Listener Thieves is a rollicking ride through a slightly fictionalized San Francisco. This hard-boiled adult novel has everything: spies, crime, thieves, sex, car chases and gun battles, dirty politics and loveable--even if they are thieves--protagonists. First published in 1998, this novel foreshadows much of what we have come to expect on TV and in movies: Scams as in Leverage, hidden ops as in Burn Notice, and ruthless politicos, as in...everywhere! It is an easy and enjoyable read, and author Smith has an ear for the dialogue of the streets of San Francisco circa 2000. It is a glimpse into the underworld of crime and corruption just at the end of the 20th century. It was a trip I enjoyed taking. ( )