If you are a bit squeamish, avoid this one, there are mutilations, oh yes indeed, there are many, but so brilliantly written is this book that it is only but a part of the intricate storytelling involved. This book combined religious secret sects with historical crime (The Whitechapel Murders), alongside modern day police work, political agendas and throw in a bit of demonology for good measure and voila! We have The Lazarus Prophecy!

The bad guy in this book is so well fleshed out (ha ha, I made an in joke there) and so intriguing yet revolting that you will go through a great love/hate rollercoaster. The book does compare to some of Dan Brown's work I don't argue with, but in my opinion I thought it was better.

The book paints the background gradually and swings across historical timelines into today, but not in a way that you get confused or lose your way, you will be hanging on to every word (at least I was). The grand finale, the final few chapters just blew me away, I was horrified, delighted and cheering whilst needing a stiff drink all at the same time.

Just read it, at night, on your own. I dare you. Brilliant fiction! Put this one on your to read list for sure!

This book is a crime novel which comes into contact with religion/supernatural elements. It gives a fresh twist on an occasionally exhausted genre. The murders are gruesomely detailed, and the characters are fleshed out, regardless of how small their involvement with the plot was.

I found myself gripped by the book. Despite the frequent changes in points of view, sometimes not naming the character until a few paragraphs in, I found I was able to discover who the character was based on their actions and mannerisms. This is a compliment to Cottam's character development, as as a reader I frequently struggle to keep up with who is who in books.

I loved this book. I would recommend it to anyone with an interest in crime, religion or the supernatural. It also features a strong female lead, and actually doesn't contain a love storyline too, which is refreshing. This is such a gripping book.

In London, DCI Jane Sullivan is involved in a string of murders which have just become public, after the perpetrator turned from killing high class call girls and turned his attention to a famous actress. On the border of France and Spain, a priory stands alone in a remote, mountainous region, charged with guarding an ancient prophecy. Half forgotten about, the Church – modern, forward looking, sceptical – find this ancient order an embarrassment and send Father James Cantrell to disband them. Forced with abandoning their rituals at the same time the murders started, this seems to be a coincidence. Although, at this time, Jane Sullivan is unaware of these events, she doesn’t believe in coincidences...

This is a riveting read – part crime novel, part supernatural story and with a link to the 1888 Jack the Ripper murders, which I found irresistible. At first, it seems the murderer is mimicking the Ripper murders, as he turns his attention to more and more high profile women. Jane Sullivan turns to Professor Jacob Prior, a theologian, for advice on what the strange words – in ancient languages – left at the scene mean. However, it is not only Sullivan who needs his help. Before long, Prior is embroiled in a fight against something much worse than a serial killer. Meanwhile, the killings are causing rising religious and political tensions, as fog descends on London. Throw in excellent characters – including a psychic ballet star, spies, odd religious orders, an intelligent and strong female lead and you have an excellent novel. I have enjoyed many of F G Cottam’s books, but this is certainly the best so far. Highly recommended. Lastly, I received a copy of this book from the publisher, via NetGalley, for review.

There is a killer loose on the streets of London, one that evades security cameras, is not held by locks, and savagely mutilates his victims. When the murderer switches from unknown prostitutes to Julie Longmuir, a beautiful actress at the height of her success, no woman feels safe. This is one hell of a book - up in my top ten for 2014-A gripping must read.

I am (as most people reading this probably know) a fan of F.G. Cottam, and have enjoyed all of his books. I enjoyed The Lazarus Prophecy, though, more than anything he's written since the unbeatable Dark Echo. It's both a return to form and a departure for the author: the former because it feels very original, very considered and carefully crafted, has more than one perspective and type of narrative, and takes so many turns before the conclusion is reached; the latter because it is not a straightforward (if there is such a thing) supernatural/horror narrative, it also has mystery and historical elements and a background which allows the social and political ramifications of the story's events to be explored.

The basic premise is that a murderer is targeting women in London, confounding the police because he seems impervious to detection - leaving no incriminating trace of himself at his crime scenes despite his habit of scrawling blasphemous messages, written in archaic languages, above the bodies of his victims. The detective leading the investigation enlists the help of a theologian, leading to the discovery that all of this has some connection with a secretive order of Catholic priests located somewhere in the Pyrenees. Meanwhile, the lack of resolution of the murder case leads an extremist right-wing organisation to whip up antagonism among Londoners, adding a very real edge to the 'end of days' atmosphere that permeates the story. This portrayal of a city on the brink of chaos brought to mind two of my other favourites from this year: Sarah Lotz's The Three, in which inexplicable events precipitate political dissent and the breakdown of international relations, and Louise Welsh's A Lovely Way To Burn, which depicts a nightmarish version of present-day London ravaged by a pandemic.

The blurb on Goodreads doesn't make the setup sound great; the description on NetGalley, which likens this book to The Da Vinci Code, is possibly worse (the comparison may attract certain readers, but it does the book a bit of a disservice - Cottam's writing is not the by-numbers style of Dan Brown). Although there is a serial killer angle to the plot, it is handled well, and the violence (which is actually minimal) is not gratuitous. As usual with Cottam's books, the characters are believable and likeable, and there are numerous strong and complex female characters. It's these characters who drive the plot forward, and that does help to balance out the fact that the villain tends to target women. I don't think the blurb does the best job of getting this across, so I feel it's important to underline here that the women in this story are not just victims: it is largely a female-driven book. In fact, the main male character, while he does make a contribution, plays the sort of sidekick/love interest part which might traditionally be the only significant sympathetic role available to a female character in a thriller.

I could have devoured this book in a few hours, but I tried to make it last longer, stretching it over several days, because I felt there was much to savour. I particularly liked the scenes taking place at the remote French monastery, a place perfectly created in its sense of atmosphere, eeriness and import. There's also a historical diversion - delving into an apparent connection between the modern-day London killer and Jack the Ripper - which is executed well and retains its own distinct character, while still fitting with the rest of the narrative. If you're a fan of the author already, I'm confident you'll love The Lazarus Prophecy. If you're a fan of either horror or mystery and would like to try something that has an element of both, I enthusiastically recommend it.

I am reading a book like this after a very long time. Combining elements of fantasy, religion, horror and mystery the various elements are woven together very well to keep you wanting to read this book in one go. It was not easy to keep and come back to.

Women are not safe on the streets of London. Never mind the three prostitutes which were his first victims, he has now moved on to very high profile women. Jane Sullivan is put in charge of the investigation and very soon comparisons are being drawn to the horrific Jack the Ripper which haunted London a century or so ago.

To add to the mystery is the fact that messages left behind at the murders are in languages which are ancient and in one case one that is not even spoken today. It all points to someone who is apart from being very clever at avoiding capture is very well educated in ancient languages and with a wide knowledge of the Bible as all quotes are from the Bible.

Bringing together priests from an order which lives in the remote Pyrenees and almost forgotton by the Vatican, along with a prophecy which so many in the Church did not even believe in the supernatural is woven into the story that one tends to believe that it is quite possible to happen.

An excellent read.