Not since the book MINE, has Robert McCammon created such a cunning female villain. But when Pearly meets Ginger LaFrance, and joins her cold quest for riches, I knew I was in for the long haul. I wasn't sure for the longest time where this story was going. With a young black man as the protagonist and a few visits to characters we've met in the past, (I want to say so much more about them, but I can't spoil the surprise for you!), Starting with a man we'll call Pearly and ending with the opening of a free clinic, Robert McCammon sucked me in as he always does and now I have another book to add to my All Time Favorites shelf! What a great story this is! Set in the American south during the Great Depression, The Listener is a unique tale. 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. 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. and he can sometimes hear things that aren't spoken aloud. What those friends don't know is that Curtis has a special talent for listening. 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. Joining together they leave their small time confidence scams behind to attempt an elaborate kidnapping-for-ransom scheme in New Orleans.

Angel-faced John Partlow and carnival huckster Ginger LaFrance are among the worst of this lot. In the midst of this misery, some folks explored unscrupulous ways to make money. Businesses went under by the hundreds, debt and foreclosures boomed, and breadlines grew in many American cities.

Robert mccammon the listener