Inspector Yusuf Khalifa of the Luxor Police is back!! When Dutch archaeologist Piet Jansen is found murdered, Yusuf Khalifa soon finds alarming parallels with his first murder case of thirteen years earlier, in which an Israeli woman, Hannah Schlegel, was found dead at Karnak. Against the advice of his superiors, Khalifa, uneasily collaborating with an Israeli police officer, Arieh Ben-Roi, who, in turn depends on the information uncovered by Palestinian journalist Layla al-Madani, soon realises that the identity of Schlegel’s murderer involves the mystery surrounding an age-old religious treasure smuggled to the castle of Castelombres in France, and the whereabouts of aged Nazi sympathisers…
‘Not just a tightly-plotted, richly-observed, thought-provoking thriller, but one with a soul. Which is what makes it really special. Paul Sussman doesn’t evidently just know what he’s writing about; he cares about it, deeply. The compelling mix of tough, page-turning suspense, archaeology, history, and characters caught up in the brutal politics of the Middle East, make this a timely and authentic novel. Paul Sussman builds his story with the meticulous strokes of a craftsman, growing it from a seemingly innocuous death in the shadows of the Pyramids to a discovery that threatens millions of lives. His storytelling comfortably blends historical mystery with unflinching contemporary suspense, all of it told through utterly convincing depictions of setting and character. Inspectors Khalifa and Ben-Roi are heroes of our age: conflicted, harassed, noble and, most crucially, very human. I hope we see more of them very soon.’ Raymond Khoury, author of The Last Templar
‘The intelligent reader’s answer to THE DA VINCI CODE: a big, fat, satisfying archaeological puzzle story…clever plotting and solid characterisation.’ Independent
‘While Paul Sussman’s brilliant novel, THE LAST SECRET OF THE TEMPLE, will be compared to Dan Brown’s eight-hundred-pound gorilla, it is so much more. The mystery runs deeper, the history more accurate, the suspense drawn to a keener edge. It also shines a light into a bloody part of the world, where it is hard to tell enemy from friend, and where ancient debts of pain and murder echo to the present. Here is a thriller on par with the best literature out there. Challenging, shocking, evocative…it should be required reading during these harsh times.’ James Rollins, New York Times bestselling author of Black Order and The Judas Strain
‘Two for two. Another sure fire winner from a gifted storyteller. Hopefully, The Last Secret of the Temple won’t be Paul Sussman’s last.’
Steve Berry, author of The Romanov Prophecy, The Templar Legacy and The Third Secret
‘The Last Secret of the Temple is a gripping mystery, intricately plotted and eloquently told, with more hairpin turns than the road to Hitler’s Berchtesgaden. But more than that, its tale of an ancient artifact and the grudging alliance of an Egyptian detective and Israeli cop is as urgent and meaningful as the best journalism. Paul Sussman’s novel is not just thrilling, it makes the tension and promise of the Middle East heartbreakingly alive.’ William Dietrich, author of Napoleon’s Pyramids
‘The Last Secret of the Temple is a brilliant detective novel, hidden within a medieval saga, tucked inside of an archaeological mystery, surrounded by a modern-day Middle-East Terrorist Thriller. Paul Sussman has managed the impossible: a multi-layered quest– where all the characters are real and alive, and we should expect the completely unexpected.’ Katherine Neville, author of The Eight
Sales
- Transworld UK
- Grove Atlantic USA
- Piper Germany
- AST Russia
- Presses de la Cite France
- Plaza y Janes World Spanish
- Arnoldo Mondadori Italy
- Unieboek NL
- Metafora Czech Republic
- Cappelens Norway
- Tiderne Skifter Denmark
- Muza Poland
- Bertrand Editora Portugal
- Kadokawa Japan
- Bard Bulgaria
- Varrak Estonia
- Partvonal Hungary
- Alma Lithuania
- Enigma Croatia
- WSOY Finland
- Diigisi Greece
- RAO Romania
- Laguna Serbia
- Bertrand Brazil
- Nokhook Thailand
- Kontinents Latvia
- Pustaka Alvabet Indonesia
- Arab Scientific Press World Arabic
- Dong-A Ilbo Korea
- ALica Slovenia
- Pegasus Turkey
- Bata press Macedonia
- WF Howes Audio
- Ashirwadha Publishers Sri Lanka (Sinhala)
- Mofibo – Danish audio
Material: finished copies (371pp)