A struggling PR consultant discovers that his charismatic new client harbors a sinister agenda that threatens to turn the Edinburgh Festival into a stage for something far more dangerous than mere performance. Charles Kidd, desperate for professional validation, aligns himself with the charming Peter Dexter, hoping to orchestrate a career-defining spectacle. As the narrative unfolds, Charles finds himself entangled in a web of manipulation that mirrors the city's own macabre history of body snatching and scientific obsession. The story utilizes a mounting sense of unease to contrast the superficiality of the public relations industry with the dark, hidden motivations of its central antagonist.

This novel is characterized by its sharp, cynical wit and its ability to blend the mundane frustrations of modern careerism with the gothic history of its setting. The narrative structure suggests a deliberate escalation of tension, moving from the lighthearted absurdity of festival planning into darker, more unsettling territory. Readers likely find the interplay between the protagonist's professional desperation and the antagonist's hidden malice to be the primary driver of the book's momentum. The work stands as a commentary on the masks people wear, both in the public eye and in their private, more calculated pursuits.