In many cases of mass shootings, witnesses often mention seeing a second shooter who is never caught or acknowledged by the authorities. Such instances are dismissed as being caused by the stress of the situation and the unreliability of witnesses. It is the perfect subject for fringe publisher Little Round Bombs Books who commission Mike Karras to write an in-depth book about whether this is a real phenomenon or not.

On his lowly advance payment, Karras crisscrosses the USA by the cheapest transport possible or by hitching a ride. He stays at cheap motels and is constantly on the move to track down witnesses and to avoid being hacked and spied on by nefarious people and organisations.

He views life through the portals of his phone and laptop. He is besieged by right-wing social commentator Chris Bennett, who wants to stage a fight with him on his radio show. Karras gets a lift from a trucker to an ongoing shooting incident and becomes a suspect. Things get even more complicated when he meets a second shooter witness, Rahel Alazar and her family.

As his investigation progresses, author Nick Mamatas shows us the crazy, conspiracy led underbelly of American society and culture. There are cults, sects, religious and political factions, and negotiating them in the world of social media is a minefield that leads to a showdown fittingly at the vast Mall of America.

Karras regards life as a hall of mirrors where people like to talk, although what they say can be utterly banal or revelatory. This reflects the submission guidelines of Little Round Bombs Books that note: ‘If it’s bullshit, make it deep. If it’s deep, throw in some bullshit.’

The Second Shooter is a sublime, clever and humorous dive into the murky waters of human perception and existence in a USA where nothing is real anymore.

The Second Shooter is published on November 11th.