The Lazarus Trap

by Davis Bunn

Book Overview

For Val Haines, dying may be the chance of a lifetime.

Awakening in a jail cell and bleeding from his head, Val Haines remembers nothing. Not even his name.

As his memory slowly begins to return, Haines discovers that the world thinks he's dead. If his nightmares ring true, it may be for the best. Around him brews a conspiracy of embezzlement and murder for hire, fueled by the rage of personal vendetta. As he searches for a safe haven,...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0849944856
• ISBN13: 9780849944857
• Release Date: March 2005
• Publisher: Thomas Nelson
• Length: 304 Pages
• Weight: 0.10 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 5.4" x 8.5"

Customer Reviews

An Entertaining Read

The Lazarus Trap is a fast paced novel with a good deal of action and international intrigue. It takes place in New York, Orlando, England, and Jersey Island. The story features corporate treachery, massive embezzlement, murder, and English mafioso. Val Haines is the protagonist who wakes up with amnesia. He slowly begins to regain his memory and the action begins. Although most of the book is very well done, I think that the ending is a bit anticlimactic. Nevertheless, it is very entertaining. It is also a rarity in novels in this genre. It is not filled with gratuitous profanity and sex scenes. It is a 'clean' read and well done. I will likely read more of Mr. Bunn's work.

fast paced excitement

this is the first book of Davis Bunn i have read. it was fast paced and for the most part thrilling. Val....the lazarus of the story suddenly disappears......not really. he awakens in a jail and is amnesic. in a very short time he has most of what is neeed of his memory back and is being hunted by 2 of his collegues. the mafia gets involved and of course there are dead. in the end Val is vindicated and becomes an honorable person. i was hooked by just reasing the first chapter in Sams club and had to buy it.

Once again, Bunn comes out all right.

THIS WAS MEAN! But it was good. This is the credit I give to Mr. Bunn. It is a book that probably won't be for everyone, but for some it will be just what they need for a little inspiration. You could almost mark this as a fictional "Catch Me if You Can", if anyone's read the book or seen the movie. Valentine Haines is EVERYWHERE in this cat and mouse type thriller! In a way, it sometimes gets just a little far fetched, but it still kept the pages turning for me. Bunn Makes a fist, and makes us deal with some very raw emotion. Take a little hatred, along with some vengeance motivated, add memory loss to fuel the fire a bit, and you've got "Lazarus Trap". Then just add the right gal and BOOM! You've got something worth reading here, worth the money, so to speak. Add some fisticuffs to the woodwork, just to make it interesting. While this has good action, and while the approach is harsh throughout, Bunn somehow manages to do it with the elegance he always maintains through a Davis Bunn read. I don't know HOW he does it, but that's what has made him an author to read in the past. He also has a message, and it is worth sharing with everyone. That's what keeps me coming back for more, every time!

Another Davis Bunn winner!

I've been a fan of Davis Bunn's ever since reading his excellent The Great Divide a couple years ago. One of the best Christian authors around today, he's a consummate storyteller without (thank you!) being preachy. Not in the least. I also love his masterful use of language. Gorgeous, thoughtful, rich. And with The Lazarus Trap he's really ramped up the pace and excitement factor. I read it late into the night. Couldn't put it down. Excellent! Can't wait to read his next one. You should also check out Elixir. That dramatic opening surf scene had me right there riding the waves with him. And I don't surf. This man can write!

Like riding a roller coaster.

I have always enjoyed Davis Bunn's leisurely, but to the point, approach to his story telling. The Lazarus Trap breaks the mold, though; it is unusually fast paced. This is not a book you want to start on a weekday evening; unless, of course, you don't worry about calling in sick the next morning. Imagine waking up, hurting all over, bleeding from the forehead; you have no memory of anything, including who you are. What you do have is a wad of cash in your pocket and a driver's license that says Jeffrey Adams. Even with nothing else to go on, Jeffrey Adams doesn't seem right. In bits and pieces, fragments of his life start coming back to Val Haines; but the mystery is just beginning. Maybe an email in his computer will shed some light, so he replies to Audry. He was supposed to be dead. As it turns out, maybe being dead was for the best. A past that Val cannot outrun comes roaring back to life. As good as this novel is, it would make a better movie.