Author/artist Tim Broderick has signed with Echelon Press to publish his graphic novel/mystery Cash & Carry, tentatively scheduled for early 2008.

Cash & Carry is the latest in Broderick’s Odd Jobs series, a long-running webcomic inspired by the classic American newspaper and European adventure strips, but firmly ensconced in the mystery genre.

In “Cash & Carry,” David Diangelo — a man who survives by taking on odd jobs — must deliver a mysterious briefcase to Las Vegas with a pair of industrial spies hot on his trail. It’s a thrilling challenge at first, but when David discovers the body of a man brutally murdered the simple job takes a deadly twist. David doesn’t know who to trust, he doesn’t know that the case he carries is only a decoy, and he can’t foresee that the road ahead promises only heartbreak and pain.

“Cash & Carry” explores the moral challenges individuals face when cut off from the security derived from links with family and friends, and examines how people find work in an uncertain world. And how, in making those connections, they’re thrust into great mysteries.

Echelon Press is a nationally recognized publisher of urban fiction in the romance, mystery, and thriller genres. Their books are eligible for consideration for prestigious awards such as the Mystery Writers of America’s “Edgar.” This is Echelon’s first graphic novel.

Tim Broderick’s first book, “Something to build upon,” was called an “amazing piece of graphic storytelling” by Crime Spree Magazine (www.crimespreemag.com). His short story, “Feeding Frenzy,” will appear in the upcoming “Wall Street Noir” anthology, part of the acclaimed “Noir” series produced by New York publisher Akashic Press (www.akashicbooks.com/wallstreetnoir.htm). “Wall Street Noir” was edited by Peter Spiegelman, author of the award-winning mystery series featuring PI John Marsh.