Kill the Messenger

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Kill the Messenger is a suspense thriller by author Tami Hoag. The hardcover editiion of the novel was first published in July 2004 by Bantam Books. In March 2006 the book was released in mass market paperback. That same month the paperback edition soared to No. 1 on The New York Times Best Seller List, No. 3 on the Top New Books List published in Canada's "National Post", and No. 4 on the USA Today Best Seller List.

[edit] Book Synopsis

Bike messenger Jace Damon attempts to live under the radar with his younger bother (who has 168 IQ). They are brought up by their mother who does her best to stay anonymous. When she needs to be taken to the hospital, Jace takes her, making sure he is not associated with her. She dies, and he does not claim the body. Instead he takes his brother to find a new place. He believes that the Korean community would be the best, and after some searching, a elderly Korean business woman takes a liking to them, and gives Jace a part time job, and a place to stay in exchange for work. To stay anonymous, he takes a job as a bike messenger, a job where he can be paid in cash.

Jace accepts a delivery just when he is about to go off duty; it is a pickup from the office of one of L.A.'s sleaziest defense attorneys, Lenny Lowell. He is not happy about the late delivery since it is a wet miserable night (he was looking forward to a shower), but the dispatcher tells him that everyone else has gone off duty, and he is the only one available. Lenny is very nice to Jace, giving him a $20 tip (lawyers are normally extremely cheap). When Jace approaches the address, it is an empty lot, which makes Jace very nervous, and he decides to abort the delivery. Before he can get away, a large black car is racing to run him down. He only barly survives the collision, and he has to abandon his bike. On foot he is able to escape his pursuer, but looses his bag. He returns to the scene of the collision and is relieved to discover that he will only have to replace the wheel. He still has the package, which was in the waistband of his bicycle shorts. He heads back to the lawyer’s office only to find the police there. He does not trust police, so he leaves the scene.

In a city fueled by money, celebrity, and sensationalism, the slaying of a bottom-feeder like Lowell won't make headlines. So when LAPD's elite show up, homicide detective Kev Parker wants to know why. Parker begins a search for answers that will lead him to a killer--or to the end of his career. Because if there's one lesson Parker has learned over the years, it's that in a town built on fame and fantasy, delivering the truth can be murder.