Dry Cleaned

Joris Mertens

$55

Hardback

Forthcoming
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English

Jonathan Cape Ltd
15 July 2025

Graphic novels: literary & memoirs; Fiction: special features; Humour

In the rain-slicked, neon glowing streets of a 1970s continental metropolis, a man called Fran ois makes a snap decision that will change his life for good - in this masterful, prize-winning graphic novel from a breakout talent

In the rain-slicked, neon glowing streets of a 1970s continental metropolis, a man called Fran ois makes a snap decision that will change his life for good

Fran ois, in his fifties, living alone and low on cash, does not have the life he dreams of.

With a cigarette stuck to the corner of his mouth and wearing his perpetual black suit, he has carried out the same morning routine for 17 years- entering the lottery with his lucky numbers, then knocking back a beer at Cafe Monico before his shift as the delivery driver for a dry cleaners.

His days are brightened only by newsagent Maryvonne and her young daughter. He dreams of winning the lottery to give them a better life.

When a routine delivery leads him to knock on the door of a countryside mansion, he enters the scene of a crime whose remains consist of a dozen bodies and a bag full of banknotes. What Fran ois chooses to do next could change his fate for good...

Visually stunning, atmospheric and replete with the smoking irony of European noir, Dry Cleaned is a masterful tale about an anti-hero radically stepping out of his routine - beautifully illustrated by a breakout international talent.

By: Joris Mertens
Imprint: Jonathan Cape Ltd
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 320mm, Width: 240mm, Spine: 24mm
Weight: 975g
ISBN: 9781787334816
ISBN 10: 1787334813
Pages: 152
Publication Date: 15 July 2025
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Forthcoming

Joris Mertens is a Belgian graphic novelist, living in Flanders, Belgium. He trained as a graphic designer in Brussels, and worked for years in the advertising, film and television industry as a set designer, art director, illustrator and storyboard artist. His debut graphic novel, Beatrice (2019) won multiple international prizes and accolades.