"Combines an amateur sleuth subplot within a fast-paced paranormal story line"
Returning to his home in Hawthorne from working at the
North American Aircraft plant in Inglewood, Tom Wallace
sees the car of Philip, his brother-in-law a psych major at
Berkley. That night Tom, his pregnant wife Anne and Phil go
next door to attend a party. Phil offers to hypnotize any
volunteers, but no one steps forward so he informs "brother
man" that he is the chosen victim. Phil successfully
hypnotizes Tom. That night while unable to sleep, Tom begins hearing voices
of people he knows and impressions in his dead culminated
with a ghost in his living room. Suddenly, Tom's middle
class American dream lifestyle seems meaningless as the
hypnosis has aroused psychic abilities that he never knew
he had. He hears the intimate most confidential thoughts of
those around him and learns secrets that shake his
existence, but worse is the visits from the murder victim
demanding he help her find her killer. This is a reprint of a 1950s thriller (and a one degree
Bacon movie) that combines an amateur sleuth subplot within
a fast-paced paranormal story line containing a ghostly
element and psychic abilities. Tom is a terrific
protagonist as readers observe the contrast between his
lifestyle and his new ESP abilities. The support cast adds
depth to Tom's travails as he tries to solve a homicide and
regain his former existence without "hearing" the thoughts
of others. Richard Matheson shows why he is one of the
masters of the thriller genre as this "historical" piece
ages nicely. Reviewed by Harriet Klausner
Posted August 11, 2004
Reviewed by PNR Group Member
Posted January 18, 2007
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