2152 BC, Egypt: As the 94-year reign of pharaoh Pepy ll draws to a close, fifty priests set out under cover of darkness into the Western Desert, dragging with them a mysterious object swathed in cloth. Four weeks later, having reached their destination, the priests calmly slit each other’s throats, the last one left alive cutting his wrists.
1988, Georgia, USSR: A plane takes off from a small airfield near the recently decommissioned Mtskheta nuclear research facility. Somewhere over Egypt’s Western Desert the plane disappears.
Freya Hannan, 32, arrives in Egypt for the funeral of her elder sister Alex, a desert explorer. Recently diagnosed with a degenerative condition, Alex has taken her own life. Only two other non-Egyptians are present at the funeral: Professor Flinders ‘Flin’ Brodie – tall, rugged, handsome – a world authority on pre-dynastic Egypt; and Molly Kiernan, an American working at the UN. As Freya sorts through her sister’s possessions, she becomes increasingly uneasy. Why had she chosen this mode of suicide given her lifelong fear of injections?
When a Bedouin turns up at Alex’s home with objects found in the desert, explaining that she had promised to pay him for news of any unusual remains, Freya realizes that it is not only her sister’s death that raises questions, but her life as well. And when Alex’s home is broken into, the objects stolen, Freya has to run for her life. She goes to Flin and rapidly both their lives depend on finding answers.
‘The Hidden Oasis is that rarest of literary entities: an intelligent, compelling, beautifully written thriller. You will enjoy every page of this breathtaking ride – and the secret at the heart of it will knock the top of your head off.’ William Bernhardt (author of the Ben Kincaid series)
‘Another winner from Paul Sussman — hands down one of the best writers of international suspense in the business. Told with authority and style, excitement melds with adventure — you can feel the scorching desert heat and the chapping, acrid winds. The Hidden Oasis offers bone chilling thrills, a flair for the macabre, and off-the-charts suspense. Superb.’ Steve Berry
‘A rip-roaring gem of a read – you are in for a real treat!’ Raymond Khoury
‘Believable characters, fascinating history and an evocative sense of place – especially Cairo and the dry heat of the Sahara. There’s nothing dry about the visceral violence and thrilling action scenes, however, and best of all is the terrifying secret at the heart of the story – The Hidden Oasis itself’ Michael Cordy – author of The Messiah Code
‘I loved the mystery of the oasis, the utterly insane improbable location and subsequent events that develop and yet never once did I feel that I was being duped or failed to suspend my disbelief. It’s a thrilling ride and one I’d highly recommend’ My Favourite Books blog
Sales
- Transworld UK
- Piper Germany
- Metafora Czech Republic
- Columbus Slovak Republic
- Grove Atlantic USA
- Tiderne Skifter Denmark
- Random House Mondadori World Spanish
- Bertrand Brazil
- AST Russia
- WF Howes Audio
- Unieboek NL
- Presses de la Cite France
- Arnoldo Mondadori Italy
- Muza Poland
- WSOY Finland
- Cappelen Damm Norway
- Partvonal Hungary
- Bard Bulgaria
- Varrak Estonia
- RAO Romania
- Skorpion Croatia
- Marti Turkey
- Bertrand Editora Portugal
- Arab Scientific Press World Arabic
- Pustaka Alvabet Indonesia
- Ashirwadha Publishers Sri Lanka (Sinhala)
- WF Howes Audio
Material: finished copies (505pp)