The Last Secret of the Temple: Paul Sussman

The city of Jerusalem has long been a source of fascination for Christians, Jews, and Muslims. The idea that treasures of immense beauty and power lie hidden beneath the stones has driven more than one adventurer to the brink of destruction. With the current state of war tearing the city apart, the discovery of any ancient object that could justify either side could cause both victory and disaster. Add the hand of the Third Reich into the mix and the mystery deepens to the point of obscene.

When Egyptian Detective Yusuf Khalifa is called to investigate the possible homicide of an old man in the Valley of the Kings, he's struck by certain aspects that bring to mind the murder of an elderly Jewish woman fifteen years before. When the death is ruled accidental his concerns are brushed aside but Khalifa can't let go of his suspicions. Miles away in Jerusalem, as the Palestinians and Israelis fight for supremacy; Palestinian journalist Layla Al-Madani receives a letter and an ancient coded document that promises a weapon in the war against the Israelis. In the Israeli quarter Baruch Har-Zion plots an encroachment on Palestinian territory while Israeli Detective Arieh Ben-Roi drowns his grief over his lost fiancé in vodka and struggles to remain afloat, torn apart everyday by his hatred of the Palestinians. Between these disparate individuals lies the path to a secret that could bring about peace or destruction. Everything hinges on the choices they will make in the next few days.

The race to find moral high ground by trodding over relics of the past has reached a pitch of frothing insanity in recent years. Every time I open a new package from a publisher I'm faced with another epic battle featuring a dusty religious icon that's been dredged forward, slapped with a conspiracy sticker, and had a dull and thinly-woven plot wrapped around it. Lucky for Paul Sussman then that he's featured a new and interesting angle on this idea, as well as a richly-detailed plot, embattled characters that are all to human in their deep-seated prejudices, and a helluva twist that about knocked my ass for a loop. I've read more of these than I can count, and it's hard to surprise me any more, but he managed to do it.

This is a definite for fans of the genre.
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Hardcover: 560 pages
Publisher: Atlantic Monthly Press (October 10, 2007)
ISBN-10: 0871139723
ISBN-13: 978-0871139726
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