Callahan's Con

By: Spider Robinson

Narrated by: Barret Whitener

In the discreet little Key West bar that Jake Stonebender established, Fast Eddie Costigan learned to curse back at parrots as he played the house piano; the Reverend Tom Hauptman learned to tend bar bare-chested, and Long-Drink McGonnigle discovered the margarita. Nobody even noticed them save the universe.

After 10 quiet years, their laid-back existence is disturbed by a malevolent, moronic Mafioso, named Tony Donuts, Jr., intending to resurrect the classic protection racket in Key West. Jake's scientifically precocious 13-year-old daughter is threatened by the truancy officer and then, thanks to very poor accessorizing, Jake's wife, Zoey, suddenly finds herself in a place with no light, no heat, and no air. And no way home. The urgent question was where, precisely where, but that turned out to be a problem so complex that even the entire gang, equipped with teleportation, time travel, and telepathic syntony, might not be able to crack it in time.

©2003 Spider Robinson (P)2004 Blackstone Audiobooks

Critic reviews

"The wordplay flies fast and funny as always in a Callahan's romp, and the characters, regular and new, are pretty darn amusing." (Booklist)
"Robinson knows how to generate tension without losing his sense of humor, a more difficult trick than you might imagine." (The New York Times)

Best to listen to previous books first

Some series you can pick up anywhere in the series and not significantly ruin going back and reading previous novels. However, this novel has enough spoilers that you should read the previous books before tackling it.

Of a piece with his other books

His main characters are flawed in a human way, there’s a bit of humility. As well as an abandon of whimsical zaniness. I won’t write of what I don’t like. Sorry for abstractions, but describing content doesn’t work for this book.

first class story

another Sipder Robinson - little more needs to be said. Excellent story, keeps you listening, usually with a grin. clearly and well spoken

I really enjoyed this book!

l have been following this writer, his style is
something I connect with. All his stories are fiction but the people part of it is so realistic, he writes with empathy and compassion and understanding of how people love one another and support each other. when problems arise in his stories I think to myself he wrote himself into a corner this time and then with creative and witty writing he gets back out of it. I enjoyed the fictional part of it but I especially enjoyed how he fleshed out the characters and made them so real. I actually cried during parts of this which surprised me. I highly recommend this one.

Spider should be read by everyone

This is one the most emotional of the series and I still have read it numerous times. Having the audio book makes it so much nicer as i can listen at work and still do my job. The author is great and so is the wonderful voice reader.