The book looked like a very different type of murder mystery however I just couldn't get into the book.

Clever crime thriller with a huge side-order of geek. Also a timely commentary on the state of the comic industry at present and it's treatment of creators.

This was a brilliantly unique and wonderful book.
With a original story line this was a fast light mystery and a MUST read for any comic book fans.

I was excited to get this book. It was unavailable initially and then I received it from my wishlist. It was a good read. It was quick and interesting and held my attention. I would recommend it to others.

For a book about murder, this was loads of fun.

I was lucky enough to win an eARC of this book and now, having finished it, I really want a physical finished copy! I loved every bit of it - the setting, the nerdy references, a few of the characters, the twists, the turns. It was really great, really interesting.

There were bits that were a bit too tell instead of show, bits of explanations of characters or settings that seemed irrelevant or a little too long. But it wasn’t annoying enough to take off too many stars. I liked learning about the comic industry, reading about Comic Con, relating it to my own experiences (not that the cons I’ve been to are Comic Con 😭). It’s a celebration of the comic culture, while also being unafraid of pointing out its flaws.

The murder mystery plot was interesting, exciting, twisty, and I honestly did not guess at the ending. The writing was also brilliant. There’s a perfect balance of witty inner monologue, murder mystery investigating, Comic Con shenanigans, insightful commentary, and melancholy feels. It’s really good. Different to anything I’ve ever read to be honest. You should read it.

Some comics professional got murdered at San Diego Comic Con - whodunit?

The real question is: who cares? Because Fred Van Lente’s novel The Con Artist is utter rubbish - a failed attempt at a nerd-flavoured murder mystery that only ever bores.

The book is less about the murder mystery as it is about Van Lente droning on about the comics industry. How creators back in the day got screwed, toxic fandoms, how underappreciated comics pros are, the crass commercialisation of San Diego Comic Con, blah blah blah.

There’s definitely some weight behind it all as Van Lente has been a comics writer for many years, having written everything from his creator-owned indies to the heavyweight IPs of Marvel, but he focuses way too much on that aspect of the story to the point where it supplants it entirely. Also, as a lifelong comics fan myself, I’ve heard a lot of this ranting before so it came off as inane, repetitive and unoriginal.

I could’ve forgiven some of that if the murder mystery was any good - and it wasn’t. There’s zero tension as you already know our protagonist - comics artist Mike - didn’t do it, and the cops don’t really think he did either. There are no clues for the reader themselves to try and figure it out. Then nothing further happens until the final act when Mike happens to stumble across the actual murderer, who conveniently exposits enough to fill in all the necessary blanks just in time for the ending. Pointless, contrived, dull, uninspired writing.

None of the subplots went anywhere - the rickshaw driver was a half-assed attempt at romance, the uber-fan who might’ve done it, the two Aryan Brotherhood bikers who came out of nowhere - nor are any of the characters at all memorable or interesting. Tom Fowler pointlessly contributes some scratchy art that added nothing. The endless descriptions of the pop culture makeup of SDCC gave me flashbacks to that godawful novel Armada by Ernest Cline where Cline spent pages reeling off pop culture references for the tedious sake of it - it’s no better when Van Lente does the same thing. I get it, SDCC is pop culture at its most hyper-gaudy, stop describing it already and try to do something with the plot!

I was mildly interested in trying to figure out which real-life comics pros Van Lente was caricaturing - I think the murder victim was meant to be former DC editor Eddie Berganza, going by his sleazy past of sexual harassment of female co-workers - and it’s not hard to figure out which character is meant to be former Marvel CEO Ike Perlmutter. But that only speaks to the inside baseball nature of this book. Its insularity means it’s not going to appeal to anyone uninterested in comics and not really to comics readers either as it’s not good! And, not that all comics readers don’t read “real” books, but quite a few don’t so the audience for this one is about as small as you can get!

The Con Artist is just a bad novel that’s not half as good as Fred Van Lente’s effort last year, Ten Dead Comedians, and even that was mediocre at best! He’s a fine comics writer but a good novelist he is not.

San Diego’s Comic-com provides the backdrop for this hilarious satire. Mike M, a comic artist, arrives in San Diego to make some much needed cash. With no fixed address, he lives in comped hotels, travelling to different cons, since his divorce. Now, his ex-wife’s new boyfriend is murdered, and he is prime suspect. The story covers the craziness of Comic-Con, from Zombie Apocalypse obstacle course, loved by Aryan ex-cons, to stolen original comics, through a variety of entertaining characters, as Mike tries to unravel the mystery and prove to the detectives that he is innocent.

This book just had me from the get-go. Van Lente’s characters are so real, they are leaping off the page while I laugh, and yet it is also a suspenseful mystery and a genuine whodunnit. The illustrations were an added plus for any comic strip fans. Although mostly satirical, the story as touching and sad moments, as well. The author really covered the whole spectrum. I highly recommend this book.

I’ve never been to a comic con. I’d be interested to go, but not enough to warrant the cost of admission, so a literary trip it is, then. Enhanced all the more by its San Diego location, another place I’ve never been, but would definitely be worth the money. Franky, the eponymous protagonist of this oh so punnily titled novel might have wished he’d never gone to this particular comic con. But it’s what he does, no steady residence, just traveling con to con since his marriage ended, doing his art. Usually it’s pretty smooth sailing, but this time it’s murder. Several murders, actually. And he just may be the main suspect. So he sets off on his own investigation to prove his innocence and ends up tangled with an unsavory bunch of desperate artists, greedy businessman and neo Nazis, among others. It isn’t all fun at the comic con. But it is very entertaining. Despite some grim goings on, the novel maintains a lighthearted tone, even occasionally humorous. And it gives a very good inside tour of the comic industry and comic cons, it’s a nerdy delight, but never too nerdy for general population who doesn’t care for stories with pictures. In fact this book has some pictures of its own, just sketches really, pretty unnecessary, didn’t seem to add a thing to the overall production, but presumably it’s to help readers gets inside the protagonist’s mind. Well, that’s what books do in general, so let’s say more so, albeit not every picture’s worth a thousand words. Anyway, this was a fun quick read. You don’t have to be a fan of comic books to enjoy it, but if you are, it’ll probably add another dimension to the reading experience. Thanks Netgalley.

The perfect book for anyone who loves going to Cons. I enjoyed the book, but the writing style wasn't for me. I generally think it would be enjoyed by anyone who has a little bit of geekiness in them though, and it was different and refreshing. I haven't seen a book like this before.

Zombies, Disco Mummy, and MURDER.

Mike Mason , former hotshot comic book artist, is in a bit of a slump. Since his divorce a few years earlier, Mike has sold his home and now lives on the road constantly jumping from one comic convention to another (on the convention’s dime). He hasn’t drawn anything new in years, instead sketching commissions for fans at each new convention. En route to Comic Con, Mike learns that Ben K, his comic mentor and father figure, has been found dead in his apartment. While grieving the loss of The Great One, Mike also has to come face-to-face with his ex-wife and her new boyfriend. Then people start accusing him of murder. It’s going to be one heck of a Con.

I appreciated the “insider” look at comic conventions from a character who has obviously spent a lot of time in that world. The most fun part of this is definitely all the nods to Geek Culture. If you enjoyed Ready Player One for all the nerdy Easter Eggs, then this book is for you!

*I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The writing style of the Con Artist was not for me, but I enjoyed the plot and the theme and the setting, being an avid con go-er myself. I recommend fans of comic cons and/or nerdery in general give it a try.

Such a good-feel mystery, a kind I don't read much of, but I am glad that this was one of the great ones. Perfect for cozy murder mystery fans and fans of the "nerd" pop culture (that of which I am, 100%). Get it now!!

THE CON ARTIST
Fred Van Lente; illustrated by Tom Fowler
Quirk Books
ISBN 978-1-68369-034-4
Hardcover
Thriller

THE CON ARTIST is a fun book. Fred Van Lente, a veteran of the comic book industry, gives the comic industry generally and the San Diego Comic Con specifically a big wet kiss on the cheek, well aware of the warts thereon that lie in wait.

That’s a lot to digest in a short paragraph, so let me backup for just a moment as a courtesy to the uninitiated. Van Lente has written comics that you have read if you read comics and have heard of if you don’t: The Amazing Spider-Man; Deadpool vs. The Punisher, and G.I. Joe among others. He also authored one of my favorite titles, Marvel Zombies, which should be glass-cased in every library in the country. Maybe the world. Van Lente is an industry insider, because he is a part of the industry. THE CON ARTIST, his second novel (after TEN DEAD COMEDIANS), takes place over a very long four days at the San Diego Comic Con. Comic Con, as it is popularly known, is an event which is somewhat between an experience and an endurance contest. What began as a celebration of comic books and a place to buy, sell and trade such has morphed into a popular culture pop-up city attended by hundreds of thousands of people. I have a friend who has attended every one since the inaugural event in 1970, a three day event which was attended by a few hundred people. He insists every year that he won’t go back, but go back he does. Van Lente captures the spirit, form and substance of the event while using it as a backdrop for a murder mystery. Actually, maybe it’s the other way around, given that the whodunit portion of the book plays second fiddle to the swirling events of Comic Con and Van Lente’s harpooning of the industry’s main players and powers. As a bonus, Van Lente’s descriptions are augmented by the sketchings of comic artist Ted Fowler, who has illustrated and inked any number of books for most of the major companies and currently works on Doom Patrol.

So. The book. THE CON ARTIST is told through the voice of Mike Mason, a semi-legendary comic creator and artist who ekes out a living by attending comic conventions and providing the faithful with original art on demand and for a fee. Mason is officially at San Diego Comic Con to accept an award on behalf of his mentor, Ben K., and unofficially to possibly hook up with his ex-wife. When Mason arrives in San Diego, he learns that his Ben has died suddenly. The unsettling news sets Mason in a spiral, one which causes him to pick a fight in front of God and everybody with a major, and much-hated, industry figure named Danny Lieber. It was Lieber who helped put the “ex-” in front of Mason’s wife. Accordingly, when Lieber is found dead the next morning, all eyes, including those of the investigating police detectives, are on Mason. He has an alibi --- the driver of a pedicab who took him to an iconic San Diego landscape after his confrontation with Lieber --- but he can’t find her. Meanwhile, the Con goes on, with Mason dodging the police (with no success) a couple of bikers (with success) and attempting to contact his ex-wife (with some success). When another murder occurs, however, Mason is truly on the run. Hiding among hundreds of thousands of people in various degrees of costume should be easy, unless you’re Mike Mason. He basically has a few days to work out who is doing what to who, and maybe he can do that, if he stays alive that long.

The 2018 San Diego Comic Con runs from July 19 to 22, and the perfect timing of the publication of THE CON ARTIST gives attendees, fanboys, and industry people who are in-the-know a week or so to read it or, better yet, buy a copy at the Con and have it autographed by the artist and illustrator, who will no doubt be there (check to be sure, however). While THE CON ARTIST may not hold much interest for those who were never comic book fans, those who whiled away their youth reading four-color panels will find plenty to love here. Recommended.

Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub
© Copyright 2018, The Book Report, Inc. All rights reserved.

I won a chance to read & review a Digital ARC of this book on Instagram in a giveaway hosted by the publisher!

For a few days every summer, the city of San Diego is converted into a dreamscape for fans of all genres as it hosts perhaps the greatest convention in geek history: Comic Con. As an outsider, who has never been to any conventions and does in fact live halfway across the globe from this particular event, the glamour of a few days where nothing matters but the stories that help you progress from day to day in real life and a chance to bond with strangers and friends alike is something incredible and fascinating. Indeed, I always get excited and sad watching all the images and news coming out of SDCC but make up for it by watching Hall H panels and crying into my snacks (as one does).

The Con Artist by Fred Van Lente follows a comic artist Mike Miller, as he navigates the tangled mess that is Comic Con weekend interlaced with unexpected twists from his personal life. He arrives to find first his mentor and then rival dead, and becomes a prime suspect in the murder of the latter. In the meanwhile he's being chased by burly, tattooed men, reconnecting with an old friend and dealing with a super dedicated volunteer guide.

The premise of a murder mystery set up at Comic Con is a great concept. However, the plot is only a loose part of the story. What really makes the book interesting is all the different issues being discussed surrounding Comic Con and even our lives in general in an era where the Entertainment industry rules supreme. Mike Miller's point of view helps explore not only the things that all fans are able to see on the surface (strangers coming together, the gap between idol and real life persons getting bridged) but also the underbelly of what it takes to run a powerhouse merging all kinds of fictional worlds for a weekend (the politics and corporate decisions aimed at ensnaring the public). I may not be very familiar with the author's other works and credentials, but he exhibits an obvious understanding of the way Comic Con works. The story is peppered with indications of how the entertainment business has overshadowed the original purpose of comic con (i.e. a celebration of comics and original artwork), the struggles of comics artists who do not receive the same accolades as the faces that portray their characters on screen and an odd but surprisingly sensible amount of zombie obstacle courses, white supremacists and overall comic con weirdness.

The writing at times has its flaws but is in general a good read interspersed with references for all kinds of fans. The final book format I believe will feature illustrations but in the digital copy these were only presented as sketches, so I'd be excited to see the final outcome. The book has been released in time for SDCC weekend so if, like me, you are unable to make it this year, perhaps reading this quirky but relevant story will help ease the blues.

Rating: 3/5 stars

A book about fandom. If I've said it once, I've said it a million times, books about fandom are in right now. And The Con Artist joins a surprisingly short list of them that manage to really capture fandom in a smart, thoughtful, and overall inspiring way. Plus it's a murder mystery set at Comic Con. How awesome is that?

Comic book artist Mike Mason is a con vagabond, going from convention to convention without a stable home. Having just arrived in San Diego for Comic-Con, Mike is immediately swept up into the murder of a mid tier comics industry type that soon typhoons into a whirlwind of high ranking entertainment goons, counterfeiting, and murder.

The Con Artist is a incredibly fun read. It takes place over the four days of comic con as Mike searches for a murderer amidst the geeky and unapologetic. It's an incredible love letter to a culture that Lente has a real respect for while also pointing out its flaws. This never felt like a malicious examination of the comics industry, but a critique on the positive and negative aspects of fan culture and the entertainment industry. The worlds within the convention center and the surrounding areas were crafted with a remarkable detail and care. Lente really created an atmosphere that felt so authentic to the cultural event San Diego Comic-Con has become.

As a narrator I though Mike was pretty good. At times, I felt his character sorta vanished and because more of a pair of eyes to experience the story with, but then he'd crack a joke or have a really good character moment that suddenly turns him into a more of a character. But I don't know, a lot of his personality only really come out in relation to other characters. His inner monologue was mostly generic industry talk and issues in said industry discussed in almost a textbooky manner. Sure there was a piece of personal info thrown in here and there, but overall it felt like Lente was trying to create a character that was almost generic, an everyman so to speak. Which isn't bad, the joy of this book comes from the mystery aspect and the environment not the main character. But, Mike almost felt like a safe choice for this book.

This book discusses a lot of issues, fame, owner intent, how much creators are paid, sexism. and so on, but they're almost all kept at a somewhat healthy distance due to the fact Mike doesn't experience them first hand. These are things he sees and hears about, not something that personally affects him. The biggest issue this book tackles is how much creators are paid and the fact they're often thrown away. But it's something that affects Mike's mentor, Ben K, and not him. Everything happens around him or to someone he knows, and not him personally, which I creates a disconnect between his character and the audience.

However, the murder mystery aspect which is what sold me on this book was brilliant. Expertly paced, I was genuinely shocked by the twist ending. Sure, I figured out who was the red herring and who was the murder as the story progressed, but this book made me second guess myself, made me change my way of thinking. I was on the edge of my seat until the end, because this book was so eloquent and fun that I just had to know. This book makes you think one way and then another and I really appreciate the skill that goes into that sort of thing.

Does it have it's problems? Sure, but The Con Artist is a great mystery with an even greater atmosphere and setting. It's something I definitely recommend trying out this Comic Con season.

So I thought that reading this on my Fire would be superior to reading on my Paperwhite but the sketches weren't formatted very well for Kindle so meh. I did really like the idea, tho, that you could find clues in the sketches to help you solve the mystery (why yes I was a Cam Jansen fan as a kid!) It probably works better in execution in physical format, as the Kindle versions tended to break the line drawings in half, which doesn't make for good clue hunting. I also kinda expected the interior sketches to be closer to the art style on the cover. Each is fun to look at in its own right, but it felt a bit like false advertising given how different they are.

As to the story itself, I really enjoyed the insight into the con-going experience from the talents' point of view. I'm a con-goer from way back, having enjoyed both comics and gaming cons before they were taken over by Hollywood celebrities, but strictly as a consumer/card flopper/dice chucker. Oh, there was the one con I helped run an RPG room, but usually I'm just there to play games and buy stuff. Tho I did hang out with Chris Claremont a lot at that one Baltimore Comic Con. Er, back on topic: I also really enjoyed our hero's opinions on the meaning of creating as well as the relationship between creators and fans, particularly in niche entertainment. The Con Artist is a lot of fun for people familiar with geekdom, and super informative for those who want to learn more about San Diego Comic Con and the comics industry.

What TCA isn't great at is telling a good mystery story. There's the bare bones of one there, and there are a bunch of great set pieces, but the writing is wildly disjointed, with the emotions often feeling uninhabited (with the great exception being Mike's interactions with Violet, but not necessarily her actions otherwise.) I didn't feel a single emotional connection with anything that happened besides aforementioned exception. Perhaps this had to do with our protagonist feeling a little disconnected from life himself, a little numb from what's clearly his depressed state of mind, and while that lends itself to veritas, it doesn't really lend itself to entertainment. Still, an interesting experiment of a novel that I would like to see more tried of in future.

Oh! When Fred Van Lente talked about the perilous financial security of comics artists and writers, who earn at the mercy of their publishers, it reminded me very much of one of my favorite writers from the 90s and his current plight. William Messner-Loebs did a run on Wonder Woman that I still think of fondly, but has been reduced to living out of his car with his ailing wife. If you can spare a few dollars to help make up for a system that lacks any sort of social net for people who've done their best to entertain us, please go to his <a href="https://www.gofundme.com/billmessnerloebs">GoFundMe page</a> and donate.

This is a murder mystery with a twist - it's set at a con and is a thoroughly enjoyable romp. While published as an adult novel, it has definite crossover appeal for YA collections where fandom-centric titles like SHIP IT and ALL THE FEELS are popular.

Not since Sharyn McCrumb's [[ASIN:0345483022 Bimbos of the Death Sun]] has there been a comic novel of this quality set at a fantasy convention. This book is superior in the author's trenchant depiction of both ComicCon and the lives of creative people working in graphic literature. McCrumb's novel is superior in conventional terms, the plot makes (comic) sense, the characters have depth and develop, the dialog is realistic and witty. But McCrumb is a tourist bemused at the weirdness of science fiction and fantasy conventions of the 80s, while Van Lente is an insider with a much deeper grasp of today's ComicCon culture, and a shining kernel of love underneath a heavy coating of bitter cynicism.

I have attended both (mostly in tourist capacity) and can say while McCrumb paints an entertaining caricature, Van Lente has captured the dark humor underlying the reality.

I'm also going to toss in a small nod to [[ASIN:0143117564 Inherent Vice]], a vastly superior literary work, but one that Van Lente's characters would fit into, and with a similar central character stoically enduring cascading absurdities, without losing his ultimate sense of rationality.

On the downside, the plot of this book resembles a make-it-up-as-you-go-along TV action series episode. That's not a major problem in a comic novel, but the resolution would be more satisfying if it tied up loose ends and made any sense. Individual lines of dialog are gems, but conversations never develop rhythm. In fact the plot has the same issue, there's the intricate time plotting of a clockwork heist novel that conflicts with the unsteady pacing, and a story explained as much by the main character's introspection as actual events.

Still, for all it's fault, it's a first-rate comic novel even for those who care nothing about comics; and an incisive picture of comic culture even for those with no senses of humor.

Anyone with a passing knowledge of comics or pop culture will have heard of the San Diego Comic-Con. The event, first held in 1970, has become synonymous with the term “comic-con” and attracts over 160,000 visitors to California every year. It has truly become a mecca for fans of geek culture, encompassing anime, sci-fi, genre TV shows, blockbuster movies, videogames and cosplay. Even those note able to attend in-person can feel the after-effects of the event as companies often time announcements and trailers for the mid-July weekend to increase buzz and conversation. While I have never attended SDCC personally, I have visited other comic-cons that use the same template (albeit in smaller forms) and it is certainly a unique atmosphere to be surrounded by like-minded fans. There is a sense of hysteria and rabid fanaticism in the air at these events, something which author Fred Van Lente uses to his advantage to craft a murder mystery set during Comic-Con.

Van Lente is a comic book creator – known for working on the series’ Cowboys & Aliens and Marvel Zombies – and as such, he has a knowledge of the inner-workings of the con from the professional’s point-of-view. It is this insider-knowledge that allows him to write authentically about the San Diego Comic-Con experience, offering a very different and unromantic take on the proceedings as San Diego is transformed in a corporate dreamland for fans. It is a great setting for the murder mystery, establishing a new sub-genre of “geek noir” where the faded veneer of pop culture hides a darker underbelly beneath. As a noir setting, it is a refreshing alternative to the typical 1950s Hollywood or Las Vegas locales and Van Lente manages to make the setting an integral part of the story. While the abundance of pop culture references may put some readers off, it helps form the novel’s unique voice and creates a “whodunnit” as bold and original as “Who Framed Roger Rabbit?”

At the heart of Van Lente’s story is comic-book artist Mike Miller, a pastiche of various different creators (and possibly part-inspired by Van Lente himself), who finds himself investigating a conspiracy of murders and other misdemeanours. Told in the first-person, Miller’s narrative voice is charming and witty as he details the various misadventures that lead to his troubles. The way he is thrust into danger and is forced to rely on his wits is reminiscent of Cary Grant in North by Northwest, and Van Lente’s decision to tell the entire story from his perspective allows the reader to connect with the character. There were times where I was ahead of the character in solving the mystery connecting the various crimes together, but it was still a pleasing conclusion to the novel – although it would have be nice to have a bit more closure in some areas.

There is an interesting mix of fact and fiction in this novel as Van Lente uses real-world characters and creators alongside his own analogues. While I can’t claim to know all of inspirations behind Van Lente’s creations – I did pick up on similarities between Ira Pearl, head of the ficitious Atlas Entertainment and the notorious Ike Perlmutter, the real-life CEO of Marvel Entertainment. Given how not all of the characters in the novel are likeable, I wonder how many bridges Van Lente may have burned in conjuring up these comic-book industry caricatures. Telling the story from his character’s POV also allows Van Lente to debate some of the thornier issues of the comics industry, particularly the injustices surrounding creator rights. Midway through the novel, the character makes an impassioned speech about how Golden Age creators have been neglected over the years and how sad it is that charities like The Hero Initiative exist to help fund ageing creators’ health bills. The way Van Lente wipes away the “glitz and glamour” of the comics industry to reveal the cracks beneath is very reminiscent of the Hollywood underbelly usually explored in Noir fiction, making his homage to the classics feel even more authentic.

“The Con Artist” is an interesting blend of comic-books and crime fiction, however it is likely to only appeal to fans of the former than the latter. Even though San Diego Comic-Con has increased its mainstream appeal over the past few decades, I still think it may prove somewhat impenetrable for casual crime novel readers without a serious interest in the comic book industry. While the storytelling was a bit uneven at times, I really enjoyed Van Lente’s attempt to marry geek culture with the traditional “whodunnit” storyline and he did a fantastic job in creating a likeable protagonist in Mike to guide the reader through the underbelly of geek nirvana. As I mentioned earlier, there was a strong Hitchcockian vibe to Van Lente’s narrative, and if I had to boil this novel down to three words, it would be: Hitchcock goes Geek.

Even without the murder and violence, “The Con Artist” offers a surprisingly dark take on the Comic-Con experience that will reward the most dedicated comic-book fans. In fact, there were times where the “behind-the-scenes” revelations of the comic book industry was more compelling than the murder mystery, and I’d quite happily have read a straight “confessions of a comic-book artist” style novel starring the same characters.

I just loved this book. For someone who dreams of going to SDCC, this is quite possibly the closest I'm ever going to get. It was wonderful and engaging from start to finish.