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Some kind words for SILENT CITY over at :

Segura pulls off an evolution of character I can’t recall having seen in recent crime fiction. He also uses the dark corners and alleyways of Miami, untouched by the neon of South Beach, to create a criminal’s playground that leaves in the reader’s mouth a cheap beer aftertaste that blends well with the scent of stale smoke permeating the room. If trench-coat-and-Stetson-hat fiction were a genre, Silent City would be right at home in it.  

As a reminder, you can scope out all your SILENT CITY buying options at my .

This will be brief, but hopefully effective:

I had an amazing time in Milwaukee this past weekend at Murder and Mayhem in Muskego. The event �� which collected some of the best crime writers in the business, who also happen to be some of my closest friends in said business �� was an all-day affair on Saturday, 11/9 at the Muskego Public Library. I had the honor to be on the first panel with a killer lineup of authors, including Marcus Sakey, Sean Doolittle and Kieran Shea �� moderated by the superb Bryan VanMeter. We talked about everything from cake vs. pie, our books (Silent City!) and how we each approach our respective genres. It was a lot of fun, and I was humbled to be included.

Aside from that, the event consisted of even more excellent panels featuring some great authors, not to mention the chance to hang out and socialize with them. Really great to chat and catch up with Chris F. Holm, Megan Abbott, Reed Farrell Coleman, Duane Swierczynski, Michael Koryta, Howard Chaykin, Dana Cameron, Frank Bill, Frank Wheeler and so many more.

None of it would have been possible without the amazing efforts of Penny Halle, Jon and Ruth Jordan and the entire Crimspree Magazine crew (Dan, Kate, Erica, Jon, Bryan and more). I left the event exhausted but brimming with love for the crime fiction community.

Hope to do it again soon!

This weekend, I’ll be heading to Milwaukee to participate in this year’s crime fiction library event at the Muskego Public Library. To say I’m psyched would be an understatement.

I’ll be on a panel with some amazing authors �� including the very talented , and �� and signing copies of Silent City. I’m very honored to be in such great company, including other crime fiction all-stars like , , , , , and many more. Even if you’re not coming to the event, take a minute to buy books by all these talents �� it’s a primer in crime fiction.

I’ve mentioned this a few times here and via my other channels, but this video really merits its own post.

The crew went all out in the bells and whistles department and got the hugely talented and to put together this awesome live-action trailer for Silent City (now on sale! Just click on the “Buy Now�� button to your right…or . /shill, sort of��).

I have to imagine trailers like these are really challenging �� you want to evoke the mood of the book without giving too much away and you also don’t want to give the potential reader too much of a visual sense of what the book is. You have to leave something for the imagination, right?

Anyway, these guys nailed it. Check it out below!

If you’re a try-it-before-you-buy-it type, then you’re in luck: , up on their site. A little bird tells me it’ll also be in an upcoming print issue, if that’s how you roll.

If you like what you’ve read, be sure to pick up a copy �� either on this very site, by clicking on the “Buy Now�� button on the left, or via Amazon.

Let me know what you think!

Dave Richards at :

What makes the novel unique though is that it’s essentially an origin story. In most private detective tales, the hero is already in business for himself, but in Silent City, Segura gives readers the story of how a haunted, broken-down, alcoholic journalist is transformed into a private detective and it’s a pretty powerful and exciting tale.

It’s official: Silent City is on sale today from ! We had an epic �� . A great time, and definitely one of the highlights of the year for me (albeit a distant second to getting hitched!).

So, right �� pub day. It’s kind of surreal that it’s here. As I’ve noted, the book’s , and a few nice reviews �� like

You can order the print version via or , and you can also . “But what about X platform, Alex?�� Be patient �� the fine folks at Codorus tell me the book should be available on all platforms in a few short weeks. Once you’re done reading it, you can share your thoughts by writing a review on ŷ������, if that’s what you’re into.

I can’t say enough great things about �� they’ve really pulled out all the stops for this book, including creating a special trailer to promote the launch, which you can see embedded below. The video is the handy work of the supremely talented and . They did a great job capturing the feel of the book �� I was totally blown away when I first saw it, and I still have to pinch myself each time I check it out.

If you’ve read the book or know me at all, you know music is a huge part of my life, and also a big part of the book. on Spotify, which you can check out/subscribe to below. Enjoy �� and lemme know what you think!

Also, if you happen to be in the Milwaukee area, I’ll be at the . I’ll be on a panel, signing some books and basically soaking up as much as I can from the amazing roster of crime writers in attendance. Seriously, check out the list. I’m humbled to be in their company.

I was 18 when handed me a battered copy of The Best of the Velvet Underground: Words and Music of Lou Reed. I’d just stared working at the college paper and I was overwhelmed with the freedom and sensory overload that comes with, well, growing up. I thought I was a music buff �� I listened to a lot of Beatles, Nirvana and whatever was on the radio at the time (mostly grunge, or overly polished grunge-pop) �� but I wasn’t ready for this. I was just a baby. This music was something else.

Sloppy, scary, jagged and angry. Chords were missed, voices cracked, strings were hit wrong and while the melody was there �� the words had nothing to do with love, sunshine or joy. The angst was different, too �� it wasn’t whiny, it was resigned and said more with a shrug than the bands I’d been listening to could do with a three-minute wail. The Velvet Underground were exactly what their name implied: not mainstream, a smooth exterior caked with dirt. The world of Lou Reed was an abandoned subway station or a darkened street corner, waiting for a man.

I didn’t like it at first, and that made me angry. �ճ󾱲���was the best the band had to offer? If so, count me out. I went back to Fred and said as much and he responded with “Well, they’re not a best-of band. You can’t just collect greatest hits and think you know music.�� I got mad at that, too. But he was right.

Over time, I picked up everything the Velvets did �� which, in terms of output, isn’t a lot. But what a great set of albums. From their unnerving debut to the candy-coated-but-still-Lou pop mastery of Loaded, each record spoke to me in a way nothing coming out at the time could. We were all freaks and outcasts looking for a crack of light in a dark room that may never show up.

My wife told me Lou Reed had died as we were walking around our neighborhood, on our way to lunch. I didn’t know how to respond at first beyond “Shit. That sucks.�� And I guess that doesn’t really matter.

It hit me toward the end of the night, as I pulled out our vinyl copy of the Velvets�� eponymous third album. It hit me harder as Lou’s vocal on “I’m Beginning to See the Light�� kicked through our tinny record player speakers. “There are problems in these times/But none of them are mine.�� I love the pure joy of the line �� which, at first glance, seems kind of dour but always struck me as the opposite. This is Lou at his most joyous and free �� hey, there’s bad stuff going down all over the place, but you and me, we’re alright. A good way to live, I think.

it didn’t come as a total surprise �� I’d known he was sick, or had been sick. I guess I’d just taken it all for granted. I listened to his music all the time �� whether happy, sad, angry or somewhere in-between. His songs have gotten me through terrible times �� the lyrical twist near the end of “Pale Blue Eyes�� �� and great ones �� the epic story/poem that is “Street Hassle.�� But never did I stop to think that the guy behind each song might not be around much longer.

It’s probably fitting that I’ll respond to this sad news the same way I’ve responded to life’s many good or bad changes �� by listening to some Lou Reed songs.

Rest in peace, Lou.

I’ve been blown away by . Even happier to say we’ve got a few more great advance blurbs to share.

has been great about the book’s gotten, but I figured it’d be nice to have the new ones all in one place. For me, the best part of seeing these blurbs involves having writers you admire �� and read as a fan! �� say they like your work. is not only a great friend and mentor in the wacky world of publishing, but a writer I genuinely admire �� I’ll buy and read anything she puts out. Same goes for and , the latter a real standout true crime writer. If you haven’t read the Claire DeWitt books, Empire State or Notes on a Killing, do yourself a favor and check them out.

Oh yeah, blurbs. Here’s what they’ve got to say about Silent City, which comes out Oct. 29 (!):

“Silent City screams off the page! Someone lock Alex Segura in a room until he churns out more tales of Pete Fernandez’s Miami! As someone once wrote, ‘Please sir, I want more.’�� �� Kevin Flynn, author of NOTES ON A KILLING, LEGALLY DEAD and OUR LITTLE SECRET

“Silent City is a noir page-turner I couldn’t put down, a race through the Miami tourists don’t see. I loved the book, and can’t wait for the next one. Alex Segura is a writer to watch.�� �� Sara Gran, bestselling author of CLAIRE DEWITT AND THE BOHEMIAN HIGHWAY and CLAIRE DEWITT AND THE CITY OF THE DEAD

“Silent City is a page-turner right from the get-go, fast and furious and with plenty of bite.�� �� Adam Christopher, bestselling author of EMPIRE STATE and THE BURNING DARK

I’m also really stoked to finally have the final cover to the book, which was designed by the supremely talented , featuring an author photo by my dear friend .

If you’ve already managed to snag a copy of Silent City, or plan on reading it �� give the book some love on ŷ������, too, if you can?

More updates as they come in. Thanks to everyone for the kind words and support throughout this process!

One of the best things about writing Silent City was the warm welcome I’ve gotten from the mystery community over the years. I’ve made some lasting friendships and learned a lot from fellow authors. Some were even willing to read Silent City prior to publication �� and they seem to dig it! I’m extremely grateful for that, but more grateful for the new friendships and priceless advice I’ve gotten throughout the writing, editing and publishing process.

has gotten over the last few weeks, but I thought it might be helpful to put it all in one place. It also gives me the chance to remind you that and that you can add it to your to-read shelf on ŷ������. It goes on sale Oct. 29 as a print and ebook, which is not that far away (said the guy also planning a wedding for next month��)!

More importantly, this post allows me a moment to suggest some great authors you should all dive into: , , and are all must-reads for me, and really wonderful people. I’m lucky to know them and you should definitely check out their books when you have the chance.

Oh, right. The praise! Here it is:

“Murder, mayhem, Miami…and every character has their own great taste in music. Silent City knows that every city has its own dark and twisted personality. And so do its inhabitants. Take a chance and step inside.�� �� Brad Meltzer, #1 New York Times bestselling author of THE INNER CIRCLE, as well as the bestsellers THE TENTH JUSTICE, DEAD EVEN, THE FIRST COUNSEL, THE MILLIONAIRES, THE ZERO GAME, THE BOOK OF FATE and THE BOOK OF LIES

“Miami glows hot in this debut �� Alex Segura is a name to watch.�� �� Jeff Abbott, New York Times bestselling author of DOWNFALL

“In Silent City, Segura shines a light on a Miami not often seen, one in which neon and glitz are supplanted by the hardscrabble grit of folks just trying to get by. Silent City is a coiled snake, twist after twist bringing you ever closer to its final, stinging bite.�� �� Chris F. Holm, bestselling author of DEAD HARVEST, THE WRONG GOODBYE and THE BIG REAP

“Silent City is a top-notch thriller. The action is non-stop, the tension is relentless, and in Pete Fernandez, Alex Segura has created the most compelling, original, and complex multi-layered hero I’ve encountered in years.�� �� Andrew Grant, bestselling author of EVEN, DIE TWICE and MORE HARM THAN GOOD