▼ Culture Not So Secret Alex Segura’s latest murder-mystery novel stars Cuban-American protagonist. BY CAROLINA DEL BUSTO R arely, if ever, does a nerdy Cuban- American, comic book-loving girl from Miami pick up a book and see herself reflected on the pages. A complex, wholly real character like that isn’t commonplace in literature. Enter author Alex Segura. The Miami-born and bred Cuban-Ameri- can has always sought to write about stories and characters that he finds relatable. His lat- est novel, Secret Identity, follows a young girl named Carmen Valdez as she navigates New York City and attempts to solve a murder in order to claim the rights to a comic book character she created. Oh, and she’s a Cuban immigrant from Miami. Segura begins his story by introducing a young Carmen, who wakes up to the sounds of her parents arguing. And right there, within the first pages of the book, is that sweet, romantic language many of us Miam- ians are oh-so-familiar with: Spanish. There’s a conversa- tion playing out in Span- glish, and the main character of the story refers to her parents as Mami and Papi. A rarity. “When I first started writing books, I really wanted to write about people like me,” the author says. “There’s always going to be a Miami element to everything that I write, an element of being Cuban-American. “We speak Spanish, these are the foods we eat, this is how we live our lives,” Segura adds matter-of-factly, “and it’s just something that is naturally a part of the book.” The rest of the storyline follows Carmen as she moves from Miami to NYC to pursue her dream of working in comics. She gets an entry-level position at a third-rate publisher called Triumph Comics, where she’s soon presented with an opportunity to help de- velop the first-ever female superhero for the publisher. She agrees to take the gig and do the work anonymously. The character is a huge hit. But the one person who knows about her contributions is murdered. “Carmen has to solve the murder of her 12 12 friend to not only figure out what happened to him but to reclaim this character that is running away from her,” Segura explains. What happens next is rich with mystery, deceit, and, of course, a color- ful dive into the world of comics as could only be told by a comic-book lover who’s worked in the industry for over a decade. Segura not only understands the world of comics from both an in- sider and an observer’s per- spective, but he’s a fine storyteller. His first job in the medium was with DC Comics. He later worked for Archie Com- ics, where he was copresident until last year, when he joined Oni Press. In addition to his novels, he’s writ- ten comic books, short stories, and has even worked on podcasts. Much like his Cuban-American protago- nist, Segura grew up in Miami with immi- grant parents and later moved to New York City to pursue his love of comics. “It can be very lonely to move to a new city without the comforts of home, and I think that’s really relatable. A lot of people can relate to that. That’s where Car- men’s story and mine run a little parallel,” Se- gura says, then pauses. “But obviously there was no murder when I moved to New York.” Secret Identity takes place in 1975 New York City, when the comic book industry was at its nadir, according to Segura. “It felt like a dying industry [at the time],” he says. “So I wanted to show that contrast and how people reading it today will realize that there was a time when comics were not as prevalent as they are now.” Throughout the 354-page novel, readers will see excerpts from the fictional comic book created by Carmen and her colleagues. The sequences also evolve as the story pro- gresses, and the comic book character changes hands at Triumph. Not only will you see tonal differences, says Segura, but the sketches are very much true to the time. Artist Sandy Jarrell drew the panels in the style of comics from the 1970s, and once he was done, Taylor Esposito did the lettering. The result feels real and historical despite be- ing a story within a story. Now 42, Segura rose to prominence with his Pete Fernandez detective series nearly a Photo by Robert Kidd/Courtesy of Flatiron Books Alex Segura’s latest novel, Secret Identity, follows its Cuban-American protagonist, Carmen Valdez, as she tries to solve a murder. decade ago. The titular character, Fernandez, also happens to be a Cuban-American, and the story takes place in Miami. The novels started as a side project for the comic book professional and eventually developed into a five-book series. Segura describes creating Pete Fernandez as this fully formed character walking in through a door in his mind. One day he was just there. And the next, he was on paper. It was a surreal experience he fully expected to never have again. “But with Carmen, it was the same thing: She just showed up.” He describes Carmen as an amalgamation of people he knows, friends in Miami and New York City, and someone very different from Pete. There’s a sort of fondness in his voice as he speaks about Carmen. He admires this strong female lead and proudly speaks of her as one would of a friend. “I knew that after the Pete books, I was go- ing to write Secret Identity,” Segura says. “It’s kind of the book I’ve wanted to write for the longest time.” The story brings together all of Segura’s loves: comic books, noir, and mystery. And even his hometown of Miami and his current city of New York. “Secret Identity feels like a love letter to the two things I really love, in terms of fiction and comics and mystery novel,” he says. “It’s a very personal book because it’s taken things from different experiences I’ve had. It’s very much a part of me.” When asked if there are plans for future installments of Secret Identity or a Carmen Valdes series, Segura takes a beat. “We’ll see what happens.” Secret Identity. By Alex Segura. Flatiron Books. 2022. 354 pages. Hardcover, $29. Order on- line where books are sold, or visit alexsegura.com. [email protected] MONTH XX–MONTH XX, 2008 MARCH 31 - APRIL 6, 2022 NEW TIMES | MUSIC | CAFE | CULTURE | NIGHT+DAY | NEWS | LETTERS | CONTENTS | miaminewtimes.com | browardpalmbeach.com miaminewtimes.com MIAMI NEW TIMES | MUSIC | CAFE | FILM | ART | STAGE | NIGHT+DAY | METRO | RIPTIDE | LETTERS | CONTENTS |
