Woodlands author Donn Taylor’s first novel, The Lazarus File, should appeal to readers of the late Robert Ludlum. Set in Columbia, it tells the story of an undercover spy attempting to worm his way into the trust of the local crime lords and drug kingpins against a background of fomenting civil unrest and political instability. Set in the mid 1970s, the novel portrays an American agent at risk. His identity is a carefully guarded secret. Only a few people know him even by his code name, Lazarus. His true identity is a secret on which his life depends. In Columbia, he is known as Carlos Ortiz, but in his former life he was Mark Daniel, a veteran of the Vietnam War reported killed in action. He already knows what it is to suffer personal loss – that’s one of the reasons he was selected for this mission. He has few ties to his old life that can be used against him. Daniel uses his wartime experience to flesh out his new persona. He is flying drugs and arms across the Caribbean and through Central America for Columbian warlord Paolo Guzmán, attempting to gain his confidence. The drug lords are wary of spies and many American undercover operatives have lost their lives in this dangerous game. When Daniel and his Cessna are hijacked to rescue the wife of an ailing wealthy Columbian businessman, the plight of strong-willed Sol Agueda de Roca and her family distract him from his primary task. Their paths cross continually in the ensuing weeks and months. There is palpable emotional tension between them. The drug lords test Daniel—maintaining his guise as Ortiz—repeatedly. He soon discovers that they are up to more than smuggling illicit cargo – the stability of the fragile local government may be at risk. Behind the scenes, at high levels within his own government, things are going on that put Daniel’s life at risk without him ever knowing about them. Within the tight-knit group that created Lazarus, there are moles and double agents. CIA operatives are aware of the duplicity from within, and are diligently attempting to smoke out the bad weeds in their organization. Information passed casually among friends could ultimately put Daniel’s life in jeopardy. Donn Taylor, a member of the Woodlands Writers’ Guild, has created a convincing and complex series of plots. He interweaves a number of dependent threads into an intricate tapestry that culminates in a gripping and exciting finale, when all of the major characters are brought together. As with Robert Ludlum’s novels, Taylor’s book is well researched. His descriptions of the workings of various American intelligence agencies as well as the operations of Medellín cartels and South American governments ring true. His background in Army aviation in Vietnam and his work with intelligence organizations abroad are put to good use in The Lazarus File. There is a certain inevitability in the developing relationship between Mark and Sol that drives the story beyond the complexities of the plot. They appear to be fated to be together, but just about everything that happens in their lives conspires to keep them apart and in peril. Taylor doesn’t shy away from the violence of the situation—several killings are presented in all their brutality—but neither does he wallow in these scenes. Mark Daniel is a man of conviction, determined to achieve his country’s goal even at great personal cost. This is an impressive debut. Web site and all contents © Copyright Bev Vincent 2023. All rights reserved. |
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