Families have secrets. War will expose them.

1. 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. Will the past and present move towards a resolution that could bring everything crashing down?

The Good Messenger is an epic tale of love, loyalty and deception set across two decades.

What readers are saying about The Good Messenger "John Simmons captures a sense of place and time beautifully."

"A rewarding novel of love, war, family, childhood, identity and class."

"There is a mystery at the heart of this fine novel."

"A beautiful story, beautifully told."