Radio Discord

Stephen Millburn's chaotic last day at CIFU Radio in Victoria, BC, working as the host of the morning show isn’t just the end of Gregor Craigie’s first novel, Radio Jet Lag, it’s the beginning of his second, Radio Discord.

Told from the point of view of Malcolm McDonald, CIFU’s news director who’s just fired the radio station’s star morning host under duress from his politically and socially right-wing station owner, Radio Discord picks right up from what The Toronto Star called “a finely crafted denouement.” McDonald is wracked with guilt, wondering why he didn’t stand up for Stephen Millburn, whose only fault — if it can be called that — was to run with a story about a shady scheme to pay homeless people to leave Victoria. Colourful characters return, including bombastic station owner George Caulfeild and acerbic news reader Sheila Campbell.

Readers will enjoy behind-the-mic comedy as CIFU slides to new depths in the radio ratings and struggles through on-air disasters, such as a live radio broadcast at a shopping mall that is interrupted by chemtrail conspiracy theorists and a turkey vulture named Stanley.