The Lost Army of Cambyses

Rating:
Summary: Intelligent action thriller
Review: I couldn't put it down. The story moves along at a good pace, is intelligently constructed, and surprises with a number of unexpected twists. I thoroughly recommend this book, and look forward to more by the same author.

Rating:
Summary: One of Egypt's Unsolved Mysteries
Review: It is always an exciting time for me when I find a new author who writes about the subjects I am interested in. This is Paul Sussman's first novel and he certainly seems to have the magical gift of storytelling. The book is based around a well documented event in early history. In 523 BC the Persian Emperor Cambyses sent an army across Egypt's desert to destroy an oracle at Amun. Somewhere in the deserts the army of 50,000 men were destroyed by a sandstorm. The book is set in modern times and there is much murder and mystery involved. Inspector Yusuf Khalifa of the Luxor police is brought in to solve the crimes, but even he is amazed by the sting in the tail that this book has in store for the reader. This really is a gripping book, one of the best I have read this year, and I commend it to you.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent thriller
Review: This book is very well written and does an excellent job of intertwining an archaeological mystery with modern terrorists. It has a particularly nasty villain. It also brings an unusual setting -- modern day Egypt -- to life, with interesting, believable characters. I found it very engrossing and recommend it highly.