The Man in the Middle — David Wagoner

The first book by acclaimed novelist and poet David Wagoner, hailed by the Los Angeles Times as a breathtaking novel filled with terror and pathos, finally back in print after 70 years... Middle-aged Charlie Bell, a crippled watchman at a railroad crossing, sees a woman thrown out of passing train. He takes the injured woman, and the briefcase she was clutching, with him in search of a phone. She's a reporter, and the briefcase contains papers that could destroy a corrupt Senator. But before Charlie can get her help, a thug attacks them and kills her. Now Charlie is relentlessly pursued through the Chicago underworld by cops who think he's a murderer...and killers intent on silencing him. A remarkable first novel by a powerful new writer. Compassion, sustained excitement, and acute observation of the Chicago locale make for a moving story. New York Times It has everything a mystery should have, but it goes one step further. Pittsburgh Press Wagoner's story is just as relentless as the forces groping and clutching for the doomed man. Richmond Times-Dispatch