Following a near fatal overdose of painkillers, Daniel Fletcher is resuscitated in a Los Angeles emergency room and detained for psychiatric evaluation. Through a series of questions and tests, the psychiatrist must ascertain whether the patient intended to kill himself, or whether he can walk free. What the psychiatrist doesn't know is that 'Daniel Fletcher' is actually John - Johnny - Dolan Vincent, a brilliant young forger who continually changes his identity to save himself from a lifetime of incarceration. Johnny has done such assessments before - many, many times. As he creates an elaborate bluff for the evaluator, Johnny reveals the true story of his traumatic past - a broken family, descent into the sinister world of forgers and criminals, and his one chance of salvation in the beautiful and elusive Molly. But time is running out; as his underworld clients lose patience and the psychiatrist's net closes around him, Johnny has to negotiate the escape act of his life.

Chapter Eleven
Maybe you're a woman and God was too good to you, and people - men pay serious cash to look at you. Sometimes when you're naked, sometimes not. Sometimes you know it, sometimes you don't. Maybe you smiled at one of them while serving cocktails or waiting for an elevator and now he knows where you live, where you work, your phone number, and your cat went missing a week ago, and the police tell you that the note saying I want to take you with me to the afterlife doesn't implicitly threaten you and anyway, you don't have any proof that he wrote it. So you have to make what you need, whatever papers or documents to say who you want to be. Just don't expect thm to stand up to scrutiny unless you're good. I'm good.

The Contortionist's Handbook is the debut of writer Craig Clevenger and I thoroughly recommend it. Chuck Palahnluk, the writer of Fight Club said "I swear to God this is the best book I have read in easily five years. Easily. Maybe ten years". Irvine Welsh, the writer of Trainspotting said "One of the most interesting writers to emerge in years. This book deserves to be massive.". Richard Kelly, the director of Donnie Darko said "An extraordinary debut. Craig Clevenger has crafted an unforgettable anti-hero"

Just doing a bit of research for this post I realise there is a possibility that a movie adaptation is already in the works. Good stuff, wonder who they'd cast?? .. I say possibility because the iMDB states nothing under Richard Kelly's name about this.

Though from an interview with him at movies.about.com:
I heard you'll be 'supervising' the adaptation of “The Contortionist's Handbook.”
Yeah, I'm probably not going to be doing the adaptation myself. It's a matter of having the time. We would like to get a draft sooner rather than later. I'm excited, actually, to work with another writer, but I'll be very involved.

Who is the writer?
We haven't decided yet. We're still searching.