Wow a great story with great characters and really well written.
It's twisty and scary and explores Paris in all its underbelly of darkness.
Set over dual timeline which I had to keep going back to, but it kept me gripped from beginning to end and it was a great ending.
Definitely recommend!

Thanks to Netgalley and Zaffre for providing this arc in exchange for an honest review.

Alex and another acquaintance are found guilty of the murder of Alex’s father, a journalist who he never got along with. Alex gets the shorter jail term and after he gets out of jail after 7 years he sets out to clear their names. The timeline switches back and forth to pre murder and present day.

This book was set in Paris and that is what prompted me to request it even though I knew it was not going to be focused on the upscale landmarks that are so familiar. Unfortunately I found this to be an extremely slow read and I seriously considered DNF’ing multiple times. Ultimately I finished it but was too checked out to care about the ending. This just wasn’t my thing, I suppose.

The Messenger by Megan Davis is a tense and suspense filled literary thriller that kept me on the edge of my seat from beginning to end. Dark and disturbing, this is a complex thriller that became more and more intense as the story continued.

Wealthy and privileged Alex doesn’t see eye to eye with his powerful father. Desperate to break free, Alex seeks freedom with his friend, Sami, who tries to teach him how to survive. But one night everything changes when Alex’s father is found dead and the boys are convicted of his murder. Seven years later Alex is released from prison with only one focus in mind: to find out the truth of what really happened that night.

But as he searches for answers and tries to atone for the sins of the past, Alex uncovers a truth that is even more disturbing than he could ever have imagined…

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Megan Davis has written a dark and fast paced thriller that’s full of the kind of twists, turns, shocks and surprises that keep you on your toes right up until the final page has been turned. An atmospheric and gritty tale set against the backdrop of corruption, fake news and civil unrest, The Messenger is an intelligent and hard hitting thriller that I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend.

This is a book that I was intrigued by from only the synopsis. This started slower than I usually prefer, although I feel the author has perfectly painted the scene for the reader.

This is brilliantly written and the author perfectly portrays the complex relationship that fills the pages. The scenes are set which allows you to feel transported and as though you know the setting and what is taking place.

As you delve deeper into this, this becomes highly twisty and completely unpredictable. The twists and turns make this a brilliant reader which keeps you guessing. Each time you think you’ve figured it out, it becomes obvious that this isn’t the case.

The characters are complex and relationships tense. It’s been a great way to spend the time getting to know each of them through the book. I have loved the complexity of each of them. This adds unpredictability to them.

I have really enjoyed this read, it’s been one that I have been unable to predict. This is my first read by this author, it definitely won’t be the last. I definitely want to read more.

Well, Megan Davis has already won several prestigious literary awards with her debut novel, so I knew I was going to be in great hands.

'The Messenger' flits back and forth across dual timelines, opening with Alex being released from prison after 7 years in jail for murdering his father in a bungled robbery, along with his accomplice Sami.

Alex is sure that his father was still alive when they left his flat & tries to uncover the truth about what might have happened, going into Paris's seedy and squalid underbelly again and again to seek the information he needs.

The book covers the Paris that is less talked about, the racism, violence and drug culture that haunt every big city. It is not an easy read by any means but it feels very real and very current, with so many people experiencing such troubled lives.

There are also echoes of secrets in Alex's own family history that ricochet through the story.

Megan Davis is a very skilled writer, drawing the reader into a realistic uncomfortable world where one mis-step could take you into some dark corners.

‘The Messenger’ is a complex thriller that sneaks up on you and hits you in your solar plexus! It's was a delicious slow burn of a story that when the action kicks in you are thrown into chaos and misdirection. I loved this book. I'm a sucker for books which are set in my favourite city but this was also a brilliant thriller that managed to draw me into Alex’s story from the first page.

Alex has grown up in a wealthy and privileged household both in Paris and America. But he and his father have never really gotten along and now he is starting to push his boundaries by partying and escaping to the streets of Paris. There he meets Sami and is drawn into street life where one does what one needs to do to survive. But there are consequences of their actions and one decision is going to change the rest of their lives. Alex suggests that they steal from his apartment but things go wrong and Alex’s father is found dead. Despite both boys saying they are innocent they are imprisoned anyhow. When Alex is released seven years later he is determined to work out what happened that night and as he searches for answers he manages to uncover something that ruffles a lot of feathers!

This was told in a dual timeframe with the point of view of Alex firstly at the time running up to that fateful night and after he has been released from prison. They swap as the story progresses and although it's a slow meander in the first half of the book the tension and pace pick up in the latter half! But I was gripped through the whole book and enjoyed it all as you got to know a very nuanced character in Alex. I really liked Alex. I thought his quest for justice was both thought-provoking but also exciting for a reader.

The book looks at a few socials issues in Paris - the socioeconomic differences between central Paris and the suburbs, the rise of migration and how their lives look like in a developed country, and the rise of the far-right in France, racism in general and the corruption in society. How this all matters to Alex’s story, well I will let you discover that!

Let me know if you pick this one up!

My thoughts :
I enjoyed this book as i love the city of Paris and i found i was able to picture some of the places that were mentioned. There is a lot of book based on Paris but i enjoy learning about the darker side of the citys story. The story is based around Alex a teenager who parents have separated from each other and his mother lives in the USA while he lives with his father in Paris. Like many teenagers goes a little off the rails when a role model is missing from their lives he turns to drugs,his father ends up dead and he eventually ends up in prison. After spending 7 years in prison he trys to find out more about his father career in journalism and what he finds gets deeper and deeper each time. He stops digging as he finds out he is being watched and that people dont want him meddling in the past but i found this to be an interesting and compelling read even though it started slow and didnt pick up until around the half way mark.

Set in Paris, Megan Davis’s THE MESSENGER is the story of a dysfunctional family, of Alex Giraud, an angsty teenager, born in France raised in USA, and struggling to fit in Paris to which he, and his father Eddy, have recently returned. Increasingly estranged from his father, bullied by his peers at school, Alex escapes to the streets of Paris where he meets Sami, a small time dealer, a survivor, who introduces him to drugs and the small-time criminals who traffic them. Alex sees a way to use the supply of recreational narcotics to buy his way into the circle of those whose approval he craves, but actually hates, and together he and Sami hatch a plan to rob Eddy, Alex’s father, a plan that ends in tragedy.

The novel actually begins with Eddy’s death on Christmas Eve. Sami flees the apartment telling the hiding Alex not to go in, that, “He’ll be all right. He was still speaking.” Running to he father, Alex finds Eddy dying from stab wounds. And, seven years later, Alex is released from prison, having served a lighter sentence than the 25 years given to the older Sami, determined to find out who really murdered Eddy Giraud, and why.

THE MESSENGER is engrossing, tightly plotted and peopled by realistic, characters most of whom are simultaneously fascinating and unlikeable. It is slow-paced but never boring and, as the author alternates between NOW and THEN, we learn a lot about Alex, his relationship with his father, and the events that led to Eddy’s death and Alex’s incarceration; we see the older Alex’s obsessive drive to find his father’s real murderer and clear his and Sami’s names. Megan Davis reveals just enough information so that both timelines build in a deliberate, measured way until, about two thirds of the way in, the pace explodes, the stakes get much higher, and we career to the shocking conclusion.

It is difficult to believe that THE MESSENGER is Megan Davis’s debut novel, such is the ease with which she handles the plot. The whodunnit elements are satisfying, the atmospheric setting, the seedy Parisian underbelly, thoroughly convincing, and the suspicion of a deeper conspiracy seeded just enough to build the oppressive, claustrophobic atmosphere. It feels ‘real’ and I was completely won over.

I am afraid that this book was not for me. I found it over long and very full of graphic violence. I am afraid I gave up 75% of the way through it.
I will post review on Waterstones site

In the heart of Paris, against a backdrop of corruption, fake news and civil unrest, The Messenger is a mind-racing new thriller that follows one son's journey to find redemption and expose the truth.

A twisty, clever, thriller set in Paris. (Great location!) We follow elite and privileged, Alex who has been released from Prison for supposedly killing his father, as he searches for the true killer. In the process he unearths truths with far reaching consequences.

I enjoyed Alex as an unreliable and often unlikeable, narrator. The character development was second to none.

At times I felt the pacing was a little off but the story line was solid. (This may reflect the staccato reading of this book due to Covid!)

A strong debut from Megan Davis. I look forward to seeing what she writes next!

Thank you for the ARC to review @bonnierbooks_uk @zaffrebooks

The Messenger by Megan Davis is an enthralling story of deception among family, friends and society. The death in a Paris suburb of a former journalist Eddy and the imprisonment of his son Alex and his accomplice is the backdrop for this story. Seven years later when Alex gets out of prison he begins to look into events to uncover what really happened.

This is a gripping story of a group of friends who were all very close but became victims of a sinister plot which detrimentally effected the next generation.

Davis unspools this drama at a good pace, introducing a cast of believable mostly unfortunate characters who become primary, secondary even tertiary victims of wrong-doing.

Great story, written with a style appropriate to the location!

A twisty and scary story which explores Paris in all its underbelly darkness. Set over dual timeline it kept me gripped from beginning to end. And oh what an ending!

I love anything set in Paris so I was looking forward to reading this. Written in dual timeline and told from the POV of the main protagonist, Alex Giraud this was quite a slow burner but it was worth sticking with it. Alex is the son of a former professor and journalist who is a heavy drinker and has become increasingly belligerent towards Alex. Their relationship is fractious at best.

Briefly, we meet Alex aged 23 when he has just been released from prison for the murder of his father when he was 16. Alex and his friend Sami had intended to rob his father but it appears things got out of hand and his father ended up dead. Whilst Sami was jailed for 25 years Alex only got 7 as he was a minor at the time. On his release Alex sets out to find the truth as he is convinced his father was alive when they left him. He and his friend Lisa start to question friends and relatives and bit by bit a tale of corruption and false flag events are uncovered leading to massive media misinformation.

As well as corruption there is also serious drug abuse, sordid sex and racism to contend with. The descriptions of Paris were excellent exploring not the tourist Paris I know and love but it’s dark underbelly. Be prepared there are some terrible revelations as the story moves towards the end. A good read, quite dark at time, which explores relationships and socioeconomic class dynamics, a shocking read.

Set in Paris, the book oscillates between the present day and seven years ago. Twenty four year Alex Giraud is struggling to cope with life following his release from prison for his role in the murder of his father, seven years ago. His role in his fathers murder emerges, together with the events and state of various relevant relationships. He is convinced he is innocent.As he attempts to piece together more details of his fathers death we are taken into the underbelly of Paris life and the inside of investigative journalism. An engrossing and engaging read.

There’s a lot to like in Megan Davis’ The Messenger. It’s a strong story that pulls no punches in its depiction of violence, sex and the backdrop of poverty, immigration and alienation in the heart of Paris.

Alex Giraud has recently emerged from a seven year prison stretch and is now living in a half way hovel in Paris. He was sentenced as a juvenile, alongside his older friend, Sami, for the brutal murder of his father, Eddie.

Alex and Eddie had a difficult relationship, not helped by his heavy handed way with Alex, his frequent absences on his work as a journalist and his very heavy drinking. Alex’s mother took off some years ago and has a new life in which Alex really never figured.

Alex is heavily burdened by guilt. Guilt that he testified against his friend at trial and guilt because he doesn’t believe either of them are responsible for his father’s death.

The Messenger is the story of Alex’ quest to find out who did kill his father and why. Told as a dual timeline story narrated by Alex, we learn about Eddie’s drinking and womanising and Alex’s failed attempts to fit in at the succession of private schools he is sent to.

The present day timeline is brilliantly set in today’s deeply schismed Paris where immigration, racism and poverty sit side by side with all the wealth and privilege that Paris has to offer and civil unrest is prowling the streets.

Davis writes very well in what is a slow burn of a book. Alex comes across as fractured and sometimes a little paranoid, but it is clear he is vulnerable as a result of his childhood experiences. In the present day he struggles with his own conscience as he tries to understand who is responsible for jeopardy that follows him upon his release. He stumbles around trying to get to the truth but finds lies everywhere he looks.

As he retraces his father’s steps and begins to question Eddie’s friends and acquaintances, the truth becomes ever more unpalatable and an awful conspiracy is laid bare.

I loved the conspiracy element of this story which felt completely contemporary and absolutely right for our times. Megan Davis brings this aspect of Paris out of the shade and all its ugliness is portrayed once brought into the sunlight. Both intriguing and plausible, this is when the book really comes into its own and the depth of the plot is revealed.

I did think though that this book could have benefitted from some tightening of the plot and an injection of a little more empathy into the characters. The ending was tied up well, but again, given the slow pace of the book, felt a little rushed.

Overall, I enjoyed this dark and intense thriller and I’ll await Megan Davis next book with interest.

This book was a slow burner, the first half stugglef to hold my attention but towards to second half it the tension increase I felt more connected to Alex as a character and then the twist and turns came think and fast. I really enjoyed the book in the end

Thanks for the opportunity to read and follow Alex in his search for the truth. The storyline covered lots of information relevant today such as ‘fake news’. I’m glad that Alex was able to uncover the truth eventually

I really really enjoyed this book, I loved the time line of Eddy and Alex.
It was a great read and I wouldn’t hesitate in recommending it to all my friends and people I share my reviews to.

The Messenger is a novel by Megan Davis that reveals itself layer by layer, much like the gradual peeling of an onion. Along the way, there are red herrings and conspiracy theories, and more than a few wrong turnings. But the story provides interesting insights into the darker side of The City of Light as well as the multiple forms of corruption - moral and otherwise - that exist at different levels of French society.

At first glance, The Messenger is about the relationship between a father and son. Deeply unsettled after his parents' divorce, Alex lives with his father, but is not happy about it.

His Dad, Eddy, is a journalist who also seems quite unhappy with his life, and has a serious alcohol problem to contend with. Eddy is very critical of Alex, who resents his father's preoccupation with his grades almost as much as his withholding of paternal affection.

Things come to a head when Alex makes friends with Sami, a young man who comes from a very different background. The latter is part of the huge community of have-nots who populate the underbelly of Paris, making a living from petty criminal activities.

After Alex and Sami come up with the unwise notion of robbing Alex's father, the plan fails horribly, and the next day Eddy is found dead, brutally murdered in his apartment. Alex and Sami are accused of killing him, and in order to save himself, Alex throws Sami to the wolves.

As a result, Sami - already known to the police as a small time criminal - goes down for 25 years, and Alex, as a minor and the son of a rich white man, gets a reduced sentence of 7 years.

But once he has served his sentence, Alex becomes obsessed with clearing his name alongside that of Sami's. Unfortunately, whoever is responsible for Eddy's death has too much at stake to allow Alex to investigate the murder unhindered.

So what was the last piece of investigative journalism that Eddy had been involved in? Could that have played a role in his death? And who in his friends' circle knows more about this than they are admitting? These are the questions that begin to plague Alex, leading him deeper and deeper into the mystery of his father's death.

When one of his father's friends dies of an apparent suicide shortly after going through the documents that Eddy was working on, Alex becomes convinced that there is more to this story than meets the eye. The real question is whether he will survive long enough to find out the truth...

A young man in Paris, freed after serving seven years for a crime he did not commit, sets out to discover the truth about his murdered father., and uncovers a tissue of corruption in high places.
It sounds like a thriller but for me this book was as much about the characters as the plot, and in particular the relationship between Alex Giraud and his journalist father Eddie.
Bullied at school and treated harshly by his father, Alex’s teenage rebellion takes him to the seamier side of Paris’s underworld, where his behaviour leads him to the tragic events of the night of Eddie’s murder.
Freed from prison, Alex is determined to clear his name, but finds himself in danger when he discovers his father was working on something big before he died, It seems some people are still willing to go to any lengths to protect their secret. Will Alex get at the truth before it is too late?
So far, so thrilling, though I have to confess I found the various threads of the plot difficult to fathom at times, involving as they do corruption, fake new and civil unrest.
But the emotional pull of Alex’s journey from surly teenager to a young man faithful to his quest to bring justice for his father is what drew me in and kept me reading. He is an exquisitely observed character whom any mother will recognise – though maybe not his own, who has neglected him since childhood. His father really is all he has, but Alex can’t see beyond his own teenage need for rebellion and peer acceptance to recognise that Eddie loves him deeply.
Starved of any outward show of affection, he turns inward on himself, seeking solace in bad company which leads him to a life of crime. And yet he is a very sympathetic character, whom I cared very deeply about from the opening page.
I also empathised with Eddie, a far less sympathetic character, but still a great portrayal of a man whose strength and weaknesses have led him down some strange paths.
Finally, for me what made this book so readable was the utterly gripping glimpse into the seamier side of Paris. I’ve only ever seen the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, the restaurants and the shows. But in the suburbs and the side streets, there is poverty and hardship, people who have nothing, and subsequently have nothing to lose. The description is stunningly realistic, and you can’t look away.
A powerful story which offers the reader far more than the surface plot, and a great debut from Megan Davis.