Invisible World

An invitation from a dead man propels a Chicago plumber on a perilous journey from blue-collar America to the exotic Far East -- and beyond into dangerous, unchartered territory. Stylish, elegant and thrilling, Stuart Cohen's provocative debut draws readers into a treacherous world of artists and smugglers, duplicitous friends and seductive enemies. Invisible World is both a novel of adventure and a mesmerizing exploration of the unseen world.Andrew Mann's mundane existence ends the day he receives an astonishing communication from his jet-setting childhood friend, Clayton Smith. Over the years, Clayton had sent Andy one postcard after another, chronicling his daring worldwide travels as well as his tranformation into a cosmopolitan, successful artist in Hong Kong. Matters take a surreal turn when Clayton sends Andy an airplane ticket to Asia along with an invitation to his own funeral, dispatched shortly before his mysterious suicide. Clayton's posthumous message to his conventional friend: "I've always been a wild card. Play me."Set on an irrevocably life-changing course, the reluctant Chicagoan becomes entangled in Clayton's treasure hunt for the perfect textile, an exquisite fabric mapping the "Invisible World" that lies beyond our senses. The lines between the material world and the invisible one lose distinction on this challenging, ciruitous quest, bringing Andy to the awe-inspiring vastness of Inner Mongolia... and the discovery of the strength and power within every man.Romantic and exciting, Stuart Cohen's graceful and provocative novel is a stunning literary journey. Peopled with intense, fascinating characters set in rich, exotic locales, and accented with touches of magical realism, this exhilarating expedition to the edge of the world will leave readers inspired.