The Messenger: A Novel

Jan Burke

Dec 2008 · Sold by Simon and Schuster

About this ebook

Who is Tyler Hawthorne?

Beneath the Caribbean Sea, a salvage diver hears an eerie voice calling to him from the wreckage of a nineteenth-century ship. In return for promised riches, the diver becomes the servant of Adrian deVille, Lord Varre, the creature who has called to him. It's a bargain the diver will come to regret. Varre enlists him in a hunt for a man named Tyler Hawthorne.

Ten years later, in a canyon in the foothills above Los Angeles, Amanda Clarke has become curious about her new neighbor, Tyler Hawthorne. He's not home much, but others tell her that her new neighbor is about her age -- twenty-four. He's also wealthy, handsome, and single.

Amanda soon suspects that another description can be added to the list of Tyler's attributes: con artist. When Tyler shows up at the hospice room of her friend Ron and tells the dying man he'll live, Amanda angrily resents Tyler for giving Ron false hope.

Until Ron begins to recover.

Although Tyler continues to puzzle her, Amanda finds herself drawn to him.

Tyler finds himself drawn to Amanda as well, but he has a secret he must keep from her: he's been twenty-four for almost two hundred years.

Two centuries ago, he bargained for his life. In exchange, he became a Messenger, one who hears the final thoughts of the dying and conveys those last messages to their loved ones. Since that time, his life has been nomadic and -- except for the companionship of a remarkable black dog -- solitary.

The dying also convey messages to Tyler and now they are hinting that his long service may be coming to an end. He begins to hope that he can return to a normal, mortal life and allows himself to grow closer to Amanda, unaware that he is being pursued by an old enemy who will stop at nothing to destroy him and that he can only leave his role as the Messenger behind at a dreadful cost.

Ratings and reviews

Tyler Hawthorne is a mystery. He is never sick and seems to heal from any injury at an alarming rate. He's suave, confident, and extremely wealthy. But Amanda Clarke doesn't like him. In her opinion, bringing hope to her dying best friend, Ron, is just plain stupid. Ron has been sick for ages and will most likely die - how dare Tyler bring him hope of recovering? Only Ron does recover. And as Amanda begins to learn more and more about this Mr. Hawthorne character, she becomes more intrigued and enamored with him. But Tyler's past doesn't come free. Someone's out to get him, and will go to any means to get a hold of a precious lost item that Tyler now has. And that puts others in danger, such as Amanda, whom Tyler has grown very fond of. Sometimes even man's best friend - the enormous, black-as-night dog, Shade - can't help his master get out of every dangerous situation. Jan Burke writes a thrilling tale of a mysterious man and a normal woman. Throughout the story, more is learned of Tyler and his "powers", which only intrigues the reader to keep going to the next chapter to find out the next puzzle piece of his life. Then there's the actual plot of who is after Tyler and why, which unfolds in such a way that the reader will never want to put the book down until the last page. Burke's story is truly engrossing, and with its many mysteries and plot twists, it is sure to entertain all readers. **TRT Gold Star Award

About the author

Jan Burke is the author of a dozen novels and a collection of short stories. She is the founder of the Crime Lab Project and is a member of the board of the California Forensic Science Institute. She lives in Southern California with her husband and two dogs. Learn more about her at JanBurke.com.