A DYING CONDESA'S LAST HOPE
A DISGRACED JUDGE'S CHANCE FOR REDEMPTION
AND A SECRET THAT REMAINED HIDDEN FOR CENTURIES...
✚ UNTIL NOW ✚
The Lazarus Succession takes readers to the ancient scene of Christ's greatest miracle, to medieval Spain, and back to modern-day Europe.
"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."
--Lucinda E Clarke for READER'S FAVORITE
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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. 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.
#1 in Religious Mystery, Religious Fantasy, Biblical Fiction on Amazon UK since July 2017.
*** Voted BEST INDIE BOOK 2017 (Read Free.ly)
*** 2017 New Apple Book Awards for Excellence in Independent Publishing - 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.
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PROLOGUE
Bethany, Nr. Jerusalem
The Tomb of Lazarus
The crowd pressed in tight behind me, so much so that I could not turn around. The pressure of the people pushing and jostling, trying to see, caused consternation and anger amongst those caught hard in the middle of the pack. I was fortunate to be in the front rank.
They had come to see the man called Jesus. It was said he was a magician, a holy man, a prophet. I’ve heard stories, but whatever he was, it was known that he had performed astounding acts; like curing lepers and causing the blind to see.
His followers had linked arms and formed a ring, preventing the crowd from overwhelming him.
Rumour had it that a friend of his, named Lazarus, had died four days ago, and was now entombed behind the large stone in front of the cave. His friends and relatives were sobbing and talking to Jesus; some looked sad, others sounded angry. The man, this Jesus, asked for the stone to be rolled away. It was, and he walked to the entrance.
He muttered words we couldn’t hear, but then after only a few seconds, his voice broke the stillness and thundered, “Lazarus, come on out!”
And we all understood what this Jesus did.
It was hard to believe, but from out of the darkness of the cave, Lazarus, still draped in winding bandages, walked out into the light and knelt before Jesus.
Like the crowd around me, I was astonished. No ordinary man could do this. Surely it was an act of God. As an artist, I knew I had to capture this event. It was the most unbelievable thing I had ever seen.
Lazarus had stepped out of the bandages, and for a reason I cannot explain, I knew I had to collect them up.
