Fabian Nicieza Books In Order

Publication Order of Suburban Dicks Books

Fabian Nicieza is an Argentinian author of mystery, humor, comedy, comics and graphics novels. He’s famously known for his works on Marvel titles, including X-Force, X-Men, Deadpool, Thunderbolts, which have significantly helped create several characters such as Shatterstar, Deadpool, Domino, and Silhouette.
Fabian was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and his family moved to New Jersey, United States. He graduated from Rutgers University with a bachelor’s in advertising and public relations. His debut novel, the Suburban Dicks was nominated for the Edgar Award.

Suburban Dicks
Suburban Dicks is the first book in a series by the same name, and it also marks the debut novel of a famously known comic book writer and the co-creator of a favorite Marvel Comics character- the famous Deadpool. For everyone familiar with the character Deadpool, either through the movies or comics, it’s obvious that you know something about this mystery series already- it’s a thrilling and freaking blast.

In crafting their masterpieces, authors are often advised to make the setting of their novels like a character. The setting should be detailed and given life like the characters themselves. Novels that nail the smells, sounds, feel and look of a place definitely add to the realism of the narration.

This debut crime story involving two seemingly-amateur detectives is set in a detailed enough place that every reader can relate to. Every gas station, all the roads, restaurants are well detailed, helping the reader to be able to visualize the place.

Early one morning, heavily pregnant Andrea Stern quickly pulls over into a gas station and emerges from her car carrying a toddler desperately rushing to the restroom. With moms-urgency and her other four kids in her van, she barely notices a parked patrol car with two officers standing beside it. She even doesn’t seem to notice the body of the gas station attendant lying next to the pump with a single shot to the head.

The female officer won’t open the restroom for Andrea’s toddler because it’s a crime scene. But Andrea, who’s a trained FBI behavioral analyst, instantly notices that the two young cops have already compromised the crime scene. With no other option, Andrea’s daughter lets loose, and, at that moment, Andrea quickly looks around and learns more about the crime scene than the cops have. She dashes back into her minivan and speeds away before the detectives question her.

Andrea is well known for solving intricate homicide cases in New York. She gave up her career to become a suburban mom. Even though she loves her kids, she doesn’t romanticize being a mother, and her satirical comments about motherhood are ones that any parent can relate to. Later during the day after the incident at the gas station, she speaks with several Indian women, and she’s immediately ready to investigate.

A disgraced reporter named Kenneth Lee arrives at the crime scene to get information about the murder. It’s the first in West Windsor Township in more than two decades. Kenneth was once a Pulitzer Prize winner, but serious judgment errors have seen him collapse down the reportorial chain. He now lives by working for a local newspaper.

He picks ups bits of information that drugs were involved in the killings and got a run for it before being stonewalled by the police chief and the Indian family that runs the gas station.

The murder victim was their nephew, but Kenneth senses that there’s more to this murder mystery than everyone is telling about. The story excites him, and he’s ready to investigate and file a final report.

Andrea and Kenny meet at the police station. They already know each other from their days in school but have since lost touch. While their approaches and motives are vastly distinct, they have one common belief: the cops are lying.

What could the cops be hiding? The two immediately join forces and begin a hunt that leads them to the actual evidence of a different brutal murder, one that the local officials have spent years trying to cover up.

Fabian Nicieza does a fantastic job of describing all the social dynamics of New Jersey, a state inhabited by different races. A few of the Caucasian residents’ ancestors utilized the lands for farming throughout generations, and now their land is turned over to housing projects for commuters, mainly Chinese and Indians. The original residents of New Jersey have seen lots of social change, and not everyone accepts it.

The narrative is told with a good sense of humor and, in some instances, at the expense of one group or the other. In the novel’s acknowledgement section, the author appreciates his multicultural group for giving their thoughts on the culture portrayed in the story. Fabian Nicieza does a fantastic job of portraying the kids who are never sickly sweet.

The plot of this novel is not only creative but moves at a steady pace. The author inserts plenty of sarcastic humor, which makes it an enjoyable read. There are lots of twists and turns throughout the story that keeps the story fresh while the characters are well created with both lovable and not so lovable traits.

At the heart t of the story are the characters. The main character, Andrea, is an amateur detective, a suburban mom. She works alongside a down on his luck reporter, and the cases they uncover both offer them a chance for redemption.

The fact that the two characters have their own flaws and are looking for ways to redeem themselves is what makes this story entertaining. In most cases, when the mystery is driven by mighty characters, the actual mystery often takes a backseat, making the entire story boring. Luckily, that’s not the case with Fabian Nicieza’s debut book, Suburban Dicks.

The author also touches on the topic of racism, categorizing both personal and systemic. However, the topics are handled lightly superficially. If you’ve watched and enjoyed the 2004 American teen noir mystery, Veronica Mars, then Suburban Dicks is a highly recommended read.