The Lazarus Charter – A Review

Billed as a spy thriller, The Lazarus Charter falls into a genre which I particularly enjoy. I was therefore very pleased to be offered a place on the book tour for Tony Bassett’s book.

Introduction

Teacher Bob Shaw is ridiculed for claiming a dead Government scientist is still alive. But when Bob’s wife, Anne delves into the man’s death in a blazing car, she uncovers a web of mystery and forensic blunders.  If their professor friend faked his death, she begins to suspect there might be a connection with his pioneering work on Britain’s new anti-drone laser weapon.

As they investigate, Bob and Anne’s lives are turned upside down and they are forced to abandon their Kent home. But who is behind the threats against them? And who, or what, is the dreaded Eagle’s Claw?

Review

I found Tony Bassett’s book a real page turner. As someone who enjoys the genre anyway, it is always a pleasure to find a new author. The Lazarus Charter is Tony’s second book about Bob and Anne, but I didn’t feel that I had missed out through not having read the first book.

The story begins with a situation which many of us will have experienced. A fleeting glimpse of somebody we think we know, but not a good enough look to be certain. The catch being that Bob thinks he sees a friend whose funeral he attended recently.

From this intriguing starting point, the story builds. Bob and his wife, Anne, begin to look deeper into the circumstances of their friend’s death. It isn’t long before they find themselves immersed in a world of espionage which they had both assumed had ceased with the end of the Cold War. As they become more involved in the case, so the forces trying to stop them grow more insistent. But who is the enemy? And why are they so desperate to keep the truth hidden?

Tony Bassett takes time to create the characters in the story, so that the reader comes to understand the personalities and their motivations. The intrigue builds steadily as the plot develops, and Bob and Anne try to work out who is on their side. The story is written from Bob’s perspective. The downside to this is that Anne plays a key role throughout the action, and I would have liked to understand more from her point of view. Having said that, it is a minor point. If you enjoy crime thrillers featuring well rounded characters, I do recommend The Lazarus Charter for a gripping read.

About the Author

Tony Bassett is a semi-retired journalist who was born in West Kent. From an early age, he nursed an ambition to become first a journalist and then novelist.

Named Time-Life Magazine Student Journalist of the Year in 1971, Tony progressed to work on provincial newspapers in Sidcup, Worcester and Cardiff. He later became a freelance journalist in London.

The Lazarus Charter is Tony’s second novel, following Smile of the Stowaway, which also features Bob and Anne as the main characters.

Tony has a grown-up son and four grown-up daughters who all live in South Wales.

You can follow Tony on Twitter here.

Many thanks to Rachel at Rachel’s Random Resources for hosting this blog tour, and offering me the chance to review The Lazarus Charter. I received a copy of the book, in return for an honest review. All views expressed are my own.

8 May 2020