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Waking Lazarus

by T.L. Hines (Goodreads Author)

3.81 of 5 stars 3.81 · rating details · 524 ratings · 74 reviews

Jude Allman is hiding. Hiding from the world and hiding from God. Because when you come back from the dead three times the world wants a piece of you...and it becomes clear that God may have something in mind for you too. When a terrible danger threatens the people that matter most to Jude, he realizes his days of hiding are over. Does he have enough faith in God's faith i...more

Paperback, 293 pages

Published May 1st 2007 by Bethany House Publishers (first published January 1st 1997)

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Mar 04, 2011 Deb rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: christian, suspense

"The first time Jude Allman died he was 8 years old". Isn't that a great opening line? From the intrigue generated by this statement the story continues, as the reader learns bits and pieces about Jude's bizarre brushes with death--three so far--and also about his current life as a paranoid janitor in hiding. Jude has tried to escape the media and the curious by changing his name to Ron and taking a low profile position as a school janitor. But a mysterious visitor shows up at his doorstep one d...more

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Jul 03, 2011 Robert rated it 5 of 5 stars

An absolutely amazing book! I came across this book at a discount book store and something about the cover intrigued me. I know you aren't supposed to judge a book by its cover, but letting a cover entice you to open the book and read the description on the inside cover isn't a bad thing......in fact, I think that's the point. From the description alone, I was intrigued even further. The premise, "Jude Allman has died three times", was enough to hook me. From the first word on the first page to...more

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Jun 21, 2010 Bruce Judisch rated it 5 of 5 stars

In his work The Prophets, Abraham Heschel writes, "None of the prophets seems enamored with being a prophet nor proud of his attainment." Jude Allman, hero of T.L. Hines' Waking Lazarus, can identify with Dr. Heschel's words.

His gift? Well, it’s unlike any popularly associated with that of a prophet. He writes no book, he preaches no sermon, he calls no fire down from Heaven. Rather, Jude has experienced clinical death no less than three times: once as a young boy, once as a teenager, and once a...more

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Jan 30, 2010 Michelle rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2010, grab-the-tissues-meh, shoot-em-ups-and-whodunits, spiritualism-and-dogmatism, 2010-challenge-reads

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!!! I hate my internet connection. After posting my review (or trying to) it was all lost. So lacking its former glory, here we go...again...

I've got to be honest here. I picked up three of Hines' novels during my last browse through the library and didn't know he was a Christian fiction novelist. If I had know that, I probably wouldn't have read this. Don't get me wrong, I AM a Christian, but not the kind who normally enjoys reading Christian fiction. This is because I find...more AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!!! I hate my internet connection. After posting my review (or trying to) it was all lost. So lacking its former glory, here we go...again...

I've got to be honest here. I picked up three of Hines' novels during my last browse through the library and didn't know he was a Christian fiction novelist. If I had know that, I probably wouldn't have read this. Don't get me wrong, I AM a Christian, but not the kind who normally enjoys reading Christian fiction. This is because I find most of it somewhat judgmental, heavy-handed, and most of the characters are being punished by God for living less than perfect (otherwise referred to as HUMAN) lives. And they are usually just plain not very well written.

That being said, I was pleasantly surprised with this book. It was much darker than I expected it to be. I started it with a little bit of dread, after coming off of some really great reads and after getting a little ways in, I really didn't want to put it down. I found the characters to be pretty well-developed, and I liked that Jude was kind of an atypical protagonist, being deceitful to the mother of his child and not living up to potential, yadda yadda. That is trademark though for a non-traditional (i.e. fire and brimstone) type of Christian novel. I particularly liked that Hines was able to write Jude's abnormal and amazing spiritual experiences while maintaining a real believability with everything else going on. The book reminded me a lot of M. Night Shyamalan's SIGNS, sharing themes of faith and the loss of faith, our purpose on this Earth, and the interconnected of people and their actions. The way that Kristina developed in the story probably is the best example of the way Hines ties everything together in a cool and faithful way.

I was also impressed that, in Hines' debut mystery novel, he was able to keep me in suspense and led me to blindly follow along until the end without guessing that Odum was the child killer. I really bought that it was Frank and followed like the lamb that I am. :) I also loved that Rachel's best friend's name was Nicole...:)Haha.

I will definitely read the other two Hines books I picked up and feel that he was able to inject his Christian beliefs in a smart, well-explained and rational way. I can recommend this book to my non-Christian friends, without feeling like its casting me in an overzealous and hard to believe type of light. Thank you, Mr. Hines and well done.(less)

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Apr 09, 2013 Alexandra rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Picked this one up because I liked the cover. To be honest I didn't think the storyline was all too promising and something about the colors and the font in the inside flap bothered the heck out of me but surprisingly this one was quite good. Definitely was a twist I did NOT see coming but just because it took me completely by surprise didnt mean I was happy with it. I sort of wanted the "bad guy" to be who it looked like it was. Alas.
There was definitely a religious aspect to this novel, which...more

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Aug 15, 2012 Adrienne Campbell rated it 5 of 5 stars

I really enjoyed this book. At first, I wasn't so sure but as I kept reading the story picked up pace and held steady all the way to the end.

This story takes place in a small town called Red Lodge, Montana. Children have been disappearing from towns all around Red Lodge without a suspect in sight. But that is just one part of the story...

The second story is about a man,Ron Gress, hiding in Red Lodge under an assumed name, who suffers from severe paranoia. His life is consumed by this paranoia un...more

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Mar 20, 2012 Victoria rated it 5 of 5 stars

Oh. My.

Just that.

Oh. My.

I'm going to try to stay away from spoilers and not give a brief synopsis.

I don't even know where to start with this book. First off, I screamed through it in 2 sittings and clocking in just under 24 hours (the only 2 breaks being a) when it was already well past my bedtime and b) when I had that work-thing-so-I-can-support-my-book-habit to go do). And secondly, I didn't even know they made books like this -- a totally bizarre blend of Christian suspense/thriller/with a...more

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May 06, 2013 Erica Gilliam rated it 4 of 5 stars

Waking Lazarus by T.L. Hines was a pleasantly surprising read. I bought this book in a book warehouse, and the cover is the beginning of what sparked my interest to this particular book. Reading the description about a man dying 3 times made me think, "What?? Now, this is something I gotta read."

The book, of course, is completely fiction. It focuses on a man named Jude struggling with his special gifts. It reminded me a lot of Jonah in the Bible. Jude was special, but he by no means wanted to b...more

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May 27, 2012 Vicki G rated it 2 of 5 stars

I would only recommend it to a person who's never been disappointed after praying for something deeply important to them but NOT receiving it.

Everyone in THIS book prayed for what they wanted and got exactly what they wanted. The woman prayed for her son to be safe and she was able to save him. The neighbor prayed for HER son to be safe, and they found him too. He went through hell to save but he was ultimately allowed to be saved. The woman prayed for her friend to come out of her coma AND be n...more

1 like · like · see review

Jul 30, 2012 Melissa rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: kindle, suspense, christian

Ah, finally, a kindle free book that did not have me rolling my eyes throughout the whole story.

Jude Alleman has died three times, obviously, he came back to life each time but without any idea why. Waking Lazarus (what a great name for a book I think) is about Jude trying to move along in his life away from the fame and notariety that come with being the man who can't die! A serial killer working in the surrounding areas provides the suspense and mystery in the book and I found myself going -...more

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Mar 04, 2012 Nicolle rated it 5 of 5 stars

This book will be one that I will recommend to my friends and family. I really enjoyed this book. I felt the author carried all the characters through the entire story. I also felt all of the characters were equally strong and did not lose their place as the story evolved. I actually saw the ending coming and guessed but then the author went and changed it on me. When you read the book you will understand what I mean by the comment above. I do not like to write *spoilers* in my reviews. Just tru...more

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Jul 29, 2012 kelley rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012, kindle

Waking Lazarus is actually a thriller, a story about a psychotic killer. Jude Allman plays a role in unraveling the riddle of the crime. But the story of Jude Allman (a man who cannot die) woven in and out of the mystery, added to the overall puzzle. The story was very suspenseful--not scary, just a plain good chiller. The author dropped clues all through the book, but as soon as I thought I had it figured out--I had it wrong. I actually didn't know who the killer was until the end of the book....more

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Jun 06, 2013 Booker Blood rated it 3 of 5 stars

Not read anything about this book before I started it. Began exceptionally well. Full of pace and recalling the best of Stephen King, particularly The Dead Zone. And then about two thirds in, an unexpected - to me - supernatural element is revealed: God. I can suspend belief and go with ghosts and demons but not with a half-witted fairy godmother who talks back only when the right psychic hotline is opened. And then to act benignly when the rest of the book shows he ain't doing that good a job w...more

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Dec 26, 2012 Louize rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: arc

Have you died? No, of course not, not yet anyways. Jude Allman did. Three times, in fact, since he was eight years old. This is not about a few minutes of crossing over and getting revived at the last second. No, this is the declared, in-the-morgue, ready-for-autopsy kind of dead. I mean, this is the hallelujah, miracle kind of waking up from the dead.

“There must be a very good reason why you're still here, because there are thousand reasons why you shouldn't be.”

Unfortunately, Jude has the "J...more

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Mar 02, 2009 Keiki Hendrix rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction-christian

My favorite genre - supernatural suspense fiction. In his debut novel, T. L. Hines creates a story about Jude Allman, cheater of death. He has died three times and lived to tell about it.

I must admit one of the main reasons I selected this story was to see how the writer could weave a believable story from this plot. T. L. Hines achieves this and more. Miraculous events are described in this story and faith plays a key role.

The main character, Jude Allman, first dies at the age of 8 years old. H...more My favorite genre - supernatural suspense fiction. In his debut novel, T. L. Hines creates a story about Jude Allman, cheater of death. He has died three times and lived to tell about it.

I must admit one of the main reasons I selected this story was to see how the writer could weave a believable story from this plot. T. L. Hines achieves this and more. Miraculous events are described in this story and faith plays a key role.

The main character, Jude Allman, first dies at the age of 8 years old. He wakes and we are left with a great story, a believable story. We have heard many stories of near death experiences.

At 16, Jude dies again. He revives once more. We find this interesting and yet we can hardly believe it. Still, we read on and find we are believing this strange story and identifying with the main character as our imaginations run wild at the thought of how would this change our lives if it happened to us.

Finally, at age 24, Jude dies and is resurrection once again. These death experiences have propelled Jude to unintended fame that he is ill prepared to face resulting in a hermits existence with conspiratorial tendencies.

Jude receives an unexpected visitor reminding him that he cannot escape his history. He will have to face his past, his paranoia, and the lies he created to quash the throngs of people that have sought him out for his strange gift.

Children are missing from the surrounding communities of Red Lodge, Montana where Jude lives. He may be the only person who can stop the killer. When Jude's son is taken, he is forced to examine his past and his broken relationships to harness his gift to save his son.

Likable, well rounded, engaging characters and smooth writing of flashback events intrigue you as you read the story. Interesting dialogue and strong, spiritual overtones make this a well balanced whodunit, keeping you guessing to the very end and beyond.

Still, evil is described in this story. Many of the sections of this book reveal the thought processes of a child killer. In that respect, this is not a book for the squimish.

This book is recommended for those who hunger for fiction that reveals God's providence in the face of madness. I look forward to reading more from T. L. Hines.(less)

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Nov 14, 2008 Stephanie rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Fans of suspense and readers who are open minded to Christianity.

Recommended to Stephanie by: I found it on Amazon.com

I thought this book was very well written. I particularly liked the main character, Jude. I found the story from his point of view the most interesting, and the character himself intriguing. He's very flawed and the last sort of person one might expect to be a protagonist, but perhaps it is for that reason that he seems more authentic than most protagonists. He has issues, he's far from perfect, and for a good while, he's too scared to even do anything about it. But his character develops quite...more

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Sep 01, 2008 Diane rated it 5 of 5 stars

T. L. Hines debut novel, Waking Lazarus, has one of the most unusual plots that I have read this year. In the very first few pages 8 year old Jude Allman dies. It is a tragic accident. His father is there and after hesitating does pull him out of the icy water. He is definitely dead, no doubt about it. However, later at the hospital he is alive!

Jude dies not one more time but two more times and some time after the third death decides he does not want to be Jude Allman anymore. He shuts that par...more
T. L. Hines debut novel, Waking Lazarus, has one of the most unusual plots that I have read this year. In the very first few pages 8 year old Jude Allman dies. It is a tragic accident. His father is there and after hesitating does pull him out of the icy water. He is definitely dead, no doubt about it. However, later at the hospital he is alive!

Jude dies not one more time but two more times and some time after the third death decides he does not want to be Jude Allman anymore. He shuts that part of his life off so completely he can’t remember most of it. Poor Jude is extremely paranoid about people ‘watching him’ and doesn’t even allow his house to have windows.

Ron Gress is born. Ron is a janitor at school in a small town in Montana. He has built a new life for himself and even has a son though he isn’t married. Rachel, the mother of his son has a strange connection to Ron but when his visions start she isn’t sure whether he is having epileptic seizures or if there is something deeper wrong. Can she really trust him? She prays for help because she is at a total loss as to how to help Ron and something deep inside her helps to relieve her doubts.

There have been young children abducted in the surrounding areas for the past year. Everyone is concerned. Chief Odum is on the look-out. He knows it’s only a matter of time before a child is abducted in Red Lodge. The Chief feels that there is someone close who is taking the children.

This is a fast paced novel that gives you glimpses into Jude Allman’s past while going full throttle forward as a ‘Hunter’ gets closer and closer to Red Lodge. Jude finally starts to come to terms with his previous deaths, his father and starts to remember his past. He is getting close to discovering who the evil person is and as that happens the danger around him mounts because know one could possibly guess who has been stealing and taking the lives of the children.

Hines’ does a wonderful job of building the suspense throughout the book while adding Jude’s spiritual re-awakening that is subtle but nonetheless there. Overall this is a great read and I can’t wait to read more by T.L. Hines.
(less)

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Sep 04, 2007 Deb added it · review of another edition

"the first time jude allman died he was 8 years old". isn't that a great opening line? from the intrigue generated by this statement the story continues, as the reader learns bits and pieces about jude's bizarre brushes with death--three so far--and also about his current life as a paranoid janitor in hiding. jude has tried to escape the media and the curious by changing his name to ron and taking a low profile position as a school janitor. but a mysterious visitor shows up at his doorstep one d...more

like · see review

Aug 27, 2011 Bandit rated it 3 of 5 stars

I've never read a christian thriller before. I liked the premise, the main character survives death three times only to find himself barely living, hiding from the world in a small town until a course of event and a mysterious visitor change that. Nice twist at the end too.Overall, though, I thought some of the messages were a bit too heavily handed. But it's a quick and easy read and there is enough of a mystery for mystery fans of any religious background.

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Jun 05, 2013 Beatriz rated it 3 of 5 stars

Not the best written-- the continual overuse of ellipses and mundane dialogue and over explanations of inner thoughts were annoying-- and the characterization of Jude is just not believable-- I'm sorry but a paranoid OCD recluse doesn't turn into a man busting through windows to save children quite so easily. But the story is interesting and ends brilliantly--I was filled into thinking I had it all figured oft and was rolling my eyes until I saw how wrong I was.

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Feb 11, 2011 Zacksmom Okon rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Cannot think of another book that brought a waterfall of tears in closing the cover. The main character was quirky and unusual, but I warmed up to him right away and shared the struggles of mental anguish and rejoiced in his humanity in learning to embrace love. The author guides the reader down incorrect paths of assumption throughout the entire novel. I can usually figure out the "mystery" in most stories -- NOT this one. Superb story!

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Jul 22, 2011 Solomon Inkwell rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

What a wild ride this was?? The author takes you on a wild ride, looking through the eyes of a hero, a saint, and a serial killer. The transitions are done wonderfully and never leave the reader guessing where they are.

I enjoyed this book a great deal and it held my attention and piqued my curiosity so intensely that I found myself looking forward to the nights when I would be able to read it.

If you love suspense weaved into a great adventure, give Waking Lazarus a try!

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Mar 08, 2013 Kimberly rated it 3 of 5 stars

I'm used to non-fiction so..

Probably not my kind of genre-if there is such a thing as a pychic/serial killer genre. I found it very cliche. I thought this would be an interesting way to read Christian fiction, but there was very little Christian about the book-no Scripture, no Gospel message, just some weird angle about a guy who keeps coming back from the dead and can see the future..

It's an easy read though and short enough to not get very boring.

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Nov 24, 2012 Heathr Kabaniec rated it 2 of 5 stars

this started out to be a great read with the main person. I like all the wanting to know this person and all the mystery.. but like many others of this style of a mystery... the ending fell short of my expectations. based on the the beginning.

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Aug 03, 2012 Andrew Mcneill rated it 4 of 5 stars

Really unputdownable! I did find the whole "I-can't-die" thing and the whole "I-see-visions-from-God-even-though-I'm-not-a-believer" thing a bit weird. It is fiction though so maybe I ought to give it a break. And it's a really good read.

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May 28, 2012 Ruth rated it 4 of 5 stars

I fell asleep at the beginning of reading this book..and quite some time passed before I picked it back up. However, today I started reading it and didn't stop until I had devoured the rest of it. I was quite surprised at who turned out to be The Hunter/The Normal. The author pointed me down the road of another man.

Jude, a 32 year old paranoid man, has been declared clinically dead three times. It seems to happen in a pattern of every eight years. All the fame has made him retreat and take on an...more

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Feb 05, 2011 Suzie rated it 3 of 5 stars

I liked it, but some of the jumping back and forth from one chapter to the next was a little awkward. The storyline was good and it was nice to see how the main character changed during the course of the book.

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Aug 09, 2012 Tim Mcclain rated it 4 of 5 stars

I really enjoyed this book. And the great thing is, it was a free Kindle book! Hines really takes you for a ride, making you think you have everything figured out, only to be surprised over and over again. Very cleverly done.

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Feb 14, 2009 Wendy rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Christians wanting a good non-offensive mystery

Shelves: christian-fiction

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Jan 28, 2009 mina rated it 4 of 5 stars

A page-turner. Walau ada beberapa hal tidak pas dan tidak terjawab, tetap aja buku thriller ini layak baca :)
Silakan baca reviewnya di:
http://bookquickies.wordpress.com/200...

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About T.L. Hines

TL Hines writes "Noir Bizarre" stories, mixing mysteries with oddities in books such as Waking Lazarus, The Dead Whisper On, and The Unseen (coming in 2008). His work has won recognitions ranging from the Maryland Writers Association novel contest to Library Journal's "25 Best Genre Fiction Books of the Year" award. He lives in Montana with his wife and daughter, where he defends an undefeated 3-0...more

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“Sometimes mistakes could be turned into something unexpected and wonderful.” — 4 people liked it

“If you were sane enough to recognize you were crazy, how crazy could you really be?” — 4 people liked it

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