Author: Brad Meltzer
Publisher: William Morrow
Publication Date: January 6, 2026
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Brad Meltzer has done it again—this third Zig and Nola adventure hit me like a freight train and is the best in the series by far.
If you've read the first two books, you know we've been slowly peeling back the layers of Nola's nightmare childhood with her abusive adopted father, Royale. Now Meltzer turns his attention to her mother—the Viper herself—and what a backstory. The twists come so fast my head was spinning like I was watching a tennis match at Wimbledon. Just when I thought I had a handle on things, Meltzer would flip the script again.
The mystery of why someone's hunting down members of the Breakfast Club drives the action, but the real meat is in the character work. Roddy's twisted dynamic with Nola gets deeper and darker, while we finally learn more about Zig's failed marriage and what makes him tick. These relationships feel lived-in and messy in the best way.
And that ending? Nobody—and I mean nobody—is going to see it coming.
Fair warning: don't start here. You absolutely need the context from the previous two books for this to land properly. But if you're already invested in Zig and Nola's world, The Viper is essential reading that pays off everything Meltzer's been building toward.
A big thank you to William Morrow and NetGalley for providing an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.
