Segura applied the Page 69 Test to his new novel, Blackout, and reported the following:From page 69:Visit Alex Segura's website."What kind of trouble could he cause for you?" Pete asked, turning to look at Mr. McRyan. "What secrets does he have?"Secrets. Revisiting the past. Trying to make up for past mistakes. That's the crux of Blackout, the fourth Pete Fernandez Mystery and a turning point moment for the series and its protagonist. On page 69, Pete Fernandez is interviewing a potential client - Trevor McRyan, a Florida politician looking to make a move for the governorship. The only problem? His son is AWOL, and McRyan wants him found before he can derail his father's political aspirations. Pete is hesitant at first. He lives in New York now and there's a huge bounty on his head in his hometown of Miami. But when he discovers that the hunt for Stephen McRyan is somehow tied to an older, cold case that Pete failed to solve due to his own demons and addictions, he throws caution to the wind and heads back to Miami to try and find the truth.
While the page itself is about moving the plot forward - the back and forth between Pete and McRyan and his wife to determine if Pete will take the case - it does touch on some of the themes readers will experience in the book, including Pete's quest to make right with his past, in an effort to preserve his future. It's an honorable mission, and you'll have to read the book to see if he succeeds.
--Marshal Zeringue