Patton Speck returns to Fortune as an absolute disgrace.

The discredited journalist was kicked out of his job and marriage following allegations of sexual misconduct that he swears are false. Now—toxic and unemployable—he’s trapped in the sleepy fishing hamlet he turned his back on twenty years ago.

Patton plans his comeback in the form of an audio series about his hometown—a place with grudges, secrets, and a long memory. But when he happens on a tiny bracelet—evidence in a decade-old child abduction that brought the town to national prominence — NO-ONE WANTS TO KNOW.

The girl’s family isn’t interested. Fortune’s locals tell him to drop it. The Northumbria Police say it’s a hoax. Fortune is determined to keep the past dead and buried.

But here’s the thing... For all his many faults — Patton can’t let it go.

With rekindled purpose, Patton enlists his best friend and his Mum to start Sara’s Charm: a true-crime podcast where he interviews suspects, retraces their steps, and chases down theories—all under the shadow of local antagonism and disapproval.

But then a Person of Interest goes missing. And threatening calls are received. And then... someone starts leaving shotgun shells on his Mum’s doorstep.

Will Patton uncover the startling truth of Sara Larkin’s mysterious disappearance? And if he does, can he survive the consequences?

Months later, in a dark Soho studio, a team of audio producers pour over his recordings to find out...