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The Lazarus File

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The United States, caught in a dangerous game of global espionage, turns a CIA agent working deep under cover as a drug pilot in Colombia to protect a powerful and prominent woman held hostage in Columbia. Trapped in an industrial conspiracy that threatens to destabilize the Americas, the reluctant pair seeks to prevent an international terrorist strike aimed at the heart of the United States. Held captive in a remote Andean valley near the Bolivian border, the couple fights to save themselves and their respective counties. With action ranging from Havana, Cuba to Jamaica, the Cayman Islands, San Juan Puerto Rico and beyond this fast-paced narrative features unexpected plot twists, thrilling flight sequences, and emotionally charged confrontations.

226 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 13, 2016

94 people are currently reading
200 people want to read

About the author

Donn E. Taylor

11 books137 followers
I'm working now as a novelist and poet, also teaching at writers' groups and conferences. In a prior incarnation I served in two wars with the U.S. Army. Afterwards, I taught English literature at two liberal arts colleges. The World's Perfect Woman consented to honor me in marriage, and we enjoyed six decades together until the Lord needed another alto for His heavenly choir. I live in the woods near Houston, TX, writing fiction, poetry, and essays on current topics.

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5 stars
91 (50%)
4 stars
55 (30%)
3 stars
25 (13%)
2 stars
8 (4%)
1 star
1 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
13 reviews
March 18, 2017
Convincing and Compelling

I have read several books published by Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas. Each was extremely well-written and carefully edited. (I've become a fan.) The Lazarus File was no exception.

Taylor's novel is convincing and compelling. Several nights I kept reading when I should have been sleeping. A spy novel that seems realistic without the burden of potty-mouth and explicit sexuality is a rare treat.
Profile Image for Edward Arrington.
1,166 reviews12 followers
July 31, 2019
To what lengths will the enemies of our country go to destroy us? Are there truly those in high places in our government who are willing to sell us out for a season of pleasure? Carlos Ortiz, who was first known as Mark Daniel, becomes an undercover agent for The Agency to try to discover who is passing information to the enemy resulting in the deaths of several agents. His code name at The Agency is Lazarus. Will he be able to obtain the information that’s needed, or will he end up dead? The intrigue, suspense, action, and mayhem kept my interest and had me questioning every character. Some were clearly on the side of right, and others were clearly evil. Then there were a few that kept me guessing for a while. I enjoyed the story, but can’t help but wonder how much of this could have really happened. With all the evil in our world, the truth is often hard to find.
7 reviews
July 9, 2017
I enjoyed the Lazarus File. I am a fan of Tom Clancy type books and this one was enjoyable reading while presenting some thought provoking ideas.
I stayed up too late reading because I wanted to find out what would happen next.
The author did a good job of fleshing out the main characters. The only reason I didn't give it 5 stars was the level of complexity of the plot. It was exciting, but I would have liked more geopolitical intrigue.
I plan to read another book by this author.
533 reviews2 followers
March 27, 2018
Well written, but not much Christian fiction to it, and what little there was from a Catholic viewpoint.
If you want a mostly secular spy thriller, this would be good.
I look for scripture, doctrine, and application of scripture, in Christian fiction, otherwise, I would read just secular novels. God was slightly mention, Jesus not at all and so on.
Still it was well written, but I will not be reading this author again, because I prefer true Christian fiction.
Profile Image for Steve Curll.
74 reviews3 followers
September 15, 2017
I never could get interested. Too many characters to sort out. I never was sure of who was pro or antagonists and could not place the names with the right characters so never knew who I was reading about. The story itself had few surprises and overall, this book was tedious to read,always wondering if something might actually happen. I do not recommend this one.
7,743 reviews49 followers
August 7, 2018
The Lazurus File. by.Donn.Taylor
All 3 agent, dead after contact with the Cuban. Who could they send in, to penetrate deep. A man who though dead for five weeks, when he comes back, knowing he lost all here. Will go, his name will be Lazurus. Still The Agency had a mole. As for a second death will there be for Lazurus. Captivating, mysterious, good plot,wondering where next op will be.
Profile Image for Cindy .
699 reviews2 followers
June 2, 2019
Wow! What a fantastic author! I've never known an author that could successfully write an espionage thriller like this, a romantic mystery, and a historical suspense novel - and have them all be such good Christian novels! I'll have to look for more of his books. I certainly recommend his books. This book was just amazing.
288 reviews1 follower
September 4, 2019
Clean thriller!

I enjoyed reading this story about a spy working for our country while already to be 'dirty.' I also enjoyed reading a story that has no crude language nor bedroom scenes. I recommend this author to any reader looking for an excellent read. I look forward to reading more by this author.
265 reviews2 followers
March 22, 2020
Must die to live

This story is packed with action from beginning to end. A soldier at heart, our hero, has to officially died in order to achieve happiness. He served his country, saved another country from a coup, and managed to find love in a courageous beautiful woman; they both have had promises to keep. It has been a long way but the light seems near.
Profile Image for Becky.
640 reviews26 followers
June 10, 2017
Unfortunately I just couldn't get interested in the story. A lot of characters to keep up with, and a none that were well developed for the story.
Profile Image for Mary Ellen Dryden.
67 reviews1 follower
January 24, 2021
Excellent

This is an excellent spy thriller. I really enjoyed the story and the writer’s style with the characters and scenes. Read it, you will not be disappointed.
Profile Image for Pegg.
Author 25 books620 followers
September 3, 2016
Political intrigue isn't generally my favorite read, but this one caught my eye. It's set back in the 1970s, so that's a bit of a twist. No cell phones. No computers. (Anyone else remember this as the good old days?) Back when spying was done with actual eyeballs. Back when technology didn't own us and control our lives. It was fun to read about an era I can remember ... and really doesn't seem that long ago!

Mark Daniel is running with a bad crowd, a drug running crowd, the kind of people who would kill him in a heartbeat if they had any idea who he was. But not every enemy is in Columbia and Cuba. Under the name Carlos Ortiz, he's in the perfect position to send intelligence back to the United States to contacts he trusts. As if his mission isn't difficult enough, Mark stumbles into an attempted kidnapping of the beautiful Sol Agueda de Roca, the wife of a very important man in Columbia. Their lives become entangled because her family and the drug lord he works for are on opposite sides of the law. Things only get stickier when a major Cuban power player shows up.

No spoiler here. The book is a page-turner and well worth the time to read.
Profile Image for Patricia.
728 reviews6 followers
April 27, 2014
CIA agents . . . drug runners. . . Columbian guerrillas . . . Cuban leaders . . . a brave and beautiful woman, and a look at presidential politics all combine in a story set in the USA, Columbia and Costa Rica in the late 1970s. Interesting, well developed characters and a page-turning plot plus a poem by Robert Frost are tied together in a very good book.

a 4.8 and almost a 5 star

No sex
Violence appropriate to the genre










Profile Image for Fire.
433 reviews2 followers
November 27, 2014
The Lazarus File is a great story of a soldier who was declared dead, given a new identity and life, and used by the government for undercover work. Diving into the world of transporting illegal drugs and ruthless drug lords, he is in for a crazy ride.

I had a hard time putting this one down, it is fast paced and full of exciting scenes. I really enjoyed it and can't wait to see what Taylor comes up with next. 5 Stars.
Profile Image for Joan.
4,319 reviews112 followers
September 10, 2013
This is a pretty good novel of espionage and suspense. I am not familiar with all of the places in the novel and have to assume the author has done his homework. There is plenty of action and the tight writing kept my interest to the end. This novel is a good choice for someone who likes international intrigue and a hero with high moral standards. See my full review at http://bit.ly/17mclBP.
Profile Image for Lisa.
Author 4 books84 followers
November 25, 2014
What happens when the undercover agent is on the verge of discovering the secret agenda of a major drug lord, only to find himself inadvertently sucked into helping an honorable family? (Of course, these two plot lines are somehow related.
A great, fast-paced spy thriller with interesting and likeable characters. Well-written and worth the read!
Profile Image for Linda Yezak.
Author 17 books112 followers
September 26, 2016
Donn Taylor does it again -- another exciting novel! Donn's characters are always realistic, the situations they find themselves in are always complex. This story of an undercover agent, a corrupt agency, Columbian drug lords, and a woman caught unaware in the middle of this mess is no different. I've read enough of Donn's books to hold high expectations, and he never fails to deliver.
82 reviews4 followers
March 21, 2012
A little complex at first (to set up and keep track of the various threads that weave together during the story), but then the story really took off and was easy to follow. Well written and, overall, a worthwhile read.
Profile Image for Mary Hamilton.
Author 8 books77 followers
January 10, 2013
Not the genre I normally read but I'd definitely read another by this author. Lots of adventure, exotic locales, danger, drama,and just a hint of romance thrown in. Nice to read about a hero with high moral standards, even though his job requires him to be involved in shady operations.
20 reviews
December 5, 2013
S.america adventure

HEIRESS, MURDERS AND identity changes are good also peace at all time and stolen money used for good. five stars
Profile Image for Barb VanderWel.
1,819 reviews33 followers
December 29, 2022
I love this & I can't wait for more.
I will be also leaving a review on Goodreads @ Amazon.
And letting everyone know about it.
So i gave it a 5 Stars.
10 reviews
April 3, 2017
Lazarus is an awesome reed

Highly recommend this book. Takes you deep into twisting depths of undercover spies and the cloaks of vying governmental agencies.
489 reviews6 followers
April 14, 2017
The Lazarus File - How Often must an undercover Agent die in older to Survive? by Donn Taylot

Anyone who has read the bible knows that Lazuras was brought back to life by Jesus. The CIA brings Mark Daniel back to life as Lazuras in the name of Otriz. His mission, find the mole identifying agents who then we're killed by the enemies of the USA and the CIA. Woven into th he plot is an overthrow of the country of Bogata and the reigning families of Columbia. The action is swift, deadly and fast. This is Taylor's best work. Don't pass this one by.
578 reviews4 followers
April 30, 2017
The hero previously lost his wife and son, or am I getting my stories mixed up. He remains working for the CIA, which has a mole, so he is in constant danger of being discovered. His current task is to infiltrate a drug operation in Columbia, which has been the death of a few previous agents.
Interesting and we'll told, I still can't believe how often the good guys win. I know it's a novel, but nobody ever let's the bad guys win in their books. Yes, I enjoyed the story, but it was too predictable, which explains my rating.
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews

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