John Smith

John Smith has a special gift that seems more like a curse: He can access other people's thoughts. He hears the songs stuck in their heads, their most private traumas and fears, the painful memories they can't let go. The CIA honed his skills until he was one of their most powerful operatives, but Smith fled the agency and now works as a private consultant, trying to keep the dark potential of his gift in check - and himself out of trouble.

The author of The Eternal World seamlessly combines history, biotechnology, action and adventure in this high-concept thriller. John Smith has a special gift that seems more like a curse: he can access other people's thoughts. He hears the songs stuck in their heads, their most private traumas and fears, the painful memories they can't let go of. The CIA honed his skills until he was one of their most powerful operatives, but Smith fled the agency and now works as a private consultant.

As a fixer for America's 1 percent, John Smith cleans up the messes of those rich enough to afford him. But he's no ordinary gun for hire. Smith is a man of rare gifts, including the ability to read minds. Arriving at the wedding of Kira Sadeghi, a reality television celebrity he recently saved from kidnappers, Smith witnesses a group of gunmen open fire, hitting the bride and others. Though he's unarmed, Smith cripples one of the killers.