[4] He would later use this experience as a basis for his first novel[2][5] During his early 20s Grothaus worked for the Art Institute of Chicago, eventually writing and directing a children's film for them.

His writing has appeared in Fast Company, The Irish Times, Litro Magazine, Vice, The Guardian, Engadget, Know Your Mobile,[8] among others.

[17][18] The Bookseller described the novel as "an energetic, inventive, gritty and deeply moving thriller cum dark comedy, Epiphany Jones addresses the challenging subject of sex trafficking in a powerful narrative driven by exceptionally well-drawn, unforgettable protagonists.

"[20] The Guardian named it one of the best recent novels, saying Epiphany Jones is "complex, inventive and a genuine shocker, this is the very opposite of a 'comfort' read.

"[21] Literary critic Maxim Jakubowski called Epiphany Jones "a truly impressive debut" and "a twisting tale at the same time realistically gripping and sardonic" and praised Grothaus' writing for having "a delicate fluency which contrasts with the depravity of his subject matter."

The New York Daily News said Epiphany Jones "is a captivating story that manages to be funny, sinister and surprising" and praised Grothaus' main characters as "complex and well-rounded—equal parts sympathetic, mad and maddening.

The novel was published in 2023 and is a speculative fiction coming-of-age story about a 17-year-old quantum coding prodigy from American who befriends an ex-sumo wrestler and a Japanese waitress in a Tokyo cafe and helps the pair track down the waitress's long-lost father amidst digital Cold War tensions between superpowers China and America.