The Last Secret of the Temple

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 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, show more 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 excitement in a very realistic way that kept me engaged from first to last.

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 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 show more 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

A dead body is discovered in the Valley of the Kings in Egypt, and Inspector Yusuf Kahlifa of the Luxor police starts the investigation. What appears to be a simple case turns out to be something quite the opposite.

At the same time, we follow the actions of another police officer, Arieh Ben-Roi in Jerusalem, and also the actions of the Palestinian newspaper reporter Layla al-Madani, also based in Jerusalem.

All three of them are on the trail of the same ancient secret - a secret that goes back to the year 70 AD, and the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem. As it turns out, the Nazis discovered the secret during World War II, but hid most of the evidence of it in an abandoned mine at the end of the war.

THE LAST SECRET OF THE TEMPLE is show more often compared to THE DA VINCI CODE, and it is easy to see why. I really enjoyed THE DA VINCI CODE, and despite having all the right ingredients, THE LAST SECRET OF THE TEMPLE is not a new DA VINCI CODE. The main problem is that the plot develops too slowly - it is not at all as action packed as THE DA VINCI CODE (save for the last 100 pages or so out of almost 700 pages). Also, there are a lot fewer puzzles/mysteries to solve on the way to the finale.

There were however several things I liked about it. The story is set in Egypt and Israel, and the descriptions feel quite authentic. Even more so, because of the numerous words in Arabic, Hebrew and Yiddish that are used throughout the book. And even if the plot develops too slowly, it is a good story. It is fascinating with an ancient secret, and I liked the plot twist at the end as well.

In summary, not a new DA VINCI CODE, but a good story, albeit too slow to develop. show less

The Last Secret of the Temple by Paul Sussman left me slightly breathless and the morning after I finished th novel I was still thinking about the ending. Sussman had become one of my favorite mystery/thriller authors. I have read The Lost Army of Cambyses and now I really want to read The Hidden Oasis.

To me, Sussman's characters are different than most I have encountered because their culture and backgorunds are so different than mine. Sussman's character development is well, incredible. The something about each of them that keeps you hooked and he has a way with cliff hangers that makes you want to keep reading.

I think this is one of my favorite recent reads because the novel is written from the views of an Egyptian, an Israli and a show more Palestinian, not from the point of view of an American or an European. Going into this book I really had no information on the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and from this novel I think I have more of an understanding of the people if not the actually events of what is happening.

I would definitely recommend this novel. show less

If you're looking for some thing like da Vinci code, read this book. I picked up this book because I thought it would tickle my fancy with Egyptian history when it actually had to do more with Jewish heritage. The story kept me mostly interested without feeling formulistic. Having the story told from so many perspectives grew a little unwieldy but I think the author did a bang-on job with the three main characters. This mystery-thriller type didn't quite excite my soul but it did did have plenty of brushes of inspiration.

I loved this book, I couldn't put it down, great charactors and so many twists and turns.