When he was kidnapped, at the age of 38, John Kelso owned thirteen thousand videotapes. Fifty-two thousand hours. Every sitcom, animation, sci-fi series, drama and documentary worth their salt. And nine thousand movies. John was not a geek. He just loved his job.

When Tom broke into John's flat he found six VCRs, six televisions, and six DVD players. For a moment, Tom thought the guy was a thief like him.

In fact, at the time of his kidnapping, John was a successful if unfulfilled film critic, with his own late night TV slot and a cult following. Crazed fans were an occupational hazard. One night during a break in the show, John stepped outside for a smoke. When he didn't return, nobody worried too much. It was a week before he was found.

Kenny Duthie was a farmer's son from Aberdeen, Scotland. He had written the screenplay of his life. All he wanted was for John Kelso to read it. And John Kelso was going to read it. Whether he wanted to or not. Kenny was not an unstable person.

Lynne Callier was a researcher. She researched things. One day she researched John Kelso.

Acclaimed Irish writer McKinney's first novel reveals a writer of persuasive imagination, revelling in characters who are man or bad, or both.