Ray Mitchell is lying in a hospital bed, drifting in and out of consciousness, his head a bloody mess of swabs and bandages. He knows who did it, but he's not saying. He had been a successful and wealthy TV scriptwriter, but losing his job he returned to the mean streets of his youth - the projects of Dempsey, New Jersey, across the river from the glittering metropolis of New York, in order to try and give something back to the community where he grew up. But being charitable isn't always easy, and parachuting back into his childhood life was never going to be without its difficulties. His attempt to be a 'good man' leads him down many dark avenues, where his ostentatious displays of wealth can only incite trouble. In true Richard Price tradition, Samaritan has all the elements of a thriller and all the depth and beauty and characterisation of a literary masterpiece. The film rights for Alms Before Men have just been bought by Scott Rudin for a considerable amount of money.