In the volatile decades of the early twentieth century, a prominent family keeps its secrets hidden-but war will expose them . . .1912. A young boy, Tom Shepherd, is invited to stay at Hardinge Hall. Mr and Mrs Hardinge are trying to arrange the marriage of their son Teddy to Iris, the daughter of a local businessman. Tom becomes the innocent messenger who delivers the secret arrangements. Armistice Day 1918. The First World War has changed everything, especially the closeted world that Iris, Teddy, and Tom existed in. Will things ever be the same again? 1927. Tom is now a journalist investigating the discovery of a baby’s bones in the woods around Hardinge Hall-and the past and present move towards a resolution that could bring everything crashing down . . .From the author of Spanish Crossings, The Good Messenger is an epic tale of love, loyalty, and deception spanning two tumultuous decades.