Iron-fisted Pope Leo XIV emerges from open heart surgery with the chilling realisation that his reforms have devastated the Church. As he struggles to overcome the policies he himself put in place, he must battle enemies from within the Vatican, as well as Islamic terrorists determined to assassinate him. Amid political intrigue and counterespionage, his brilliant surgeon Salviati becomes a target too, along with Salviati's beautiful mistress, Tove, and her fragile daughter, as the plot builds to a dramatic climax. Lazarus completes Morris West's bestselling Vatican trilogy, following The Shoes of the Fisherman and The Clowns of God. It can also be read on its own as a gripping exploration of Church politics in a world of crises. Timely and absorbing. Publishers Weekly A tense and exciting thriller. Library Journal