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April Fools Volume I, The Candidate
From childhood camaraderie to a world of clandestine agendas, Frank Lazarus unveils a gripping tale of ambition, personal weaknesses, and the perilous dance between friendship and deception. In suburban Philadelphia, Aaron Trachtman, Avi Golden, Billy Caldwell, and Tony Luciano forged a bond on the soccer field, pledging lifelong loyalty. But as years pass, their shared past becomes entangled in a web of secrets—secrets that could shatter their lives and rock nations.
When Aaron is unwittingly thrust into a U.S. Senate campaign, orchestrated by his closest allies, the stage is set for a tumultuous journey through corridors of power and darkness. As Aaron's reluctance collides with the machinations of family, friends, and political operatives, the stakes soar to unprecedented heights.
In "April Fools The Candidate," Lazarus masterfully weaves a tale of suspense and intrigue, where loyalty is tested, and the truth is a perilous commodity. From the streets of Philadelphia to the highest echelons of government, the FBI, CIA, and a team of relentless investigators race against time to unravel the secrets that span borders and threaten to consume all in its path.
As secrets morph into international intrigue, and the specter of assassination looms large, "April Fools" catapults readers into a heart-pounding odyssey of suspense, where nothing is as it seems, and the price of trust may be higher than anyone dares to imagine. Brace yourself for a roller coaster ride of betrayal, redemption, and the ultimate test of friendship, in Frank Lazarus's electrifying thriller.
When Aaron is unwittingly thrust into a U.S. Senate campaign, orchestrated by his closest allies, the stage is set for a tumultuous journey through corridors of power and darkness. As Aaron's reluctance collides with the machinations of family, friends, and political operatives, the stakes soar to unprecedented heights.
In "April Fools The Candidate," Lazarus masterfully weaves a tale of suspense and intrigue, where loyalty is tested, and the truth is a perilous commodity. From the streets of Philadelphia to the highest echelons of government, the FBI, CIA, and a team of relentless investigators race against time to unravel the secrets that span borders and threaten to consume all in its path.
As secrets morph into international intrigue, and the specter of assassination looms large, "April Fools" catapults readers into a heart-pounding odyssey of suspense, where nothing is as it seems, and the price of trust may be higher than anyone dares to imagine. Brace yourself for a roller coaster ride of betrayal, redemption, and the ultimate test of friendship, in Frank Lazarus's electrifying thriller.
408 pages, Paperback
Published May 21, 2024
About the author
Frank Lazarus
25 books97 followersFrank Lazarus is a retired financial services executive turned mystery author. He has written nine books, including seven in his popular BROWN & MCNEIL MURDER MYSTERY SERIES. Drawing inspiration from thriller masters like Patterson, Silva, Grisham, and Siegel, Lazarus brings his Wall Street experience to crafting compelling crime fiction.
A native of West Philadelphia, he earned his degree in Business Administration from St. Joseph's University. When he's not plotting his next mystery, Frank enjoys time with his three adult children and five grandchildren. He currently lives on Hilton Head Island with his partner, Deb, where the coastal setting provides the perfect backdrop for writing his intricate mysteries.
A native of West Philadelphia, he earned his degree in Business Administration from St. Joseph's University. When he's not plotting his next mystery, Frank enjoys time with his three adult children and five grandchildren. He currently lives on Hilton Head Island with his partner, Deb, where the coastal setting provides the perfect backdrop for writing his intricate mysteries.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
September 20, 2025
After the incredible college basketball corruption saga in "Recruiting Murder," I wasn't sure how Lazarus could pivot to politics, but wow, this transition is absolutely masterful! The way he connects the themes of institutional corruption from the sports world to the political arena shows real sophistication. You can see how Brown and McNeil's experience exposing the recruiting scandal prepared them for navigating the equally murky waters of campaign finance and political murder.
What I loved most was seeing how their partnership, strengthened through three previous books of increasingly complex cases, handles the pressure of a high-profile political investigation. The methodical approach they developed through "The Murder Gambit's" five-murder case, refined during "The Phenom's" emotional family crisis, and perfected during the college basketball corruption, is now being applied to protecting democracy itself.
The political setting feels like a natural evolution of their cases - from sports corruption to political murder, showing how power corrupts at every level. The way Lazarus weaves together callbacks to all three previous books while launching this new political storyline is brilliant. Can't wait for Volume II!
What I loved most was seeing how their partnership, strengthened through three previous books of increasingly complex cases, handles the pressure of a high-profile political investigation. The methodical approach they developed through "The Murder Gambit's" five-murder case, refined during "The Phenom's" emotional family crisis, and perfected during the college basketball corruption, is now being applied to protecting democracy itself.
The political setting feels like a natural evolution of their cases - from sports corruption to political murder, showing how power corrupts at every level. The way Lazarus weaves together callbacks to all three previous books while launching this new political storyline is brilliant. Can't wait for Volume II!
September 21, 2025
What an incredible evolution from "Recruiting Murder"! Lazarus seamlessly transitions from college sports corruption to the high-stakes world of political murder, all while keeping that gripping investigative essence we love. Brown and McNeil’s exploration of institutional corruption, from multi-jurisdictional murders to personal stakes in "The Phenom," leads us to this thrilling political narrative.
The political candidate storyline is a refreshing twist! It strays from the familiar sports setting but still features our beloved detectives, whose partnership has been tested through family crises and corruption. Now, they face their toughest challenge yet: a murder tied to politics.
I'm excited that this is just "Volume I," suggesting more political intrigue is on the way! Having followed these characters through four books, I’m fully invested in their journeys and can't wait to see where Lazarus takes them next. This series is brilliantly expanding its scope while remaining true to the characters we cherish!
The political candidate storyline is a refreshing twist! It strays from the familiar sports setting but still features our beloved detectives, whose partnership has been tested through family crises and corruption. Now, they face their toughest challenge yet: a murder tied to politics.
I'm excited that this is just "Volume I," suggesting more political intrigue is on the way! Having followed these characters through four books, I’m fully invested in their journeys and can't wait to see where Lazarus takes them next. This series is brilliantly expanding its scope while remaining true to the characters we cherish!
September 21, 2025
I'm still trying to process that incredible ending! The way Lazarus wraps up the candidate murder while setting up even bigger political conspiracies for Volume II is masterful storytelling. That revelation about which campaign officials were involved and how corruption runs through the entire system, I was literally shouting at my book!
The political world feels so authentic and terrifying. Campaign rallies, fundraising dinners, backroom dealing, all perfectly captured. Brown and McNeil keeping their moral compass while investigating people who've completely lost theirs creates such powerful stakes. The young campaign workers remind me of those exploited athletes from previous books.
That final scene with the FBI task force and hints about multi-state investigations has me counting hours until Volume II! This political storyline might be Lazarus's masterpiece. Perfect blend of murder mystery and political thriller with characters I've loved for four books now.
The political world feels so authentic and terrifying. Campaign rallies, fundraising dinners, backroom dealing, all perfectly captured. Brown and McNeil keeping their moral compass while investigating people who've completely lost theirs creates such powerful stakes. The young campaign workers remind me of those exploited athletes from previous books.
That final scene with the FBI task force and hints about multi-state investigations has me counting hours until Volume II! This political storyline might be Lazarus's masterpiece. Perfect blend of murder mystery and political thriller with characters I've loved for four books now.
September 21, 2025
This political corruption exploration is absolutely riveting! Lazarus has crafted a murder mystery that doubles as serious examination of how money corrupts democratic processes. The way he weaves the murdered candidate's personal story with larger conspiracy creates rich narrative where every revelation feels significant.
Brown and McNeil's investigation unfolds with perfect pacing, revealing corruption layers while maintaining focus on human cost. The political operatives, campaign workers, and donors all feel like real people with complex motivations rather than simple archetypes or villains.
What elevates this beyond typical political thrillers is the author's deep understanding of how institutional corruption operates. These murders aren't random violence but logical consequences of systems that value winning above integrity. Sophisticated crime fiction that tackles democracy and justice themes while delivering compelling entertainment.
Brown and McNeil's investigation unfolds with perfect pacing, revealing corruption layers while maintaining focus on human cost. The political operatives, campaign workers, and donors all feel like real people with complex motivations rather than simple archetypes or villains.
What elevates this beyond typical political thrillers is the author's deep understanding of how institutional corruption operates. These murders aren't random violence but logical consequences of systems that value winning above integrity. Sophisticated crime fiction that tackles democracy and justice themes while delivering compelling entertainment.
September 22, 2025
The series successfully transition from sports to politics while maintaining core series strengths. The political campaign world provides perfect backdrop for exploring corruption, ambition, and power's price. Every character feels authentic and morally complex.
The investigation methodology demonstrates continued growth, Brown and McNeil have developed sophisticated techniques for navigating institutional politics while following evidence wherever it leads. Their interviews with campaign staff and operatives reveal motivations organically while building toward shocking conclusion.
What makes this exceptional is how systemic corruption gets portrayed across different societal levels. The candidate's murder isn't random violence but inevitable outcome of systems prioritizing victory over ethics. This represents mature crime fiction tackling serious social issues while maintaining entertainment value.
The investigation methodology demonstrates continued growth, Brown and McNeil have developed sophisticated techniques for navigating institutional politics while following evidence wherever it leads. Their interviews with campaign staff and operatives reveal motivations organically while building toward shocking conclusion.
What makes this exceptional is how systemic corruption gets portrayed across different societal levels. The candidate's murder isn't random violence but inevitable outcome of systems prioritizing victory over ethics. This represents mature crime fiction tackling serious social issues while maintaining entertainment value.
September 21, 2025
Solid entry that successfully pivots from sports to politics, though I found the campaign finance details overwhelming at times. While I appreciated the thorough research into PACs and election law, some technical exposition felt dense compared to the more straightforward sports investigations.
That said, the murder mystery itself is well-crafted. The candidate's death connecting to broader political corruption unfolds logically, and Brown and McNeil's partnership continues evolving. Their moral clarity provides good anchor points in the murky political world.
The "Volume I" structure suggests this is just the beginning of a larger political arc, which interests me despite some pacing issues. The resolution sets up intriguing possibilities for the conclusion. While this might not be my favorite series entry, it successfully expands the scope.
That said, the murder mystery itself is well-crafted. The candidate's death connecting to broader political corruption unfolds logically, and Brown and McNeil's partnership continues evolving. Their moral clarity provides good anchor points in the murky political world.
The "Volume I" structure suggests this is just the beginning of a larger political arc, which interests me despite some pacing issues. The resolution sets up intriguing possibilities for the conclusion. While this might not be my favorite series entry, it successfully expands the scope.
September 21, 2025
The political setting is quite good, though I found myself missing the more intimate community dynamics of the sports books. The candidate murder operates in a much larger world of state politics, which sometimes feels less personal than high school basketball or even college recruiting.
The conspiracy is well-researched and characters feel authentic, but the cast is so large and stakes so high that individual victims don't connect emotionally the way Bo or those young athletes did. The candidate himself remains somewhat distant compared to the vivid character work in earlier books.
Still, this is solid crime fiction that successfully expands the series scope. The murder mystery itself is compelling, and Brown and McNeil's investigation maintains the quality I expect. While not my favorite, I'm curious where the political storyline leads in Volume II.
The conspiracy is well-researched and characters feel authentic, but the cast is so large and stakes so high that individual victims don't connect emotionally the way Bo or those young athletes did. The candidate himself remains somewhat distant compared to the vivid character work in earlier books.
Still, this is solid crime fiction that successfully expands the series scope. The murder mystery itself is compelling, and Brown and McNeil's investigation maintains the quality I expect. While not my favorite, I'm curious where the political storyline leads in Volume II.
September 21, 2025
Did not sleep last night. I couldn’t put it down during that final investigation where the whole political conspiracy gets exposed. Lazarus outdid himself, connecting the candidate’s murder to campaign violations and high-level corruption? Genius.
The political setting feels so real. Election season tension, pressure on candidates, all the shady backroom deals voters never see, it’s all there. Brown and McNeil holding onto their integrity while investigating people who’ve lost theirs? That’s the kind of drama I live for.
And that teaser about federal prosecutors, hinting this murder’s just the beginning? I’m hooked. This series keeps evolving and surprising me. Volume II cannot come fast enough. Already stalking the author on every platform for updates.
The political setting feels so real. Election season tension, pressure on candidates, all the shady backroom deals voters never see, it’s all there. Brown and McNeil holding onto their integrity while investigating people who’ve lost theirs? That’s the kind of drama I live for.
And that teaser about federal prosecutors, hinting this murder’s just the beginning? I’m hooked. This series keeps evolving and surprising me. Volume II cannot come fast enough. Already stalking the author on every platform for updates.
September 21, 2025
WHAT A CLIFFHANGER. Just when I thought the basketball recruitment drama couldn’t be topped, Lazarus drops a political twist that left me speechless. The way the candidate’s murder ties into campaign finance? I did not see that coming.
Brown and McNeil peel back layers of conspiracy like pros. It’s got that same tight plotting from book one, but now the stakes feel national. That courtroom reveal, who ordered the hit? Absolutely wild.
I need Volume II now. That tease about federal investigations reaching the top? I’m refreshing my inbox like a man possessed. My reading group is probably sick of hearing me rave about this series, but I’m too deep in to stop.
Brown and McNeil peel back layers of conspiracy like pros. It’s got that same tight plotting from book one, but now the stakes feel national. That courtroom reveal, who ordered the hit? Absolutely wild.
I need Volume II now. That tease about federal investigations reaching the top? I’m refreshing my inbox like a man possessed. My reading group is probably sick of hearing me rave about this series, but I’m too deep in to stop.
September 21, 2025
From college basketball scandals to full-on political murder? Wild. Brown and McNeil are so ready for this shift, it’s like everything they’ve been through was training for this moment.
It’s fresh but still feels like home. Same detectives, new battlefield. Their bond is solid, even with all the chaos.
And that ‘Volume I’ tag? Yeah, I’m already hooked for whatever comes next. Lazarus knows how to keep this world growing without losing what makes it great
It’s fresh but still feels like home. Same detectives, new battlefield. Their bond is solid, even with all the chaos.
And that ‘Volume I’ tag? Yeah, I’m already hooked for whatever comes next. Lazarus knows how to keep this world growing without losing what makes it great
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews