The Minutes of the Lazarus Club | 
 enlarge | Author: Tony Pollard
Publisher: Michael Joseph
Category: Book
List Price: £12.99
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Avg. Customer Rating:  6 reviews
Sales Rank: 16162
Media: Hardcover
Pages: 448
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.8
Dimensions (in): 9.3 x 6.3 x 1.7
ISBN: 0718154037
EAN: 9780718154035
ASIN: 0718154037
Publication Date: August 7, 2008
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| Customer Reviews: Read 1 more reviews...
 (3.5 stars) Solid debut novel November 14, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
In London in the 1850s, a secret society called the Lazarus club emerges, comprised of the most brilliant scientific minds of the age. Their goal is to discuss various problems and mysteries that arise out of their scientific explorations. In 1857, Dr. George Phillips is invited to join the club, by Isambard Kingdom Brunel, who has just completed work on a massive ship, the Great Eastern. Pretty soon, however, dead prostitutes are washed onto the shores of the Thames, their insides removed, and Phillips is immediately suspected of the crime. The attempt to clear his name leads to a chase of a killer and a crime that could have international implications.
For the most part, I enjoyed this novel. Aside from a brief spell in the middle, which seemed to drag a bit, the plot moved at a rapid pace, and Pollard does a great job of bringing mid-19th century London to life. I talk a lot about novels where the cities described in them become characters themselves, and London here is no exception. You almost feel as though you're wandering the dark, foggy streets of 1850s London with Phillips and Brunel. The plot is somewhat macabre, but the ending of this highly suspenseful novel had me glued to my seat. I also liked the brief appearances that Florence Nightingale made in this book.
There were only two other things I didn't particularly care for: Phillips practically had to be handed the answer to the mystery, and the villain kept coming back to life in true bad-thriller fashion. But other than that, I really enjoyed this novel.
 The Minutes of The Lazarus Club September 8, 2008
After reading only a few short pages,you find that Tony Pollard has drawn you into a murky underside of London that provides a vividly detailed stage on which real events and historical figures intertwine with a well-crafted fiction. As the story unfolds, every detail and description of the people and places adds to an almost filmic quality of involvement for the reader as the tension builds and the pace quickens towards a skilfully concealed ending. Extraordinary, highly imaginative and highly recommended.
Minutes of Lazarus Club August 15, 2008
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
Well written and eloquent. Every word breathes life into its characters, historical and fictitious. Isambard Kingdom Brunel is celebrated in this Victorian adventure full of intrigue and danger. If you like historical fact/fiction/adventure, you will agree with me that it is the best of its genre. 10 out of 10 for atmosphere, pace and storyline. I can't say enough good things about it.
The Minutes of the Lazarus Club August 8, 2008
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
This is an exciting gothic thriller that grips you from the first page to the end, a real page turner. Pollards style of writing evokes vivid images of the Victorian era at a time when advances in technology were moving at an extremely fast pace and possibilities appeared endless. His academic rigour is evident as he pays attention to the detail of real events and characters which at times makes it is difficult to distinguish fact from fiction. His references to Mary Shelley and Frankenstein fit perfectly adding to the suspense and intrigue. A fantastic read full of twists and turns which will both educate and entertain.
Irresistable Victorian Drama August 6, 2008
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
For anyone who has an interest in the 19th century (or not) this book is a highly recommended read, from the Battle of Waterloo through the Great Stink to the American Civil War with many a red herring along the way.
The story is littered with figures from history, though its mainstay is the physician George Philips who seems most happy at the dissection table, until he meets Isambard Kingdom Brunel. Soon after, Philips is drawn into the mysterious gatherings of the Lazarus Club and we start to see signs that he may be a troubled man. As his involvement with the club and its members intensifies, so too does the hunt for a serial killer who is dumping his mutilated victims in the river Thames. It is not long before Philips himself is a suspect. The deepening characterisation of Philips is gripping: why is he increasingly drawn to the slightly sinister Lord Ockham?
Few females make an appearance in the book. Of the three that do it is Florence Nightingale who is most pleasing, and she is given many an opportunity to poke fun at some of the most `forward-thinkers' of the period.
The attention to detail is very impressive, not least the engravings which appear at each chapter heading. Unlike some recent forays into fiction by academics the detail in no way comes at the expense of the characters and the unfolding tale. Here we are promised a Victorian drama and that's what we are given. The impression one gets is of a dark and violent London which is extremely compelling. Above all the book is a thrilling mystery, but is it murder?
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