The Lazarus Covenant, Commemorative 10th Anniversary, 2nd Edition

by John Fenzel

In Bosnia, the past is prologue for one man who must come to terms with a violent and tragic past in order to prevent a renewed war... and an unimaginable holocaust. In the latter years of Tito's Yugoslavia, two young boys, cousins Marko and Celo, come upon a mass execution in progress. As they witness the executions and try to help a near-dead survivor to safety, they are pitted in a desperate struggle for survival that forces Marko to flee to Northern Ireland. Thirty years later, as war threatens to ravage the Balkans once again, Marko reluctantly returns to Bosnia as a UN police chief. On the day he arrives in Sarajevo, he is notified of a brutal assassination that he must investigate. Soon, ghosts of Mark's violent past return.... News of the assassination quickly arrives at a White House desperate to avoid another Balkan War. When General John Thorpe is informed that an Islamic Jihadist group in Bosnia may have stolen Plutonium, he flies to Sarajevo to find out if the incidents are connected. The Lazarus Covenant is a story of profound personal transformation and global suspense. In their own unique ways, war crimes prosecutor Sandy Evenson, Serb war criminal Celo, and General Thorpe each force Lyons to confront his own demons, his own humanity, and a deadly religious sect assigned the mission of protecting the Vatican from catastrophic threats. An explosive international thriller, The Lazarus Covenant explores the scourge of extremism, terrorism and war in a haunting tale of friendship, faith and forgiveness. Writing from his own experiences, John Fenzel relates this story authentically in dramatic settings that extend from the Oval Office to the Balkans, all in a time of extreme crisis.

488 pages, Hardcover

First published May 1, 2009

About the author

John Fenzel is an Army Special Forces officer who has served on our nations battlefields throughout Europe and the Middle East. He has served as a military assistant on the personal staff of the Secretary of Defense, as a Special Assistant to the Vice President, as a Strategic Planner for the Army Chief of Staff, and as a White House Fellow during the Clinton and Bush administrations. He is the only active duty American military officer to testify at The Hague in support of the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY). John is a graduate of Tulane University, the Naval War College and the National War College. Born in Iowa and raised outside Chicago, John lives with his wife and three children in Annapolis, Maryland. The Lazarus Covenant (BREATHE, 2009), was his first novel. The Sterling Forest, an international thriller, is his second novel, to be released August, 2016.

Reviews

[Brandon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was given this book as a gift by John, because I lived next door to him and he knew my love for reading. Truth be told, it was a better gift than he probably expected. The pace and story telling were engaging, and I found myself turning page after page.

Chances are you've probably never heard of him or this book, but if you have the opportunity to pick it up and read it I absolutely encourage you to do so.

[Dori Gehling · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love when a book is so good that as soon as it's over you look to see if the author has published another novel you can read right away. This was one of those books. Not only did it have enough action and intrigue to keep my interest, I was able to learn more about a part of the world I'd not been exposed to much. And the author has the credentials to back up his story line. Check it out. Looking forward to his next book.

[Warregl · Rating 5 out of 5]

I met the author of this book, John Fenzel at a book signing in Richmond, VA a couple of Saturdays ago (we talked about weight loss and being 40-something men). I have to admit that I didn't stop at the B&N to shop (I had need of their restroom facilities). However when I read about John's background as he was discussing his book with a few other patrons I decided to stop and buy it, primarily as a "thank you" for his service. After meeting him I was doubly sure I wanted to buy his book. He was honestly interested in meeting the people he spoke with, me included. His interest in what I do and who I am was obviously genuine.

All that said I did not expect to find a book that I would be comparing to the early work of Tom Clancy. And even that doesn't seem fair. I absolutely love it. It's one of the best international thrillers I've read in a very long time.

Recently I have been struggling to find books that I really connect with. Maybe it's stress, maybe it's middle age, or maybe I just read so much that it is getting harder to find work that is both entertaining and engaging. This book is both.

I will be in line for his next book the very day it is released.

[Sharon · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Lazarus Covenant grabs you at the beginning and does not let you go until the end. If you are looking for something to put you to sleep, this is not the book for you. This is an action-packed suspense novel with many twists and turns plus a little romance thrown in. Read this book, trust me, you'll be glad you did.

[Nick · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was very refreshing to have a non-American protagonist. Very thrilling but also very interesting because I had no knowledge as to the workings of the EU and UN.

[Wendy]

Written by a former SF officer - discovered on the bookshelf of a room we were staying in in Astoria, OR in Nov 2017

[Matt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Two cousins parted in boyhood re-unite decades later with much at stake. Dan Brown meets Tom Clancy in this engaging, fun tale.

[Nancy Silk · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an amazing story from an amazing author who has served to protect the USA from terrorism as a member of US Army Special Forces. This is a novel which certainly reveals the joint efforts of many nations to eradicate terrorists and to keep nuclear components out of their hands. Mark Lyons is Asst Commissioner of the European Police Mission on assignment in eastern Europe. While investigating the deaths of some U.S. officials, he also discovers who has assassinated his father 30 years ago under the Tito regime while growing up in Bosnia. The pace is fast, tempers flare, the secrets deep, but Mark and Sandy Evenson, a United Nations worker, work together to find the guilty offenders. This book has earned all 5-star reviews on Amazon. It's a must read for the intense story, the facts/fiction, the author shares with us. John Fenzel, we know you have more stories to share with your fans. We are waiting.

[Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great work....could not stop reading this...fine novel written by a great leader...