T. L. Hines debut novel, Waking Lazarus, has one of the most unusual plots that I have read this year. In the very first few pages 8 year old Jude Allman dies. It is a tragic accident. His father is there and after hesitating does pull him out of the icy water. He is definitely dead, no doubt about it. However, later at the hospital he is alive!

Jude dies not one more time but two more times and some time after the third death decides he does not want to be Jude Allman anymore. He shuts that part of his life off so completely he can’t remember most of it. Poor Jude is extremely paranoid about people ‘watching him’ and doesn’t even allow his house to have windows.

Ron Gress is born. Ron is a janitor at school in a small town in Montana. He has built a new life for himself and even has a son though he isn’t married. Rachel, the mother of his son has a strange connection to Ron but when his visions start she isn’t sure whether he is having epileptic seizures or if there is something deeper wrong. Can she really trust him? She prays for help because she is at a total loss as to how to help Ron and something deep inside her helps to relieve her doubts.

There have been young children abducted in the surrounding areas for the past year. Everyone is concerned. Chief Odum is on the look-out. He knows it’s only a matter of time before a child is abducted in Red Lodge. The Chief feels that there is someone close who is taking the children.

This is a fast paced novel that gives you glimpses into Jude Allman’s past while going full throttle forward as a ‘Hunter’ gets closer and closer to Red Lodge. Jude finally starts to come to terms with his previous deaths, his father and starts to remember his past. He is getting close to discovering who the evil person is and as that happens the danger around him mounts because know one could possibly guess who has been stealing and taking the lives of the children.

Hines’ does a wonderful job of building the suspense throughout the book while adding Jude’s spiritual re-awakening that is subtle but nonetheless there. Overall this is a great read and I can’t wait to read more by T.L. Hines.
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This was an amazing read. It gripped my attention from the first page and I could not put it down. I finished this book in 6 hours of straight reading and it was such an entertaining, interesting very original and extremely well written story. I would recommend this to anyone who wants a heart racing page turning adventure. ( )

"The first time Jude Allman died he was 8 years old". Isn't that a great opening line? From the intrigue generated by this statement the story continues, as the reader learns bits and pieces about Jude's bizarre brushes with death--three so far--and also about his current life as a paranoid janitor in hiding. Jude has tried to escape the media and the curious by changing his name to Ron and taking a low profile position as a school janitor. But a mysterious visitor shows up at his doorstep one day, right around the time that some bizarre things start to happen to him. He starts to have wierd visions, and he starts to break out of his paranioa. But even more troubling is that several children in the area have disappeared--and likely been murdered--and Jude's visions may be able to lead him to the killer.
T.L. Hines has crafted a real pageturner, full of plot twists that had me fooled as to who the real killer was going to be. He reminds me of Ted Dekker for his ability to combine heart racing suspense with religious themes. I look forward to reading more from him in the future. ( )

A story about a man that has died three times and always comes back. Due to no privacy he hides away from the public until children are murdered in his hideaway area and he knows how to find the children, but it will bring him publicity again. Beautifully written. ( )

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