Taking place in the 1970s, this espionage thriller takes us to across the world from Virginia to Colombia. We start in Langley with the CIA where a suspected mole is wreaking havoc on the agency and then we move to Colombia where CIA agent Mark Daniel is working under cover as a pilot ferrying drugs for the ruthless Colombian drug lords. When we join him, he’s been undercover for two years and goes by the name of Carlos Ortiz.
All is going as planned in his operation until he’s thrown together with a wealthy Colombian woman, Sol Agueda de Roca. He’s skyjacked and forced to fly to Bogata to rescue her from a kidnapping attempt and from that point on he becomes part of her world while trying to make the drug lords happy at the same time. Together, they discover plans for an international terrorist strike against both of their countries and though they are being held captive, they have to find a way to stop it.
The Lazarus File is a well-written thriller that fits the bill for a thriller in every way. Extreme stakes that the characters must overcome to save the day, a ticking time bomb, a problem so big it’s hard to imagine how it will be resolved, and of course, danger. All of this will keep you turning the pages and the characters and descriptions will keep you savoring each page.
The characters are well developed, well rounded and interesting. What I especially enjoyed in this novel were Taylor’s descriptions and authentic dialogue for the Colombian characters. He nailed the regional dialogue and his descriptions were so vivid and powerful that I felt as if I’d been transported to Colombia listening to their conversations.
