From award-winning artist and author Paul Madonna comes an electrifying mystery novel full of unexpected plot twists, lively characters, and over one hundred lush drawings. Presented in an innovative three-volume boxed set, Come to Light is a gripping page-turner that weaves an intoxicating tale of love, murder, books and art.

Featured as a CrimeReads "Daily Thrill"

"Almost any book is sure to please the bookish, but a book that can pique the interest of bibliophiles is as precious as a padparadscha sapphire. Here are some such gems. . . Artist and author Paul Madonna pens a mystery novel full of unexpected plot twists and lively characters accompanied by more than 100 strikingly rendered drawings that bring this novel to life. This tale of love, murder, books, and art is presented in a three-volume box set.
-Publishers Weekly

"Blown away by Paul Madonna's new book Come to Light. [Madonna] blends a mystery novel with his usual stunning artwork--highly recommended."
-Mike Krieger, co-founder and former CTO of Instagram

Come to Light is a fresh and original mystery with an unusual detective: Emit Hopper, a former rock star turned author and artist. Six years ago, Emit's wife, Julia, went missing. Now the remains of her two hiking companions have been found buried in the California wilderness. But the discovery raises more questions than answers, so with his love for classic detective books and rye whiskey, Emit sets out across Europe chasing down clues, sketchbook in hand.

Quickly, Emit finds himself embroiled in a plot far larger than he could have imagined: he becomes a target of a State Department investigation, gets entangled in an international ring of art thefts, and discovers his own artwork stolen. He meets an exuberant French nobleman, a murderous five-year-old, and a bohemian Roman heiress. From the Venice Biennale to the flooding of Piazza Navona, you'll find yourself laughing, gasping, and drawing right alongside Emit as he travels through some of the most beautiful regions of Europe, unraveling a suspense-filled and surprisingly tangled mystery.

Replete with strikingly rendered drawings that bring this exquisite and intriguing novel to life, Come to Light is the thrilling follow-up to the adventures of Emit Hopper, which debuted in Close Enough for the Angels.

• ADVERTISING: targeted ads in Publishers Weekly mystery feature, regional book trade holiday catalogs, and bookseller email via CALIBA.
• AWARDS: submissions to California and book trade organizations.
• EVENTS: events and exhibitions in Bay area, SoCal, and elsewhere based on author's tour schedule. Paul routinely does art and lit talks at universities and libraries across the US.
• ONLINE: outreach on Instagram and Facebook using an in-depth profile and engagement plan. Also, series of YouTube meet the artist videos and discoverable "Pages from Emit's notebook" landing page with bonus sketches, back story, travelogue-style teasers and mini-stories.
• PROMOTION: via email to author's network to drive pre-sales. Mailings to mystery only bookstores for this breakout book.
• REVIEWS: targeted in trade, art, travel, and regional media.
• TRADESHOWS: features and targeted rep pick at CALIBA, PNBA, MPIBA, ALA, BookExpo, gift shows, etc.

About the Author
Paul Madonna is an award-winning artist and writer whose unique blend of drawing and storytelling has been heralded as an "all new art form." He is the creator of the series All Over Coffee, which ran in the San Francisco Chronicle for twelve years, and the author of five books, including Everything is its own reward (winner of the 2011 NCBA for best book) and the Emit Hopper Mystery Series. Paul's work ranges from novels to cartoons to large-scale public murals, and can be found internationally in print as well as in galleries and museums, including the Oakland Museum of California and the William Blake Association in France. Paul was a founding editor for therumpus.net, has taught drawing at the University of San Francisco, and frequently lectures on creative practice. He holds a BFA from Carnegie Mellon University and was the first (ever!) art intern at MAD magazine.

Reviews

Praise for previous works by Paul Madonna:

"Paul Madonna is a pen master. His work is difficult to categorize but that he was MAD magazine's first art intern may help explain his ability to capture human experience in its odd fullness."
-Boston Globe

"Miraculously exquisite. . . dreamy and surprisingly emotional."
-Salon

"When his international images are paired with his sparse, poetic words, the effect is haunting. Though Madonna travels the globe, it's not the famous sites or wonders that catch his attention. . . and the experience of being in his world is mesmerizing."
-Oprah.com

"A deeply satisfying, ruminative meditation on life seen through the eyes of appealing, but imperfect, characters. . . highly recommended."
-Foreword Reviews

"About detail, willful eccentricity, an almost rococo approach to line, and a steadfast devotion to art for its own sake, beauty as its own reward. Paul Madonna's work gives itself fully to all of these notions."
-Dave Eggers

"Madonna captures snapshots in time as he explores the relationship between image and text. . . that's so gorgeously rendered in Madonna's precise yet fluid pen-and-ink style, it feels like it could be anywhere and everywhere."
-Publishers Weekly

"Explores the nature of the creative process and is a blend of artistic media, with more than 100 ink-on-paper illustrations of locations in China, Japan and Thailand interspersed throughout the novel."
-Shelf Awareness

Book Information
ISBN 9781513263052
Author Paul Madonna
Page Count 522
Imprint Graphic Arts Books
Publisher Graphic Arts Books