Escape Artist: Book 3
Publication Date: January 6, 2026
New York Times bestselling author Brad Meltzer is back with his thrilling Zig and Nola series, unraveling a shocking cold case with a personal—and deadly—twist.
Andrew Fechmeier is a master at hiding. He’d better be—he’s spent decades concealing a secret that could get him killed. So when he’s diagnosed with a terminal disease, he heads for the local funeral home carrying the blue suit he eventually wants to be buried in. But what no one knows is that Fechmeier secretly tucked something inside, turning the suit into a final, untraceable hiding spot.
It’s a perfect plan. Until Fetch is brutally murdered by a mysterious killer who will stop at nothing to find the priceless object hidden in the suit.
Wasting no time, the cunning but unconventional Roddy LaPointe opens an investigation into Fetch’s murder, recruiting help from his friend, the brilliant “Zig” Zigarowski. But it doesn’t take long for Zig to discover the real reason Roddy cares so much about this case: Fetch’s death is tied to Roddy’s mother, who was murdered decades earlier.
As the relentless killer closes in, Roddy’s twin sister—the enigmatic and volatile Nola Brown—starts investigating for herself, uncovering a sinister plot that reveals their mother’s dark history, the true identity of her killer, and the shocking secret behind her death.
Don’t turn your back on The Viper.
The past and present collide in a fast-paced thriller, delivering another adventure in the Escape Artist series.
With his trademark high-quality character development, Brad Meltzer serves up The Viper. Even those of us who missed the two previous installments featuring Zig and Nola will have no problems getting caught up.
Zig gets pulled into an investigation by Nola’s cop twin brother, Roddy. Their efforts uncover connections between a present-day murder and a tragedy from the past, leading to a dangerous outcome.
The characters offer an intriguing level of depth, especially Nola. She’s a fierce protector while maintaining a hard exterior. As for Zig, he is at a place in his life where he is trying to make peace with the past. The author has a vast canvas to cover featuring these characters.
With a multi-faceted investigation unveiling all sorts of mayhem, it’s a race to discover the truth before the body count rises.
The Viper merges action, adventure, and snappy dialogue for another Brad Meltzer hit.
Brad Meltzer is the Emmy-nominated, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Lightning Rod and twelve other bestselling thrillers. He also writes nonfiction books like The JFK Conspiracy, and the Ordinary People Change the World kids book series.
Brad is also the host of Brad Meltzer’s Decoded on the History Channel and is responsible for helping find the missing 9/11 flag with his show, Brad Meltzer’s Lost History.
