Lazarus by Maryanne Melloan Woods

Release: September 8th 2020
Format: Ebook
Publisher: Owl Hollow Press
Source: Rockstar Book Tours
Find it at: Goodreads, Amazon, Kindle, B&N, Kobo, TBD, Bookshop.org

Margo and Hank are two teens in tiny, god-forsaken Lazarus, Nebraska. They have a profoundly deep relationship; the only hitch is that Hank has been dead for two months. Somehow he has remained in limbo— no doubt due to the sheer force of their love, and unfinished work to be done.

The pair involve themselves in investigating the latest local murder. Margo does the everyday detective work and the late Hank spying on suspects unseen. Soon, they discover nothing and no one in Lazarus are as they seem. Also, the investigation becomes more dangerous, and it’s up to Hank to protect Margo—as much as a ghost-bodyguard-boyfriend can. While clinging to each other, the teens uncover the sinister secrets of the people they’ve known all their lives, reopen the cold case of Margo’s mother’s death, and learn how to face their past—and how to move on.

About the Author:

Maryanne Melloan Woods is a novelist/ screenwriter/ playwright currently living in the New York area. She received a B.A. in Theatre Arts from Drew University and an M.F.A. in Screenwriting from the American Film Institute in Los Angeles.

As a TV writer/producer, Maryanne has written shows for networks including Showtime, NBC, ABC, Fox, the WB, Nickelodeon and ABC Family.

HBO’s New Writers Project, the Mark Taper Forum, and many theatres around the country have produced Maryanne’s plays . Maryanne has won the New England Theatre Conference’s John Gassner Playwriting Contest and the Venice (CA) Playwrights’ Festival. She also received a playwriting grant from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts. Her play, Smells Like Gin, was the first play produced by Writers Theatre of New Jersey. Also, she recently won “Best Comedy Script” in the Nashville Film Festival’s screenwriting competition for her screenplay Steve.

Besides, She has taught screenwriting at the Gotham Writers Workshop in New York, UCLA and the American Film Institute, and served as a panelist for TV writing seminars at NYU and the University of Wisconsin. Maryanne was also a mentor/teacher for The Unusual Suspects, a playwriting workshop for at-risk teens in L.A.

Maryanne is represented by Liza Fleissig of Liza Royce Agency.

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Lazarus Review:

This was an intense novel that had a bit of everything, like mystery, supernatural, crime, romance thriller all rolled into one.

The author did a wonderful job in telling the story. There are just so many things happening in it! June’s murder, Hank’s mother trying to pin Carolyn to Hank’s murder, Gib’s reaction to June, Boyd and Margo’s relation, Margo and Hank, etc. I could go on, but suffice to say, there is never a dull moment. This is a serious book, and a bit depressing at times because the characters mourn the loss of their loved ones. However, it is emotional, beautiful and haunting too.

Although the main characters are Hank and Margo, there are many characters in the canvas which make this story gripping. It was also interesting to see how the multiple storylines connected with each other. Moreover, I loved the concept of Hank being a ghost and Margo communicating with him. For one thing, this added a new twist to the storyline. I also liked the ‘stairway to heaven’ setting of Ancient Egypt. Some of the scenes are intense, like when Gib makes a scene in June’s funeral, or when Ted almost discovers Hank’s mom in their home. Moreover, there are some characters like Sam and Carolyn who were conniving and calculative, that made the story interesting.

Probably the only thing that threw me off a bit was Boyd hitting on Margo. Additionally, it stepped away from the plot and I thought it was unnecessary. Also, few of the characters were thrown as red herrings, which was nice, but looking back, did not add much to the storyline. Apart from that, I loved this tale and thought it was a wonderful debut novel!

Giveaway Details:

2 winners will receive a Finished Copy of LAZARUS, US Only.

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I am thrilled to be hosting a spot on the Lazarus by Maryanne Melloan Woods Blog Tour hosted by Rockstar Book Tours. Check out my post and make sure to enter the giveaway!