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Zig & Nola #2
The Lightning Rod: New York Times Bestseller – A Zig and Nola Thriller of Military Secrets and Cold War Conspiracy
New York Times Bestseller
"Nola is the most accomplished kicker of ass since The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo." --A. J. Finn
Zig and Nola are back--in the hugely entertaining, highly anticipated follow-up to Brad Meltzer's #1 New York Times bestselling thriller The Escape Artist.
What's the one secret no one knows about you?
Archie Mint has a secret. He's led a charmed life--he's got a beautiful wife, two impressive kids, and a successful military career. But when he's killed while trying to stop a robbery in his own home, his family is shattered--and then shocked when the other shoe drops. Mint's been hiding criminal secrets none of them could have imagined.
While working on Mint's body before his funeral, mortician "Zig" Zigarowski discovers something he was never meant to see. That telling detail leads him to Mint's former top secret military unit and his connection to artist Nola Brown. Two years ago, Nola saved Zig's life--so he knows better than most that she's as volatile and dangerous as a bolt of lightning.
Following Nola's trail, he uncovers one of the U.S. government's most intensely guarded secrets--an undisclosed military facility that dates back to the Cold War and holds the key to something far more sinister: a hidden group willing to compromise the very safety and security of America itself.
Trouble always finds her...
She's the lightning rod.
"Nola is the most accomplished kicker of ass since The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo." --A. J. Finn
Zig and Nola are back--in the hugely entertaining, highly anticipated follow-up to Brad Meltzer's #1 New York Times bestselling thriller The Escape Artist.
What's the one secret no one knows about you?
Archie Mint has a secret. He's led a charmed life--he's got a beautiful wife, two impressive kids, and a successful military career. But when he's killed while trying to stop a robbery in his own home, his family is shattered--and then shocked when the other shoe drops. Mint's been hiding criminal secrets none of them could have imagined.
While working on Mint's body before his funeral, mortician "Zig" Zigarowski discovers something he was never meant to see. That telling detail leads him to Mint's former top secret military unit and his connection to artist Nola Brown. Two years ago, Nola saved Zig's life--so he knows better than most that she's as volatile and dangerous as a bolt of lightning.
Following Nola's trail, he uncovers one of the U.S. government's most intensely guarded secrets--an undisclosed military facility that dates back to the Cold War and holds the key to something far more sinister: a hidden group willing to compromise the very safety and security of America itself.
Trouble always finds her...
She's the lightning rod.
432 pages, Paperback
First published March 8, 2022
1622 people are currently reading
27938 people want to read
About the author
Brad Meltzer
319 books7,298 followersBrad Meltzer is the Emmy-nominated, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Lightning Rod, The Escape Artist, and eleven other bestselling thrillers. He also writes non-fiction books like The JFK Conspiracy, about a secret plot to kill JFK before he was sworn in – and the Ordinary People Change the World kids book series, which he does with Chris Eliopoulos and inspired the PBS KIDS TV show, Xavier Riddle and the Secret Museum. His newest kids books are We are the Beatles, We are the Beatles, and I am Simone Biles. His newest inspirational book is Make Magic, based on his viral commencement address.
In addition to his fiction, Brad is one of the only authors to ever have books on the bestseller list for Non-Fiction (The Nazi Conspiracy), Advice (Heroes for My Son and Heroes for My Daughter), Children’s Books (I Am Amelia Earhart and I Am Abraham Lincoln) and even comic books (Justice League of America), for which he won the prestigious Eisner Award.
He is also the host of Brad Meltzer’s Lost History and Brad Meltzer’s Decoded on the History Channel, and is responsible for helping find the missing 9/11 flag that the firefighters raised at Ground Zero, making national news on the 15th anniversary of 9/11. Meltzer unveiled the flag at the 9/11 Museum in New York, where it is now on display. See the video here. The Hollywood Reporter recently put him on their list of Hollywood’s 25 Most Powerful Authors.
He also recently delivered the commencement address at the University of Michigan, in front of 70,000 people, including his graduating son. Entitled Make Magic and called “one of the best commencement addresses of all time,” it’s been shared millions of times across social media. Do yourself a favor, watch it here and buy the book here.
For sure, it’s tough to find anyone being so successful in so many different mediums of the popular culture. But why does Brad thrive in all these different professions? His belief that ordinary people change the world. It is that core belief that runs through every one of his projects.
His newest thriller, The Lightning Rod, brings back characters Nola and Zig in a setting that will blow your mind (you won't believe where the government let Brad go). For now, we'll say this: What's the one secret no one knows about you? It's about to come out. Nearly 2,000 five-star reviews. Raves by everyone from the Wall Street Journal, to James Patterson, to Brad's mother-in-law. Plus that twist at the end! And yes, the new Zig & Nola thriller is coming soon!
His newest non-fiction book, The JFK Conspiracy: The Secret Plot to Kill Kennedy -- and Why It Failed, which he wrote with Josh Mensch, is a true story about a secret assassination plot to kill JFK at the start of his Presidency and, if successful, would’ve changed history.
His illustrated children’s books I Am Amelia Earhart and I Am Abraham Lincoln, which he does with artist Chris Eliopoulos, were written for his own children, to give them better heroes to look up to. Try them. You won’t believe how inspired you and your family will be. Some of our favorites in the series are I am Mister Rogers and I am Dolly Parton.
His other non-fiction books, Heroes for My Son and Heroes for My Daughter, are collections of heroes – from Jim Henson to Sally Ride — that he’s been working on since the day his kids were born and is on sale now, as well as History Decoded: The 10 Greatest Conspiracies of All Time.
He’s also one of the co-creators of the TV show, Jack & Bobby.
Raised in Brooklyn and Miami, Brad is a graduate of the University of Michigan and Columbia Law School. The Tenth Justice was his first published work and became an instant New York Times bestseller. Dead Even followed a year later and also hit the New York Times bestseller list, as have all thirteen of his novels. The First Counsel came next, which was about a White House lawyer dating the President’s daughter, then The Millionaires, which was about two brothers who
In addition to his fiction, Brad is one of the only authors to ever have books on the bestseller list for Non-Fiction (The Nazi Conspiracy), Advice (Heroes for My Son and Heroes for My Daughter), Children’s Books (I Am Amelia Earhart and I Am Abraham Lincoln) and even comic books (Justice League of America), for which he won the prestigious Eisner Award.
He is also the host of Brad Meltzer’s Lost History and Brad Meltzer’s Decoded on the History Channel, and is responsible for helping find the missing 9/11 flag that the firefighters raised at Ground Zero, making national news on the 15th anniversary of 9/11. Meltzer unveiled the flag at the 9/11 Museum in New York, where it is now on display. See the video here. The Hollywood Reporter recently put him on their list of Hollywood’s 25 Most Powerful Authors.
He also recently delivered the commencement address at the University of Michigan, in front of 70,000 people, including his graduating son. Entitled Make Magic and called “one of the best commencement addresses of all time,” it’s been shared millions of times across social media. Do yourself a favor, watch it here and buy the book here.
For sure, it’s tough to find anyone being so successful in so many different mediums of the popular culture. But why does Brad thrive in all these different professions? His belief that ordinary people change the world. It is that core belief that runs through every one of his projects.
His newest thriller, The Lightning Rod, brings back characters Nola and Zig in a setting that will blow your mind (you won't believe where the government let Brad go). For now, we'll say this: What's the one secret no one knows about you? It's about to come out. Nearly 2,000 five-star reviews. Raves by everyone from the Wall Street Journal, to James Patterson, to Brad's mother-in-law. Plus that twist at the end! And yes, the new Zig & Nola thriller is coming soon!
His newest non-fiction book, The JFK Conspiracy: The Secret Plot to Kill Kennedy -- and Why It Failed, which he wrote with Josh Mensch, is a true story about a secret assassination plot to kill JFK at the start of his Presidency and, if successful, would’ve changed history.
His illustrated children’s books I Am Amelia Earhart and I Am Abraham Lincoln, which he does with artist Chris Eliopoulos, were written for his own children, to give them better heroes to look up to. Try them. You won’t believe how inspired you and your family will be. Some of our favorites in the series are I am Mister Rogers and I am Dolly Parton.
His other non-fiction books, Heroes for My Son and Heroes for My Daughter, are collections of heroes – from Jim Henson to Sally Ride — that he’s been working on since the day his kids were born and is on sale now, as well as History Decoded: The 10 Greatest Conspiracies of All Time.
He’s also one of the co-creators of the TV show, Jack & Bobby.
Raised in Brooklyn and Miami, Brad is a graduate of the University of Michigan and Columbia Law School. The Tenth Justice was his first published work and became an instant New York Times bestseller. Dead Even followed a year later and also hit the New York Times bestseller list, as have all thirteen of his novels. The First Counsel came next, which was about a White House lawyer dating the President’s daughter, then The Millionaires, which was about two brothers who
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 823 reviews
April 10, 2022
2.5⭐
Didn't love it like the first. An outlier review...
The story starts well and captures my interest right away. Wojo, a valet attendant thought it was a great idea to rob the BMW owner's home while he dines at the steakhouse. Without question, things didn't turn out as planned for Wojo. Lt. Col Mint thought he outsmarted the would-be thief. With Wojo's neck between his hands, Mint didn't suspect a third man.
Zig, a "Michaelangelo" mortician formerly based at Dover Air Force base is asked to prepare Mint's remains. Zig becomes suspicious of the body and why he was asked to do it. While at the funeral home, he spots a familiar face, Nola but why is she there?
The story is told in two timelines through flashbacks in Guidry, TX, and today in the Greater Philadelphia area. I am lost as the main characters Zig, Nola, and Roddy's relationship is like a merry-go-round. I wasn't intrigued, I was tired of it. Eventually, Nola's story turns out good in the end, but it was a long trip to get there. The puzzle involving "Grandma's Pantry" piques my interest, as well as Lt. Col Mint's murder. A surprise ending.😮
The narrator, Scott Brick has a good voice but adds a bit too much drama and enthusiasm in my view.
Didn't love it like the first. An outlier review...
The story starts well and captures my interest right away. Wojo, a valet attendant thought it was a great idea to rob the BMW owner's home while he dines at the steakhouse. Without question, things didn't turn out as planned for Wojo. Lt. Col Mint thought he outsmarted the would-be thief. With Wojo's neck between his hands, Mint didn't suspect a third man.
Zig, a "Michaelangelo" mortician formerly based at Dover Air Force base is asked to prepare Mint's remains. Zig becomes suspicious of the body and why he was asked to do it. While at the funeral home, he spots a familiar face, Nola but why is she there?
The story is told in two timelines through flashbacks in Guidry, TX, and today in the Greater Philadelphia area. I am lost as the main characters Zig, Nola, and Roddy's relationship is like a merry-go-round. I wasn't intrigued, I was tired of it. Eventually, Nola's story turns out good in the end, but it was a long trip to get there. The puzzle involving "Grandma's Pantry" piques my interest, as well as Lt. Col Mint's murder. A surprise ending.😮
The narrator, Scott Brick has a good voice but adds a bit too much drama and enthusiasm in my view.
January 3, 2022
The Lightning Rod by Brad Meltzer is a 2022 William Morrow publication.
When career military man, Archie Mint, is murdered, a special request is sent to Zig, who has been working in the private sector for a couple of years, to return to Dover to ‘take care of’ Mint. Without much hesitation, Zig agrees.
While there, he spies Nola Brown! What was she doing there? Obviously, something was up and once more Zig feels compelled to get involved, for Nola’s sake. Zig is also surprised to meet Nola’s twin brother, a cop, who is also hoping to help Nola, while fighting his darker impulses.
The investigation turns tense, instantly, as Zig and Nola discover that Archie Mint wasn’t the saint everyone thought he was….
The first book in this series was a solid debut- but not as complex as some of Meltzer’s other offerings. Still, I enjoyed it enough to want to check out this second offering in the series. I am very glad that I did!
The plot is centered around a secret facility, the purpose of which is certainly hair raising!
Nola knows too much about this facility, and Mint's possible connection to it. Now she’s on the run… But who is the real enemy?
There was some very significant character development in this installment- and while I was skeptical of Nola’s near robotic behavior in the first installment, this second book dials that back a little and makes her character more human without taking away her deadly edge.
I found I was very involved in this book and thought it was smart, with complex, but easy to follow, plot. The characterizations are well-drawn, and the human touches will go a long way towards drawing me into the third installment, should there be one- and I hope there will be.
Overall, if you like an intelligent, suspenseful, fast-paced thriller, with some heart, this is a series you might want to look at.
4+ stars
When career military man, Archie Mint, is murdered, a special request is sent to Zig, who has been working in the private sector for a couple of years, to return to Dover to ‘take care of’ Mint. Without much hesitation, Zig agrees.
While there, he spies Nola Brown! What was she doing there? Obviously, something was up and once more Zig feels compelled to get involved, for Nola’s sake. Zig is also surprised to meet Nola’s twin brother, a cop, who is also hoping to help Nola, while fighting his darker impulses.
The investigation turns tense, instantly, as Zig and Nola discover that Archie Mint wasn’t the saint everyone thought he was….
The first book in this series was a solid debut- but not as complex as some of Meltzer’s other offerings. Still, I enjoyed it enough to want to check out this second offering in the series. I am very glad that I did!
The plot is centered around a secret facility, the purpose of which is certainly hair raising!
Nola knows too much about this facility, and Mint's possible connection to it. Now she’s on the run… But who is the real enemy?
There was some very significant character development in this installment- and while I was skeptical of Nola’s near robotic behavior in the first installment, this second book dials that back a little and makes her character more human without taking away her deadly edge.
I found I was very involved in this book and thought it was smart, with complex, but easy to follow, plot. The characterizations are well-drawn, and the human touches will go a long way towards drawing me into the third installment, should there be one- and I hope there will be.
Overall, if you like an intelligent, suspenseful, fast-paced thriller, with some heart, this is a series you might want to look at.
4+ stars
March 8, 2022
Mortician Jim ‘Zig’ Zigarowski and army artist-in-residence Nola Brown who featured in Brad Meltzer’s first novel The Escape Artist are back in another high intensity thriller. Zig has left the military and now works at a funeral home in Pennsylvania, while Nola is reclusive and keeping a low profile, working as a botanical artist. This is all changed in an instant when Zig is asked to attend to the body of a dead service man, Col Archie Mint, at his old mortuary at Dover Air Force base.
At the US Government mortuary at Dover, fallen soldiers are prepared for their funerals and it is also where bodies from top secret and high-profile cases are sent. However, Archie Mint was killed during an attempted burglary at his home, not while he was on duty, so Zig is puzzled as to why he has been called in to attend to him there. When he notices anomalies in the body that are not on the autopsy report, he suspects there is some sort of cover up surrounding Mint’s death. However, he discovers the real reason he’s been called in when he recognises Nola Brown at the back of the crowd at the funeral. He realises he’s being watched because the minute he looks towards Nola, the watchers are chasing her.
Zig discovers that Mint and Nola were once part of a team involved in an event that occurred in the past at a secret military facility known as Grandma’s Pantry. Something the military has been trying to keep under wraps. After escaping from the funeral, Nola goes to ground again. Someone else is also looking for Nola – her long estranged twin brother Roddy, now a police officer. Zig agrees to help him find her but worries about Roddy’s true motives. Flashbacks suggest that Roddy was a malicious child who treated Nola badly during their time together in foster care until Nola was taken away, so has he really changed his ways and why has he shown up now?
This well written, fast-paced thriller has quite a complex plot, but it’s not too hard to follow as it progresses step by step to the suspense filled ending. Be prepared for plenty of action and many twists before it gets there. Zig is a wonderful character – compassionate and insightful and prepared to follow his nose when he smells something not quite right. Nola is the lightning rod – the one who attracts trouble. She bears the scars of her abusive and troubled childhood and doesn’t form relationships easily, dropping in and out of people’s lives and quietly disappearing again. There are also some memorable secondary characters, including Zig’s friend FBI agent Amy Waggs and the almost farcical pair of assassins known as the Reds. Fans of Meltzer’s will be please to see that his chilling epilogue indicates that he already has plans for a third outing for Zig and Nola.
With thanks to William Morrow and Custom House via Netgalley for a copy to read.
At the US Government mortuary at Dover, fallen soldiers are prepared for their funerals and it is also where bodies from top secret and high-profile cases are sent. However, Archie Mint was killed during an attempted burglary at his home, not while he was on duty, so Zig is puzzled as to why he has been called in to attend to him there. When he notices anomalies in the body that are not on the autopsy report, he suspects there is some sort of cover up surrounding Mint’s death. However, he discovers the real reason he’s been called in when he recognises Nola Brown at the back of the crowd at the funeral. He realises he’s being watched because the minute he looks towards Nola, the watchers are chasing her.
Zig discovers that Mint and Nola were once part of a team involved in an event that occurred in the past at a secret military facility known as Grandma’s Pantry. Something the military has been trying to keep under wraps. After escaping from the funeral, Nola goes to ground again. Someone else is also looking for Nola – her long estranged twin brother Roddy, now a police officer. Zig agrees to help him find her but worries about Roddy’s true motives. Flashbacks suggest that Roddy was a malicious child who treated Nola badly during their time together in foster care until Nola was taken away, so has he really changed his ways and why has he shown up now?
This well written, fast-paced thriller has quite a complex plot, but it’s not too hard to follow as it progresses step by step to the suspense filled ending. Be prepared for plenty of action and many twists before it gets there. Zig is a wonderful character – compassionate and insightful and prepared to follow his nose when he smells something not quite right. Nola is the lightning rod – the one who attracts trouble. She bears the scars of her abusive and troubled childhood and doesn’t form relationships easily, dropping in and out of people’s lives and quietly disappearing again. There are also some memorable secondary characters, including Zig’s friend FBI agent Amy Waggs and the almost farcical pair of assassins known as the Reds. Fans of Meltzer’s will be please to see that his chilling epilogue indicates that he already has plans for a third outing for Zig and Nola.
With thanks to William Morrow and Custom House via Netgalley for a copy to read.
April 13, 2022
Always a fan of Brad Meltzer’s work, I was eager to get my hands on this latest book. Full of twists and turns, Meltzer does well with this second novel in a newer series. When mortician Jim ‘Zig’ Zigarowski begins working to prepare Archie Mint for his funeral, things soon take an interesting turn. Making his way to Dover Air Force Base, Zig soon learns that Mint has a connection to a secret military group, which opens many doors and creates some mysteries. Zig’s acquaintance, Nola Brown also appears to have a connection, but she flees before it can be established. How does Nola fit into the story and what does her troubled past bring to the table with this covert mission that is slowly revealed? Meltzer does well with this novel and adds an impactful second instalment to the stunning series., sure to impress many readers.
Loving his job, Jim ‘Zig’ Zigarowski does all he can to love the best life possible. A mortician by trade, Zig works closely with the US Military, providing help with military funerals for Dover Air Force Base. While working on the body of army vet Archie Mint, Zig finds something that confuses him. Mint was said to be a wholesome family man, but there’s something more to the story here.
Zig travels to Dover for some answers, hoping that his contact there, military artist Sergeant First Class Nola Brown, might have some answers. Nola is mum about Mint, though she appears highly troubled by Zig’s bringing him up. Furthermore, she disappears before long, leaving Zig to wonder what the connections might be and whether Nola is harbouring a secret of her own.
It would seem that Mint was involved with a covert military operation, one that only a few have been read into beforehand. Stockpiling a number of vaccines and preparatory items for some sort of attack, this group was getting ready for something highly sinister. It’s now that Zig realises how problematic things can get and want answers. Might Mint’s death not simply been a home invasion gone wrong?
As the story picks up its pace, much is revealed and Zig finds himself in the crosshairs. Working as best he can, Zig uses Nola’s long-estranged brother to lure her out. The race to learn the truth takes many twists before things come to light. All the while Nola has some secrets of her own with are aure to come out if she is not careful. These could sink her reputation and make her even more vulnerable, forcing her to make some tough decisions. With a killer on the loose and secrets piling up, Zig and Nola will have to be careful not to fall into a trap, or risk losing it all. Meltzer does well to keep the reader in the thick of it all, as he builds a strong foundation for this series.
I have come to really admire all that Brad Meltzer brings to his novels, which are full of mystery and duplicity. There’s something amazing to be found in the pages of this book, written in such a way that the reader cannot easily stop getting hooked with the plot lines. Strong writing and intriguing characters provide a decent platform for all to enjoy, particularly those familiar with Meltzer’s work.
Zig and Nola are back for more fun, but neither is eager to take the limelight. There is a little more Zig backstory offered, though much of it can be found in the series debut. Still, Zig offers up some wonderful development as he probes deeper in tot the mysteries that are the US Military. Nola Brown has much to offer in this piece, full of the secrets she has kept for years, including a brother who has long been hiding in the shadows. The reader is taken on quite a ride throughout, allowing the protagonists to offer up tidbits while the plot takes off.
Meltzer’s work is something perfect for the reader who needs action to sustain themselves. His novels are always full of intrigue and keep the reader guessing with every page turn. The narrative moves along effectively and keeps the reader guessing what awaits them, using plot developments that are full of twists. Nothing is as it seems, which makes the novel all the more exciting. With a number of great characters throughout, Meltzer entertains the reader as they make their way through this strong piece. While the series can be a tad confusing, dedicated readers will lap it up and beg for more, as I am surely doing. Eager to see what’s next and how things will progress.
Kudos, Mr. Meltzer, for another smashing success. Don;t hold back, as your fans await more mind-tingling writing soon!
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March 8, 2023
A good read/listen for those who like adventure. 7 of 10 stars
January 27, 2022
Mix together brilliant writing, unique characters (some likable, some not) and a complex but easy-to-follow plot and you've got the recipe for a book you won't want to put down. And oh, did I mention brilliant writing?
It didn't come as a surprise; I read the first book in this series, The Escape Artist, for which a 5-star review was a no-brainer. Still, while I started this one with high expectations, I always keep an open mind; just because a couple of books in a series are stellar doesn't mean all of them will shine (trust me on this; I've been there, done that, many times). But I'm delighted to say this one was as much a joy to read as the first one was.
The primary characters are government mortician and beekeeper Jim "Zig" Zigarowski and Sgt. Nola Brown, a.k.a. the lightening rod, who was artist-in-residence for the U.S. Army and who at best can be called antisocial. She was as good a friend as she's capable of being with co-worker and mentor Archie Mint, a career military guy who gets killed during an apparent robbery at his home. To his surprise, Zig, who no longer works at the Dover Air Force Base mortuary, is called in to prep the body for viewing - no one can touch his professional skill in that department. But at the viewing, things happen that make him suspect that not everything is as it should be, prompting him to set out to track down the ever-elusive and usually reclusive Nola. Yet another surprise comes in the form of Roddy, Nola's long-lost twin brother who's known for his sinister ways; he's desperately trying to locate her while claiming he's a changed man (Zig isn't so sure about that, but he agrees to team up with Roddy anyway).
As the chase progresses, the danger builds; chapters shift from current happenings to Nola and Roddy's traumatic childhood years to perspectives of other characters, thus giving readers interesting and important background information that, of course, comes together at the end. The trail leads to a top secret military facility (reminiscent of the 112,544-square-foot underground bunker at The Greenbrier Resort in West Virginia that was built to protect all members of Congress during the Eisenhower administration). Bad things happened at at the facility long ago, and it looks as if what's about to happen now may be even worse. The only other thing I can say without giving away too much is the whole adventure has many twists, turns and surprises - plus some intriguing fodder for the next installment. Bring it on!
Meantime, many thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for allowing me to read and review a pre-release copy of this one.
It didn't come as a surprise; I read the first book in this series, The Escape Artist, for which a 5-star review was a no-brainer. Still, while I started this one with high expectations, I always keep an open mind; just because a couple of books in a series are stellar doesn't mean all of them will shine (trust me on this; I've been there, done that, many times). But I'm delighted to say this one was as much a joy to read as the first one was.
The primary characters are government mortician and beekeeper Jim "Zig" Zigarowski and Sgt. Nola Brown, a.k.a. the lightening rod, who was artist-in-residence for the U.S. Army and who at best can be called antisocial. She was as good a friend as she's capable of being with co-worker and mentor Archie Mint, a career military guy who gets killed during an apparent robbery at his home. To his surprise, Zig, who no longer works at the Dover Air Force Base mortuary, is called in to prep the body for viewing - no one can touch his professional skill in that department. But at the viewing, things happen that make him suspect that not everything is as it should be, prompting him to set out to track down the ever-elusive and usually reclusive Nola. Yet another surprise comes in the form of Roddy, Nola's long-lost twin brother who's known for his sinister ways; he's desperately trying to locate her while claiming he's a changed man (Zig isn't so sure about that, but he agrees to team up with Roddy anyway).
As the chase progresses, the danger builds; chapters shift from current happenings to Nola and Roddy's traumatic childhood years to perspectives of other characters, thus giving readers interesting and important background information that, of course, comes together at the end. The trail leads to a top secret military facility (reminiscent of the 112,544-square-foot underground bunker at The Greenbrier Resort in West Virginia that was built to protect all members of Congress during the Eisenhower administration). Bad things happened at at the facility long ago, and it looks as if what's about to happen now may be even worse. The only other thing I can say without giving away too much is the whole adventure has many twists, turns and surprises - plus some intriguing fodder for the next installment. Bring it on!
Meantime, many thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for allowing me to read and review a pre-release copy of this one.
December 14, 2022
3 Stars for The Lightning Rod: Escape Artist Series, Book 2 (audiobook) by Brad Meltzer read by Scott Brick.
I really enjoyed the first book but I just couldn’t follow this story. I’m not sure if what the characters were doing was so unexpected or that there were so many different characters to keep track of. But I think I’m done with this series.
I really enjoyed the first book but I just couldn’t follow this story. I’m not sure if what the characters were doing was so unexpected or that there were so many different characters to keep track of. But I think I’m done with this series.
April 24, 2022
Zig and Nola are back in the follow up to The Escape Artist. Zig left his job at Dover and started work in a funeral home. When an Army Colonel is murdered, Dover asks Zig to come prepare the body for the funeral. Zig is suspicious because some things aren't adding up. When he runs into Nola's twin brother Roddy and then he sees Nola at the funeral, he can't help but get involved.
This is another fun, fast paced thriller from Brad Meltzer. The pacing is excellent and the characters continue growing and we get to learn even more about Zig and Nola. You should definitely read The Escape Artist first, which I also recommend. If you like fast paced thrillers, this is definitely for you!
My thanks to William Morrow, author Brad Meltzer, and NetGalley for gifting me a digital copy of this book. My opinions are my own.
This is another fun, fast paced thriller from Brad Meltzer. The pacing is excellent and the characters continue growing and we get to learn even more about Zig and Nola. You should definitely read The Escape Artist first, which I also recommend. If you like fast paced thrillers, this is definitely for you!
My thanks to William Morrow, author Brad Meltzer, and NetGalley for gifting me a digital copy of this book. My opinions are my own.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 10, 2022
3.5 Stars
My thanks to William Morrow & Company, as well as to @NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review an early copy of The Lightning Rod!
The Lightning Rod is the 2nd book in the Escape Artist series, and I have to admit to having been a tad lost at the beginning. (It's probably a good idea to read this series in order.) Before long, though, I had figured out who everyone was and I was hooked!
Colonel Archie Mint was killed while trying to stop a robbery at his home, and his family was left shattered. While working on Mint's body before the funeral, mortician "Zig" Zigarowski finds that some of the things he's noticing about the body aren't adding up with the details provided by Dover Air Force Base ... and the book takes off from there.
I absolutely adored Zig!! If he existed in real life, he'd be my best friend! There was definitely not a dearth of colorful and quirky characters in The Lightning Rod but once I figured out who everyone was, it was quite the wild ride. (Not a totally realistic wild ride, but a wild ride nonetheless!!)
My thanks to William Morrow & Company, as well as to @NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review an early copy of The Lightning Rod!
The Lightning Rod is the 2nd book in the Escape Artist series, and I have to admit to having been a tad lost at the beginning. (It's probably a good idea to read this series in order.) Before long, though, I had figured out who everyone was and I was hooked!
Colonel Archie Mint was killed while trying to stop a robbery at his home, and his family was left shattered. While working on Mint's body before the funeral, mortician "Zig" Zigarowski finds that some of the things he's noticing about the body aren't adding up with the details provided by Dover Air Force Base ... and the book takes off from there.
I absolutely adored Zig!! If he existed in real life, he'd be my best friend! There was definitely not a dearth of colorful and quirky characters in The Lightning Rod but once I figured out who everyone was, it was quite the wild ride. (Not a totally realistic wild ride, but a wild ride nonetheless!!)
September 12, 2021
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The intriguing setting here is life around Dover Air Force Base’s mortuary, where fallen soldiers are prepared for burial. In the opening title in this series, Escape Artist, Dover mortician “Zig” Zigarowski helped the Army’s Artist-in-Residence, Nola Brown, who was on the run. Now, Nola, a master at sabotaging the military’s plans for her, clandestinely attends a funeral at Dover, and the action revs back up. Meltzer’s thrilling plot veers from flashbacks to Nola’s dangerous childhood to glimpses inside the military’s orchestration of public knowledge about threats to our lives.
Meltzer’s talent for detail makes even idle moments leap to life. While Nola waits for a computer program to load, a gust of wind rolls a beer can into a shopping cart that’s on its side; a nurse who encountered Nola has a necklace with a charm for each of her children, all boys. These mundane moments also highlight the casual viciousness that faces characters at every turn. Personalities, too, offer extreme contrasts: Zig prides himself on having done a loving job with the care of dead soldiers, while his foes care for nobody and stop at nothing to win. Fans of military thrillers should clear a weekend for this; it’s gripping.—Henrietta Verma, First Clue
The intriguing setting here is life around Dover Air Force Base’s mortuary, where fallen soldiers are prepared for burial. In the opening title in this series, Escape Artist, Dover mortician “Zig” Zigarowski helped the Army’s Artist-in-Residence, Nola Brown, who was on the run. Now, Nola, a master at sabotaging the military’s plans for her, clandestinely attends a funeral at Dover, and the action revs back up. Meltzer’s thrilling plot veers from flashbacks to Nola’s dangerous childhood to glimpses inside the military’s orchestration of public knowledge about threats to our lives.
Meltzer’s talent for detail makes even idle moments leap to life. While Nola waits for a computer program to load, a gust of wind rolls a beer can into a shopping cart that’s on its side; a nurse who encountered Nola has a necklace with a charm for each of her children, all boys. These mundane moments also highlight the casual viciousness that faces characters at every turn. Personalities, too, offer extreme contrasts: Zig prides himself on having done a loving job with the care of dead soldiers, while his foes care for nobody and stop at nothing to win. Fans of military thrillers should clear a weekend for this; it’s gripping.—Henrietta Verma, First Clue
November 25, 2021
The Lightning Rod, featuring Zig and Nola, is the second book in Brad Meltzer's fantastic Escape Artist series. I would recommend reading the first book in the series otherwise you will be lost for a good portion of the book.
Zig, a meticulous former military mortician at Dover Air Base, is still reeling from events from two years prior as well as the death of his daughter over a decade ago. Nola, a former military sketch artist, is on the run from any number of different groups because of what she knows or has seen. Nola's a ghost, ever-present and nowhere at the same time. She is dealing with her own past, in her own way, when the past rears its head.
Meltzer has written a superb, character driven thriller with plenty of action and more than a few shocking revelations to keep you guessing throughout. The main characters are multifaceted and complex and the bad guys are hilariously bad.
Most of the book is set in the present but Meltzer uses flashbacks perfectly to help readers better understand some of the characters. Without these flashbacks The Lightning Rod wouldn't be nearly as good as it is. A major theme of the book is your past doesn't define you and anyone is capable of redemption.
I can't wait to see where Meltzer takes Zig and Nola in the future.
My sincere thanks to Brad Meltzer, William Morrow and Custom House, and NetGalley for the opportunity to review an advanced copy of The Lightning Rod.
Zig, a meticulous former military mortician at Dover Air Base, is still reeling from events from two years prior as well as the death of his daughter over a decade ago. Nola, a former military sketch artist, is on the run from any number of different groups because of what she knows or has seen. Nola's a ghost, ever-present and nowhere at the same time. She is dealing with her own past, in her own way, when the past rears its head.
Meltzer has written a superb, character driven thriller with plenty of action and more than a few shocking revelations to keep you guessing throughout. The main characters are multifaceted and complex and the bad guys are hilariously bad.
Most of the book is set in the present but Meltzer uses flashbacks perfectly to help readers better understand some of the characters. Without these flashbacks The Lightning Rod wouldn't be nearly as good as it is. A major theme of the book is your past doesn't define you and anyone is capable of redemption.
I can't wait to see where Meltzer takes Zig and Nola in the future.
My sincere thanks to Brad Meltzer, William Morrow and Custom House, and NetGalley for the opportunity to review an advanced copy of The Lightning Rod.
March 11, 2022
I received a free e-copy of The Lightening Rod by Brad Meltzer from NetGalley for my honest review.
I was so excited to read the second book of the Zig and Nola series. The first book was The Escape Artist, which was brilliant. Now with this second book, we pick up two years later. Zig is back on the case when he gets a call from an old friend who is in need of his services. Filled with lots of suspense and thrills that kept me guessing.
I was so excited to read the second book of the Zig and Nola series. The first book was The Escape Artist, which was brilliant. Now with this second book, we pick up two years later. Zig is back on the case when he gets a call from an old friend who is in need of his services. Filled with lots of suspense and thrills that kept me guessing.
June 4, 2022
I first started reading books by BRAD MELTZER in 2005 and I have followed him through a few different series. Because I also like to support new and/or nonbestselling authors, I sometimes find myself falling behind an established author’s works.
Having finished reading THE LIGHTNING ROD, book two in the Zig and Nola series, I realized it had been awhile since I last read a book by Mr. Meltzer. In the interim, he has become a multimedia star as well as being a bestselling author and TV personality. Kudos to him for all of his works.
As I read this book, it felt as if it was the first book instead of the second. It was not until I finished it that I discovered there had been a prior book. To me that is a sign of great writing.
Jim Zigarowski, aka “Zig”, had been a military undertaker for more than two decades before the structure and substance of what he had been doing became too much of an emotional burden. He prided himself on how good he was at making deceased military personnel presentable for their funerals. He retired from his military job at Dover Air Base in Delaware and went into private practice in nearby Pennsylvania hoping to put it all behind him. It did not work.
Colonel O.J. Whatley, his former boss at Dover, asks him to come back for one more case that is special. Reluctantly, Zig agrees. The victim is Archie Mintz, called “Captain America” by all who knew him because of his good looks and physical stature. He had been killed during a burglary gone wrong at his house. There Zig meets Sergeant Nola Brown, the Army’s Artist-in-Residence, whose job is to draw crime scenes (usually of her choice). She had an uncanny sense of putting together evidence that helps investigators solve the crimes.
As the story unfolds, the reader learns about Nola’s troubled background and that of her twin brother, Roddy LaPointe. They had been separated early in their lives and had not seen each other in years. Before they were split up, Roddy had been the source of trouble for which Nora was always blamed. Bad blood existed between them.
The crime scene of Mintz’s murder did not feel right to either Zig or Nola. They begin their own investigations. Roddy appears at Mintz’s funeral. He is now a police officer in New Jersey. During their limited and shaky partnership, they discover that Mintz was involved with the disappearance of 22 million dollars (cash) and the theft of U.S. government property from one of 20 or so government known collectively as “Grandma’s Pantry”. Elijah King and Rashida Robinson had worked with Mintz in the military. Rashida was also his mistress.
A criminal mastermind named Vess is involved. He hires two assassins Sebastian and Reagan (nicknamed “Team Red” as the investigators get too close to finding the truth.
When Nola gets close to the climactic end of the story, a deep secret is revealed about her past. She does not reveal that secret to her allies.
There are chases, gunfights, physical fights and dark secrets about the major players in the story. As in his previous books, this story is well crafted. It is easy to see why BRAD MELZTER’s books are bestsellers. Do yourself a favor, run out to your favorite neighborhood bookstore and buy a copy of this current bestseller. The good news is that there more to come in this series and there are more already available, including a bestselling series of biographies for kids. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
GO! BUY! READ
Having finished reading THE LIGHTNING ROD, book two in the Zig and Nola series, I realized it had been awhile since I last read a book by Mr. Meltzer. In the interim, he has become a multimedia star as well as being a bestselling author and TV personality. Kudos to him for all of his works.
As I read this book, it felt as if it was the first book instead of the second. It was not until I finished it that I discovered there had been a prior book. To me that is a sign of great writing.
Jim Zigarowski, aka “Zig”, had been a military undertaker for more than two decades before the structure and substance of what he had been doing became too much of an emotional burden. He prided himself on how good he was at making deceased military personnel presentable for their funerals. He retired from his military job at Dover Air Base in Delaware and went into private practice in nearby Pennsylvania hoping to put it all behind him. It did not work.
Colonel O.J. Whatley, his former boss at Dover, asks him to come back for one more case that is special. Reluctantly, Zig agrees. The victim is Archie Mintz, called “Captain America” by all who knew him because of his good looks and physical stature. He had been killed during a burglary gone wrong at his house. There Zig meets Sergeant Nola Brown, the Army’s Artist-in-Residence, whose job is to draw crime scenes (usually of her choice). She had an uncanny sense of putting together evidence that helps investigators solve the crimes.
As the story unfolds, the reader learns about Nola’s troubled background and that of her twin brother, Roddy LaPointe. They had been separated early in their lives and had not seen each other in years. Before they were split up, Roddy had been the source of trouble for which Nora was always blamed. Bad blood existed between them.
The crime scene of Mintz’s murder did not feel right to either Zig or Nola. They begin their own investigations. Roddy appears at Mintz’s funeral. He is now a police officer in New Jersey. During their limited and shaky partnership, they discover that Mintz was involved with the disappearance of 22 million dollars (cash) and the theft of U.S. government property from one of 20 or so government known collectively as “Grandma’s Pantry”. Elijah King and Rashida Robinson had worked with Mintz in the military. Rashida was also his mistress.
A criminal mastermind named Vess is involved. He hires two assassins Sebastian and Reagan (nicknamed “Team Red” as the investigators get too close to finding the truth.
When Nola gets close to the climactic end of the story, a deep secret is revealed about her past. She does not reveal that secret to her allies.
There are chases, gunfights, physical fights and dark secrets about the major players in the story. As in his previous books, this story is well crafted. It is easy to see why BRAD MELZTER’s books are bestsellers. Do yourself a favor, run out to your favorite neighborhood bookstore and buy a copy of this current bestseller. The good news is that there more to come in this series and there are more already available, including a bestselling series of biographies for kids. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
GO! BUY! READ
April 5, 2022
This was a fabulous read, an absolute page turner. I’d never read Brad Meltzer before, but I will seek out his books from now on. The characters were remarkably realistic and the plot believable. It’s one of the best mystery/thrillers that I’ve read in a while.
Jim Zigarowski, Zig, is a phenomenal character. He’s kind, caring, funny, and strives to always do the right thing. He’s smart and compassionate. He’s also a mortician, having been the chief mortician at Dover Air Force Base for many years. He’s now separated from the service, and he’s working at Carlta’s Funeral Home in Pennsylvania. He’s had his own share of loss in his life, but he pushes on. Zig is called back in by the military to handle the final funeral preparations for a Lieutenant Colonel. Zig can’t/won’t say no. That, however, winds him up in the middle of more than he’d counted on.
Back into his life steps Nola Brown, the woman who as a child saved his daughter from injury at a Girl Scout cookout, and then, later, Zig’s life. Nola is Army, Sergeant First Class, and she’s the service’s Artist-in-Residence. On one of her missions, something unknowingly happens that comes back to involve her years later.
Nola’s brother, Roddy LaPointe, a trouble maker as a child in foster care, is now a police officer. He and Nola had been separated from each other as young children. He inserts himself into Zig’s life as the two of them find themselves in all sorts of danger. Can Zig trust this man?
This book is intricately plotted, with great characters, and events woven together in a web that will draw you in. It is sooooooo good. I highly recommend it.
I received an advanced reader copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. I thank all involved for their generosity, but it had no effect on this review. All opinions in this review reflect my true and honest reactions to reading this book.
Jim Zigarowski, Zig, is a phenomenal character. He’s kind, caring, funny, and strives to always do the right thing. He’s smart and compassionate. He’s also a mortician, having been the chief mortician at Dover Air Force Base for many years. He’s now separated from the service, and he’s working at Carlta’s Funeral Home in Pennsylvania. He’s had his own share of loss in his life, but he pushes on. Zig is called back in by the military to handle the final funeral preparations for a Lieutenant Colonel. Zig can’t/won’t say no. That, however, winds him up in the middle of more than he’d counted on.
Back into his life steps Nola Brown, the woman who as a child saved his daughter from injury at a Girl Scout cookout, and then, later, Zig’s life. Nola is Army, Sergeant First Class, and she’s the service’s Artist-in-Residence. On one of her missions, something unknowingly happens that comes back to involve her years later.
Nola’s brother, Roddy LaPointe, a trouble maker as a child in foster care, is now a police officer. He and Nola had been separated from each other as young children. He inserts himself into Zig’s life as the two of them find themselves in all sorts of danger. Can Zig trust this man?
This book is intricately plotted, with great characters, and events woven together in a web that will draw you in. It is sooooooo good. I highly recommend it.
I received an advanced reader copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. I thank all involved for their generosity, but it had no effect on this review. All opinions in this review reflect my true and honest reactions to reading this book.
March 9, 2022
A very intricately-plotted thriller--the second in the series featuring mortician Jim 'Zig' Zigarowski. Zig had worked at Dover Air Force Base, home to the mortuary for top-secret military cases, for most of his adult life but left it all behind two years ago, and is presently working at a funeral home in Wonderly Square, Pennsylvania. But now he gets an unexpected call from Dover. They have a special case they want him to handle with his usual personal care--the body of Archie Mint, a lieutenant-colonel, one of Dover's own, a murder victim, whose funeral will be held in a nearby Pennsylvania town the next day. All Zig has to do is make sure the body is presentable for viewing when it arrives there. Zig decides he's up for it.
After completing the cosmetic work on the body, Zig hangs around for the funeral, a huge affair held in the local school's gym. He notices there are several people here you wouldn't expect at a military funeral, including Nola Brown--a damaged young woman Zig has known since she was a young girl. And whenever she's around, she's like a lightning rod, attracting bad things.
It doesn't take long for Zig to get sucked into the mystery of who killed Archie Mint and why. It's a convoluted plot but very intriguing from start to finish with lots of exciting action. Zig is a warm-hearted guy who is struggling to come to terms with the grief in his own life. He and Nola are an interesting 'team' of sorts. We get to know her better too through flashbacks dealing with her early life.
I received an arc of this new thriller from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Many thanks for the opportunity.
After completing the cosmetic work on the body, Zig hangs around for the funeral, a huge affair held in the local school's gym. He notices there are several people here you wouldn't expect at a military funeral, including Nola Brown--a damaged young woman Zig has known since she was a young girl. And whenever she's around, she's like a lightning rod, attracting bad things.
It doesn't take long for Zig to get sucked into the mystery of who killed Archie Mint and why. It's a convoluted plot but very intriguing from start to finish with lots of exciting action. Zig is a warm-hearted guy who is struggling to come to terms with the grief in his own life. He and Nola are an interesting 'team' of sorts. We get to know her better too through flashbacks dealing with her early life.
I received an arc of this new thriller from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Many thanks for the opportunity.
March 29, 2022
I just can't get into this series and I have to pinpoint the relationship between the characters. They just don't do it for me. Throughout the first installment, The Escape Artist, I continually hoped that the two main characters would finally come together. They did not. So with this second book, I figured surely now they will work as a team. No such luck. "Zig" Zigarowski is a mortician formerly for the US Military and ad nauseum you will hear about his daughter that died. He has every right to grieve and that would surely be part of his personality but the storyline involving his daughter is just weak and wholly unnecessary. Zig just strikes me as vanilla. Yeah, he finds himself in some harrowing and sticky situations. But his motivation for doing so always comes back to Nola who is the one who is really involved in finding her friend's killer and he just is tagging along. Nola doesn't want anything to do with him but he feels compelled to help her because he couldn't help his own daughter. Nola is kickass and a great character...on her own. But with she and Zig dancing around each other like to opposing magnets it just doesn't work for me. The ending again hinted that the two my finally form some sort of bond but I'm not holding my breath.
I would like to thank NetGalley and William Morrow publishing for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
I would like to thank NetGalley and William Morrow publishing for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
October 20, 2021
READ MY FULL REVIEW AT Best Thriller Books
Well-written and action-packed with witty dialogue, intriguing characters and secrets hidden in every shadow, The Lightning Rod is an entertaining thrill ride that’s not to be missed.
Make sure to check out the full review
Well-written and action-packed with witty dialogue, intriguing characters and secrets hidden in every shadow, The Lightning Rod is an entertaining thrill ride that’s not to be missed.
Make sure to check out the full review
July 30, 2022
Brad Meltzer follows up 2008's The Escape Artist with another pairing of especially skilled mortician "Zig" Zigarowski and former Army artist Nola Brown - the "lightning rod" of the title - as they investigate the death of career Army officer Archie Mint, after Mint is killed in what is presumed to be a botched home invasion.
Zig is called out to do some reconstructive work on Mint's face, as that is one of the places he was shot, so there can be an open casket at the funeral, which is being held in a gym. Zig spots Nola, and wonders why she is there, while she spots Zig and wonders the same thing.
While preparing Mint, Zig noticed a few odd things, and this is what propels the mystery/thriller aspect.Zig starts nosing around and it leads him back to Dover Air Force Base, where he previously worked, preparing dead military personnel for their final trip home. He's also looking for Nola, to determine why she was at Mint's funeral.
We do get further character development of Nola, learning more about her, even as we're told she's been living off the grid for the past two years -after she and Sig investigated the events in The Escape Artist.
Nola's twin brother, now a police officer, also wants to find Nola. Actually, it seems everyone wants to get their hands on her, for good reasons and quite a number of not so good reasons. Ditto for Zig.
As they work their way into what is going on, the stakes get higher and higher until the revelations of the connections between all of the characters.
While the main body of the book is good, and captivating, if you're in a mind to ignore a few things and in the mood for a decent thriller. The same could not be said, at least for me, about the ending. I don't mind when series continue going - I am, as we all know, a huge fan of good series books - but this one just didn't settle well for me. It does appear there will be a third book at some point, and that book may answer some questions about this book's ending. Let's just hope it doesn't take four years to arrive.
Three and a half stars rounded up to four out of five stars.
Thanks to William Morrow and Custom House, and NetGalley for the reading copy.
Zig is called out to do some reconstructive work on Mint's face, as that is one of the places he was shot, so there can be an open casket at the funeral, which is being held in a gym. Zig spots Nola, and wonders why she is there, while she spots Zig and wonders the same thing.
While preparing Mint, Zig noticed a few odd things, and this is what propels the mystery/thriller aspect.Zig starts nosing around and it leads him back to Dover Air Force Base, where he previously worked, preparing dead military personnel for their final trip home. He's also looking for Nola, to determine why she was at Mint's funeral.
We do get further character development of Nola, learning more about her, even as we're told she's been living off the grid for the past two years -after she and Sig investigated the events in The Escape Artist.
Nola's twin brother, now a police officer, also wants to find Nola. Actually, it seems everyone wants to get their hands on her, for good reasons and quite a number of not so good reasons. Ditto for Zig.
As they work their way into what is going on, the stakes get higher and higher until the revelations of the connections between all of the characters.
While the main body of the book is good, and captivating, if you're in a mind to ignore a few things and in the mood for a decent thriller. The same could not be said, at least for me, about the ending. I don't mind when series continue going - I am, as we all know, a huge fan of good series books - but this one just didn't settle well for me. It does appear there will be a third book at some point, and that book may answer some questions about this book's ending. Let's just hope it doesn't take four years to arrive.
Three and a half stars rounded up to four out of five stars.
Thanks to William Morrow and Custom House, and NetGalley for the reading copy.
March 25, 2022
DNF at 68%
I only lasted as long as I did because Scott Brick was narrating and I can listen to him read almost anything. Eventually, though, this story became so boring and uninteresting even Brick couldn’t keep me.
I rated #1 in the series barely a 3, so I am not too surprised I wasn’t loving this. It could be that I’m also over stories about ex special ops types and former clandestine operations and things coming to a head 5-10 years later and people are being killed to keep it a secret 🤐 . All the stories seem the same. I don’t necessarily mind familiar plots or formulaic scripts, but if you go there, then the characters have to make up for it by being interesting and everyone here is flat, dull, and underdeveloped. Despite loads of “action” the story barely moves. Sigh.
I only lasted as long as I did because Scott Brick was narrating and I can listen to him read almost anything. Eventually, though, this story became so boring and uninteresting even Brick couldn’t keep me.
I rated #1 in the series barely a 3, so I am not too surprised I wasn’t loving this. It could be that I’m also over stories about ex special ops types and former clandestine operations and things coming to a head 5-10 years later and people are being killed to keep it a secret 🤐 . All the stories seem the same. I don’t necessarily mind familiar plots or formulaic scripts, but if you go there, then the characters have to make up for it by being interesting and everyone here is flat, dull, and underdeveloped. Despite loads of “action” the story barely moves. Sigh.
March 29, 2022
SPOILER ALERT
I rated this based on the complexity and the confusion I experienced reading it. The government is still looking for Nola Brown. When Lt Col, retired, Archie Mint is shot, along with his paramour Rashida Robinson, the body of Mint is first taken care of by the Dover AFB Mortuary, an anomaly for a civilian. Then Zig Zigarowski, mortician at a private mortuary now, is called to fix his face (he had been shot in the head) before the funeral. He smells something off and determines that it was a way to get Nola to show. It was.
Now he is pulled into the search for the reason that Mint and Robinson were killed. A young valet at the steak house where Mint was to dine had decided his would be the house he would hit while Mint was eating. However, when Mint forgets his coat and goes for it he finds his car gone, and he hightails it to his house to get the bastard. But Wojo encounters another waiting in the house and it all goes bad. Wojo also dies. While the plot created follows the theft five years earlier at a Strategic National Stockpile and has the entire force investigating with that in mind, it will become a simple domestic issue in the end. There is a considerable element of how the underworld and the government communicate, without anyone else able to hear, in this case through Black House, an app, which was way over my head with the jargon and technology workings. Then instead of just explaining all at once what occurred at the stockpile (a storage for blood, vaccines, antidotes, medical equipment, etc, ready for disasters and overseas operations, like eboli, one of eleven across the country) they throw out hints, some contradictory, as the story progresses, more confusion for me as the reader. There was theft of $22 million, that a criminal took, who was being put into the WITSEC program, the stockpile the first stop on his way to a new life. He was to see his daughter dying of cancer, but in reality it was a means for him to tell her where the money was. The father and daughter end up dead. Nola was called to do the painting, as Army Artist in Residence. All of those there, including Nola are suspects: Mint, Robinson, Elijah King, plus. Five years later they are on a hit list, apparently.
Only the reader will know the real reason Nola is looking for the killer. She had had a child when she was very young, and her foster father had put it up for adoption. She had watched as was permitted as the child was taken by her new parents, Archie and Tessa Mint. She has kept track of the little girl over the years. Archie had made deposits to his account of the past year that looked suspicious. However, he was planning to leave his wife for Rashida, and was moving money from his investments and retirement preparing to go. His son, Huck, 17, knows about the affair and he has hired the elusive drug dealer who peddles at his school to scare his Dad into stopping the pain he is causing the family. He did not mean for his father to die. While his mother tries to take to blame, as Nola as figured out who killed Mint, Huck confesses, and Nola hides the truth from the police believing the family has suffered enough.
Eventually it is revealed that Elijah King stole the money. He meets with the others as they go to Grandma's Pantry again. There he shoots the guards and plans to kill Zig and Roddy (Nola's brother, a cop) with the two Reds, the assassins who have been hired by Vess, the drug kingpin, to get the money, following. Seabass is in bad shape having been shot earlier, and barely hanging on with a makeshift mouth guard holding his face together. They are both killed as Reagan devastated that Seabass is dead begins to saw through the refrigeration pipes that hold ammonia and will blow the building (it is at the New Jersey airport). Roddy and Zig escape.
Nola will finally find Royall, her foster father, who had survived her shooting him on her last case, when he was found to be a criminal with the military sustaining a traumatic head injury. During the story, Nola goes from one man to another with brain injuries, all of whom have woken from their comas for at least a time. The story hints that there may be a tie to the stockpile theft. Was something taken out of the building that is bringing them back? Again, it is a simple explanation, she wants to know the status of Royall, whom she hated.
Another thread in the story involved Zig's daughter Maggie, who had died in an accident. Hints of a video, that show her hurt in some way before her death, haunt Zig and his ex, Charmaine. They are both trying to find out about that, which turns out to be a heartbreak with a boyfriend.
I thought it overdone and frustrating as I tried to get clear on the multiple elements of the story that in the end turned out to be red herrings. This is the perfect example of making a mountain out of mole hill. It seemed like the author decided to take every idea he had for a story and put them into one. I am not sure that I understood all of the story as the road getting there was so murky.
I rated this based on the complexity and the confusion I experienced reading it. The government is still looking for Nola Brown. When Lt Col, retired, Archie Mint is shot, along with his paramour Rashida Robinson, the body of Mint is first taken care of by the Dover AFB Mortuary, an anomaly for a civilian. Then Zig Zigarowski, mortician at a private mortuary now, is called to fix his face (he had been shot in the head) before the funeral. He smells something off and determines that it was a way to get Nola to show. It was.
Now he is pulled into the search for the reason that Mint and Robinson were killed. A young valet at the steak house where Mint was to dine had decided his would be the house he would hit while Mint was eating. However, when Mint forgets his coat and goes for it he finds his car gone, and he hightails it to his house to get the bastard. But Wojo encounters another waiting in the house and it all goes bad. Wojo also dies. While the plot created follows the theft five years earlier at a Strategic National Stockpile and has the entire force investigating with that in mind, it will become a simple domestic issue in the end. There is a considerable element of how the underworld and the government communicate, without anyone else able to hear, in this case through Black House, an app, which was way over my head with the jargon and technology workings. Then instead of just explaining all at once what occurred at the stockpile (a storage for blood, vaccines, antidotes, medical equipment, etc, ready for disasters and overseas operations, like eboli, one of eleven across the country) they throw out hints, some contradictory, as the story progresses, more confusion for me as the reader. There was theft of $22 million, that a criminal took, who was being put into the WITSEC program, the stockpile the first stop on his way to a new life. He was to see his daughter dying of cancer, but in reality it was a means for him to tell her where the money was. The father and daughter end up dead. Nola was called to do the painting, as Army Artist in Residence. All of those there, including Nola are suspects: Mint, Robinson, Elijah King, plus. Five years later they are on a hit list, apparently.
Only the reader will know the real reason Nola is looking for the killer. She had had a child when she was very young, and her foster father had put it up for adoption. She had watched as was permitted as the child was taken by her new parents, Archie and Tessa Mint. She has kept track of the little girl over the years. Archie had made deposits to his account of the past year that looked suspicious. However, he was planning to leave his wife for Rashida, and was moving money from his investments and retirement preparing to go. His son, Huck, 17, knows about the affair and he has hired the elusive drug dealer who peddles at his school to scare his Dad into stopping the pain he is causing the family. He did not mean for his father to die. While his mother tries to take to blame, as Nola as figured out who killed Mint, Huck confesses, and Nola hides the truth from the police believing the family has suffered enough.
Eventually it is revealed that Elijah King stole the money. He meets with the others as they go to Grandma's Pantry again. There he shoots the guards and plans to kill Zig and Roddy (Nola's brother, a cop) with the two Reds, the assassins who have been hired by Vess, the drug kingpin, to get the money, following. Seabass is in bad shape having been shot earlier, and barely hanging on with a makeshift mouth guard holding his face together. They are both killed as Reagan devastated that Seabass is dead begins to saw through the refrigeration pipes that hold ammonia and will blow the building (it is at the New Jersey airport). Roddy and Zig escape.
Nola will finally find Royall, her foster father, who had survived her shooting him on her last case, when he was found to be a criminal with the military sustaining a traumatic head injury. During the story, Nola goes from one man to another with brain injuries, all of whom have woken from their comas for at least a time. The story hints that there may be a tie to the stockpile theft. Was something taken out of the building that is bringing them back? Again, it is a simple explanation, she wants to know the status of Royall, whom she hated.
Another thread in the story involved Zig's daughter Maggie, who had died in an accident. Hints of a video, that show her hurt in some way before her death, haunt Zig and his ex, Charmaine. They are both trying to find out about that, which turns out to be a heartbreak with a boyfriend.
I thought it overdone and frustrating as I tried to get clear on the multiple elements of the story that in the end turned out to be red herrings. This is the perfect example of making a mountain out of mole hill. It seemed like the author decided to take every idea he had for a story and put them into one. I am not sure that I understood all of the story as the road getting there was so murky.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 13, 2022
The release of a new Brad Meltzer novel is a special event that is always worth celebrating. To begin with, you know you are going to get snappy dialogue and smart plotting, along with great characters. What really sets him apart is the legendary command of history packed into each of his books, to the point where you are almost guaranteed to walk away learning something new.
THE LIGHTNING ROD, the highly anticipated follow-up to Meltzer’s 2018 thriller, THE ESCAPE ARTIST, is no exception to this successful formula. He grabs you by the throat right away by letting you know that a young man, Anthony Wojowicz, has just 14 minutes to live. As a valet parker for a steakhouse in Pennsylvania, he makes side money by taking the cars of wealthy diners to their homes while they are eating and breaking in to steal something of value that can be resold. Unfortunately, Wojo has picked the wrong person on the wrong night.
Once inside the house of the car’s owner, Archie Mint, he finds someone wearing an Oscar the Grouch mask wielding a gun and waiting for him in the guest bedroom. Wojo uses a taser on the man and makes a run for it. But much to his surprise, Mint is waiting for him in the vehicle. They struggle, but Wojo’s luck finally runs out as both he and Mint are shot and killed.
Enter Jim “Zig” Zigarowski, a mortician who spent most of his career at Dover Air Force Base. He is called in to personally work his magic on the body of Mint, a former member of the military whose colleagues insist on an open-casket funeral. Zig comes through, but not without being more than a little curious as to who Mint really was --- especially when he learns that the deceased never saw action and was only a reserve. Zig will be in for an even bigger surprise when Nola Brown, the infamous mystery woman who saved his life in THE ESCAPE ARTIST, shows up at the funeral. What could possibly be their connection?
Nola herself is alarmed, to say the least, to find her twin brother Roddy, a cop, also in attendance. They have not seen each other for decades, and the novel flashes back to when they parted ways. Nola is a disaster portrait artist, and her painting, Grandma’s Pantry, will cause quite a stir. The three people depicted in it are Mint, Rashida Robinson and Elijah King. Robinson allegedly committed suicide the same evening that Mint was murdered, but no one knows King’s whereabouts.
Meanwhile, Nola is on the loose and conducting her own search for answers. At one point, she comes upon a virtual reality game called Black House and finds someone playing online as Archie Mint. Meltzer decides to spice up the plot by tossing in a couple of lunatic assassins of uncertain allegiance --- a brother/sister duo known simply as the Reds who enjoy sawing people’s throats open, along with other forms of torture.
The novel’s title receives a nice reveal when one of Zig’s colleagues refers to Nola’s relationship to him as that of a lightning rod, a trigger point. She is certainly a dynamic character. Zig eventually is told that Black House originally referred to a location that President Nixon’s staff would use to discuss “off the record” items at the White House. He also learns that Grandma’s Pantry is supposed to be symbolic of where the government prepares for the end of the world.
Zig and Nola do not actually hook up until more than halfway through the story, which really keeps the suspense burning. Zig, who is spending most of his time with Roddy, learns of King’s location, and they head off to find him. King is full of additional secrets and surprises, and once Nola finally catches up to the gang, fireworks are in order.
THE LIGHTNING ROD is high-octane writing and historical intrigue as only Brad Meltzer can produce, and the ride is a relentless one. I look forward to joining Zig and Nola for whatever mischief they have in store for their next adventure.
Reviewed by Ray Palen
THE LIGHTNING ROD, the highly anticipated follow-up to Meltzer’s 2018 thriller, THE ESCAPE ARTIST, is no exception to this successful formula. He grabs you by the throat right away by letting you know that a young man, Anthony Wojowicz, has just 14 minutes to live. As a valet parker for a steakhouse in Pennsylvania, he makes side money by taking the cars of wealthy diners to their homes while they are eating and breaking in to steal something of value that can be resold. Unfortunately, Wojo has picked the wrong person on the wrong night.
Once inside the house of the car’s owner, Archie Mint, he finds someone wearing an Oscar the Grouch mask wielding a gun and waiting for him in the guest bedroom. Wojo uses a taser on the man and makes a run for it. But much to his surprise, Mint is waiting for him in the vehicle. They struggle, but Wojo’s luck finally runs out as both he and Mint are shot and killed.
Enter Jim “Zig” Zigarowski, a mortician who spent most of his career at Dover Air Force Base. He is called in to personally work his magic on the body of Mint, a former member of the military whose colleagues insist on an open-casket funeral. Zig comes through, but not without being more than a little curious as to who Mint really was --- especially when he learns that the deceased never saw action and was only a reserve. Zig will be in for an even bigger surprise when Nola Brown, the infamous mystery woman who saved his life in THE ESCAPE ARTIST, shows up at the funeral. What could possibly be their connection?
Nola herself is alarmed, to say the least, to find her twin brother Roddy, a cop, also in attendance. They have not seen each other for decades, and the novel flashes back to when they parted ways. Nola is a disaster portrait artist, and her painting, Grandma’s Pantry, will cause quite a stir. The three people depicted in it are Mint, Rashida Robinson and Elijah King. Robinson allegedly committed suicide the same evening that Mint was murdered, but no one knows King’s whereabouts.
Meanwhile, Nola is on the loose and conducting her own search for answers. At one point, she comes upon a virtual reality game called Black House and finds someone playing online as Archie Mint. Meltzer decides to spice up the plot by tossing in a couple of lunatic assassins of uncertain allegiance --- a brother/sister duo known simply as the Reds who enjoy sawing people’s throats open, along with other forms of torture.
The novel’s title receives a nice reveal when one of Zig’s colleagues refers to Nola’s relationship to him as that of a lightning rod, a trigger point. She is certainly a dynamic character. Zig eventually is told that Black House originally referred to a location that President Nixon’s staff would use to discuss “off the record” items at the White House. He also learns that Grandma’s Pantry is supposed to be symbolic of where the government prepares for the end of the world.
Zig and Nola do not actually hook up until more than halfway through the story, which really keeps the suspense burning. Zig, who is spending most of his time with Roddy, learns of King’s location, and they head off to find him. King is full of additional secrets and surprises, and once Nola finally catches up to the gang, fireworks are in order.
THE LIGHTNING ROD is high-octane writing and historical intrigue as only Brad Meltzer can produce, and the ride is a relentless one. I look forward to joining Zig and Nola for whatever mischief they have in store for their next adventure.
Reviewed by Ray Palen
April 17, 2022
Too dang many characters to keep straight: Zig, Nola, Roddy, Waggs, Archie Mint, The Reds (2 hideous/murderous red headed killers), Violet, Huck, Tessa, Charmaine, Andy, O.J., Zion, Elijah, Mr. Vess, Salty, etc. Who are the good guys and who are the bad guys and who took the money? The only really good thing to come out of the book was a certain person's baby and who adopted that baby. The rest would fill a garbage can. Why, oh, why would James Patterson, Lee Child and Nelson DeMille recommend this nightmare???
February 26, 2022
I did not read the first book. I read this one because a friend at work got an advance copy and thought I liked Brad Meltzer's work. I have enjoyed everyone of his books I have read including his children's books. This is no exception. He has a wonderful story telling style that instantly pulls me in and gives me background information about previous books that does not feel forced like many other others I have read. Nola, Zig, and Waggs all are there and feel complex, multi-dimensional in other words real. He paints the details just as Nola would do with her pencils and does so with so few words it shows that his gift of story telling has been crafted to perfection. This story has layer upon layer of past, present, and future of the characters. Zig is safe in a safe job in safe area when the book begins. He is called into assist with a funeral of someone who worked at Dover Air Force base which was where his former life was. It just doesn't feel right and Zig quickly figures out why he is there, but doesn't know why he was called into being there. Confused. You'll get it. This sets him on investigations that push him, Nola and his ex-wife. Do you really ever know what is at the core of someone? Brad gives you hints and glances, but you want to know more and find out why all of this is happening to this man who had stepped out of his former life and is now back in it.
March 3, 2022
Death always sees you for who you really are.
First chapter - the very first lines, big explosion of this fast paced thriller. Perp happy go lucky hoodlum doesn't know that he is going to get wacked when he robs his victim in his own house.
Brad Meltzer expertly plays the reader like a fiddle. "In a few minutes this guy's blood will be every where". Of course, I could never watch a scene like this play out. I don't like the sight of blood but reading keeps me turning the page. There were several victims in that house and one of them was known by Nola. Archie Mint who served with Nola. The plot is pivoted on what type of relationship they had. Why Mint was so important to Nola. Nola is an artist that captures details that may be missed at military scenes. Being an artist keeps her balanced. She is one of those deep characters that has more to them that they make known. She is one of those contrasting characters that I find fascinating.
Zig and Nola have a history as well which is in the first book. They have connection to Zig's daughter that tragically died young. Zig works for the military in giving the men and women a proper burial for the family and for their honor. He is asked to fix Archie Mint for burial. When he sees Nola at the funeral, the questions cannot be ignored. Especially when Nola's long lost twin brother Roddy comes into the picture. A policeman who is searching for his sister, a sister who doesn't want to be found. The narration goes from the twin's past to the current case. Who killed Mint and why. Zig and Roddy work together and just like his sister, there is something deep. A battle within.
I found the plot easy to follow along and it was riveting. It took you down one road with a cat and mouse and not enough time. The road only leads you somewhere unexpected. Nola is the Lighting Rod. You never know what is going to happen and how she will surprise you next. Nola and her brother will meet again in book 3. I cannot wait!
A special thank you to William and Morrow and Netgalley for the ARC and the opportunity to post an honest review.
First chapter - the very first lines, big explosion of this fast paced thriller. Perp happy go lucky hoodlum doesn't know that he is going to get wacked when he robs his victim in his own house.
Brad Meltzer expertly plays the reader like a fiddle. "In a few minutes this guy's blood will be every where". Of course, I could never watch a scene like this play out. I don't like the sight of blood but reading keeps me turning the page. There were several victims in that house and one of them was known by Nola. Archie Mint who served with Nola. The plot is pivoted on what type of relationship they had. Why Mint was so important to Nola. Nola is an artist that captures details that may be missed at military scenes. Being an artist keeps her balanced. She is one of those deep characters that has more to them that they make known. She is one of those contrasting characters that I find fascinating.
Zig and Nola have a history as well which is in the first book. They have connection to Zig's daughter that tragically died young. Zig works for the military in giving the men and women a proper burial for the family and for their honor. He is asked to fix Archie Mint for burial. When he sees Nola at the funeral, the questions cannot be ignored. Especially when Nola's long lost twin brother Roddy comes into the picture. A policeman who is searching for his sister, a sister who doesn't want to be found. The narration goes from the twin's past to the current case. Who killed Mint and why. Zig and Roddy work together and just like his sister, there is something deep. A battle within.
I found the plot easy to follow along and it was riveting. It took you down one road with a cat and mouse and not enough time. The road only leads you somewhere unexpected. Nola is the Lighting Rod. You never know what is going to happen and how she will surprise you next. Nola and her brother will meet again in book 3. I cannot wait!
A special thank you to William and Morrow and Netgalley for the ARC and the opportunity to post an honest review.
November 1, 2021
This is the 2nd book in the Zig and Nola series, and it is flat-out terrific. Mortician Zig is called upon to work on a murdered Colonel, but Zig notices that things just don’t add up, and the action takes off from there. Great characters and dialogue, we learn more of Nola’s backstory and Zig’s heartbreak, with plenty of twists. This is a fast-paced, engrossing book that has you totally hooked from start to finish. Another not to be missed book from author Brad Meltzer. Easy 5 stars for this one! I received an ARC of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
September 23, 2021
This is one of the best thrillers I have read in a while. Prepare yourself for an edge of your seat, spine tingling, adrenaline-fueled read. There are so many twists and turn, some you may see coming, some you may not, that you will just shake your head. I love this series and its two soul damaged characters with personal revelations that touched me to the core. Please hurry with the next one, Mr. Meltzer!
Make sure you add this to your future reading list. It doesn’t come out until March, 2022.
Make sure you add this to your future reading list. It doesn’t come out until March, 2022.
July 29, 2022
In full transparency, I did not finish this book.
It is just dreadful. Full of extreme situations, unlikable characters, rampant violence and coincidences too outlandish for even a military/spy/mystery story.
The narration of the audiobook contributed to my dislike. The over-dramatic, breathless reading seemingly attributes great importance to even the most mundane details. Every time he reads a conversation, it sounds like there is a mental "you idiot" at the end of each quote.
Ugh. Life is too short to spend more time with this garbage.
It is just dreadful. Full of extreme situations, unlikable characters, rampant violence and coincidences too outlandish for even a military/spy/mystery story.
The narration of the audiobook contributed to my dislike. The over-dramatic, breathless reading seemingly attributes great importance to even the most mundane details. Every time he reads a conversation, it sounds like there is a mental "you idiot" at the end of each quote.
Ugh. Life is too short to spend more time with this garbage.
February 26, 2022
This was my first read by the author. The book jumped around too much for me. It didn't go into depth on the main characters as much as I would have liked. I don't think I will continue with the series.
I won this book on Goodreads giveaway so thank you for that.
I won this book on Goodreads giveaway so thank you for that.
March 19, 2022
DNF. It reads like a movie that skips frames every few seconds, making it unwatchable. Just couldn’t take it anymore. As an aside, do the people who’s quotes of praise are on the back cover actually read the book? Or are they just paid for their endorsement?
March 12, 2022
The release of a new novel from Brad Meltzer is a special event and always one worth celebrating. To begin with, you know you are going to get snappy dialogue and smart plotting along with great characters. What really sets him apart is the legendary command of history packed into each of his novels, typically U.S. history, to the point where the reader is almost guaranteed to walk away learning something new. History class was never this much fun!
THE LIGHTNING ROD is no exception to this successful formula. The second novel in the new series that features Zig and Nola, who debuted in THE ESCAPE ARTIST. Meltzer grabs you by the throat with the first line of this story by letting you know that a young man named Anthony Wojowicz had just fourteen minutes to live. As a valet parker for a steakhouse in Pennsylvania he makes side money by taking the cars of wealthy diners to their homes while they are eating and breaking into their homes to steal something of value that can easily be resold. Unfortunately, Wojo picked the wrong person on the wrong night.
Once inside the home of the car’s owner, Archie Mint, he finds a man wearing an Oscar the Grouch mask wielding a gun and waiting for him in the guest bedroom. They struggle and Wojo uses a taser on the man and makes a run for it. As he gets back into the car, he finds that Archie Mint has found him and is back in the vehicle. The two of them struggle and Wojo’ luck finally runs out as he and Archie Mint are both shot in the head and killed.
Enter Jim ‘Zig’ Zigarowski, a mortician who spent most of his career at Dover Air Force Base, who is called in to personally work his magic on the body of former military member Archie Mint whose colleagues insist must have an open casket funeral. Zig comes through, but not without becoming more than a little bit curious as to who Mint really is --- especially when he learns he never saw action and was only a reserve. Zig will be in for an even bigger surprise when he finds his infamous mystery woman who saved his life in the last novel, Nola, showing up at Mint’s funeral. What could possibly be their connection?
Zig is not the only one in for a surprise as Nola herself is alarmed, to say the least, to find that her twin brother Roddy is attending the same funeral. Roddy is a PA cop and has not seen Nola in decades. The novel supplies us with some flashback moments that present us with the moments up to the point when Nola and Roddy parted ways. Nola’s skill was her work as a disaster portrait artist and in this novel the painting she made entitled ‘Grandma’s Pantry’ will cause quite a stir. The three people depicted in it are Archie Mint, Rashida Robinson, and Elijah King. Mint was murdered during a burglary, Robinson allegedly committed suicide the same evening, and no one knows the whereabouts of King. At least the connection between Mint and Nola is now apparent as she is the artist connecting all four of them.
Nola is on the loose and conducting her own search for answers and at one point comes upon a virtual reality game called Black House in which she finds someone playing online as the late Archie Mint. We will soon learn that the term ‘Black House’ will come to mean other things of great and highly secretive importance to the plot. Meltzer decides to spice up the plot a little bit more by tossing in a couple of lunatic assassins of uncertain allegiance --- a brother/sister duo of killers known simply as the Reds who enjoy sawing peoples throats open, amongst various forms of torture they employ.
The novel’s title receives a nice reveal when one of Zig’s colleagues refers to Nola’s relationship to him as that of a lightning rod, a trigger point. She is certainly a dynamic character, that is for sure. Revelations and some truths are finally related to Zig when he has a sit down with Colonel O.J. Whatley who sets him straight on a lot of the history behind what is happening --- including the truth about Black House. Black House originally referred to a location that President Nixon’s staff would use to discuss ‘off the record’ items at the White House. Zig is also told that Grandma’s Pantry is supposed to be symbolic for where the government prepares for the end of the world.
Zig and Nola do not actually hook up until more than half-way through the story which really keeps the suspense burning. Zig, who is spending most of his time with her brother Roddy, learns of the location of the last person in the painting, Elijah King, and off they go to find him and get some answers. Elijah is full of additional secrets and surprises and once Nola finally catches up to the gang, fireworks are in order! THE LIGHTNING ROD is high octane writing and historical intrigue and only Brad Meltzer can do it and the ride is a relentless one. I look forward to joining Zig and Nola for whatever mischief they have in mind for their next adventure!
Reviewed by Ray Palen for Book Reporter
THE LIGHTNING ROD is no exception to this successful formula. The second novel in the new series that features Zig and Nola, who debuted in THE ESCAPE ARTIST. Meltzer grabs you by the throat with the first line of this story by letting you know that a young man named Anthony Wojowicz had just fourteen minutes to live. As a valet parker for a steakhouse in Pennsylvania he makes side money by taking the cars of wealthy diners to their homes while they are eating and breaking into their homes to steal something of value that can easily be resold. Unfortunately, Wojo picked the wrong person on the wrong night.
Once inside the home of the car’s owner, Archie Mint, he finds a man wearing an Oscar the Grouch mask wielding a gun and waiting for him in the guest bedroom. They struggle and Wojo uses a taser on the man and makes a run for it. As he gets back into the car, he finds that Archie Mint has found him and is back in the vehicle. The two of them struggle and Wojo’ luck finally runs out as he and Archie Mint are both shot in the head and killed.
Enter Jim ‘Zig’ Zigarowski, a mortician who spent most of his career at Dover Air Force Base, who is called in to personally work his magic on the body of former military member Archie Mint whose colleagues insist must have an open casket funeral. Zig comes through, but not without becoming more than a little bit curious as to who Mint really is --- especially when he learns he never saw action and was only a reserve. Zig will be in for an even bigger surprise when he finds his infamous mystery woman who saved his life in the last novel, Nola, showing up at Mint’s funeral. What could possibly be their connection?
Zig is not the only one in for a surprise as Nola herself is alarmed, to say the least, to find that her twin brother Roddy is attending the same funeral. Roddy is a PA cop and has not seen Nola in decades. The novel supplies us with some flashback moments that present us with the moments up to the point when Nola and Roddy parted ways. Nola’s skill was her work as a disaster portrait artist and in this novel the painting she made entitled ‘Grandma’s Pantry’ will cause quite a stir. The three people depicted in it are Archie Mint, Rashida Robinson, and Elijah King. Mint was murdered during a burglary, Robinson allegedly committed suicide the same evening, and no one knows the whereabouts of King. At least the connection between Mint and Nola is now apparent as she is the artist connecting all four of them.
Nola is on the loose and conducting her own search for answers and at one point comes upon a virtual reality game called Black House in which she finds someone playing online as the late Archie Mint. We will soon learn that the term ‘Black House’ will come to mean other things of great and highly secretive importance to the plot. Meltzer decides to spice up the plot a little bit more by tossing in a couple of lunatic assassins of uncertain allegiance --- a brother/sister duo of killers known simply as the Reds who enjoy sawing peoples throats open, amongst various forms of torture they employ.
The novel’s title receives a nice reveal when one of Zig’s colleagues refers to Nola’s relationship to him as that of a lightning rod, a trigger point. She is certainly a dynamic character, that is for sure. Revelations and some truths are finally related to Zig when he has a sit down with Colonel O.J. Whatley who sets him straight on a lot of the history behind what is happening --- including the truth about Black House. Black House originally referred to a location that President Nixon’s staff would use to discuss ‘off the record’ items at the White House. Zig is also told that Grandma’s Pantry is supposed to be symbolic for where the government prepares for the end of the world.
Zig and Nola do not actually hook up until more than half-way through the story which really keeps the suspense burning. Zig, who is spending most of his time with her brother Roddy, learns of the location of the last person in the painting, Elijah King, and off they go to find him and get some answers. Elijah is full of additional secrets and surprises and once Nola finally catches up to the gang, fireworks are in order! THE LIGHTNING ROD is high octane writing and historical intrigue and only Brad Meltzer can do it and the ride is a relentless one. I look forward to joining Zig and Nola for whatever mischief they have in mind for their next adventure!
Reviewed by Ray Palen for Book Reporter
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