The Con Artist: A Novel - Softcover

"More than just a hilarious mystery...[Van Lente] holds up con culture, nerd culture, and the entire comics industry for scrutiny."--Herald Net "A madcap mystery spoof set at Comic-Con...Mike's efforts to prove his innocence keep the pages turning all the way to the surprising ending."--Publishers Weekly "The Con Artist is a fun book. Fred Van Lente gives the comic book industry in general and San Diego Comic-Con in particular a big wet kiss on the cheek, well aware of the warts that lie in wait."--Book Reporter "A surreal, funny, poignant, and incredibly fun crime novel."--Criminal Element "A lively romp loaded with geek humor."--Foreword Reviews "Filled with lively dialogue and an inside look at the comic industry."--Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine "Fred Van Lente knows comics. He also knows how to craft a compelling, memorable mystery. The Con Artist finds the author at full power, merging these two threads to create a fast-paced, impossible to put down novel. We all come out winning."--Alex Segura, author of Blackout "Comic-con devotees should get a kick out of the many, many Easter eggs Van Lente hides here."--Booklist "A delightful read. Filled with smart retorts, sharp descriptions, and the frantic, chaos-filled atmosphere inherent in all cons."--New York Journal of Books "A good book for comic book fans to read, but casual mystery readers should also enjoy this fun and engrossing mystery."--Flickering Myth "Aside from being chock-full of pop culture references, it's also a commentary on the comics industrial complex--that there are those who had a hand in creating now-famous characters who have been forgotten or left behind."--Geek Dad "The Con Artist is a colorful, fast-paced novel that manages to bring out everyone's hidden geek by telling a compelling story full of mystery and action."--BioGamer Girl "Van Lente sucks you into the frenetic energy of the giant monster known as San Diego Comic-Con with his imagery and actual sketches."--Geeks of Doom "A nerd noir page turner."--Graphic Policy

Comic book illustrator Michael Yoo is having a terrible week. He's just arrived in San Diego for Comic-Con -- the annual nerd Mardi Gras that triples the beachside city's population with 150,000 fans. Michael hopes to spend the next five days working his booth in Artist's Alley, where he'll sign autographs and sell sketches for $40 a pop. Instead he's implicated in the death of his editor, the widely feared and reviled Danny Lieber. There are plenty of suspects onhand -- from rival illustrators to burlesque cos-players. But the most valuable clues might be hidden in Michael's own sketchbook. He's spent a good portion of the convention illustrating people he's met and places he's visited, and he's inadvertantly captured some very important information. The devil is in the details, and readers who pay careful attention to this book's black-and-white sketches will be on the right trail to unmask the murderer.