The Con Artist
A Novel
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- $14.99
Publisher Description
This illustrated mystery will appeal to comic book fans and anyone who appreciates an unconventional whodunit.
Comic book artist Mike Mason arrives at San Diego Comic-Con, seeking sanctuary with other fans and creators—and maybe to reunite with his ex—but when his rival is found murdered, he becomes the prime suspect. To clear his name, Mike will have to navigate every corner of the con, from zombie obstacle courses and cosplay flash mobs to intrusive fans and obsessive collectors, in the process unraveling a dark secret behind one of the industry’s most legendary creators.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Van Lente follows 2017's Ten Dead Comedians, a send-up of Agatha Christie, with a madcap mystery spoof set at Comic-Con. Comic book artist Mike Miller is on his way to San Diego, Calif., when he learns that his mentor, Ben K, to whom he was slated to present an award, has died. He's devastated, but goes about setting up his table at Artists' Alley. That night, after one too many drinks around the hotel pool, he spots his nemesis and former editor, Atlas Entertainment exec Danny Lieber, who stole his ex-wife, Christine. Mike attempts to punch Danny in the face, an act that makes him a suspect in Danny's subsequent shooting death, which he finds out about the next morning via two obnoxious, wisecracking cops. News that Ben K's studio was ransacked and that he had a lawsuit with Atlas leads Mike to suspect the two deaths might be connected. Mike's efforts to prove his innocence keep the pages turning all the way to the surprising ending. Through the wryly amusing Mike, Van Lente offers an insider's look into the gloriously geeky world of cons.
