Literary icon Thomas Pynchon, known for his reclusive nature, is set to release a new novel titled Shadow Ticket on October 7, 2025. The novel will take place in 1932 Milwaukee, amid the challenges of the Great Depression and the looming end of Prohibition.
The announcement, made by Penguin Press on Wednesday, includes a brief synopsis offering a glimpse into the novel’s intriguing premise:
“Milwaukee 1932, the Great Depression in full swing, Prohibition nearing its repeal, and Al Capone serving time in federal prison. The private detective business is shifting focus from labor disputes to domestic matters. Hicks McTaggart, a former strikebreaker turned private eye, thinks he’s secured steady work—until he’s assigned a seemingly simple case to locate and return the heiress of a Wisconsin cheese fortune who has gone missing.”
As McTaggart delves deeper into the investigation, he finds himself entangled in a series of increasingly bizarre and dangerous situations, encountering Nazis, Soviet agents, British spies, paranormal phenomena, and even outlaw motorcyclists. Despite his lack of qualifications, McTaggart’s journey exposes him to far more than he bargained for.
With a page count of 384, Shadow Ticket is relatively concise compared to Pynchon’s earlier works, such as Gravity’s Rainbow, which won the National Book Award for Fiction in 1974. Known for his complex narratives, postmodern style, and dark humor, Pynchon remains an elusive figure in the literary world. He has not made public appearances for years but made a memorable cameo as a cartoon character on The Simpsons, sporting a bag over his head.
Shadow Ticket marks Pynchon’s first new novel in several years, and its unique Milwaukee setting promises to add a fresh dimension to the author’s celebrated body of work. Fans and literary critics alike are eagerly awaiting its release this fall.
