Blackout

Pete Fernandez Mystery #4

by Alex Segura

NOMINATED FOR THE ANTHONY AWARD FOR BEST NOVEL ONE OF THE MOST ANTICIPATED CRIME, MYSTERY, AND THRILLERS OF 2018 ―LitHub ONE OF THE THE BIGGEST MYSTERY AND THRILLERS OF SPRING 2018 ―BookBub ONE OF THE MOST ANTICIPATED BOOKS OF 2018 ―MysteryPeople "A series not to be missed.” -Megan Abbott In Blackout, the latest novel in Alex Segura’s acclaimed Pete Fernandez Mystery series, startling new evidence in a cold case that's haunted Pete drags the exiled PI back to his hometown of Miami. But as Pete and his partner Kathy Bentley delve deeper into the unsolved murder, they become entangled in Miami’s obsession with a charismatic and dangerous cult leader and his even more menacing followers. At the same time, the detectives find themselves at odds with a Florida politician’s fixation on wealth, fame and power. It all converges in the heart of the Magic City and Pete is left scrambling to pick up the pieces―or die trying. The Pete Fernandez novels have always run on two tracks – the long-buried Miami mystery that Pete is forced to solve, and Pete’s often unpredictable evolution from self-destructive alcoholic to somewhat functional private eye. In Blackout, those two tracks blend into one dark, personal and deadly tale of dangerous obsession that will leave Pete Fernandez completely changed. It’s all been building to this.

Genres: Mystery, Crime, Fiction

320 pages, Hardcover

First published May 8, 2018

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

[Cindy Burnett (Thoughts from a Page) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Blackout is my first Pete Fernandez novel, and I enjoyed the whirlwind, action-packed pace that started at the beginning of the book and did not let up until the story was finished. Reading Blackout was like hopping on a roller coaster ride or watching a Mission Impossible movie – there are so many twists and turns and never a dull moment in between. As soon as one villain is vanquished, another appears as Pete travels across Florida trying to solve a cold case from his past that puts him in the path of a dangerous and enigmatic cult leader. An entertaining read!

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn't know how much I was longing for some good old South Florida noir until I read Alex Segura's fourth Pete Fernandez novel Blackout (Polis Books, digital galley). Fernandez, a former reporter turned P.I. and a  recovering alcoholic, initially turns away a Florida politician looking for his missing son because it means returning to his hometown of Miami. Then Pete realizes that the missing man is linked to the cold case of Patty Morales, a high school classmate of Pete's who disappeared in 1998. He and his former partner, Kathy Bentley, have tried to find Patty's killer before, but their luck ran out when a crucial witness disappeared. Now with a chance to make amends with his past and old friends, Pete, who has been living in New York, heads for Miami, finding its familiarity both reassuring and overwhelming  Segura makes good use of Miami history -- remember the Liberty City cult of Yahweh ben Yahweh? -- and the surreality of Florida itself in crafting his hard-boiled tale.
from On a Clear Day I Can Read Forever

[Gretchen Beetner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pete Fernandez is getting his life back on track (kinda sorta). He has stopped drinking but he has definitely not stopped putting himself in danger. Tons of action and foes old and new. The case Pete is working on has connections to older events with lots to untangle. A fun thrill ride that left me wanting a drink even if it won’t be with Pete!

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm ashamed to say that this was my first Pete Fernandez book. That being the case, I can tell you that that did not change my enjoyment of it in the least. BLACKOUT is riveting, and just when you think you know what's going on, when you're certain you know whodunnit, Segura turns the tables. The action is nearly non-stop. I advise against reading this book any time you might have to put it down; it is nearly an impossible task (I stayed up much later than anticipated several nights in a row). It's no surprise this series has a cult following.
Segura created a world where even someone just entering it feels right at home. And if you're from (or have ever visited) Miami, you REALLY feel right at home. His descriptions bring memories flooding back if you're from there, and if not, you might still feel a twinge of nostalgia. As I said, this is my first encounter with Pete Fernandez. It won't be my last.

[Kim · Rating 3 out of 5]

Let’s See, we have a former newspaper sportswriter who turns into a private investigator and to make things even more interesting an alcoholic. Throw in a stripper, the mob, several former girlfriends, one a former newspaper writer and partner private investigator, another a Latina lawyer, a dead former classmate and a few of her relatives, an almost retired FBI agent, a political couple who are are striving for a higher office, a religious cult and you have the makings of a fast moving, action packed murder mystery that twists, turns and leaves a trail of mayhem and murder.

The story moves from 1998 to 2017 from Miami to Spring Valley, New York to Key West and back and forth. The murder and mayhem continue in all locales. This is the third in the Pete Fernandez mysteries, but not having read the previous books I can attest that this book stands by itself.

Thank You NetGalley and Polis Books for an ARC.

[MarylineD · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley and PolisBooks for letting me read this for an honest review!

I loved this book! Well written, action/crime/thriller, well paced, you never get tired and can't put it down! Good from start to finish, with flashbackks and all to really understand where the characters are coming from. You get attached to Pete!
It's really good without a dull moment! Like watching a movie!

Reviews posted on Twitter, GoodReads, NetGalley, Amazon...

[Randy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pete Fernandez is one of crime fictions greatest characters. I don't say this lightly. This genre has always been a favorite of mine and this character is one of those people who are damaged and sometimes difficult to understand, and yet you are drawn to them immediately. He's real and so are his struggles and that is the strength of this series. It looks as if things have come to an abrupt end for Pete this time, but I hope I'm wrong because I've grown attached to Pete over the last few books. Another exceptional chapter in what is one of the best crime thriller series I've had the pleasure of reading.

[Michael Moreci · Rating 5 out of 5]

This continues to be one of the best PI series going--great character, great locales, and a crackling plot makes Segura's latest one of his best!

[Steph Post · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best Pete book (yet). Blackout had everything I've come to expect from Alex Segura's writing- fast pacing, great character depth, lots of twists and turns- but I felt that his storytelling skills were really on display with this latest installment. Segura's ability to weave multiple storylines together in a seamless narrative where everything "clicks" is impressive and took Pete Fernandez's story, and his character arc, to a whole new level. Blackout exceeded my expectations and then some.

[Doug Yonce · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pete is still battling demons: internal and external and those two demons are like watching two channel simultaneously on TV as you wait for an (infrequent) lull in one to focus on the other. Going back 20 years adds greater depth to our protagonist leading to an excellent read. I received an advanced digital copy through #NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Martha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Segura has done a really excellent job at character growth and progression in this series, particularly in terms of the impact of Pete's drinking on his life, and recognition of the fact that being sober doesn't magically make things better. I particularly appreciate the regularity with which the people around Pete call him out on his shit, and his utter inability to establish solid human relationships.

[Hansel Castro · Rating 5 out of 5]

New York sounds like the perfect place to set up a fledgling detective agency, and that’s where we are at the beginning of Alex Segura’s “Blackout,” the fourth Pete Fernandez mystery. Pete has escaped from the Miami of “Dangerous Ends,” and is getting ready for a bright future. But what was that whole Faulkner thing about the past not being dead? It certainly involves a lot of dead people.

The dead person haunting Pete this time around is Patricia “Patty” Morales, a crush from Pete’s Southwest High days. Miami natives will recognize any number of authentic references to local high schools in this series: Pete has visited Miami Senior High before, and now Southwest and Columbus get scholastic cameos. And yes, we get a surprising glimpse of young Pete, a portrait of the PI as a teenager, lugging around his European History textbook, which adds a charming depth to the character that I would welcome in other hard-boiled thrillers. Can anyone imagine, say, Michael Connelly’s Bosch cramming for the SATs? Or Lee Child’s Jack Reacher crushing opponents at dodgeball?

Patty’s disappearance- and the eventual discovery of her corpse- explains a lot about Pete’s psyche. It also brings him back to Miami, baited by Senator Trevor McRyan and his wife Ellen, a pair of political animals who need Pete to track down a missing black sheep of a son. Can their son also be a key witness to Patty Morales’ murder? We soon learn about a religious cult that would seem too sinister and powerful if it didn’t parallel several very real churches that sprung up around Miami on the wake of the Mariel boat-lift in the 80s. It is not immediately clear how the political plot and the religious plot fit together, (that’s why they call them mysteries, no?) but the sense that everything is connected keeps Pete searching for the truth.

And everything IS connected: Pete’s past mysteries all have some relevance here. I imagine newcomers to the series could pick “Blackout” as a stand-alone novel, since the recaps are seamlessly integrated. But long-time readers will get some extra emotional rewards, so if you’re new to Pete’s saga, it might not be a bad idea to go back to the beginning. Also, I didn’t exactly keep a ledger, but the body count here has to be a series high: Segura writes noir in the grim, grand tradition and has always announced it proudly in his book titles, but “Blackout” may the darkest one yet- leading to that absolute darkness we were warned about in the cover.

And that ending! I won’t spoil but I have to say that it takes LOT of confidence to end a book like that. Segura knows we will come back for book 5.

[Dave · Rating 5 out of 5]

There's a lot of reasons why we read a series of crime fiction novels. They give us exciting action sequences, nuanced characters we root for and against (often back and forth), and moments of powerful and gritty drama. All of that is sort of the frosting on the metaphorical cake though. The real reason we read a good crime fiction series is to go on a journey. We want an identifiable character we can root for, scream at and empathize with when they fall, and stand up and cheer when they get back up and keep fighting. Alex Segura understands that. It's why his series of novels starring private detective Pete Fernandez have been so good, and it's why the latest, Blackout (which I just finished) could be his best one yet.

In Blackout, Segura gives us a novel of epic scope and scale. You get cults, the mob, a murder investigation that Pete interacts with at three different points in his life, political intrigues, assassinations, and a climax that takes place in the eye of a hurricane. So going back to my earlier (and perhaps tired and cliched) metaphor, the frosting on Blackout is exciting and great. But what makes all that fun stuff especially resonant is the emotional journey that's come before and continues in this novel.

To talk in too much detail would spoil a lot of things, but I can say this is a book that offers long term payout to readers of the other books. Over the course of the story it's clear that Pete grows. He confronts somethings and makes some realizations that makes him an even more fascinating character and makes the end of the Blackout extremely powerful.

And it's not just Pete that's great in this book. Over the course of the novels I've come to care for his friends like former FBI Agent Robert Harras. I'm especially attached his pal with a criminal past, Dave Mendoza; and his partner Kathy Bentley. The first two have some great moments in Blackout. I especially love some of the revelations we get into Dave's past which make him even more intriguing. For me, though the truly awesome supporting character in this story is Kathy.

We've got to see Kathy grow too over the course of the Peter Fernandez books and she's become amazing. In Blackout she's insightful, tough, compassionate, and the perfect person to play Pete off of. Their dynamic together is fun and heartfelt.

So, if you haven't read any Pete Fernandez books do yourself a favor, go back and start at the beginning. By the time you get to Blackout you'll see you've been part of a truly special journey. And best of all that journey is far from over! The final pages of Blackout will have you desperately longing to see where Segura takes Pete Fernandez next.

[David Sayre · Rating 5 out of 5]

Alex Segura's fourth installment in the Pete Fernandez series is easily the largest in scale, most elaborate in story, and perhaps the best work in the collection to date.

Pete is, as we left him in the last novel, Dangerous Ends, living in New York. But those familiar with Pete's story know that Miami may come calling and Pete may feel obligated to answer. This time around it's a connection to a cold case with personal implications for Pete and his past that lead him to his latest adventure. An adventure that has twists, turns, plenty of murders and, oh yeah, a creepy cult. The ride takes off pretty quickly and never lets up.

To say that Segura's novels are entertaining page turners, while certainly true, is drastically underrating the strong emotional center of what's amidst the narrative. Pete Fernandez is a deeply complex character for whom redemption, self-evaluation and ultimately an existential journey rest at the heart of these mysteries. Following Pete's development from the first novel to the most recent is absolutely fascinating. It can be difficult at times, having so much invested in Pete and his associates and always wanting him to come out for the better on the other end, but it always seems rewarding when the last page is turned.

Like the previous volumes in the Fernandez mysteries, it's not required that the reader has been on the trip with Pete from the beginning. (Segura has a particular talent for giving new readers the details of the characters' backstory to catch them up). That said, it is all the more rewarding if you've been with Pete all along. Because the author refuses to let his creation be simply a private detective for whom his latest case dictates his actions. With each Pete Fernandez story, Pete is evolving. He's dealing with his own personal issues, recovering from - and sometimes answering for - his past. Like all the best crime fiction, there is a human story beyond the "whodunnit?"

As Pete grows, so too does his creator. Blackout explores themes and tells a grander story than the previous works in the series. And Segura further displays his ability to spread the narrative across multiple time periods, a skill he used to great effect in Dangerous Ends. In Blackout he ups the game in all facets of storytelling.

All in all Blackout is a welcome edition to a terrific series that constantly keeps its protagonist, as well as the reader, on their toes and never finding a dull moment.

[Jorge A Barriere-Mendez · Rating 4 out of 5]

Blackout, by Alex Segura, is another Pete Fernandez mystery, but this one gets a bit more complicated than the others. A cold case brings Pete back to Miami where he must deal with a cult leader and his followers. Pete also finds himself dealing with his old demon --alcoholism. 'Blackout' sometimes reads like a photo album of the old neighborhood, if one was raised in South Florida and particularly, Southwest and Westchester. Segura's narrative is very strong in physical details with unusual and descriptive combinations of words: 'languid wave', 'tangled and dirty hair', 'rough and rocky sand', 'malicious rainforest', 'sleek, wet, dirty'.
His style is populated by short, descriptive sentences. The characters come at you in black and white, perhaps a bit lacking in mental details for my taste; at times a bit a la Hemingway, only with a lot more adjectives and descriptions. Yet, the mysterious way in which the author tells his story creates a sense of intrigue that makes this novel a page-turner. I recommend it, if mystery and personal dilemmas are your drug of choice. A good summer read.
Jorge A Barriere-Mendez, Author
(Papi's Lover, a crime-drama love story)

[Viccy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pete Fernandez is a dry drunk, trying to hold onto his sobriety by his fingertips. He lives in New Jersey, but grew up in Miami. He fled Miami, trying to regain some kind of life; he was a reporter but now works as a private detective. He returns to Miami to try and solve the one case that has haunted him all his life, the murder of his high school crush, Patty Morales. She disappeared from the grounds of the high school while Pete was doing garbage pick-up. Pete found her body, years later, dumped outside her father's house. What does her death have to do with her father's involvement with La Iglesia de la Luz, a cult-like church? Is La Iglesia still around? And who is the young man Pete is looking for? The son of a popular gubernatorial candidate or a degenerate drug addict also involved with La Iglesia? This is a intricately plotted mystery with a whiz-bang ending. I am going to track down the first two books in the series.

[Gabriel Valjan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is my fourth visit with Pete Fernandez, and this installment is a departure – in a good way - from the other installments in the series. What I admire in this outing is the maturity of both the author’s writing and the main character’s development. The author Alex Segura juggles timelines and cityscapes with confidence. The place of the story moves from New York to Miami, and in time, from the late 90s to the present. Pete, a recovering alcoholic, is taking Step 9 of the 12 Steps seriously. He tries to make amends with his past and those he let down, while tackling a cold case with personal reverberations, and the enemies he’s made along the way. A complicated story that could’ve gone off the rails but is handled brilliantly. The ending leaves you wondering whether there is a fifth book in the future.

[Dave · Rating 5 out of 5]

Got to read an advance of this book and loved it, just as I've loved all the other Pete Fernandez series. The way Alex continually pushes Pete forward into a more nuanced character and into darker situations without becoming unbelievable is an excellent trick to pull off. The supporting characters show true life every time they are on the page, and the villains are nasty.

Great series and a great book! Highly recommended.

[Justin Aclin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Segura takes his hard-boiled detective, Pete Fernandez, and drops him into some very unexpected situations, from political conspiracy to murderous cults. While the scope is more epic than previous Pete mysteries, Segura keeps everything grounded by being tied in to Pete's own history and his experiences as a recovering addict. Blackout is tightly paced, thrilling and yet more evidence that the Pete Fernandez mysteries are some of the finest PI fiction being produced now.

[Cathi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Blackout was a knockout! Through the ups and downs of three other novels, Alex Segura’s Pete Fernandez has been trying to turn his life around—no more blackouts and no more drinking. But in this fourth novel in the series, past mistakes, politics and a slew of Miami murders make it harder than ever. Blackout is non-stop action until its very end, which will shock you. Hope to see more of Pete in Alex’s next mystery.

[Erica Wright · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm a fan of the Pete Fernandez series, and this is my favorite entry yet. Cults, campaigns, and hurricanes tangle in a dark and surprising mystery. Don't miss Segura's updated take on classic noir.

[D Jackson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quite a gripping mystery with several unexpected events. The main character developed as events unfolded and he acquires a renewed personal strength. Overall, a good read.

[BLD · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another good book in the series.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I always look forward to a new book in this series! Even if you're new to the crime/mystery genre, I'd recommend checking out Segura's novels for the sense of place and the complex (and conflicted) main character, former newspaper journalist Pete Fernandez. Pete's introspection is as much of a draw as the story itself, which is dark and propulsive; you will keep turning the pages.

[Bookreporter.com Mystery & Thriller · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pete Fernandez is a complex character. He is a recovering alcoholic who, as with many in such a state, is wracked with guilt from multiple sources past and present. The ups and downs of his life have been chronicled in three previous volumes --- SILENT CITY, DOWN THE DARKEST STREET and DANGEROUS ENDS --- but it is the newly published BLACKOUT that is the darkest and grimmest of this mesmerizing quartet.

Author Alex Segura is known for his sudden twists and unusual vision when dealing with otherwise familiar topics --- his contemporary take on the Archie comic universe earned him critical accolades and a re-examination of the traditional roles of the characters themselves --- and BLACKOUT is an excellent example of this. The story begins and ends in New York, but the meat of it brings Pete back home to Miami where he finds himself to be an unlikely fish out of water. Miami has been the place of triumph and disappointment for Pete, with the latter far outweighing the former. Of particular danger is that a Cuban criminal organization known as Los Enfermos has a longstanding score to settle with him. A couple of factors draw him back, work ostensibly being the primary one.

Florida state senator Trevor McRyan and his wife, Ellen, want Pete to locate their wayward son, Stephen, who has gone off the radar just as Trevor is about to announce his candidacy for governor. Pete’s reluctance to take the case is overwhelmed when he realizes that Stephen was a key witness to the disappearance of a high school student named Patricia Morales. Pete was one of Patricia’s classmates and among the last people to see her alive. He also was the one who discovered her remains several years later, and the matter has haunted him for years. Stephen, who claimed to have knowledge of what happened to Patricia, disappeared before the police could talk to him. Pete believes that if he can locate Stephen, he can find out who murdered Patricia and why.

The McRyans were referred to Pete by Jackie Cruz, an old friend of Pete who is assisting them with Trevor’s campaign. Returning to Miami will allow Pete to renew acquaintances with Jackie, as well as with Mary Bentley, his former business partner and occasional lover. One can almost see the wheels going off Pete’s plan within a few moments of his returning to Miami. There is collateral damage wherever he goes, even with the best of intentions. Pete has too many enemies holding over from his past residency. When his investigation leads him to the remnants of a formerly powerful and still influential (and dangerous) religious cult, things get apocalyptic. The novel subjects him and his friends to a number of deadly twists and turns, leaving few of them intact. Pete gets the answers he has sought for so long, but at great personal cost, one that he cannot really afford.

BLACKOUT contains a complete story --- two of them, actually --- but ends ambiguously, to say the least. While this is the fourth in what was conceived to be a quartet, its ending may or may not lead into yet another installment. It would be a shame to consign to literary limbo whatever characters survive the conclusion. That said, the true star of the book is Miami. I haven’t been to the city in decades but felt it calling to me after reading Segura’s warts-and-all vision of it. Check it out.

Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub

[Joe Passanisi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fans of the Pete Fernandez series are going to absolutely love Blackout, the fourth novel by Alex Segura

Without spoiling, here are a few of my favorite elements of the book:

-Pete turns a corner in this book in both his personal life, bouts with alcohol, and professionally in that he is determined to address his past in order to right the ship in the present. I loved this side of Pete and the conflicts it created with the character.

-Regarding the past, I enjoyed the flashback scenes that were included as they shed some light on Pete's experiences and opened up my thoughts on where the character may have caught the PI bug.

-The protagonist in the book is a church/cult that reminded me of the creepiness I felt in Stephen King's Revival which was really fun to experience in this series.

-I think my most favorite aspect of the book, particularly as a writer though readers will appreciate this as well, was the way the author tied up everything that is happening in the story in a way that will leave you satisfied and wanting to talk about as soon as you turn the last page. Impressive and fun. What reading is all about for me.

In summary, this a must read for fans of the series and fans of crime fiction, myteries and thrillers. The book is filled with feelings of love, fear and hope that makes this a special one for the Pete Fernandez series and for the author.

I'm trying so hard not to spoil anything so forgive me if any of my thoughts are too vague!

[Sean Rickets · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pete Fernandez's fourth adventure is his best one yet. Segura is an incredibly taught writer and his has a lot to be proud of with this book.

[Michelle · Rating 2 out of 5]

The most shocking part about this book was the rave reviews. I don't get it. Pete was nothing but annoying. His antics got boring and the story just went on and on. It felt so drawn out. And I kept waiting for this big category 4 storm and the blackout. So much hype that was over in a flash when it finally came about. I was so underwhelmed. I know this series is loved by many but I'm done. I won't be picking up the next one.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Full review to follow with TLC Book Tours date: 6/7

[Kyle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really fun crime thriller. Love this series.