The dungeon master

The book recounts the 1979 disappearance of James Dallas Egbert III, a 16-year-old computer genius and avid Dungeons & Dragons player, from Michigan State University.

Egbert's disappearance sparked rumors of witch cults, drug rings, and other explanations.

Private investigator William C. Dear was hired by the Egbert family and conducted a meticulous search, including crawling through tunnels and using helicopters.

Dear eventually discovered that Egbert had entered the university's utility tunnels with the intent of committing suicide but went into hiding instead.

The book also addresses the media controversy surrounding Dungeons & Dragons and the eventual tragic outcome of Egbert's story, who committed suicide less than a year after the incident.