Graham Wilde is an edgy radio call-in talk show host who runs afoul of a alleged psychic. Wilde is familiar with all the tricks -- researching clients beforehand, asking vague questions that could apply to most anyone and then letting them fill in the blanks based on what they want to hear -- and sets out to expose him for the fraud he is. But when the psychic suggests that Wilde might be connected with the disappearance of a local girl, his world begins to fall apart. In a way that is disturbingly believable in this era of #payattentiontometoo, his reputation plummets in the court of public opinion, calls to his show turn sinister, and even his friends and co-workers have their doubts. The more Wilde attempts to exonerate himself, the deeper he digs his hole (through no fault of his own.) So he resigns himself to the only thing left he can do: ferret out the culprit himself.

Ramsey Campbell is well known as a horror writer, but this is more of a drama that hovers on the edge of mystery. I quite enjoyed the first half or so, but at a certain point after that it loses steam. The mystery aspect is lost for a good portion, until it suddenly comes up again at the end. I became irritated with Campbell's prose. I lost count of the number of times the protagonist was "enraged" by something. That exact word, over and over. And I just became anxious for the whole thing to be resolved. Not in a "I'm dying to find out whodunit" way; more like I've just had enough. ( )