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lost army of cambyses by Paul Sussman

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The Lost Army of Cambyses by Paul Sussman is exactly the kind of book to have on a vacation, or on a long haul flight.

Cambyses was a Persian King who conquered Egypt in 525 B.C. thereby becoming the first Pharaoh of the 27th Dynasty. According to the great Greek historian Herodotus, he sent an army of 50,000 men into the desert to subdue an oracle, but the army vanished, apparently buried by a sandstorm.

Around this piece of history the story is masterfully built. It is located in Egypt, and involves the subterranean antiquity trade - the price men are willing to pay for possession of artefacts, but also the distinction of being the discoverer of new sites.

Tara's father is a world-renowned British archaeologist, living in Egypt, and who unexpectedly, and uncharacteristically, invites her to visit. Upon her arrival she finds him dead. She is almost killed the next day, while her attackers shout: "Where is the piece?".

Inspector Khalifa of the Egyptian police force has other gruesome murders that he investigates, and Westerners are killed in several terrorist incidents.

Without giving the plot away - the story leads to the lost army of Cambyses, but with a few delicious twists in the tail. The line of suspense is kept taut throughout the book, and the characters of Tara, Inspector Khalifa and supreme terrorist Sayf al-Tha'r are well-developed. Daniel, the lover, is a but vague, but his role has an unexpected outcome in the tale.

Besides a good whodunit, the book's pleasure lies in two things: the brief but very informative facts given about Egyptology, and the arguments and discussions about the justification for terrorism, in this case, Islamic fundamentalism. It is hard to remain politically non-committal, but Sussman manages to argue both sides with empathy.

This is what is called a "page-turner" and the ideal companion when you want the time to fly by. Enjoy.