The Listener

<p>1934. Businesses went under by the hundreds debt and foreclosures boomed and breadlines grew in many American cities. </p><p><br></p><p>In the midst of this misery some folks explored unscrupulous ways to make money. Angel-faced John Partlow and carnival huckster Ginger LaFrance are among the worst of this lot. Joining together they leave their small time confidence scams behind to attempt an elaborate kidnapping-for-ransom scheme in New Orleans.</p><p><br></p><p>In a different part of town Curtis Mayhew a young black man who works as a redcap for the Union Railroad Station has a reputation for mending quarrels and misunderstandings among his friends. What those friends don't know is that Curtis has a special talent for listening...and he can sometimes hear things that aren't spoken aloud.</p><p><br></p><p>One day Curtis Mayhew's special talent allows him to overhear a child's cry for help (THIS MAN IN THE CAR HE'S GOT A GUN) which draws him into the dangerous world of Partlow and LaFrance.</p><p><br></p><p>This gritty depression-era crime thriller is a complex tale enriched by powerfully observed social commentary and hints of the supernatural and it represents Robert McCammon writing at the very top of his game.</p><p><br></p>