The Messenger by Jan Burke

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Adult Publishing Group
Pages: 320

From the Cover: 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.....

Captain Tyler Hawthorne lies dying in the mud under his horse in the battle against Napoleon at Waterloo. He's dying, he can distantly feel his injuries when an unknown stranger asks him if he wants to live to fight another day. Tyler doesn't know how he answered the stranger, but YES, he wants to live. There will be costs, the stranger tells Tyler, costs that cannot be paid with money. Do you still want to live? YES, Tyler thinks, I want to live.

Placing a ring upon Tyler's finger, the stranger, Lord Varre who gives Tyler an uneasy feeling of something close to evil, leaves Tyler with instructions on retrieving funds from his agent to help him with his new existence. Shade, Lord Varre's large black dog, chooses to remain with Tyler. Shade is a cemetery dog....

Almost immediately, Tyler feels stronger, feels his grievous wounds begin to heal, and starts hearing the voices of others round him. But those around him are the dead or dying. What is happening to Tyler? As Tyler begins to recover, he feels himself drawn to those who are near death. The dying are asking Tyler to deliver messages to family members. As the last wishes of the dying, Tyler cannot refuse to complete these tasks. Tyler's new existence in life is that of the messenger.

Present day: Amanda has seen Tyler lurking around the hospice. Comforting patients, but what she cannot tolerate is him giving hope to Ron. Ron has been dying of leukemia all these long years. And, Tyler has surely swindled Ron's grandfather, Derek, into selling him Derek's family home. It was kind of Tyler to tell Ron that it was still his home, not that Ron will ever get to enjoy it.

As Tyler walks Shade around the cemetery near his home, he receives a call from the hospice, his services are needed again. After he helps the husband of a dying patient, he checks in on Ron to find Amanda sitting with Ron. She is furious with Tyler for giving false hope. How could this handsome stranger harm Ron is this way. Tyler assures her he is not giving false hope, but he cannot explain, who could tell someone else that the dying have told him it is not Ron's time to die?

On another front, Lord Varre is trying to regenerate from his own grievous wounds incurred centuries ago after one of his ancestors tried to kill him, but Varre is too hard to kill. He is not a normal human with a fragile existence, like Tyler, he is almost immortal. Now, he needs to revive and retrieve that he has given Tyler, his immortality. Many will have to suffer Lord Varre's wrath for the unspeakable act committed against him. Lord Varre will see to it that those who have wronged him received the ultimate punishment...revenge against those who are his own descendants as well.....but he has killed before.....

The Messenger by Jan Burke is another new author for me. It was an enticing story that dealt with ghosts, magic, and immortality. Cemetery dogs to help messengers bring relief for the suffering of those left behind by the dying. It has action/adventure for the adventurous. It has mystery and mayhem for the mystery lovers. It is a contemporary paranormal romance for lovers of romance, with the banter between Tyler and Amanda, and the attraction that is inevitable after Tyler's lonely long existence. Tyler questions his right to have Amanda, cursed as he is with eternal life. She's afraid of dogs, and Shade has and will remain with Tyler for the rest of his unnatural existence. But she is so beautiful and challenging with her quick mind and the ability to accept what others would find unacceptable, making her the forbidden fruit that his body desires. How can he curse her with his love, only to watch her die as he continues to live. Can he watch another loved one perish, look on as she dies leaving him to continue his existence? All these questions and more are answered in The Messenger. This book was a relatively quick read of pure fantasy. If fantasy is your cup of tea, The Messenger will be an appealing book. I enjoyed it immensely wanting the story to continue. For more information about Jan Burke's book, please visit her website.

Since there wasn't a book trailer for The Messenger, I'm adding the trailer for one of my favorite TV shows........The Ghost Whisperer.......Same basic concepts, different sex.



I love watching The Ghost Whisperer.

Face of a Killer by Robin Burcell

Publisher: Poison Pen Press
Pages: 378


From the Cover: Facts lie . . . Two decades after the murder that shattered her world, FBI agent and forensic artist Sydney Fitzpatrick confronts her father's killer face to face. But the inmate who's scheduled to be executed for the crime is not what she expected. Heightening Sydney's unease, she receives a photograph sent to her by a man just prior to his suicide, causing her to question everything she believed about her father. Now she wants the truth—no matter where it's hidden, no matter how painful . . . or dangerous......

Sydney Fitzpatrick is a FBI agent and a forensic artist, she helps where others cannot. She draws the faces of kidnappers, rapists, and murderers. She helps victims which are beyond the help of the police and medicine, she reconstructs the dead. She's 33 years old, but has lived a life time. Her one quest in life is to find out what happened to her father twenty years ago, when his pizza palor was robbed and burned to the ground with him inside.

Sydney's mother wants nothing more than for her to drop the whole issue. Syd wants to go to San Quentin to face the man who killed her father. When she does, all hell breaks loose. Johnnie Walker swears he's not the killer, but he saw the man who is. Scotty, Syd's one time boyfriend, wants her to leave the case alone. But as Sydney is drawn into her father's case, she comes to realize that Walker may not be the killer and the killer is out there waiting for her and her family including little sister, Angie--an FBI agent in training at age 12. As things go from bad to worse, Syd comes to face the facts that a long time family friend may be responsible for all of her suffering. If only she can prove it before Walker is executed.

Face of a Killer is the first book in the Sydney Fitzpatrick series published in 2008. It is a turbulent ride from start to finish. As you step on board the roller coaster that is Sydney's life, you go from one misadventure to another. Fighting bad guys in the streets of San Francisco to Baja California to little San Arleta, the action never quits. Again Ms. Burcell gives us a wonderful ride into the life of criminal activity. Visit Ms. Burcell's site @ http://www.robinburcell.com/ for more information about all of her great crime novels.

Cold Case by Robin Burcell

Publisher: Avon Books / Harper Collins Publishers
Pages: 273


From the cover: Three years ago SFPD Homicide Investigator Kate Gillespie was in pursuit of a suspect who murdered a hooker in a sleazy motel, and she nearly lost her own life in the process. The shooter escaped into the San Francisco shadows and the trail went colder than the grave. Now Kate's appearance on a Bay Area "crime stoppers" TV show produces new leads that carry her back into the sordid world of drugs and prostitution......

Kate Gillespie is a homicide detective and good at her job. But since being involved in the Twin Palms shooting, she has been regulated to cold case work....Who would have thought cold case work could be dangerous. As she starts to investigate the murder of a local high priced call girl, Fiona Winchester--a cold case relating to the Twin Palms shooting, her relatively safe desk job turns into a case of major criminal activity that involves some high power players.

As Kate get deeper into the case, she realizes drugs, a local crime boss (who has the hots for her), and various other nefarious characters seem to want nothing more than to see her dead. Her long time love interest, Mike Torrance, has joined the forces of the FBI and is even more distant than usual. Could he be jealous of Nick Paolini, does he really think she could be interested in a crime boss? Could Nick Paolini's ex-wife, Lucia, be behind the attempts on her life, the one from three years ago to the recent ones?

Cold Case is the third book in the Kate Gillespie series published in 2004. As the story unfolds, Kate finds herself in one dangerous position after another. It is an excellent crime story that as it unfolds grabs your attention and doesn't let go. To find out more about Ms. Burcell's books, visit her website @ http://www.robinburcell.com/.

Dating Dead Men by Harley Jane Kozak

Publisher: Doubleday / Randon House Publishing
Pages: 336


From the cover: Los Angeles greeting card artist Wollie Shelley is dating forty men in sixty days as research for a radio talk-show host's upcoming book, How to Avoid Getting Dumped All the Time. Wollie is meeting plenty of eligible bachelors but not falling in love.....

Wollie's store, Wollie's, Welcome! Greetings sells greeting cards, she also personally designs some of the better stock available. But, Wollie has a problem, her store has to be upgraded to Wollie's, Willkommen! Greetings or the Welcome Corporation will close the store and move the stock to different stores, and her life's dream and ambition will be gone! When Mr. Bundt, corporate big wig, pays a visit, everything must be perfect, instead everything seems to fall apart. P.B., Wollie's schizophrenic brother, calls with news of a murder at local mental hospital and a great need for aluminum foil, to block alien transmissions. Dr. Cookie's book deadline has been moved up, pushing her dating schedule into over drive. Uncle Theo's poetry club readings are not approved events at any Welcome! store.

To make matters worse, when Wollie sneaks P.B.'s aluminum foil into Rio Pescado, not only does she find the murder victim, but the man of her dreams (who kidnaps her and who she can only think of as Doc, even without shoes), and right in the middle of her Dating Research! Not only does she need the $5000.00 Dr. Cookie is paying, but now she has to worry that P.B. is involved in a murder! But, can she let Doc or Gomez, or whoever he is, slip out of her life? Why is he at a mental hospital in the middle of the night anyway? And, last but not least, why does he carry a ferret in his pocket?

For a really fun read, give Harley Jane Kozak's Dating Dead Men a try. It's funny, sweet, a laugh riot, and it has a good mystery begging to be solved. It's fun and easy to read, laughing until the end as Wollie gets herself into one tight spot after another. Dating Dead Men is the first of Ms. Kozak's Dating Series, written in 2004. Her newest novel A Date You Can't Refuse is set to be released in March 2009. You can visit her site @ http://www.harleyjanekozak.com/ where you can check out all of her fun books.

Scarpetta by Patricia Cornwell

Publisher: Penguin Group
Pages: 512


From the cover: Leaving behind her private forensic pathology practice in Charleston, South Carolina, Kay Scarpetta takes up an assignment in New York City, where the NYPD has asked her to examine an injured patient on Bellevue Hospital's psychiatric ward.......

When Benton calls Kay to make an unexpected trip to New York, at the request of a suspect, Kay is baffled. She deals with the dead, Benton deals with the living. Also in New York is her niece, Lucy, who hasn't been communicating with her. Pete Marino is also there, after a stay in rehab and with Benton's help, working for D.A. Jamie Berger. Kay hasn't seen Marino since South Carolina and physical abuse she endured at his hands. She hasn't been doing too much since the death of Rose and her marriage to Benton. With her new job, CNN, and John Jay College, she just hasn't had the time. Now, she is involved in an investigation that may lead to her own destruction, both physical and professional. Someone is leaking stories about her to Gotham Gotcha, an online gossip site. The story unfolds with the murder of a young woman, Terri Bridges, and with her boyfriend, Oscar Bane, the only suspect in the murder. Oscar claims his innocence to Kay but she doesn't know if he's truthful or misleading. Bane is clearly paranoid, has caused his own injuries, and rambling almost to the point of being random. Who could know his thoughts, follow his movements, and make it look like he killed Terri? Detective Morales also works for Jamie Berger, although how she became saddled with him is unknown. He's rude and answers to no one. Berger has also been in contact with Lucy to use her new forensic programming to help with cybercrimes, as well as to confront the attraction between them, but as time will tell, Lucy may be the answer to all their problems. Can Lucy help save her aunt Kay, Jamie Berger, or even herself? And who is killing seemingly unrelated persons?

Patricia Cornwell, as always, has written a great crime novel. Scarpetta is the sixteenth book in the Scarpetta Series. She brings all of her reliable characters back into the story to tackle these mysterious deaths. It is a gripping, spellbinding read that keeps you turning pages right until the end of the last page, and leaves you wanting more. Visit Ms. Cornwell's site @ http://www.patriciacornwell.com/ for more information about all of her great books.

Blood Sins by Kay Hooper

Publisher: Random House
Pages: 304


Blood Sins is Kay Hooper's newest book and part of the Bishop Series, and the second in the Blood Series. She usually writes in a three book series, of course she has stand alone novels and the Quinn Series. The story revolves around The Church of the Everlasting Sin and Rev. Samuel who has had repeat performances in Kay Hooper's books. Noah Bishop works as an FBI operative and head of SCU (Special Crimes Unit) and he's psychic as are most of the people who work in his unit. His unit handles the crimes that fall outside of norm of criminal behavior. His specialty is telepathy and he is extremely strong with his wife, Miranda. As he positions his people, (including Haven, a civilian organization he started that can work outside the FBI confines), inside and outside Rev. Samuel's church, the killing begins. First with unknown subjects and then with some unfortunate church members, one of which is a Haven operative. This allow Bishop to find a deeper way into the church, but Rev. Samuel has been making changes of his own. Since the trauma of being born to an abusive prostitute mother, (he has been loosing time), the traumatic events leading to his mother's death (at his own hand, though richly desired),his psychic abilities began to emerge; but because of the trauma, his is a negative energy. He was struck by lightning and learned to absorb the magnetic and electrical energy. Gathering more energy increases his psychic abilities and he soon learns that he can steal another psychic's abilities. As Samuel's psychosis grows (Godlike cult leader qualities), Bishop gets closer to setting his trap, if he can only strike before more people are killed. Senator LeMott is also becoming more involved in the investigation than is wise, but who could blame him, after his daughter's murder. With the help of Tessa, the trap is sprung. The only question is who will walk away. Blood Sins is an exciting supernatural read. Crime novel with paranormal attributes. A great read!! Visit her site @ http://www.kayhooper.com/

Another Day, Better Evening AND John Sandford Reviews (Two)

Well, it's almost 5:00 in the morning, which means I only slept for about 2 hours. Have been trying to go back to sleep, but the insomnia has won this round. I hate to take the pills the doctor prescribed, I know the pain in my ankle is the problem, but I don't like the after effects on the sleeping meds. I feel almost drunk the next day, which is worse than being worn out the next day. Going to have to go back and maybe have the nerve block, which I also really dislike doing, but I have to be able to sleep. After a nap later today, I'll feel better and then maybe I won't need the nerve block. See, to have the nerve block, they stick about an eight inch needle along the effected side of your spine, doesn't feel real good, and the last one caused back spasms longer than the effects of the nerve block lasted. My back killed me for about a month and my leg stopped hurting for about 3 days, it just didn't seem like a fair trade off or worth being in the extra pain. RSD causes my ankle to hurt, even though the original break healed months ago, my sympathetic nervous system still thinks it's injured and continues to make my ankle ache. Maybe I'm just being a crybaby and should get over it. I try not even to mention it to my kids or hubby, just causes them extra guilt and makes me feel silly.

Well, starting to get sleepy, so I'm going to quit for now, though I'll probably add to this post later today. Computer starting to act wonky anyway. Talk to you soon,

*************

Well, slept about 4 more hours throughout the day, and I'm feeling much better!! I'm already tired, so sleeping tonight shouldn't be a problem. Shouldn't even need my sleeping meds!! And my leg feeling better, not a lot, but enough that I think I'll be able to sleep, don't even want to try another nerve block right now. Still throbbing, but I think I can handle it.

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I've read another couple of good books since Christmas, Phantom Prey and Heat Lightning both by John Sandford.  Here are a couple of short reviews.

Publisher: Penguin Group
Pages: Phantom Prey--384 (May 2008) Heat Lightning--400 (September 2008)


Phantom Prey is a Lucas Davenport novel (the 18th in the series) about a widow, Alyssa, who can't find her daughter, Frances, but mysteriously finds her blood smeared throughout the kitchen. Frances was heavy into goth, and Lucas must investigate, mostly as a favor to Weather, his wife and friend of Alyssa's. Lucas is sure Frances has met with foul play, but how and why, and who is this Fairy that everyone seems to know. Who is killing the goth wannabees? Only time will tell Davenport what he needs to know.

Heat Lightning is the second book in the Virgil Flowers series. Virgil Flowers is a detective from the Lucas Davenport series, who came with Davenport into the BCA. He's very good at what he does, sort of like a younger Davenport. In Virgil's first book, he investigated the death of an old man who burned to death. In this book, Virgil investigates the death of Vietnam Vets who appear to be executed in a traditional Vietnamese manner, with a lemon stuffed in their mouths. As the deaths pile up, Virgil gets deeper and deeper into the mystery surrounding the deaths. Virgil likes woman a lot, and soon becomes involved with Mai, one of the local Vietnamese-American women, or is she? There are many twists and turns in this story, with clues leading the reader towards the executioner that may involve the U.S. government. How deep will the mystery go? The Virgil Flowers series is excellent, especially for readers missing the womanizer that Davenport used to be, but with undertones of Virgil's minister father in the background.

John Sandford (a.k.a. John Camp) was recently embedded in Iraq, writing articles for MinnPost as well as recently covering the RNC convention. He is also releasing the 19th Davenport novel, Wicked Prey, in May. He's one busy man.


New author alert: Robin Burcell--Crime/Mystery--check out her new book, Face of a Killer and her website @ http://www.robinburcell.com/ . Good reading!


Have a great night!