Epiphany Jones by Michael Grothaus @michaelgrothaus

A man with a consuming addiction. A woman who talks to God. 

And the secret connection that could destroy them both ...

Jerry has a traumatic past that leaves him subject to psychotic hallucinations and depressive episodes. When he stands accused of stealing a priceless Van Gogh painting, he goes underground, where he develops an unwilling relationship with a woman who believes that the voices she hears are from God. Involuntarily entangled in the illicit world of sex-trafficking amongst the Hollywood elite, and on a mission to find redemption for a haunting series of events from the past, Jerry is thrust into a genuinely shocking and outrageously funny quest to uncover the truth and atone for historical sins.

Epiphany Jones by Michael Grothaus was published in paperback by Orenda Books on 30 June 2016 and is the author's debut novel.


Michael Grothaus is a daring author. Epiphany Jones is a dark, disturbing story that dances with the most sordid and sleazy of subjects and people, yet it is also quite beautiful and compassionate and incredibly funny.

The reader meets Jerry in quite alarming circumstances, some people will be shocked, but many, like me, will be intrigued, and Jerry certainly is an intriguing and complex character. Perfectly created, with layers of contradictions and a depth that is quite intense.


Jerry's life has been full of drama and trauma. He spends his time watching porn on the TV in a darkened room. His world explodes when he becomes the main suspect in a murder and robbery, and this is also where Epiphany Jones enters the story. She's another wonderful character, she's damaged, but she's assured ... because God speaks to her, and he will make sure she's OK.

The reader, along with Jerry is thrust into the world of sex trafficking, drug dealing, porn, abuse and the hedonistic lifestyles of the Hollywood celebrities. It's absolutely full-on, it's uncomfortable and it's vividly imagined, but it's so compelling, so well put together and the black humour is absolute genius.

I was left with a feeling of sadness, and horror and a lot of anger about the world that Michael Grothaus so cleverly portrays within this story. There is no doubt in my mind that the things that happen within these pages really do happen in the real world, and the fact that people continue to allow this to happen, to actually make it happen is a very sobering thought.

Epiphany Jones is a book that certainly took me away from any comfort zone that I have, and there are scenes that are shocking. It isn't often that I struggle with words to describe a story, but Epiphany Jones is a book that is very difficult to review. .I enjoyed every page of it. It's witty and dark and quite extraordinary.

Michael Grothaus is a novelist and journalist who spent years researching sex trafficking, using his experiences as a springboard for his debut novel Epiphany Jones. Born in Saint Louis, Missouri in 1977, he spent his twenties in Chicago where he earned his degree in filmmaking and worked for institutions including The Art Institute of Chicago, Twentieth Century Fox, and Apple. As a journalist he regularly writes about creativity, tech, subcultures, sex and pornography, the effects of mass media on our psyches, and just plain mysterious stuff for publications including Fast Company, VICE, The Guardian, Engadget, and more. He’s also done immersion journalism at geopolitical events including the Hong Kong protests against Beijing in 2014. His writing is read by millions of people each month. Michael lives in London.

You can contact Michael via Twitter @michaelgrothaus 
or through his website www.michaelgrothaus.com

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