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Pinnacle City: A Superhero Noir
To some people, Pinnacle City is a glittering metropolis, a symbol of prosperity watched over by the all-star superhero team, the Pinnacle City Guardians. But beneath the glitz and glamour is a gritty underbelly, one still feeling the physical and economic damage of the superhero-villain battles of generations past, where the lower class—immigrants, criminals, aliens, sorcerers, and non-humans alike—jostle and elbow for scraps to scrape by on.
Private investigator Eddie Enriquez is an ex-con and veteran with powers of his own who still bears the scars of his time as a minion for a low-level supervillain. Good work’s been hard to come by until a mysterious woman shows up at his office with a case the police and superheroes are the suspicious death of a prominent non-human rights activist.
Meanwhile, superhero Kimberly Kline, a.k.a. Solar Flare, has just hit it big, graduating to the Pinnacle City Guardians. With good looks, incredible superpowers, and a family name that opens doors, the sky is the limit. But in trying to make the world a better place . . . she’ll discover Pinnacle City isn’t as black and white as it once seemed.
From the minds of Matt Carter and Fiona J. R. Titchenell, Pinnacle City is a pulpy, throwback noir of yesteryear, where two people from opposite sides of the track must team up to do good in a world full of bad.
Private investigator Eddie Enriquez is an ex-con and veteran with powers of his own who still bears the scars of his time as a minion for a low-level supervillain. Good work’s been hard to come by until a mysterious woman shows up at his office with a case the police and superheroes are the suspicious death of a prominent non-human rights activist.
Meanwhile, superhero Kimberly Kline, a.k.a. Solar Flare, has just hit it big, graduating to the Pinnacle City Guardians. With good looks, incredible superpowers, and a family name that opens doors, the sky is the limit. But in trying to make the world a better place . . . she’ll discover Pinnacle City isn’t as black and white as it once seemed.
From the minds of Matt Carter and Fiona J. R. Titchenell, Pinnacle City is a pulpy, throwback noir of yesteryear, where two people from opposite sides of the track must team up to do good in a world full of bad.
312 pages, Paperback
First published August 7, 2018
18 people are currently reading
138 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
June 13, 2018
When I read the description for this book, I was excited to get an early copy. But my excitement ended about a dozen pages in, and it only got worse from there.
If genre matters to you, neither the "Superhero Noir" subtitle nor the description is a good representation. First, this is hard-boiled, not noir, as far as the attempt at atmosphere and the detective's part. (In 'Noir' fiction, the lead character is not a detective, but just an everyday person.) Then we have the superhero aspect, which takes us fully into fantasy and edges into science fiction. We have shapeshifters, aliens, time travel, and magic, as well as the more traditional feel of superhero powers. So it's kind of all over the place.
The setting feels like a spin-off of Batman's Gotham City. The cops are corrupt, the city is in trouble, bad guys flourish, and the superheroes are trying to keep things under control.
We have two viewpoints, both written in first person. Eddie is the damaged, bad boy detective with an alcohol and drug problem. Solar Flare, who starts out as Glitter Girl, might be Supergirl's doppelganger from another dimension. The sections are clearly marked with the viewpoint characters' names, so the transitions are handled well.
We jump right in with a character dump, as if a couple dozen unfamiliar characters should be easy to keep track of from the start. It was so bad that I figured this book must be part of an ongoing series. So I checked. It's not. To complicate the large number of characters, we also have their regular names and their superhero names. It's much like being tossed into the middle of a DC Comics reunion, without having read any of the books, seen the movies, or watched the TV shows. Consequently, there isn't a whole lot of character development.
I liked the detective's sections more than the superhero sections. His story, narrowed and defined, would have appealed to me more. As it stands, the story feels like too much of a conglomerate of everything current in pop culture.
*The publisher provided me with an advance copy, via Amazon Vine, in exchange for my honest review.*
If genre matters to you, neither the "Superhero Noir" subtitle nor the description is a good representation. First, this is hard-boiled, not noir, as far as the attempt at atmosphere and the detective's part. (In 'Noir' fiction, the lead character is not a detective, but just an everyday person.) Then we have the superhero aspect, which takes us fully into fantasy and edges into science fiction. We have shapeshifters, aliens, time travel, and magic, as well as the more traditional feel of superhero powers. So it's kind of all over the place.
The setting feels like a spin-off of Batman's Gotham City. The cops are corrupt, the city is in trouble, bad guys flourish, and the superheroes are trying to keep things under control.
We have two viewpoints, both written in first person. Eddie is the damaged, bad boy detective with an alcohol and drug problem. Solar Flare, who starts out as Glitter Girl, might be Supergirl's doppelganger from another dimension. The sections are clearly marked with the viewpoint characters' names, so the transitions are handled well.
We jump right in with a character dump, as if a couple dozen unfamiliar characters should be easy to keep track of from the start. It was so bad that I figured this book must be part of an ongoing series. So I checked. It's not. To complicate the large number of characters, we also have their regular names and their superhero names. It's much like being tossed into the middle of a DC Comics reunion, without having read any of the books, seen the movies, or watched the TV shows. Consequently, there isn't a whole lot of character development.
I liked the detective's sections more than the superhero sections. His story, narrowed and defined, would have appealed to me more. As it stands, the story feels like too much of a conglomerate of everything current in pop culture.
*The publisher provided me with an advance copy, via Amazon Vine, in exchange for my honest review.*
March 17, 2023
A solid superhero noir story
May 24, 2018
I am extremely glad that I didn’t pass on the chance to read Pinnacle City. Normally, I have mixed feelings about superheroes mostly leaning towards the - meh category. Pinnacle City is very different from your average superhero novel. Pinnacle City has more in common with noir pulp detective fiction.
For the wealthy, Pinnacle City is a beautiful metropolis, filled with every convenience and protected by the glamorous Pinnacle City Guardians. The poor and the gene-damaged live in the Crescent and the wasteland beyond, struggling from day to day. Eddie Enriquez is a PI with a gift for seeing the past. When he’s asked to investigate a murder, he doesn’t anticipate the trouble it will cause or the fact that what looks to be the truth may hide something all the more sinister and dangerous. Kimberly Kline knows the glamorous side of Pinnacle City. She’s excited about becoming the new Solar Flare, but troubled by being assigned bodyguard to Pinnacle City’s mayor (a corrupt, bigoted, self aggrandizing misogynist) and his spoiled family. But her illusions are shattered after she meets Eddie and begins to learn about the growing darkness beneath she shining lights of Pinnacle City.
Pinnacle City is an excellent read that will please fans of pulp noir, urban fantasy, sci fi and superhero fiction.
5 / 5
I received a copy of Pinnacle City from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
— Crittermom
For the wealthy, Pinnacle City is a beautiful metropolis, filled with every convenience and protected by the glamorous Pinnacle City Guardians. The poor and the gene-damaged live in the Crescent and the wasteland beyond, struggling from day to day. Eddie Enriquez is a PI with a gift for seeing the past. When he’s asked to investigate a murder, he doesn’t anticipate the trouble it will cause or the fact that what looks to be the truth may hide something all the more sinister and dangerous. Kimberly Kline knows the glamorous side of Pinnacle City. She’s excited about becoming the new Solar Flare, but troubled by being assigned bodyguard to Pinnacle City’s mayor (a corrupt, bigoted, self aggrandizing misogynist) and his spoiled family. But her illusions are shattered after she meets Eddie and begins to learn about the growing darkness beneath she shining lights of Pinnacle City.
Pinnacle City is an excellent read that will please fans of pulp noir, urban fantasy, sci fi and superhero fiction.
5 / 5
I received a copy of Pinnacle City from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
— Crittermom
January 1, 2019
This was a really fantastic story combining the private eye trope with superhero trends. I love the idea that people have superpowers that aren't necessarily all that helpful, in addition to those who can fly, have super strength, or some of the more well-known superpowers. The characters were fantastic, and the plot turned into an overarching conspiracy that just a few people had to work to bring down.
March 6, 2022
So this is more superhero than noir.
There are two main characters and it flips back and forth between their narratives each chapter.
Edgar, the private investigator, is the only character with any real depth. He's the only three dimensional character. While the other main character did push the story along, it was very bland.
Kimberly, the superhero, was the other main. She was always positive and then broken hearted when things were not all sunshine and rainbows. Her chapters were very dull for the most part; sounding as if written by a 16 year old girl.
The "girl power" in this book was layed on thick. Every chick was a badass or cool in some way. It was all very forced.
The superhero names were awful and had the creativity of an elementary school child.
Trying to appeal to everyone they had the cool/badass minority, who they took every opportunity to make stand out. Also incredibly forced.
There was a lesbian couple, I suppose to keep with the trend of the day of having something in there to try and appeal to the LGBTQ+ community. This was also highly unnecessary and very forced. It seemed like an attempt to give the characters some depth.
The romantic scenes were all cringey and very forced as well. Something you'd probably find in a hormonal teenage girl's diary when she is thinking about "doing it".
Edgar's only real defense was a baseball bat. He swings it at every other person with powers and got his ass handed to him as expected. This man needed a real weapon. He goes from this to having an incredibly powerful weapon in the end. The final super that messes with him basically tries to talk it out instead of use their power against him and Edgar finally has a change to use his bat. I understand this is make-believe, but this would never happen in any scenario. Like the villain telling you what they're going to do which gives you enough time to escape...
All of that being said, the Edgar storyline would've been perfect as a standalone novella and would've definitely been a superhero noir. I encourage the reading to at least experience that side of the story. Unfortunately you have to read Kimberly's parts as well as they provide background, setup, and sometimes interweave with Edgar's sections.
Everything I dislike about this novel was very forced. Romance, diversity, etc...
If taking into consideration that Edgar was the only developed character and all others were very dull/wooden, I would've mixed Kimberly's parts into Edgar's storyline, cut 100-150 pages out of this, had a great novella (or put more meat to make it an Edgar centric novel) and called it a day.
There are at times a heavy "The Boys" feeling in some of this. I'm not sure if one influenced the other in anyway.
They mention that some of the ideas in this book would be used in some Netflix show; I'd be curious to see which show and what was used.
All in all, it's worth a read if you like superheroes and don't mind that the noir part is very minimal. I really wanted to like this more. I clearly gave it a shot as I finished it and it was engaging for the most part, but it was the noir storyline and Edgar's parts thar pushed me along.
There are two main characters and it flips back and forth between their narratives each chapter.
Edgar, the private investigator, is the only character with any real depth. He's the only three dimensional character. While the other main character did push the story along, it was very bland.
Kimberly, the superhero, was the other main. She was always positive and then broken hearted when things were not all sunshine and rainbows. Her chapters were very dull for the most part; sounding as if written by a 16 year old girl.
The "girl power" in this book was layed on thick. Every chick was a badass or cool in some way. It was all very forced.
The superhero names were awful and had the creativity of an elementary school child.
Trying to appeal to everyone they had the cool/badass minority, who they took every opportunity to make stand out. Also incredibly forced.
There was a lesbian couple, I suppose to keep with the trend of the day of having something in there to try and appeal to the LGBTQ+ community. This was also highly unnecessary and very forced. It seemed like an attempt to give the characters some depth.
The romantic scenes were all cringey and very forced as well. Something you'd probably find in a hormonal teenage girl's diary when she is thinking about "doing it".
Edgar's only real defense was a baseball bat. He swings it at every other person with powers and got his ass handed to him as expected. This man needed a real weapon. He goes from this to having an incredibly powerful weapon in the end. The final super that messes with him basically tries to talk it out instead of use their power against him and Edgar finally has a change to use his bat. I understand this is make-believe, but this would never happen in any scenario. Like the villain telling you what they're going to do which gives you enough time to escape...
All of that being said, the Edgar storyline would've been perfect as a standalone novella and would've definitely been a superhero noir. I encourage the reading to at least experience that side of the story. Unfortunately you have to read Kimberly's parts as well as they provide background, setup, and sometimes interweave with Edgar's sections.
Everything I dislike about this novel was very forced. Romance, diversity, etc...
If taking into consideration that Edgar was the only developed character and all others were very dull/wooden, I would've mixed Kimberly's parts into Edgar's storyline, cut 100-150 pages out of this, had a great novella (or put more meat to make it an Edgar centric novel) and called it a day.
There are at times a heavy "The Boys" feeling in some of this. I'm not sure if one influenced the other in anyway.
They mention that some of the ideas in this book would be used in some Netflix show; I'd be curious to see which show and what was used.
All in all, it's worth a read if you like superheroes and don't mind that the noir part is very minimal. I really wanted to like this more. I clearly gave it a shot as I finished it and it was engaging for the most part, but it was the noir storyline and Edgar's parts thar pushed me along.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 17, 2019
Oh man, that was a really good read
For me, the whole novel is more in-line with the detective POV. From the first page you like the guy: Edgar Enriquez is raw, brutally honest, a regular guy (as far as you can tell); in short, he's easier to relate to. You like his street-wise attitude and humor.
On the flip note, for the superhero, you don't really care for her (at least I did not). At the beginning Kimberly Kline appears to be this spoiled, smug, wealthy elitist, with this subtle attitude that she is above-all-others. You want to dislike her (just as Edgar would). Slowly, yet surely though, you discover more beneath this fragile and flawed temperament, growing to really like who she is, even if you think or believe she is naive or foolish. You start seeing her change, and admire her for it, just as if you are Edgar.
SPOILER ALERT
The story is very real, especially its ending; which I must admit I loved and disliked. The end was pretty much how things would end up in the real world: good guys at the bottom of the social hierarchy will not been seen as such, while the "heroes" of the upper crust are praised. For that alone, makes the story great. But it also sucks because I really like Edgar and wish he was able to get the last laugh sort-to-speak.
I also enjoyed the social, moral, and societal commentary found in this universe. There are quite a few parallels to what we all take for granted or endure or observe in silence. For readers who are not into superheroes and superpowers, these particular undertones (and sometimes overtones), this story will still be a good selection.
Fun, revealing (of our world), and inspiring for indie creators, I say this story is perfect (though of course, I apologize for this, I may have a bias toward the subject matter).
For me, the whole novel is more in-line with the detective POV. From the first page you like the guy: Edgar Enriquez is raw, brutally honest, a regular guy (as far as you can tell); in short, he's easier to relate to. You like his street-wise attitude and humor.
On the flip note, for the superhero, you don't really care for her (at least I did not). At the beginning Kimberly Kline appears to be this spoiled, smug, wealthy elitist, with this subtle attitude that she is above-all-others. You want to dislike her (just as Edgar would). Slowly, yet surely though, you discover more beneath this fragile and flawed temperament, growing to really like who she is, even if you think or believe she is naive or foolish. You start seeing her change, and admire her for it, just as if you are Edgar.
SPOILER ALERT
The story is very real, especially its ending; which I must admit I loved and disliked. The end was pretty much how things would end up in the real world: good guys at the bottom of the social hierarchy will not been seen as such, while the "heroes" of the upper crust are praised. For that alone, makes the story great. But it also sucks because I really like Edgar and wish he was able to get the last laugh sort-to-speak.
I also enjoyed the social, moral, and societal commentary found in this universe. There are quite a few parallels to what we all take for granted or endure or observe in silence. For readers who are not into superheroes and superpowers, these particular undertones (and sometimes overtones), this story will still be a good selection.
Fun, revealing (of our world), and inspiring for indie creators, I say this story is perfect (though of course, I apologize for this, I may have a bias toward the subject matter).
July 27, 2018
ARC/Mystery: This book hasn't come out so no spoilers here. I liked this book a lot. It's written in first person with each chapter either from Eddie the detective's or superhero Solar Flare's point of view.
All the super's names were original and their abilities & powers different and fun. I loved that there are way more females represented in the book. They are super smart and tough. I don't like that Goodreads did not give Fiona J. R. Titchenell credit as one of the authors on the book's page.
This book was great for my breaks at work. It wasn't the easiest of reads a the beginning. I could get a chapter read on each sitting. For the last hundred pages, I read in one sitting. Unlike most books, Pinnacle City is not someplace where I would want to live. It is gritty and wet. The police and superheroes only protect half the city and look for headlines. The book starts with Solar Flare going from the junior's into the Guardians. Like any young person going into the corporate world, she's about to have a rude awakening. Eddie has more grit under his belt and sees the world with more clarity.
I do recommend this book for action-buffs. I did get this book as a gift from Amazon (I picked it out because I loved its cover) in lieu of an honest review.
All the super's names were original and their abilities & powers different and fun. I loved that there are way more females represented in the book. They are super smart and tough. I don't like that Goodreads did not give Fiona J. R. Titchenell credit as one of the authors on the book's page.
This book was great for my breaks at work. It wasn't the easiest of reads a the beginning. I could get a chapter read on each sitting. For the last hundred pages, I read in one sitting. Unlike most books, Pinnacle City is not someplace where I would want to live. It is gritty and wet. The police and superheroes only protect half the city and look for headlines. The book starts with Solar Flare going from the junior's into the Guardians. Like any young person going into the corporate world, she's about to have a rude awakening. Eddie has more grit under his belt and sees the world with more clarity.
I do recommend this book for action-buffs. I did get this book as a gift from Amazon (I picked it out because I loved its cover) in lieu of an honest review.
March 17, 2024
I really wish the authors would describe their characters better visually, and earlier. For the first few chapters, all we know is that Eddie would be visually Hispanic and carries a bat. Being a wise-cracking detective with a villainy past, I imagined someone more shady or scummy. It's a genuine surprise and mental reconfiguration to recast him into an attractive muscular specimen.
When we switch to the Superhero, it isn't obvious that it is a different character, until someone calls her "Glitter Girl". You don't find out anything about her appearance besides the size of her cups and her violet ballgown until much later. Dissident is probably one of the few characters that gets ample description, and it's probably because she has boobs.
So we're not given much characterization in general beyond the established stereotypes. The detective is a reformed ex-villain that resents heroes, and the superhero is a naive supergirl who actually believes in making things better. You're not here for deep characters and motivation; you're here for a typical superhero story, where an unlikely duo has to fight against the system after encountering their own demons.
It's a relatively easy read, with some inventiveness.
When we switch to the Superhero, it isn't obvious that it is a different character, until someone calls her "Glitter Girl". You don't find out anything about her appearance besides the size of her cups and her violet ballgown until much later. Dissident is probably one of the few characters that gets ample description, and it's probably because she has boobs.
So we're not given much characterization in general beyond the established stereotypes. The detective is a reformed ex-villain that resents heroes, and the superhero is a naive supergirl who actually believes in making things better. You're not here for deep characters and motivation; you're here for a typical superhero story, where an unlikely duo has to fight against the system after encountering their own demons.
It's a relatively easy read, with some inventiveness.
December 18, 2021
I thoroughly enjoyed this book....superhero noir pulp detective....now that is a mashup! It's written in first person with each chapter either from Eddie the detective's or superhero Solar Flare's point of view. Pinnacle City is a pretty horrible place, with the police and superheroes not caring about anyone but the rich. Everyone else is on their own. The ex-villains and mutated people with various powers are looked at as trash and no one cares what happens to any of them. The story is quite gritty in the noir tradition-it’s full of twists and action and lots of fascinating characters. Really fun book and one that I recommend (even if you’re not into the superhero genre!)! One of my favorites of the year!
October 15, 2018
I enjoyed this far more than I really thought I would.
A story about a former villain turned private eye who teams up with probably the most goody too-shoes ever to fight the unexpected bad guys. What is not to love?
The story is developed well, great side characters and I really didn't think I would enjoy the plot twist as much as I did. Matt Carter and Fiona J.R. Titchenell really have created something awesome with this. There is action, romance, and they pay homage to both DC and Marvel comics for sure.
A great read for anyone who loves superhero movies, under dogs or comics in general.
A story about a former villain turned private eye who teams up with probably the most goody too-shoes ever to fight the unexpected bad guys. What is not to love?
The story is developed well, great side characters and I really didn't think I would enjoy the plot twist as much as I did. Matt Carter and Fiona J.R. Titchenell really have created something awesome with this. There is action, romance, and they pay homage to both DC and Marvel comics for sure.
A great read for anyone who loves superhero movies, under dogs or comics in general.
September 6, 2019
I did not expect to like this book as much as I have. This book divided the narrative between the two main characters; a female superhero and a male ex-henchman of a sucky villain who got caught. There’s a murder mystery that ends uncovering corruption. The authors may have modeled the mayor of the city and his family after a certain politician and his family that are always in the news these days. What keeps this book moving along is the narrative and brisk pace of storytelling. I really enjoyed reading this book!
January 6, 2021
I had such high hopes for this book. I could look past alot but the lack of consistent pacing, character development, and the ending just left a bad taste in my mouth. I expected a story talking about the dark underbelly of a superhero in a world where they are like celebrities but this felt more like an outline.
April 22, 2022
This book is aimed to the Tween world. So in one sense the story was okay but the characters acted like the audience the book was written for.
The main tenant is that super heroes are super but not neccessarily a hero. So we have a criminal boss and a crooked politician working not against each other.
The main tenant is that super heroes are super but not neccessarily a hero. So we have a criminal boss and a crooked politician working not against each other.
December 23, 2023
Spoiler is trigger warning only.
I really enjoyed this book. I liked the characters and the first person perspective from the two main ones: the gritty ex henchman and the glittering gorgeous superhero.
Most of the storyline felt genuine - meaning how people, superheroes and supervillains would react in morally grey, and not so grey, areas.
TRIGGER WARNING: Rape.
I really enjoyed this book. I liked the characters and the first person perspective from the two main ones: the gritty ex henchman and the glittering gorgeous superhero.
Most of the storyline felt genuine - meaning how people, superheroes and supervillains would react in morally grey, and not so grey, areas.
TRIGGER WARNING: Rape.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 15, 2019
That was fun
abandoned
September 16, 2019I just couldn't get into this one. Even halfway through, I'd look at it, think about starting again, and then realize I just didn't care what happened to the characters or the world.
May 30, 2022
Tries to be a clever mashup but results in the worst of both worlds. I quit at the rape scene. Not what I'm looking for in a "superhero" novel.
Read
May 6, 2022DNF at 16%.
This alternates chapters between the ex-con PI with powers, and the young woman who's been accepted into the adult super team. He lives on the ruined side of the city, she lives in the protected side. His part was fine so far. Hers... At one point, she 'rockets through the sound barrier' over homes, which is irresponsible.
DNF at 16%, when the girl is cheerfully objectified and accepts it despite serious reservations.
NO. Never ever, I hate it, NO.
This alternates chapters between the ex-con PI with powers, and the young woman who's been accepted into the adult super team. He lives on the ruined side of the city, she lives in the protected side. His part was fine so far. Hers... At one point, she 'rockets through the sound barrier' over homes, which is irresponsible.
DNF at 16%, when the girl is cheerfully objectified and accepts it despite serious reservations.
NO. Never ever, I hate it, NO.
April 10, 2020
More superhero-y than noir, nonetheless, Pinnacle City was a pretty good mashup. I think the brightness of the capes and tights aspect shone a little too much onto the more grimy noir elements. Some deeper characterization might have helped add some gravity. That being said, I both liked and hated the ending. It was quite realistic in a yeah-things-happen-that-way kind of way, but I also regret that things happen that way. So, a noir ending.
March 22, 2019
This book was a BLAST! Good characters, a fun story and lots of the familiar and yet different comic book tropes. I read this in about two days straight through and absolutely enjoyed every minute. I hope that there is a sequel (or a prequel) the comic world needs more of PI Eddie Enriquez.
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews