When a series of bizarre murders based on major trumps of the Tarot rocks the usually staid city of Christchurch, the panel members of radio show The Psychic Connection are drawn into the case when it seems panel member James Myerson may be involved – or even the murderer.
Detective Sergeant Declan Kelly (see: Vicious Circle) arrives in Christchurch, on sick leave after being wounded during a stakeout in Queensland, and adds his weight to the Psychic Connection panel's investigation of what the press is calling the Tarot Murders. The murderer's calling card, The Magician, left with each new victim, offers a sinister clue to the killer's identity – if only the panel can solve it in time to prevent the death of one of its own members.