The Lost Army of Cambyses

by Paul Sussman

Book Overview

In 523 BC, the Persian pharaoh Cambyses dispatched an army across Egypt's western desert to destroy the oracle at Siwa. Legend has it that somewhere in the middle of the Great Dune Sea his army was overwhelmed by a sandstorm and lost forever. Two and a half millennia later a mutilated corpse is washed up on the banks of the Nile at Luxor, an antique dealer is savagely murdered in Cairo, and a British archaeologist is found dead at the ancient necropolis of Saqqara. The incidents appear unconnected, but Inspector Yusuf Khalifa of the Luxor police is suspicious, as is the archaeologist's daughter, Tara Mullray. Lured into a labyrinth of intrigue, violence, and betrayal by a mysterious hieroglyphic fragment and rumors of a mythic lost tomb, what began as a search for the truth becomes a race for survival. Confronted by both present day adversaries and ghosts from their pasts, Khalifa and Mullray find themselves on a trail that leads into the desert's unforgiving, burning heart, and the answer to one of the greatest mysteries of the ancient world.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0802143784
• ISBN13: 9780802143785
• Release Date: April 2008
• Publisher: Grove Press
• Length: 288 Pages
• Weight: 1.10 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.3" x 5.4" x 8.2"

Customer Reviews

Muy buena

Una novela muy entretenida.Es como una pelicula de Indiana Jones,tiene un poco de todo.La descubri por casualidad y es una de mis novelas favoritas

Murder and mayhem in the desert

This book is perfect for beach reading, which is where I was when I read it. The plot is convoluted, and the action fast and furious. There are some gruesome murders, and it's almost impossible to tell which character is exactly what he or she appears to be. The author is obviously quite familiar with Egypt and its history, and the search for this lost army is extremely interesting. There is a very dangerous terrorist-type in the book, and he haunts the life of the policeman-protagonist. Everything comes together in the end, and all of the mysteries are solved, but I still wonder how many people in this book could spend days crossing the desert without having something covering their heads? Just one of life's unsolved mysteries, I guess.

strong police procedural

English zoologist Tara Mullray visits her renowned Egyptologist father Michael at a dig only to find her dad dead. At approximately the same time, a black market antiquities seller is also found dead with his mutilated corpse lying by the Nile covered with cigar burns. Inspector Yusuf Khalifa of the Luxor Police Department is assigned to investigate both homicides. Because of the nature of their respective professions, two sides of the same coin, Yuseuf seeks a link between the murders. He quickly learns of a third facet when an elderly Cairo antiquities dealer is killed (with cigar burns on the body) in his shop, but nothing is stolen. Yuseuf interviews Tara who informs him that the excavation site where her father died contained the odor of cigar smoke. Soon the Egyptian and British politico take an interest in how much Yuseuf knows because terrorist Sayf al-Tha'r lingers in the background. THE LOST ARMY OF CAMBYSES is a strong police procedural that interweaves archaeological elements into the plot, but though engaging and educational never slows down the pace of the story line. The tale is at its luxurious best when Yuseuf investigates. The novel remains powerful even when the British embassy and the Egyptian Antiquities Bureau interfere with the inquiry due to a fear of Islamic Fundamentalist involvement. When the plot twists more into a thriller, it retains its excitement, but veers away from its prime theme of murder investigations at the Pyramids. Still this is a tremendous first dig into the mystery world by renowned archaeologist Paul Sussman and hopefully he will provide more exciting tales for his faithful students. Harriet Klausner

EXTRAORDINARIA

MUY, MUY BUENA, INCREIBLE DESDE EL COMIENZO ,DURANTE Y EL FINAL DE LA NOVELA. COMPRE LA NOVELA POR CASUALIDAD Y HE QUEDADO MUY IMPRESIONADO,YA TENGO EL GUARDIAN DE LOS ARCANOS Y PUEDO ASEGURAR QUE ES TAN BUENA COMO ESTA. COMPRENLA Y LEANLA LES GUSTARA MUCHO. ES UNA PENA QUE EN ESPANOL EL AUTOR SOLO TENGA DOS NOVELAS.

Excellent thriller

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.