Simon & Schuster, December 2008
I have a confession to make. Jan Burke is one of my favorite mystery writers. In fact, she's one of my favorite writers in any genre. So when I set out to review her latest work, The Messenger, I was both eager and anxious. Of her twelve novels to date, it's only the second outside of her established series with journalist-sleuth Irene Kelly and police detective Frank Harriman. And it's a supernatural thriller, even more of a departure from her previous books. What if it didn't work or I didn't like it?
I needn't have worried. Jan Burke never disappoints.
The Messenger is a suspenseful tale of spirits and souls. From page one, we know we're in for something otherworldly. A salvage diver hears a disembodied voice coming from a nineteenth-century shipwreck: "serve me," the voice says, "find Tyler Hawthorne, and I will give you wealth and power." As the diver agrees, we're left with the sense that this can't possibly end well for him.
I have a confession to make. Jan Burke is one of my favorite mystery writers. In fact, she's one of my favorite writers in any genre. So when I set out to review her latest work, The Messenger, I was both eager and anxious. Of her twelve novels to date, it's only the second outside of her established series with journalist-sleuth Irene Kelly and police detective Frank Harriman. And it's a supernatural thriller, even more of a departure from her previous books. What if it didn't work or I didn't like it?
I needn't have worried. Jan Burke never disappoints.
The Messenger is a suspenseful tale of spirits and souls. From page one, we know we're in for something otherworldly. A salvage diver hears a disembodied voice coming from a nineteenth-century shipwreck: "serve me," the voice says, "find Tyler Hawthorne, and I will give you wealth and power." As the diver agrees, we're left with the sense that this can't possibly end well for him.
Ten years later, Tyler Hawthorne (with his aptly gothic last name) is living in the foothills near Los Angeles with his unusual dog, Shade. Tyler once made a bargain, too, to keep his life - almost two hundred years earlier. Still and perpetually twenty-four, he is a Messenger, who can communicate the final thoughts of the dying to their loved ones before the souls move on. They also give him intriguing hints about his future. In these scenes especially, Burke crafts moments both touching and funny. For instance, when a dying chain-smoker calls her husband an SOB and he apologizes for cheating on her, the moment is unusually loving and sweet.
Tyler's neighbor Amanda Clarke, also twenty-four, has a few secrets and spirit connections of her own. Amanda is an example of Burke's ability to create compelling women characters. She's somewhat of a loner but a fierce defender of friends, a brave soul who's terrified of dogs, and a lovely klutz. And she has a sharp wit. When encountering an old high school boyfriend, she recalls a night when "they had been dating for a teenage eternity-three months."
As the chemistry between Tyler and Amanda grows, so do the mysteries. Will Tyler and Amanda share their secrets with one another? Does Shade the dog have a doppelganger? Can the villain be destroyed, or even contained? Will Tyler make another bargain to pass on the Messenger mantel, no matter how dire the consequences?
Tyler's neighbor Amanda Clarke, also twenty-four, has a few secrets and spirit connections of her own. Amanda is an example of Burke's ability to create compelling women characters. She's somewhat of a loner but a fierce defender of friends, a brave soul who's terrified of dogs, and a lovely klutz. And she has a sharp wit. When encountering an old high school boyfriend, she recalls a night when "they had been dating for a teenage eternity-three months."
As the chemistry between Tyler and Amanda grows, so do the mysteries. Will Tyler and Amanda share their secrets with one another? Does Shade the dog have a doppelganger? Can the villain be destroyed, or even contained? Will Tyler make another bargain to pass on the Messenger mantel, no matter how dire the consequences?
Burke's crisp, rhythmic writing ties all together brilliantly in a mix of action, dialogue, thoughts, and letters. Along the way, we also learn a few things about salvage diving, insects, and mourning rings.
My only pause with this book came when the villain first appears in the present action. Merely a voice and a stench, yet omnipotent and authoritarian with its human helpers, it threatened to become a bit of a caricature. Again, though, I shouldn't have worried. Burke develops the villain so thoroughly that even the most bizarre elements come together.
If you like intelligent mysteries and haven't read Jan Burke, add her to your list right now. Better yet, pick up any one of her books. The Messenger and Nine are her stand-alone thrillers, both excellent choices. And although the Irene and Frank books can be read in any order, I recommend starting with the first, Goodnight, Irene.
Burke's Irene Kelly mystery Bones won the Edgar Award for Best Novel, and three of her short stories have also won awards. Several of her other novels and stories have been nominated for Anthony, Agatha, Barry, Nero, Macavity, and Edgar awards. Visit her on the web at janburke.com.
My only pause with this book came when the villain first appears in the present action. Merely a voice and a stench, yet omnipotent and authoritarian with its human helpers, it threatened to become a bit of a caricature. Again, though, I shouldn't have worried. Burke develops the villain so thoroughly that even the most bizarre elements come together.
If you like intelligent mysteries and haven't read Jan Burke, add her to your list right now. Better yet, pick up any one of her books. The Messenger and Nine are her stand-alone thrillers, both excellent choices. And although the Irene and Frank books can be read in any order, I recommend starting with the first, Goodnight, Irene.
Burke's Irene Kelly mystery Bones won the Edgar Award for Best Novel, and three of her short stories have also won awards. Several of her other novels and stories have been nominated for Anthony, Agatha, Barry, Nero, Macavity, and Edgar awards. Visit her on the web at janburke.com.
