Lazarus Man is the long overdue latest novel from Richard Price,one of my favourite authors, and as always the characters and location form as large a part of the narrative as the actual plot. When you read a Richard Price book you feel as if you know his characters personally and have walked the streets of his invariably edgy locations.

In the changing East Harlem of 2008 a tenement building suddenly collapses,amidst chaos , panic and wild theories. 6 bodies are found and world-weary detective Mary Roe is tasked with tracking down the missing.funeral director Royal Davis swoops vulture-like onto the scene in an attempt to save his ailing business and young photographer and filmmaker Felix Pearl sees opportunities to make a name for himself . The Lazarus Man of the title is Anthony Carter,miraculously surviving after being buried for days beneath the rubble who embarks on an almost messianic mission to inspire and comfort others.

The plot line could be told in a couple of sentences but it's almost incidental to Price's insights into his complex and believable characters,with the changing East Harlem of the era being one of them. In lesser hands the conclusion of one major thread of the story would be a massive anti-climax, the book is so much better,and different, for its eventual resolution.

An excellent read for those who enjoy something more cerebral than action-packed,something insightful that will have them thinking about what they've read for a long time after finishing ......not least the final few paragraphs which I'm sure will touch a lot of people.