Frankly, I didn’t recall reading “The Escape Artist,” the first “Zig & Nola Novel” by Brad Meltzer.

I knew I read it. The book is on one of my book shelves. But it came out four years ago and since then Meltzer has written a couple of bestselling – and highly memorable history books – “The First Conspiracy” about George Washington and “The Lincoln Conspiracy.”

But I didn’t recall anything about “The Escape Artist.” Nothing nada. Even the names of the characters didn’t ring a bell.

Still, I bought the latest “Zig & Nola Novel,” “The Lightning Rod,” because I like Meltzer’s work whether it’s a standalone thriller, one of his book series, comic books, history books, true mysteries, etc. 

Without referring back to “The Escape Artist,” it took several pages to get reacquainted with Zig, a military mortician who grieves the death of his 12-year-old daughter, and Nora, a young woman with a mysterious and hard past who as a girl once helped Zig’s daughter.

Here, Zig and Nola become involved in the murder of a military officer who is shot to death while trying to stop a robbery in his home.

The officer had both personal secrets and was connected to a highly classified military group.

While they follow different trails to solve the mysteries, Meltzer reveals more about their lives and pasts, especially Nora’s childhood and youth.

Zig and Nora only run into each other less than a handful of times in this story but those meetings are mostly awkward and cold with Nora not wishing to be close to anyone and Zig tiring of her icy demeanor despite his wishes to help her.

“The Lightning Rod” is a good read but is it memorable? “The Escape Artist” apparently wasn’t. Only time and the release of the next book in the series will tell if Zig and Nora are any more memorable now.