A Good Sign

Early on in Jack Finney's novel "Time and Again":

Our hero has been approached by a stranger who knows some things about him, like his birthday:

"So you know that, do you? Well, goody goody gumshoes."
"It's in your army record, of course. But we know some things that aren't; we know you were divorced two years ago, and why."
"Would you mind telling me? I never did figure out why."
"You wouldn't understand. [...]"

Sometimes you just know a book is going to be good.