Nineteen years old Jace Damon has learned to keep a low profile for fear that children's protective services would take his eight-year-old brother Tyler away from him. He works as a bicycle messenger in Los Angeles, being paid off the books and living in Chinatown where the community closes ranks around them.

One rainy night, Jace picks up a package from slimy lawyer Lenny Lowell. When he reaches the address of the place he is supposed to leave the package at, he finds an empty lot. Someone tries to grab the package and Jace knows he has to get away before the thug grabs the parcel and kills him. When he returns to Lenny, he sees the cops there and learns that his client was murdered. When he opens the package, he sees negatives. Jace figures that Lenny was blackmailing someone. Not wanting to bring trouble to his brother or Madame Chan who has unofficially adopted them, he leaves but homicide detective Ken Parker and robbery-homicide detective Brandon Kyle is looking for him as well as the man who wants to kill him for what he knows.

KILL THE MESSENGER is a fascinating police procedural that readers will enjoy immensely because the quirky characters make this book very special. Jace is more mature than people twice his age are; his brother is a genius; and the lead police officer on the case Detective Parker is a maverick who does not always follow directions but manages to get the job done. Tami Hoag is one author the audience one can count on for getting the job done too as she writes juicy, entertaining and original novels.

REVIEWED BY HARRIET KLAUSNER

DO NOT REPRINT WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE REVIEWER, HARRIET KLAUSNER