Paul Sussman (1966–2012)

Kommt mit ins Urlaubsgepäck. Ob ich all die Bücher schaffe? Im Zug sitze ich ja lange genug...
So, Urlaub fast rum und Buch gelesen. Also:
Auch wenn der Titel und das Buchcover suggerieren, hier handle es sich um einen der vielen historischen Krimis mit exotischem Hintergrund - Teile der Story könnten kaum aktueller sein (obwohl das Buch bereits 2005 erschienen ist). Zu Beginn werden mehrere Erzählstränge aufgebaut, die sich scheinbar zusammenhanglos nebeneinander weiterentwickeln.
In show more Ägypten untersucht Inspektor Khalifa den Tod und das undurchsichtige Leben eines Piet Jansen, der in einem Zusammenhang mit einem vor 15 Jahren geschehenen Mord zu stehen scheint. In Jerusalem recherchiert die Journalistin Layla über de Relincourt, einen Kreuzfahrer der einen geheimnisvollen Schatz in Jerusalem entdeckte, an dem auch Adolf Hitler Interesse zeigte. Die Aktivitäten der Krieger Davids, einer extrem radikalen Siedlerbewegung werden ebenso beschrieben wie die Anwerbung von palästinensischen Selbstmordattentätern durch Anhänger des mysteriösen palästinensischen Al-Mulatham, der einen Feldzug gegen die Israelis führt.
Wie sich all dies und mehr zusammenfügt, schildert Sussmann auf spannende Art und Weise und gewährt zudem einen tieferen Einblick in die Gedankenwelt von Juden, Palästinensern und Arabern während eines Konflikts, in dem jeder sowohl Opfer wie auch Täter ist.
Alles in allem ein Thriller, der sich deutlich von der üblichen Krimidurchschnittskost abhebt. show less

An historical mystery centred in the very modern Middle East with a MacGuffin that could alter the politics of Israel and Palestine in moments. A very real portrayal of the daily lives of Palestinians in Israel and of the mutual misconceptions that each side holds for the other. Sussman does not explain or justify, but by observing reveals more about the people of this region and how they feel about each other than any ten political tracts. As a novel this cranks up the tension and show more excitement in a very realistic way that kept me engaged from first to last. show less

I would not have found this book if not for the Nook free Friday offerings. I am so glad I did though. A “thriller set against the tumultuous politics of the present-day Middle East” is not a book I would normally pick up, but this was a pleasant surprise. There is an intriguing mix of history, politics, religion and mysticism that grabs you and keeps you in the story.
My knowledge of the Middle East as it currently exists is probably on par with most Westerners. My historical context is show more perhaps slightly above the average, but not by a whole lot. Where I feel I have a certainly more than fair grasp of the context is the religious history and folklore. Why am I telling you this – so you can understand better what I brought into reading this book.
It would be so very easy to adopt a moral position and tone and turn any story set against this backdrop into a heavy-handed lecture. Paul Sussman not only avoids this trap, but makes it seem effortless to have done so.
The 3 main characters are an Egyptian police inspector, a Palestinian journalist and a Jewish detective. A diverse cast, but even more interesting is the fact that for a good portion of the book they inhabit their own worlds only being brought into each other’s as the book nears its climax.
Oddly I found myself relating most closely to the middle aged Muslim Egyptian detective, Khalifa. His love of history and sadness at giving up the life he had planned paired with his love of family, questions about his faith and his sense of right and wrong is perfect. Arieh and Layla are dynamic and fully developed characters as well. In Arieh, the Jewesh detective, Sussman gives us a man grieving, hurt and angry – but who still wants to do what is right, even if he isn’t sure what that is. The Palestinian journalist Layla is hard and fierce but also vulnerable deep down inside. The history given to both of them deepens not only the characters but the reader’s understanding of the two sides involved in this ever present conflict.
Add to this a brilliant storyline crossing centuries and continents and what you have is an amazing book. The way in which the story weaves together is always fascinating and the pattern that develops constantly surprises but never in a contrived or forced way.
I took more time reading this book than I normally do. As I read very quickly normally and would usually have finished this book in less than 4 hours I was surprised to find that I spent about 6 ½ hours reading this. Part of that can be attributed to pausing to research a couple of things, but mostly it was because it caused be to think about my own beliefs and prejudices.
This book is described as a thriller, which it most definitely is, but it is also part political and social commentary – in the best way.
Thank you Paul Sussman for an exciting, well written and moving book. show less

This is another excellent candidate for the Wasted Potential category. A good premise and an interesting setting are overshadowed at every turn by a thoroughly unlikable protagonist who's a major pain in the backside when she's not dreamy and ga-ga after sex ... with a guy who proves that she is a terrible judge of character who never learns from past mistakes. You know that it's bad when you're barely halfway through a book and you're hoping that the "hero" ends up as carrion in some deep show more and desolate corner of the Sahara Desert. Beyond that, there are just too many logistical problems and plot holes to mention--beyond saying that there are tons of them. And the ending? Imagine the writer turning over the responsibility for the climax and resolution to an incompetent Hollywood scriptwriter who thinks that James Bond films are the epitome of realism. And then imagine it being even sillier. A good ending might have saved this one; the ending that was offered merely served as another nail in the coffin. show less