-Man and DC’s Superman, Sinestro, and The Question, to name a few.

His short story, “90 Miles” was included in The Best American Mystery and Suspense Stories for 2021 and won the Anthony Award for Best Short Story. Another short story,“Red Zone,” won the 2020 Anthony Award for Best Short Story.

Alex is also the co-creator of the Lethal Lit podcast, named one of the best fiction podcasts of 2018 by The New York Times.

A Miami native, he lives in New York with his wife and children.

Reviews

[Liz Barnsley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m a little bit of a quiet fan of this series – I love how Alex Segura writes with a snappy, witty prose – this one I read fast (and very late apologies! I’ve probably now got some catching up to do) and once again I thoroughly enjoyed it.

This story is pacy and engaging – our intrepid pair are approached to help out a woman who is convinced her convicted murderer father is innocent. This case will take them back in to the past and they find themselves in danger of present retribution if they turn over too many stones…

The Miami setting is beautifully described, immersing you into a dark underbelly of crime, away from the glitter and the Cuban angle is fascinatingly authentic. You’ll be deeply immersed in this place, the tourism and the clean outer shell hiding an inner darkness. Pete and Kathy are a great pairing (he found her in book one) and I do love a good story featuring a private investigator rather than a police protagonist.

Dangerous Ends can be read as a standalone but I would recommend you read as a series – it is fresh and a bit different to anything else out there at the moment and if I can persuade you to give it a go I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.

Recommended.

[Dave · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pete Fernandez is back! In a mystery that goes all the way back to 1950s Cuba, the sometimes private eye gets caught up in a case that just may be too big for him. Segura is back and really flexes his muscles in the writing. This is Segura's most complex book and it shows. The final two chapters are mind blowing. Check it out!

[Becky · Rating 4 out of 5]

Maya Varela has always believed that her father was wrongfully convicted of her mother's murder. Varela, a cop, maintained that two men had broken into his apartment and murdered his wife. He also claimed that a witness, a woman in an orange dress, showed up in an attempt to help. Unfortunately, as the investigation progressed, the police - Varela's own colleagues - soon turned an eye to Varela himself as the killer, assuming he'd been lying about the two men. And even though witnesses did see the woman, when said woman took the stand she recanted, causing Varela and his attorney to lose ground with the jury.

Years after the jury returned a guilty verdict, Gaspar Varela has run through most of his appeals and it seems a new trial is their only hope for his release. But that means finding new evidence.

That's where Kathy and Pete come in. After being involved in some highly publicized local cases, the two have become something of a team. And Maya has hired them to help with her father's case: Pete to investigate and Kathy to write a book about the case. And it seems, at least a little, that Varela's claims of innocence may have some truth to them. But as Pete and Kathy, paired with an ex FBI agent and former associate of Varela's, dig into the case, it soon becomes clear that no one wants them to succeed. When those threats turn into attempts on their lives, though, Pete becomes even more determined than ever to see the case through to the end.

I'm a big fan of a great PI mystery and as one of my favorite of favorites winds down, I'll admit that I've been looking for a new detective to hook me. Alex Segura's Pete Fernandez has some big shoes to fill, but it seems he might be a good fit for me.

Set in Miami, this third installment in the series brings a dark and criminal underbelly to light - gangs and gang politics that tie all the way back to Cuba. In fact, Pete's own grandfather gets a bit of attention with chapters beginning in 1959 Cuba interspersed throughout the present day chapters.

It seems Pete's grandfather turned down an offer made by Castro's own men in his earliest days in power, leaving the elder Fernandez no choice but to flee to America with his family. And though Pete knows nothing about this at the start of the story, his family's past is eventually revealed to him as a possible connection to the current case.

I really appreciated the fact that while this was the third book in a series, it was easy to dive into as an introduction. That said, Segura does spend a bit of time bringing the reader up to speed (or offering a refresher, as the case may be) with Pete and Kathy, which could potentially mean a bit of spoilers for those of us who backtrack to the previous installments.

Pete and Kathy have a history - in fact, Pete was hired to find Kathy in Segura's first outing of the series, Silent City. Theirs is obviously a relationship built on a certain amount of shared danger and trust, and ample ribbing on the part of both characters. And again, diving in further into their story didn't leave me at any sort of disadvantage. Their characters were well built, without Segura ever leaning on or relying on the previous installments, making it easy for a newbie like me to easily get to know them and get a good feel for their relationship.

And as characters go, Miami itself is equally as important as Pete and Kathy. Miami isn't a place I've spent much time, but Segura definitely brought me there through Pete's eyes and experiences. From the Cuban cafes where Pete gets his cafecito fix to the beaches that play host to tourists by day and crime scenes by night, the setting is brought completely to life, making the story is that much more rich and intense as a result.

It's early days for me and Pete, but with Dangerous Ends I think we're off to a promising start!

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Part of being a private detective was accepting that you didn't have all the answers. You might not even after a case is closed. With that knowledge came the acceptance that you had to trust your instinct to guide you down the right path. Pete had felt a shiver of unease as he left the restaurant and Emily. It let him here. The idea of Rick being murdered wasn't the kind of information that would, under normal circumstances, make him rush into action. But something about the news report had stuck in Pete's head, buzzing around like a dream forgotten too soon after waking up."....


This is the third book in this hard boiled detective series. It's also a stand alone, with an interesting, and lots of action, story line.

Pete Fernandez, P.I., is about to turn his little boring corner of paradise upside down. His partner, Kathy, talks him into taking on a case that nobody else wants to touch. An ex Miami police officer, serving prison time, for the murder of his wife. A murder, his daughter is sure he didn't commit.

Off shoots of this story, include history of a man who dared to say no to Fidel Castro., causing him to flee to Miami. As you get further into the book you realize how it relates to Pete. Eventually it relates even further to what he's trying to find out about the ex cop, Varela.

Is the cop guilty, or was he really innocent all along? Can everyone accept the truth? Lives are in danger unless Pete and Kathy can move fast enough to protect those involved, including Varela's daughter, Maya.

Fast paced, and a few well placed surprises. Well written characters. This is always one of my favorite genres. Great story line that pulls you in, takes you for a spin, and tosses you out the other side with all the answers. It also leads you to what could possibly be the next in the series!

Thank you Alex Segura

[Dave · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a fan of Pete Fernandez, the protagonist of Alex Segura’s first two crime novels “Silent City” and “Down the Darkest Street,” I’ve rooted for him to take down both a legendary hitman and a deadly serial killer. They were harrowing struggles, but I’ve rooted hardest for him when he was locked in his most difficult and frightening battles; accepting that he’s an alcoholic and that he should be putting his knack for investigation to use as a private investigator. In those first two books Pete was a likable character almost in spite of himself. He’d go on a bender or step away from investigation and into something that didn’t suit him and I would actually yell, “NO! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?” at the book.

So it’s a lot of fun and very satisfying to see Pete move onto a new phase in his life in Segura’s newest novel, “Dangerous Ends,” which finds Pete working as a P.I. and regularly attending AA meetings. That doesn’t mean things are any easier for him. When we catch up with Pete at the beginning of the book works has become kind of a rut and throughout the novel his struggle with sobriety is pretty fascinating. There’s almost a sense of him rediscovering and trying to figure out what life is like without alcohol that feels authentic and is pretty compelling. I especially enjoyed the scenes where the two aspects of Pete’s new life collided and he suddenly found himself in a bar because of a case.

Speaking of cases Segura gives Pete and his investigative partner Kathy, who’s managed to turn their past exploits into a career as a journalist and true crime writer, a pretty compelling one. In “Dangerous Ends” the daughter of a Miami police detective who was convicted for the brutal killing of his wife tasks Pete and Kathy with finding evidence to get her father a new trial. That sends them to both upscale and seedy areas of Miami and also leads to some exciting and explosively violent confrontations as Pete and Kathy are hunted by a violent and powerful gang of killers.

It also leads to some memorable character interactions. Former FBI agent Robert Harras returns in this book to help Pete and Kathy out whether they like it or not. The dynamic between the three of them is pretty great. The best returning character though has got to be Dave Mendoza, Pete’s affluent friend and former boss at a used bookstore. In “Dangerous Ends” we get some glimpses into Dave’s former life with the Miami underworld and how far he’ll go to protect his friends. Those were some of my favorite scenes in the book. I’m hoping that someday Segura will give Dave his own book.

So “Dangerous Ends” has some great characters, fun action, and a really interesting case, but what makes the book so powerful and compelling is how the consequences of our actions, both wrong and right, are always with us. They’re part of who we are. Segura expertly illustrates that in the larger narrative with things like important and fascinating interludes that stretch back to Cuba during Castro’s rise to power. He also does it with quieter character moments too. I talked earlier about Pete’s sobriety, and another example that I found particularly cool was a passage that talked about all the things Harras must have seen as an FBI agent and how it’s etched into both how he appears and acts.

So with “Dangerous Ends” Segura provides another fantastic entry in the Peter Fernandez series that rewards longtime fans with a new status quo and an exciting and hard hitting tale that leaves his protagonist in a new place both literally and metaphorically. I’m excited to see where he goes next with this fun and incredibly satisfying series.

[Kelly Hager]

Pete and his friend/partner Kathy have been hired to investigate a murder case. A cop was convicted of brutally murdering his wife--but their daughter is convinced he didn't do it. That's about as much as I can tell you without ruining anything.

This book is INSANE. There is danger everywhere and people keep turning up dead and everything seems so random until it all clicks into place. Alex Segura is an evil genius.

It's the third in a series but this functions as a standalone (I do want to get to his backlist though, and SOON).

Be warned: if you're squeamish, this book is most emphatically not for you. Otherwise? Highly recommended.

[Leah Rhyne · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I was a kid, I watched MacGuyver with my dad, every single night. We had a constant refraid we'd use while watching.

"MacGuyver's in trouble!"

Because he was! Always in trouble! Every single episode, he was in trouble in some new and unusual and exciting way!

And I loved it!

So now, to get that excitement reading a book is something I love, and I'm happy to report that while reading Dangerous Ends by Alex Segura, I must've said, "Peter Fernandez's in trouble!" no less than three dozen times!

Because he was! Always in trouble! Every single chapter was full of some sort new and unusual and exciting trouble for Pete and his pals.

For the background: Pete's a PI who's been hired to help his pal, Kathy, write a book...hopefully to help exonerate a cop who's been convicted of killing his wife. But when they tap into some heinous crimes committed by the dangerous Los Enfermos gang...well, let's just say...really, everyone's in trouble.

Dangerous Ends is exciting and fun and scary and sad. If you're a fan of crime fiction or noir, this is definitely for you!

[Susanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was lucky enough to read an advanced copy of DANGEROUS ENDS, and I thought it was terrific. Authentic characters, fast-paced, compelling plot, fascinating historic backstory within Miami's dark underside...just a really great read. While this book can definitely be enjoyed without having read the earlier two Pete Fernandez mysteries, I'm going to go back and read them to learn more about Pete's "origin" story. Definitely recommend to anyone who enjoys crime fiction with a lot of character and atmosphere.

[Aj · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best of the 3 Pete Fernandez books so far! Alongside Pete's investigation into a crime and as usual pursuing leads probably best left alone, this book explores Cuban history and its impact on Miami, its people and culture. I felt this was woven well into the plot line and moved it along. It deepened the overall story from more typical crime noir to a novel with a real point of view. It feels quite timely as well to read this now as the future of Cuba seems more uncertain than ever. As someone not from Miami I was happy to learn alongside being entertained. As with Segura's previous Fernandez books, this was a real page turner and leaves the reader satisfied but set up for Book 4. I felt I heard Segura's voice more in this book and I hope that continues into Book 4 and beyond.

[Elizabeth A. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pete Fernandez has had more than his share of bad luck over the years. You’d think losing one’s job, father and fiancée, falling down the addiction rabbit hole, and going toe-to-toe with a serial killer (Silent City, Down the Darkest Street) would be enough to break a guy.

Fernandez is cut from sturdy cloth, however.

Determined to set his life on firmer footing, he begins working as a private investigator and attending AA meetings. He’s still figuring things out, however, not sure if trailing cheating spouses is the way he wants to spend the rest of his days.

Given his recent past, part of him appreciates the reliability and simplicity of the routine, not to mention the lack of personal danger. Deep down though, another part of him is still struggling with his urge for challenges and adventure, his desire to help right wrongs and fight injustice. Which part will win out is put to a serious test in Dangerous Ends.

Fernandez’s partner, Kathy Bentley, approaches him with a potential new case, one involving one of the most infamous murders in Miami’s history. Gaspar Varela, a former Miami narcotics detective, was convicted ten years ago for the brutal murder of his wife and is serving a life sentence. His daughter, now an adult, has always been Varela’s staunchest supporter, and wants Fernandez and Bentley to take a fresh look at the case. Their initial poking around doesn’t do much to convince Fernandez of Varela’s innocence, but when Kathy is attacked and mysterious forces seem determined to flag them off the case, Fernandez’s curiosity and sense of justice are triggered and he can’t help but start pushing back.

Strangely, the threads Fernandez follow lead back beyond the events of that night ten years ago, all the way to 1950s Cuba, the place his own grandfather fled following Castro’s revolution in 1959. When Los Enfermos, a ruthless gang of pro-Castro drug dealers, enters the fray in response to Fernandez’s nosing around, it becomes clear this case has potentially life-altering implications for Fernandez.

As with the first two entries in the Fernandez series, the city of Miami is as much a character as any person in the story. In Dangerous Ends, however, author Alex Segura takes readers beyond the neon-soaked nights and sun-drenched beaches that usually take center stage in Miami-based writing, weaving in flashbacks to 1950s Cuba and Castro’s takeover. In that regard, Dangerous Ends represents a more ambitious approach for Segura than the first two Fernandez outings.

While those entries addressed a case du jour via the prism of Fernandez’s personal issues, Dangerous Ends takes a step back and filters events through a broader perspective. Segura uses the idea of struggle—good cops vs. bad, Fernandez vs. himself, pro-Castro Cuban-Americans vs. anti-Castro factions—to explore the concept of how the choices people make have consequences that impact not only their lives, for both better and worse, but can have a ripple effect that lasts for generations. It’s a nice maturation, both of the series and of Segura’s talent as an author.

[David Nemeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

On one of my visits to Miami, I witnessed someone switch without hesitation from Yiddish to English to Spanish. Though New York City might pride itself as the melting pot, Miami lives it each and every day. Alex Segura's  Dangerous Ends (Polis Book) gets much of its vibrancy and life from Miami's internacional.

Dangerous Ends opens as Batista's Cuba crumbles in 1959. Diego Fernandez sits in his home office, his family is on the run to safety, his friends are being slaughtered, and the Cuba Fernandez loves is being destroyed. Then in walks a delegate from Castro's regime with a job offer: acceptance would be the antithesis of Diego's life and rejection means certain death. Diego stubbornly sticks with his principles.

Segura then brings us to present day Miami where we meet private investigator Pete Fernandez, who is also the grandson of Diego. Pete is finishing up his surveillance on a cheating husband but before he headed back home, he knew he needed the money shot — so to speak  —, "It was Pete's job to make these things airtight." As a private investigator, Pete Fernandez enjoys the monotony of "chasing deadbeat dads for child support money and snagging people on insurance fraud," but when the opportunity comes up to help his friend and free-lance journalist, Kathy Bentley, investigate the ten-year-old case of a wife-killing narcotics cop, Fernandez cannot say no.

There are a lot of moving parts within Dangerous Ends, but Segura never confuses us with a jumbled cast of characters or drown the reader in new and contrary information as what happens with lesser writers; he's got it locked down. One of the other pleasures of reading Dangerous Ends is Segura's mastery at writing little scenes that bask in their truth. Here is Pete Fernandez at a Waffle House.

The door jangled as he opened it and walked into the restaurant. The bright lights coated the place’s yellow and brown décor, giving the space a grimy, painted-on feeling. He took a seat at the counter and nodded as the waitress handed him a sticky plastic menu. Like most nights, the place was empty, except for a group of teenagers plotting their evening and an elderly couple sitting by the windows facing the expressway, finishing their dinner. The faint sound of the Eagles filtered through the overhead speakers, the bland, finger-picky ballad spreading over the evening like lukewarm gravy that needed a bit more salt. He motioned for the waitress, a woman in her late forties named Ruth. She had kind eyes and a cigarette-coated voice that made Pete feel at home, even here in the middle of nowhere. She nodded and walked over.

He didn’t need a menu. He didn’t even need to say his order, but the ritual was part of the pleasure of coming here.

“Hey, hon,” she said. “How’s your night going?”

“So far,” Pete said, “not bad.”

“You look tired,” she said, pulling her notebook from her apron and clicking her pen.

“If you’re perpetually tired, is that a thing?”

“It’s the kind of thing you cure with either coffee, sleep, cocaine, or a doctor’s prescription,” she said. “What’ll it be?”

“Just two scrambled eggs and a side of home fries.”

Ruth smiled and moved toward the kitchen.

But what makes Dangerous Ends really succeed is Segura's central character, Pete Fernandez. Like his fictional hard-boiled detective predecessors, Fernandez is broken, but unlike them, he is deliberately on the mend. Fernandez might slip in his journey through sobriety, but he isn't going to fail by ignoring his mistakes either. Fernandez is not some sort of hippie-feel-good-crystal-wearing-self-help-new-millennium guy, he's just not dumb, though he makes his share of stupid mistakes which just makes him a character who exists off the pages as well as on.

Dangerous Ends is the third in the Pete Fernandez books and the first that I have read. Though I caught spoilers from the earlier works, Segura's writing is good enough for me to go back and enjoy the earlier books in the Fernandez universe, spoilers be damned.

[Scott Cumming · Rating 5 out of 5]

With series, we're lured back by the thought of spending time with characters we've grown fond of and I'm especially fond of Pete Fernandez, who's very much of the Scudder/Stefanos mould. His development through each book has been great to read and continues here as he tries to work past what was perhaps his lowest point as he now regularly attends AA and has a sponsor he keeps up with. In this installment, his partner, Kathy Bentley, enlists Pete to assist with the investigation into the murder of Carmen Varela for which her husband Gaspar was convicted, but continues to insist upon his innocence. They're hired by Gaspar's daughter, Maya, to clear his name, something she has devoted her life to.

Segura really ups the ante here with "Interludes" detailing the life of Pete's grandfather Diego during the Cuban revolution and adding other cases to the novel for Pete to look into. It belies Segura's skill and confidence in his creation that we don't spend a lot of time with just Pete in the opening 50 pages as he indulges in some world building to make the story effective. There's a lot going on here, but Segura never leaves us lost in the weeds.

On another note, if I ever find myself in Miami, I'll definitely need to refer to this series to find all the good food and drink spots off the beaten track. As well as a wondeful character, Segura puts a lot of work in bringing Miami to life and never shies away from speaking about the bars and restaurants that Pete frequents along the way giving us descriptions and potted histories as he goes.

This is definitely one of my favourite series and I can't wait for Blackout.

[Jay Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a dangerous romp through the Cuban-American community in Miami. The continuing story is interrupted occasionally with flashbacks to elements of Pete's grandfather's story. Eventually the past merges into the present as the threads of all the murders twist together. The plot is imaginative and creates suspense on continuing basis. Most of the characters are painted in depth, and are quite realistic. The big twists at the end are something you don't see coming. The writing is clear and not overburdened with an excess of detail. The narrative is in real time with the exceptions noted. Although this is in a series, it can be read independently for full satisfaction.

[Amber Hawke · Rating 5 out of 5]

I started reading this book worried that I would not be able to fully enjoy it as I had not read the first two books in the series first. However the only thing I ended up missing out on is some character development of Pete Fernandez. The plot itself was unique to the book and was not based on the previous books (as far as I could tell). I really liked the way that author wove multiple plot pieces together into one story. The idea that a man that had shot his wife was innocent was an interesting thing on to itself, but then the author added in gangs and drug dealers that all want to kill Pete and that took the story to a whole different level of awesome!

[Martha · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've never been sure whether or not I actually like this series, and yet I keep reading them -- I guess that means something? This installment is the most appealing one of the bunch, in large part because Pete is sober. A lot of the violence -- or, more accurately, survival of violence -- challenges belief, but the characters are reasonably compelling, and Pete's sobriety means he's increasingly willing (required) to think about his actions and emotions, actually evaluating them on the page rather than throwing himself into it all behind the haze of alcohol. That thoughtfulness is something different, and its gradual development, too, makes it interesting.

[Viccy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pete Fernandez is trying to hold onto his sobriety this time. He is working the program and checking in with his sponsor as needed. Then his sponsor asks him to work with a new member of the program and Pete is not sure he can take on that responsibility, especially when his friend, Kathy Bentley, asks him to help her write a new book about a good cop gone bad, Gaspar Varela, who is facing execution for murdering his wife. He has maintained his innocence for the entire time he has been incarcerated, but the state is not interested unless some new evidence can be presented which would require a new trial. Pete starts digging around, his usual method of uncovering the past and he hits the mother lode. The Miami PD has been a font of bad cops and this time is not different. With ties back to Peter's grandfather and the influx of Cuban refugees into Florida after Castro came to power, this book moves back and forth in time. I like this series because of its focus on Pete and his sobriety. He is a character with many flaws but he is working to make himself better.

[Derrick · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ever since I was a kid, one of my favorite magic tricks has been when the magician takes 3 different colored scarves, pushed them into the palm of their hand, says some magic words, and pulls out one long scarf that has all three of the scares linked together. One time, I witnessed a magician who pulled out one scarf that had all three of the original scares intertwined in a tie-die design, one scarf bleeding seamlessly into the rest. This image kept coming to mind as a read Alex Segura’s latest release in the Pete Fernandez series, Dangerous Ends.

Segura has seamlessly blended three different plots into one kick-ass books that has Segura’s writing talents on full display. The plot lines intertwine and diverge with a poet’s touch and each plotline could make its own sharp novella.

The reader gets to follow the lineage of the Fernandez family tree as Pete’s grandfather begins the family journey in Cuba, as Fidel Castro and his henchmen take power. He escapes Cuba and heads to Miami where the Fernandez family puts down roots. We follow the story as tragedy hits the family and we see where the honor of the family comes from and what drives them to be better men.

We also follow Pete as he attempts to help his partner, Kathy, figure out if a man long ago convicted of murdering his wife is guilty, or was framed for the crime. They look into all facets of the crime as they prepare to write a book on the case, but they are meant with potential violence at all turns as they get closer to the truth some people want to keep buried.

We also witness Pete’s sense of honor shine through as he investigates the murder of his former wife’s second husband. Pete initially decides he has too much on his plate looking into the murder case, but his desire to always do the right thing by the people he loves drives him to take on this investigation as well.

Segura handles all these plot lines with the skills of a veteran author and has them all have meaning as the book concludes. His ace in the hole of this novel is the humanity he brings to Fernandez. Fernandez is struggling to stay sober, struggling to live up to his father’s legacy, and struggling to not let himself or his loved ones down. The battles he faces are battles most people can relate to, albeit on a scale that doesn’t involve tracking down murderers, dirty cops, or dodging threats at every turn.

This book is a great addition to this series and showcases Segura’s expert plotting, great character development, and great sense of atmospheric writing. I would recommend reading the series in order, as this book does contain spoilers from the preceding books in the series.


Recommended.

[Gabriel Valjan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Peter Fernandez returns in this third installment of author Alex Segura’s crime series set in Miami. Silent City and Down the Darkest Street precede this novel. Life is looking up for Pete. He’s in AA and there’s some poignant insights into an alcoholic’s struggles with addiction and temptation. Life is good, though. He has Kathy for a partner, Dave for a loyal friend, and a former FBI agent, Robert Harras, for an unlikely ally. Readers familiar with the first two books know that trouble seems to dog Pete. That trouble comes in the form of Kathy taking a case to explore the possibility of a retrial for a client’s father. Readers who know little of the history of Miami’s Cuban community are in for a treat. Peter’s case and family history circle around certain aspects of the island, before and after Castro. The author avoids the trap of the partner romance between Pete and Kathy, and I appreciated that, and I admired his skillful display of the extremes in wealth within Miami without passing moral judgment. With each book, Peter’s character deepens and develops, and the effort to solve the crime involves dodging blows, bullets, and enough grit to dust off sand. Segura is an author who takes chances, where other authors stick to formula, and this is a quality I admire in a writer regardless of “genre.”

[Brenda Kuchinsky · Rating 5 out of 5]

Shades of Philip Marlow! Noir lives through Pete Fernandez, the troubled P.I. in Alex Segura's wonderful novel, Dangerous Ends.

Set in steamy Miami, this novel sizzles with shady characters, loose ends, and enough twists and turns to keep the reader on the alert. Add haunting shades of the Cuban past interspersed throughout through flashbacks to Pete's grandfather's Cuban past following him to Miami and you have all the elements of a great read.

When Pete's pal, Kathy, a crime writer and journalist, asks him to join her in unraveling the mystery shrouding the jailed Gaspar Varela, a former Miami police officer serving a life sentence for the puzzling murder of his wife, he jumps in. They interview Varela, exposing the problematic unanswered questions shrouding the case in uncertainty.

Before you know it bullets are flying, people are springing up from the past, a Cuban vengeance gang, Los Enfermos, figures into the mix, and Pete and Kathy are faced with more questions rather than receiving clear answers. Romance between Pete and Varela's loyal daughter, who hired Kathy and has worked tirelessly to absolve her father, further complicates an already messy situation.

The surprises are astonishing as the dogged duo risk their lives to reconstruct a past within a past to ferret out the truth.

[David Sayre · Rating 5 out of 5]

The third of the Pete Fernandez mysteries, "Dangerous Ends", takes all the intrigue, depth of character and delicate relationships of the first two novels and expands upon them, while seeming to also turn them on their heads.

Alex Segura has developed a wonderful, modern-day pulp detective, who navigates his way through all the trappings of classic Noir. Pete's story only becomes richer with each page of this third installment. And the author further intrigues the reader by interweaving a story from another time and place to give us, not only greater understanding of his fictional detective, but a fascinating connection to Pete's current case.

One of the reasons I so enjoy Alex Segura's work, being a Miami native, is that I know the places that Pete visits in these novels. And each description that Segura provides perfectly captures the look and feel of these locations. I grew up around places that have appeared as crime scenes in the Pete Fernandez stories. I've eaten the same food at the restaurants where Pete interviews suspects and sources. It is an absolute treasure to see Pete's Miami, that I know so well, come to life in Segura's novels.

"Dangerous Ends" truly raises the bar for an author I have come to greatly appreciate. This, as well as "Silent City" and "Down the Darkest Street", should be considered must-reads for fans of crime fiction as well as my fellow Miami natives.

[Brian O'Hare · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dangerous Ends by Alex Segura made me, a writer as well, groan with envy as I read it, glued to the pages. It is a brilliantly creative story, with superb characters and a cleverly intricate plot. A reformed alcoholic, still struggling manfully with his addiction, is hired by the daughter of a man serving time for murder. He is asked to pair with a female reporter to prove that the convicted man is innocent. Or is he? Everything points to his guilt but, as the case progresses, the detective’s gut begins to tell him otherwise. The investigation seems to open a hornet’s nest because the two partners suddenly find themselves targets for hit men and their lives in mortal danger. They are forced into hiding as they try to find out who is trying to kill them, and why.

The writing is professional, controlled and very, very skilled. It reminds me, to a degree, of those great old crime writers of the sixties – Mickey Spillane, Raymond Chandler, among others– in that it is crisp, tending to hard-boiled, and occasionally oblique. But it is a book of its era, filled with superb imagery and great similes that trip with incredible ease of Segura’s pen. Look at this excerpt: “Today was that kind of day where your past peeked out at you from the sewer and reached its hand to remind you it’s still there. Watching.”

What can you say about a guy who writes like that? All I can say is, “Give the rest of us a break, Segura, will ya!”

If you like your crime stories complex, filled with layers of seemingly unrelated incidents that ultimately connect dazzlingly in a double-whammy surprise ending, then this book is for you. It’s a wonderful story, a mesmerising trawl through Miami’s criminal underbelly that oozes authenticity. It grabbed me from the first page and never let go. As a reader you can’t go wrong with an Alex Segura book. Try this one. You’ll love it.

[Randy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pete Fernandez is back in action!

This is the third book in the Pete Fernandez series (please don't let it be the last!), and I can honestly say, it just gets better with each installment.
I have become so invested in this cast of characters, that they feel like family to me.
Alex Segura is So good and so in tune with the character of Pete Fernandez and his partner Kathy. The only thing I hate is reading the last page of each book and knowing I have to wait for the next one! Thank you once again Alex!

[Scott · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pete Fernandez returns, in this the most strongly plotted novel in the series to date. Past and present intersect as Pete unravels a mystery that stretches back to pre-Castro Cuba and family members of his who left the island during the Revolution. As always, Alex Segura's writing has a smooth flow and just the right rhythm. A book that's compulsively readable.

[Misty · Rating 5 out of 5]

I did not read book one or two of the series, but I was still able to enjoy this book. I found Pete Fernandez to be an interesting character that went from a somewhat boring life of a PI to being involved in a dangerous case filled with twists and turns that could lead to his death. The author really did a fantastic job in keeping the case unpredictable. I always love mysteries that keep me guessing and this one was very successful in that!

[The Sandstress · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cant wait for the next one!

Having read the first two in the series, I was sure that I would enjoy this one and I was right! It was fast paced and when I was reading I felt immersed in the story. Looking forward to the next book.

[Mike Oates · Rating 5 out of 5]

The first two volumes were a delight, but this third volume was a stunner. Segura knows how to build a mystery and the character work he started with Pete Fernandez in volume one REALLY pays off in spades here in volume three. I'm not fan of Dennis Lehane, but Segura is able to take the stuff I like about Lehane (the deftness of prose, lavish setting and flashbacks) and make a story that is truly stunning and deserving of a television show.

[Justin Aclin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Segura crafts the most thrilling and captivating Pete Fernandez mystery yet by making it the most personal one yet. The key is a mystery that spans from Pete's modern-day Miami stomping grounds all the way back to revolutionary Cuba and Pete's hidden family history. The result is a crackling page-turner that confirms that Segura is a major new voice of crime fiction.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a dark, gritty, fast-paced noir. I've been a fan of the series since the beginning, and this is my favorite yet. Kept me turning the pages to see what would happen next.

[Richard Lelievre · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent thriller love it from the first page to the last page.

[Erin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best one yet! I really really like Pete Fernandez. Looking forward to the next one.