This novel is not by Mark Radcliffe the radio DJ, in spite of its protagonist's penchant for pork-pie hats and indie rock. Mark A Radcliffe has worked in psychiatry, the world in which his book is set, and his experiences seem to have tinged his writing with a certain weary cynicism, mitigated by strong empathy for those who have trouble fitting into society and a knack for quirky humour. An exploration of "bad pharma", the novel begins in a large secure hospital in 1989 as staff prepare patients for "care in the community". Psychiatric nurse Adam Sands is struggling with his own mental health after one particularly bad patient outcome and years of attrition. Radcliffe takes a risk in breaking off his narrative at a critical point to jump forward to the present day. The working through of his characters' linked dramas is subtle and carefully paced, with just a dash of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo to satisfy our need for comeuppance. Better still, we see Adam, so damaged, treating – and healing – both himself and others with nothing more than quiet respect and listening to the body's needs.