Status
Genres
Description
Fiction. Mystery. Suspense. Thriller. HTML:With this new thriller, The New York Times bestselling author Tami Hoag delivers her own message to suspense fans everywhere: Don't turn off the lights, and keep reading if you dare. From the gritty streets of Los Angeles to its most protected enclaves of prestige and power to the ruthless glamour of Hollywood, a killer stalks his prey. A killer so merciless no one in his way is safe�??not even the innocent. At the end of a long day battling street traffic, bike messenger Jace Damon has one last drop to make. But en route to delivering a package for one of L.A.'s sleaziest defense attorneys, he's nearly run down by a car, chased through back alleys, and shot at. Only the instincts acquired while growing up on the streets of L.A. allow him to escape with his life�??and with the package someone wants badly enough to kill for. Jace returns to Lenny Lowell's office only to find the cops there, the lawyer dead, and Jace himself considered the prime suspect in the savage murder. Suddenly he's on the run from both the cops and a killer, and the key to saving himself and his ten-year-old brother is the envelope he still has�??which holds a message no one wants delivered: the truth. In a city fueled by money, celebrity, and sensationalism, the murder of a bottom-feeding mouthpiece like Lenny Lowell won't make the headlines. So when detectives from the LAPD's elite robbery/homicide division show up, homicide detective Kev Parker wants to know why. Parker is on the downhill slide of a once-promising career, and he doesn't want to be reminded that he used to be one of the hotshots, working cases that made instant celebrities of everyone involved. Like the case of fading retty-boy actor Rob Cole, accused of the brutal murder of his wife, Tricia Crowne-Cole, daughter of one of the most powerful men in the city, L.A.'s latest "crime of the century." Robbery/Homicide has no reason to be looking at a dead small-time scumbag lawyer or chasing a bike messenger...unless there's something in it for them. Maybe Lenny Lowell had a connection to something big enough to be killed for. Parker begins a search for answers that will lead him to a killer�??or the end of his career. Because if there's one lesson he's learned over the years, it's that in a town built on fantasy and fame, delivering the truth ca… (more)
User reviews
My favorite part about Kill the Messenger is its characters. All the key characters--Jace, Tyler, Parker, Madame Chen, Eta--are extremely enjoyable and have their own very separate personalities. Most of the time I wanted to grab Jace and shake him and say, "Go to the police!" But Hoag gives him a very believable reason for not trusting anyone. He's scared, stubborn, and he was raised by a mother who taught him never to trust anyone. Renee Ruiz, I think her name is, is a pain in the rear, but it's fun watching Parker chew her out constantly, so that makes her character tolerable. And if I were the motherly type, I would adopt Tyler in a heartbeat.
There aren't really any surprising twists in the story--aside from a surprise criminal at the end, but in most crime stories there is a 'surprise' at the end... so knowing that a surprise is coming makes it a little less surprising, doesn't it? No worries about that, though. I just love following Parker and Jace in their thought processes, their fear and frustration. And from the statistics given on the amount of injuries bike messengers in large cities receive, I know I sure as hell would never want to be a bike messenger. So for those of you reading this who live in big cities and cross paths with bike messengers, be nice to them! ^_~
When Los Angeles bike messenger Jace Damon tries to make his last drop of the day for sleazy attorney Lenny Lowell, he is chased, shot at, and barely escapes with the package - and his life. Lenny isn't quite as lucky; and Jace becomes a 'person of
And Kev Parker, the detective of record, also wonders why the death of bottom feeder Lenny is of interest to LAPD's elite homicide squad.
These are interesting, well-developed characters, in life-or-death action; the story moves fast, the tension builds, and the characters become people that the reader cares about.
He and his brother are very poor and he tried to keep his brother safe from harm.
Someone is being blackmailed, but you don't find out until later.
It was a page
A bicycle messenger in LA is sent by an attorney to deliver a package that ends up
Add two unlikable detectives (one who’s in training and seems like a complete idiot) and you’ve got the making for a poor novel. I hate quitting on books, but I refuse to waste my time when I’m not enjoying the story.
Carl Alves - author of Two For Eternity
I've enjoyed other books by this author a lot more than this one. The characters never really grabbed me, but I did finish it.
Plot -- 18 out of 20 points
The storyline has a lot of unpredictable twists and turns that kept me guessing. Behind the hard-driving actions of complicated heroes and villains lurks enough logic and plausibility to keep the high-drama story real. With so
Characters -- 19 points out of 20 points
Ms. Hoag’s characters, on first glance, seem to be so rough around the edges, profane, and living on the edge, I thought I would never be able to relate to them; but she is such a master, she draws in the reader by revealing the humanity (or lack thereof) in each. I soon found myself invested in the characters’ lives. As the good-kid-facing-tough-circumstances, Jace Damon is an unlikely hero, a survivor who just wants to look after his bright young brother and somehow rise above his mediocre lot in life. He gets help with that, thanks to big-hearted messenger dispatcher Eta, wise mentor Madame Chen, little genius Tyler, and even Kevin Parker, the cop now struggling to resurrect his law enforcement career after a big fall from grace.
Setting -- 17 points out of 20 points
The tough, sometimes unsavory world of bike messengers, sleazy lawyers, and manipulative cops who need an attitude adjustment isn’t my normal kind of read. Madame Chen’s restaurant, where Jace Damon and young Tyler find sanctuary during their life on the run, is a refreshing testament to the power of a strong-minded businesswoman determined to succeed in a dangerous corner of the city. It’s definitely a dog eat dog world there, not for the faint of heart.
Pacing -- 17 points out of 20 points
This is definitely a page-turner. Sometimes the action is non-stop, leaving the reader almost breathless. Ms. Hoag seems to pump up the adrenaline to dangerous heights at times, which seems to reflect the lifestyle and mindset of bike messengers.
Tone -- 17 points out of 20 points
The weight of this tale is definitely behind the bad behavior of several of the characters, pushing the tale forward. Twisted love, murderous intent, unethical lapses, predatory behavior, and even ruthless revenge create a very dark aura around the mystery. In the final pages, the reader finds a smidgen of hope for the innocent “lambs” among those vicious “wolves” who roam the streets. A couple of characters might escape that hellish existence, but for those left behind, the bad guys will go on being bad and the good guys will keep on struggling to stay alive.
These are interesting, well-developed characters, in life-or-death action; the story moves fast, the tension builds, and the characters become people that the reader cares about. Spotting the villian in this one isn't easy.