Jude Allman gained his notoriety by doing something no one else had ever done. He died, then returned, three different times. Forced into a spotlight he never sought, he *dies* in a way, a fourth time. He assumes a new identity as Ron Gress and moves to Red Lodge, Montana, where he takes a job as a janitor in the school system. For the past seven years, no one in Red Lodge knows that the infamous Jude Allman has lived in their midst and Ron/Jude intends to keep things that way. He wants nothing more in life than to be a good dad to his son Nathan and live the rest of his life in anonimity.
But a woman named Kristina has tracked him down and her presence creates a seismic shift in Ron/Jude’s world. The wall that encases his memories cracks, allowing what has been buried to saturate his conscious thought. He develops a new *talent*; the ability to touch the dying and see their life replayed in his mind in living color. Are these signs, as Kristina suggests, or symptoms of a serious mental or physical disorder as as Rachel, the mother of his son, believes?
Now an elusive child stalker has struck Red Lodge. The missing children have only one hope: Jude. But he may be too late. His special talents may fail him when he needs them the most.
Waking Lazarus is one of the creepiest books I’ve ever read! Tony really gets into the minds of his characters, esp. Jude and the child abductor. Some of the most powerful scenes in the book are written in the abductor’s point of view and sent chills up my spine. Like Ted Dekker, he doesn’t dilute pure evil to keep the reader comfortable.
Jude is also a well-written protagonist. Jude has had a rough childhood, but doesn’t have a victim mentality. He is a fighter. He knows he’s paranoid, but is determined to overcome his paranoia. He longs to have a normal relationship with his son and we see his internal wrestling as he battles to make that happen. But what really brings the struggles home are the seemingly small things he must overcome in his pursuit to normality-hugging his son, sleeping in a bed and not a recliner, just making small talk to someone he knows fairly well.
Waking Lazarus is also a book that will keep you guessing until the end. It is full of twists and turns, where nothing is as is seems to be. Tony does a great job at keeping the suspense and tension strong until the end of the book.
Waking Lazarus I highly recommend and has a spot on my keeper shelf.
