The Commissions

(Paperback)

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Get ready for a rollicking and irresistible new mystery from award-winning artist and author Paul Madonna

Amsterdam, 2019following the conclusion of Come to Light. Former rock star turned artist Emit Hoppers life has taken yet another strange turn. His old friend, the legendary San Francisco private detective Ronnie Gilbert, is dead, and his killer has just been acquitted. But when a disheveled acquaintance from Ronnies past walks into Emits shop, a puzzling mystery resurfaces, twenty years cold.

Were transported back to San Francisco, 1999, to when Emit and Ronnie first met. Emit has returned to taking commissions drawing peoples houses, only to be strong-armed by a shady police lieutenant into acting as her off-the-books spy. On top of that, a strange young woman claiming to be his daughter refuses to leave him alone. From there unfolds an intricate tale of corruption and murder that leads to an explosive scandal, with consequences that, two decades hence, are finally revealed.

From the world of the Emit Hopper Mysteries series, The Commissions kicks off the origin story of what promises to be an unforgettable new eccentric detective, Ronnie Gilbert. In a mystery filled with suspense and surprises around every corner, Paul Madonna delivers a rich and captivating portrait of San Francisco in the last days before the turn of the millennium, brought to life by one hundred of his signature pen-and-ink drawings.

Reviews

Praise for the Emit Hopper Mysteries

The most gloriously insane mystery I've ever read. Peter Orner, author ofMaggie Brown & Others: Stories

Deeply satisfying . . . Madonnas prose is magnificent. Foreword Reviews

Paul Madonna has created a gripping and deeply mysterious novel about the nature of artistic creation and the wayward, confounding path of inspiration. It's a gorgeous book, with its words and pictures striking up a dialogue that's sharp, funny, strange, and the fuel for a page turner. I want everyone I know to read it so we can talk about how cool it is. Glen David Gold, author ofCarter Beats the Devil

Author Bio

Paul Madonnais an award-winning artist and best-selling author whose unique blend of drawing and storytelling has been heralded as an all new art form. His seriesAll Over Coffeeran in theSan Francisco Chroniclefor twelve years (20032015), and his bookEverything Is Its Own Rewardwon the 2011 NCBA Award for best book. Pauls 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. Paul was a founding editor for therumpus.net. He 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 atMADmagazine. Paul resides in San Francisco and does in fact take commissions, traveling the world to draw and write.