Save up to 20% off select gift cards
Kindle Unlimited
Unlimited reading. Over 4 million titles. Learn more
Read for Free
OR
$5.99 with 60 percent savings
Print List Price: $15.00

Promotions apply when you purchase

These promotions will be applied to this item:

Some promotions may be combined; others are not eligible to be combined with other offers. For details, please see the Terms & Conditions associated with these promotions.

Sold by Amazon.com Services LLC.

Audiobook Price: $21.83

Save: $14.34 (66%)

Read with our free app
You've subscribed to ! We will preorder your items within 24 hours of when they become available. When new books are released, we'll charge your default payment method for the lowest price available during the pre-order period.
Update your device or payment method, cancel individual pre-orders or your subscription at
Your Memberships & Subscriptions
Kindle app logo image

Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.

Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.

Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.

QR code to download the Kindle App

Follow the author

Ken Fry
Follow
Something went wrong. Please try your request again later.

The Lazarus Succession: A Modern-Day Thriller with a Spellbinding Ancient Mystery (The Lazarus Mysteries Book 1) Kindle Edition

by Ken Fry (Author), Eeva Lancaster (Editor) Format: Kindle Edition
4.4 out of 5 stars 481 ratings
A LEGEND TO SLAUGHTER FOR
A TRUTH TO DIE FOR...

Multi-award-winning author Ken Fry takes readers to the ancient scene of Christ's greatest miracle, to medieval Spain, and back to modern-day Europe. The Lazarus Succession is a modern-day thriller with a spellbinding ancient mystery. For readers of James Rollins and Dan Brown.

"... with his excellent grasp of the written word he leads us to accept the surreal as perfectly normal and possible. The writing is excellent, the book is a treasure in itself and I would love to award this six stars." --Lucinda E Clarke for READER'S FAVORITE

Voted BEST INDIE BOOK 2017 (Read Free.ly)
2017 New Apple Book Awards Solo Medalist Winner - eBook Suspense Thriller
2017 New Apple Summer eBook Awards - Official Selection in Historical Fiction
2017 IAN Book of the Year Awards WINNER in Christian/Religious Fiction

ON TO THE STORY...
According to legend, Annas Zevi, an artist who witnessed the raising of Lazarus, was told by Christ to paint what he saw. Since then, a sacred line of artists had been chosen in an unbroken succession.

Each one painting a depiction of the miracle.
Each work vanishing until the next successor is appointed.
They were rumoured to be sacred icons with miraculous powers.

International Art Recovery Experts Broderick Ladro and Ulla Stuart are hired by a disgraced High Court judge, Sir Maxwell Throgmorton, to locate a long lost medieval painting by Spanish artist Francisco Cortez. Like Zevi, his work is said to be divinely inspired.

Throgmorton's client, a wealthy Spanish Condesa, is terminally ill and the icon is her last hope. She will pay and do whatever it takes to find the missing work of Cortez.

Unbeknown to the Condesa, Throgmorton seeks to make a vast personal fortune from the discovery of the painting and use it to reclaim his place in society.

Brodie and Ulla learns of Throgmorton's deceit and attempts to thwart his plans. As they delve deeper into the mystery of the missing Cortez painting, they discover a secret that changes their lives forever.

Just as it changed the lives of everyone it touched across the centuries.

✚ Praise for The Lazarus Succession ✚

"In many ways, Fry's book is superior to those featuring Robert Langdon. It is faster, sexier and more grown-up, for a start. The plot is intricate, the pace masterful..."

"The Lazarus Succession delivers the religious conspiracy and intricate mystery facets of Dan Brown with a careful weaving of Biblical events - with conspiratorial agents, both modern and ancient, in a clue-filled supernatural mystery thriller."

"The supernatural elements, and their effect on the characters, are pure genius. Even an old cynic like me was entranced."

BOOKS BY KEN FRY

BESTSELLING NOVELS
The Magdalene Mission
The Keeper’s Cup
The Patmos Enigma: Quest of the Wandering Jew
The Lazarus Succession

THE LAZARUS MYSTERIES (Duology)
The Lazarus Succession
The Lazarus Continuum
The Lazarus Mysteries: Omnibus Collection
La Sucesión Lazaro

THE LADY CRUSADER SERIES (Complete Trilogy)
The Chronicles of Aveline: Awakening
The Chronicles of Aveline: Love and Blood
The Chronicles of Aveline: The Final Sacrifice

SUSPENSE THRILLERS (Standalone Novels)
Shakyamuni’s Pearl
RED GROUND: The Forgotten Conflict
The Brodsky Affair
Suicide Seeds

BITE-SIZED THRILLS
A Porky Tale
Looks Can Be Misleading
Check Mate
The Long Case Clock (FREE)

CONTEMPORARY FICTION
Drunks: An Alcoholic Drama
Dying Days
Read more
Previous slide of product details
  1. Book 1 of 2
    The Lazarus Mysteries
  2. Print length
    377 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Publication date
    December 26, 2016
  5. File size
    5.3 MB
  6. Page Flip
    Enabled
  7. Word Wise
    Enabled
  8. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
Next slide of product details
Unwell Hydration from Alex Cooper
Hydrate & focus with every sip Shop now

Shop this series

 See full series
There are 2 books in this series.
This option includes 2 books.

Customers also bought or read

Page 1 of 1Start overPage 1 of 1
Previous page
Next page
Loading...

From the Publisher

james rollins, christian fantasy, suspense thriller, religious suspense, templars, mysticism
james rollins, christian fantasy, suspense thriller, religious suspense, templars, mysticism
christian fantasy, suspense thriller, religious suspense, templars, mysticism, Lazarus, ken fry
Ken Fry Books
Author Ken Fry

British Author Ken Fry

The Lazarus Continuum, religious mystery, supernatural thriller
THE MYSTERY CONTINUES...

An age-old secret must be kept safe... Until a successor is chosen.

Brodie senses that a new artist is being summoned. But who?

The players are being brought together once again to protect an ancient, unbroken legacy.

KEN FRY

Multi-Award-Winning Author

Ken Fry started publishing late in life, and the success of his novels, The Magdalene Mission, The Keeper's Cup, The Patmos Enigma, The Chronicles of Aveline, and The Lazarus Succession, was quite unexpected, and a source of great pride for this writer who is often compared to Dan Brown and James Rollins.

He is now retired and devotes his full time to writing. He lives in the UK and shares his home with 'Dickens' his Shetland Sheepdog.

Editorial Reviews

Review

★★★★★ Reviewed by Lucinda E Clarke for Readers' Favoritereadersfavorite.com/book-review/the-lazarus-succession
"I thoroughly enjoyed The Lazarus Succession by Ken Fry. The pace was just right, the characters believable despite the mysticism towards the end of the book, and the excitement continued throughout. Brodie and Ulla are not superheroes, although much smarter than average. However, Ulla does not hesitate to shoot when she has the chance. Set mostly in Spain, the book describes the landscape beautifully, along with the history of its religious orders and treasures. Although similar in many ways to the books by Dan Brown, I enjoyed it more. It was both sophisticated yet down to earth, despite Brodie's visions. At no point does the author over dramatize the story, but with his excellent grasp of the written word he leads us to accept the surreal as perfectly normal and possible. The writing is excellent, the book is a treasure in itself and I would love to award this six stars."
★★★★★ "...the supernatural elements, and their effect on the characters, are pure genius. Even an old cynic like me was entranced."
★★★★★ "This is polished fiction of the highest calibre..."
★★★★★ "...an excellent novel with many twists and turns, the pacing is perfection, the characters are wonderful and the ending couldn't be better..."
★★★★ "Intercut with the modern action of the novel, we also follow the 15th-century life of the painting's creator, a humble and devout young man whose great talent and spiritual visions catch the eye of a clandestine religious order whose history spans the ages. Fry makes these passages glow with a patina of antiquity, yet keeps them compelling as well."
★★★★★ "He writes a masterful prose, strong and emotional, without ever becoming cheesy or melodramatic."
★★★★★ "A thriller with devious crooks, imperfect heroes and just to make it even more 'can't put it down,' Spanish catholic mysticism."

From the Author

WARNING: While The Lazarus Succession has strong religious themes, it is a thriller with villains who curse and behave inappropriately. People are murdered in this book, so there may be blood and scenes that may offend the faint-hearted. It is a modern-day thriller wrapped in a medieval mystery, but in-tune with reality where even good people cuss and commit sin.
For all my readers who have asked, and requested... the sequel is now available.
Join my Circle of Readers for updates.vr2.verticalresponse.com/s/circleofreaders
Thank you for reading my books. 

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B01N68HZWT
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Ken Fry (December 26, 2016)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ December 26, 2016
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 5.3 MB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 377 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.4 out of 5 stars 481 ratings

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.
Ken Fry

Ken Fry

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.
Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Ken Fry is a multi-award-winning British author with a university Master's Degree in Literature. He has travelled around the world and is known for his captivating storytelling and vivid imagination. His attention to detail and meticulous research ensure that readers are fully immersed in the world he has created.

Fry has extensive knowledge of the Art world. This he acquired while working as a publisher in a major UK publishing house, a wholly owned subsidiary of the HEARST Corp of the USA. In his thirteen years with the company, he worked within the Fine Arts and Antiques division of the organisation and controlled four major international titles.

As of this release, Fry has published 21 novels and short stories and 10 audiobooks and has received several book awards from prestigious award-giving bodies.

He is now retired and devotes his full time to writing. He lives in the UK and shares his home with 'Dickens' his Shetland Sheepdog.

Connect on Twitter: @kenfry10

Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
481 global ratings

Review this product

Share your thoughts with other customers
Write a customer review

Customers say

Customers enjoy the book's developed tale of intrigue and mystery, with one describing it as a fast-paced thriller with religious conspiracy connections. The book features great characters and is full of religious symbolism, making it a fantastic read. The writing quality receives mixed feedback, with some customers finding it well written while others note numerous grammatical errors.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

Select to learn more

14 customers mention "Suspenseful story"14 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the suspenseful story of intrigue and mystery, with one customer describing it as a fast-paced thriller of epic proportions.

"I love a good thriller with religious conspiracy connections. Ken Fry’s novel The Lazarus Succession fits the bill perfectly!..." Read more

"...Overall storyline is great. Execution, consistency , and details leaves more to be desired." Read more

"...The Lazarus Succession is a fast paced thriller of epic proportions...." Read more

"...A cast of supremely well-written characters and a story line that kept you guess and moving through this literary work wondering what would happen..." Read more

12 customers mention "Readability"12 positive0 negative

Customers find the book to be a fantastic and intriguing read, with one customer particularly praising the characters Brody and Ulla.

"...plenty of action, mystical happenings, and great pace made it a most enjoyable read! Well done Ken Fry!! My rating: 5 Stars" Read more

"Great read, I highly recommend. Fry tells a captivating story again!..." Read more

"This is a pretty good book. However, it has the same problem as most self-edited books. Lots of typos, mispellings, etc...." Read more

"This was an interesting book. Goes back and forth between current day and the 16th century...." Read more

7 customers mention "Character development"6 positive1 negative

Customers appreciate the character development in the book, with one mentioning that the villain is well played out.

"...Great characters, plenty of action, mystical happenings, and great pace made it a most enjoyable read! Well done Ken Fry!!..." Read more

"...While they are somewhat exaggerated, they are likable and worthy of the reader’s empathy...." Read more

"...A cast of supremely well-written characters and a story line that kept you guess and moving through this literary work wondering what would happen..." Read more

"...The characters in this book are great as is the locations. I liked the storyline a lot. It had plenty of action and is well written...." Read more

4 customers mention "Execution"4 positive0 negative

Customers praise the execution of the book.

"...Overall storyline is great. Execution, consistency , and details leaves more to be desired." Read more

"...Great job - and for the thriller, mystery or intrigue reader this is a must read..." Read more

"The Lazarus Succession by Ken Fry was FANTASTIC. My Best Read for 2017..." Read more

"Fantastic! One of the best novels I ever read in my life , full of history, love , mystery and action..." Read more

3 customers mention "Religious content"3 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the religious content of the book, with several noting its rich religious symbolism, and one customer describing it as a deep theological mystery.

"...Full of religious symbolism, action, and a mystical end, The Lazarus Succession was a fantastic read!..." Read more

"...I loved the religious symbolism and the darting back between present-day and fourteenth-century Spain...." Read more

"Top flight conspiracy...deep theological mystery!..." Read more

5 customers mention "Writing quality"3 positive2 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the writing quality of the book, with some finding it well written while others point out numerous grammatical errors.

"...with all the switching between centuries and monasteries, but the writing is good and this proves to be no major problem." Read more

"...Riddled throughout with run-on sentences, misplaced punctuation (which could change meaning of the character’s thoughts or words), and misused words..." Read more

"...I was intrigued by the content and the high marks this author so gave it a shot - and was not disappointed...." Read more

"...Lots of typos, mispellings, etc. Sections that need more elaboration, sections that need less. Still, it's definitely worth a read." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • W. Stuart
    5.0 out of 5 stars Art, religion, and thrills!
    Reviewed in the United States on June 20, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    I love a good thriller with religious conspiracy connections. Ken Fry’s novel The Lazarus Succession fits the bill perfectly! Read on to discover my thoughts.

    Synopsis (from the author): The Lazarus Succession takes readers to the ancient scene of Christ's greatest miracle, to medieval Spain, and back to modern-day Europe. In typical Ken Fry style, nothing is as it seems and a surprise awaits at every turn of the page.

    According to legend, Annas Zevi, an artist who witnessed the raising of Lazarus, was told by Christ to paint what he saw. Over the centuries, his completed works has vanished, along with every other painting depicting Lazarus' resurrection. They were rumoured to be sacred icons with miraculous powers.

    International Art Recovery Experts, Broderick Ladro and Ulla Stuart, are hired by a disgraced High Court judge, Sir Maxwell Throgmorton, to locate a long lost medieval painting by Spanish artist Francisco Cortez. Like Zevi, his work is said to be divinely inspired.

    Throgmorton's client, a wealthy Spanish Condesa, is terminally ill and the icon is her last hope. She will pay and do whatever it takes to find the missing work of Cortez.
    Unbeknown to the Condesa, Throgmorton seeks to make a vast personal fortune from the discovery of the paintings, and use it to reclaim his place in society.

    Ladro and Stuart learns of Throgmorton's deceit and attempts to thwart his plans. As they delve deeper into the mystery of the missing Cortez painting, they discover a secret that changes their lives forever.

    Just as it changed the lives of everyone it touched across the centuries.

    What I liked: This story drew me in immediately! The story started with a bang and kept up a great pace throughout. Brody and Ulla were great, Throgmorton was an excellent though odious player, and the Condesa was the perfect sympathetic character. Full of religious symbolism, action, and a mystical end, The Lazarus Succession was a fantastic read!

    What I didn’t like: My only complaint was Throgmorton’s end. A little more mysticism would have played better to me given the way the story ended. I would say more, but then I’d have a spoiler and I don’t do that!

    Overall impression: The Lazarus Succession was everything I wanted in a religious-themed thriller. Great characters, plenty of action, mystical happenings, and great pace made it a most enjoyable read! Well done Ken Fry!!

    My rating: 5 Stars
    2 people found this helpful
    Helpful
     Report
  • Seth
    4.0 out of 5 stars Misspellings and grammatical errors galore!
    Reviewed in the United States on January 16, 2021
    Verified Purchase
    Great read, I highly recommend. Fry tells a captivating story again!

    However, if the author or publisher can’t find a better proof reader, I may have to quit reading his books. Riddled throughout with run-on sentences, misplaced punctuation (which could change meaning of the character’s thoughts or words), and misused words, every chapter has flaws that make no sense. Further, the use of first and/or last names for the same character throughout causes confusion of who is involved for the first quarter of the book until one can determine who’s names are synonymous.

    Overall storyline is great. Execution, consistency , and details leaves more to be desired.
    One person found this helpful
    Helpful
     Report
  • Clabe
    5.0 out of 5 stars Top flight conspiracy...deep theological mystery!
    Reviewed in the United States on January 31, 2019
    Verified Purchase
    When Jesus of Nazareth raised Lazarus from the dead, there was an artist in the crowd who would record the event for posterity. As the years passed, the artist’s painting was lost; ravaged in a natural disaster. A second painter picked up his brushes and again recorded the event as his inspired thoughts and feeling dictated. Again, well after his lifetime, his work was also lost. And so the succession of painters continued through the generations.

    Ulla and Brodie are art thieves with a difference. They steal to right wrongs. When they seek a painting by Toledo artist Francisco Cortez rumored to have healing powers, they never imagined the conflicts they would encounter or the hand that God’s will had dealt them.

    Ulla and Brodie are characters with a complex relationship and a definite Robin Hood complex. While they are somewhat exaggerated, they are likable and worthy of the reader’s empathy. The Condesa, a terminally ill matron, seeking Cortez’s painting for its healing power, is a victim. While one’s sympathy for her may waiver, I found myself hoping the painting would be found before she died of her illness. Maxwell Throgmorton is a thoroughly disgusting arch-villain bent on theft at any cost.

    The Lazarus Succession is a fast paced thriller of epic proportions. More than cops and robbers, it entwines a tale of Divine will among the sordid motivations of men. It is sure to satisfy the most devoted crime action thriller reader.
    8 people found this helpful
    Helpful
     Report
  • Lynda
    5.0 out of 5 stars Intriguing
    Reviewed in the United States on September 2, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    Words of a detailed believer I assume. Words of verve that dance with intellectual story telling of miraculous mysteries unfolded.
    Helpful
     Report
  • foxtrotoscar
    3.0 out of 5 stars A Mild Mystery!
    Reviewed in the United States on July 7, 2018
    Verified Purchase
    This book required a large stretch of the imagination to wade through it. The plot is highly improbable, to the point where it borders on the fantasy genre. Even so, nothing really exciting happens in the story until you are passed the 75% point. The last quarter does have a little more action than the previous, but unfortunately it is on the tepid side. The plot gets a bit confusing with all the switching between centuries and monasteries, but the writing is good and this proves to be no major problem.
    2 people found this helpful
    Helpful
     Report
  • Laroo
    4.0 out of 5 stars Pretty Good
    Reviewed in the United States on September 14, 2021
    Verified Purchase
    This is a pretty good book. However, it has the same problem as most self-edited books. Lots of typos, mispellings, etc. Sections that need more elaboration, sections that need less. Still, it's definitely worth a read.
    Helpful
     Report
  • Angela Naff
    5.0 out of 5 stars I was intrigued by the content and the high marks this author so gave it a shot - and was not disappointed. He leaped between ti
    Reviewed in the United States on February 14, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    First let me say I am a romance writer/reader and thus found this not to be my normal genre. I was intrigued by the content and the high marks this author so gave it a shot - and was not disappointed. He leaped between time periods weaving a very well researched and developed tale of intrigue and mystery. A cast of supremely well-written characters and a story line that kept you guess and moving through this literary work wondering what would happen on the next page. Great job - and for the thriller, mystery or intrigue reader this is a must read (even if that isn't your normal genre like me - give this book a shot)!
    8 people found this helpful
    Helpful
     Report

Top reviews from other countries

  • Joseph Panikulam
    5.0 out of 5 stars Good read though a bit fantastical
    Reviewed in India on August 23, 2018
    Verified Purchase
    Fast paced, religious mystery...and some times a tad unrealistic... But if u want to stretch it imagination a bit.. go for it...certainly won't disappoint!!
    Report
  • Amazon Customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars A REALLY GOOD READ
    Reviewed in Australia on February 24, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    Very enjoyable mystery thriller. Well written and the sort of book that's hard to put down. Would recommend it to lovers of Dan Brown's books.
    Report
  • Martin Jackson
    5.0 out of 5 stars A compelling tale of allegorical myth and magic.
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 12, 2022
    Verified Purchase
    Annas Zevi, an artist, witnesses the raising of Lazarus, and is asked by Christ to paint the scene. The magical painting is found to have the power to heal, but is lost to time. A secret order of monkish knights undertakes the successive repainting of the scene, each work of art allegedly having the power to heal. Unfortunately, all succumb to the ravages of time or are lost.
    Brodie Ladro and Ulla Stewart, are present-day specialists in recovering lost art, and are prepared to go to extraordinary lengths to accomplish their goals. They are hired to locate a lost painting by sixteenth century Toledo artist, Francisco Cortez, believed to be in existence somewhere in Spain.
    The LAZARUS SUCCESSION has a full complement of intriguing characters. A lady of the nobility with a terminal illness, and a corrupt judge who would stop at nothing to feather his nest. Twist, turns, and suspense hold the reader on edge right until the very end.
    A highly recommended, well written suspense thriller with a supernatural twist. Highly recommended reading for devotees of esoteric fiction and Dan Brown style novels.
    Report
  • Fengirl
    4.0 out of 5 stars Finishing this was like saying goodbye to old friends
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 22, 2018
    Verified Purchase
    We all know the formula - there are good guys and there are bad guys. The bad guys give the good guys a hard time but in the end the good guys win and the bad guys get their come uppance. BUT, Ken Fry adds his special touch and 15 minutes into the book all plans for your own life are put on the back burner as you follow the fortunes of Brodie and Ulla. This gripping book makes the supernatural believable and is written so well that it is like watching a film with the clear pictures created in your mind (without unnecessary descriptive padding). There is some bad language, particularly at the end but even I have to admit that it is in context and perhaps 'oh dear, how very unfortunate' wouldn't really have done :-)
    Like many others, I have started to download more of Mr Fry's books
    Report
  • Stuart Kenyon
    5.0 out of 5 stars A story to die for
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 8, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    As soon as I read the blurb, I suspected that I'd love this book. Thankfully, I wasn't disappointed.

    The genre of religious thriller was propelled into the public consciousness by Dan Brown, and anyone following in his footsteps has big boots to fill. In many ways, Fry's book is superior to those featuring Robert Langdon. It is faster, sexier and more grown-up, for a start. The plot is intricate, the pace masterful, and despite a busy schedule, I was compelled to make time for The Lazarus Succession.

    Comparisons with mega-sellers aside, this is a superb piece of work. Our two protagonists, Brodie Ladro and Ulla Stewart are ne'er-do-wells, using their talents and knowledge to steal a living. I prefer an anti-hero to a clean-cut saint, so this was no problem for me. And for those with more exacting standards, the mission undertaken by the partners-in-crime eventually becomes a charitable one. The villain of the piece, the delightfully Machiavellian Throgmorten, is a classic bad guy, and by the end of the book, I was desperate for him to come unstuck.

    The final twist is inspired, too; I won't spoil anyone's enjoyment, but the supernatural elements, and their effect on the characters, are pure genius. Even an old cynic like me was entranced. The addition of a little historical flavour, in the shape of frequent glances into a beautifully depicted medieval Spain, gives the novel context, and a timeless magic I found addictive.

    This is polished fiction of the highest calibre, and I'm more than happy to award 5 stars.
    One person found this helpful
     Report

Report an issue


Does this item contain inappropriate content?
Report
Do you believe that this item violates a copyright?
Report
Does this item contain quality or formatting issues?
Report