The Hidden Oasis
Authors: Paul Sussman
THE HIDDEN OASIS
PAUL SUSSMAN
BANTAM BOOKS
LONDON • TORONTO • SYDNEY • AUCKLAND • JOHANNESBURG
2153 BC – Egypt, The Western Desert
November 1986 – Kukesi Airstrip, North-Eastern Albania
Washington. The Pentagon Building. The Same Evening
The Western Desert, Between the Gilf Kebir and Dakhla Oasis – The Present
California, Yosemite National Park
Cairo – The American University
Egypt – Between Cairo and Dakhla
Cairo – The American University
Massawi Military Airstrip, Kharga Oasis
The Real Zerzura – Author’s Note
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THE HIDDEN OASIS
A BANTAM BOOK: 9780553818734
First publication in Great Britain
Bantam edition published 2009
Copyright © Paul Sussman 2009
Maps and Gateway illustration © Neil Gower
Obelisk illustration © Alicky Sussman
Paul Sussman has asserted his right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 to be identified as the author of this work.
This book is a work of fiction and, except in the case of historical fact, any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.
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Paul Sussman
read History at Cambridge, where he also won a Boxing Blue. From an early age, his abiding passion has been archaeology. He has worked as a field archaeologist, in particular in Egypt where he was part of the first team to excavate new ground in the Valley of the Kings since Tutankhamun’s tomb was found in 1922. His first two novels,
The Lost Army of Cambyses
and
The Last Secret of the Temple,
are international bestsellers, while his journalism has appeared across the media, notably in the
Independent, Big Issue, Evening Standard
and on CNN.com. He lives in London with his wife and two sons.
Acclaim for
The Last Secret of the Temple
and
The Lost Army of Cambyses:
‘The
intelligent reader’s
answer
to
The Da Vinci Code:
a big, fat satisfying archaeological puzzle’
Independent
‘Not just a tightly-plotted, richly-observed, thought-provoking thriller, but one with a soul … The
compelling mix of tough, page-turning suspense, archaeology, history and characters caught up in the brutal politics of the Middle East,
make this a timely and authentic novel … comfortably blends historical mystery with unflinching contemporary suspense’
RAYMOND KHOURY, author of
The Last Templar
‘A brilliant detective novel,
hidden within a medieval saga, tucked inside an archaeological mystery, surrounded by a modern-day Middle East terrorist thriller …
a multi-layered quest
where all the characters are real and alive, and we should expect the completely unexpected’
KATHERINE NEVILLE, author of
The Eight
www.
rbooks
.co.uk
‘Shines a light into a bloody part of the world, where it is hard to tell enemy from friend, and where ancient debts of pain and murder echo to the present. Here is
a thriller on a par with the best
… it should be required reading’
JAMES ROLLINS, author of
The Judas Strain
‘A gripping mystery, intricately plotted and eloquently told … Sussman’s novel is not just thrilling, it makes the tension and promise of the Middle East
heartbreakingly alive’
WILLIAM DIETRICH, author of
Napoleon’s Pyramids
‘Ambitious, large-scale adventure … Sussman’s fastidious research into the novel’s setting grants everything a plausibility … his
millennia spanning plot
functions as a colourful backdrop’
Good Book Guide
‘Another
sure-fire winner
from a gifted storyteller’
STEVE BERRY, author of
The Templar Legacy
‘A
rollicking, feel-good adventure
set among the murky and convulsive politics of the present-day Middle East’
Jewish Chronicle
‘An
exciting page-turner
… unusual and intriguing’
Western Daily Press
‘A plot
as complex as a hall of mirrors,
and as gripping as a death threat’
Kirkus Reviews
‘A
tremendous adventure
… a great novel masterfully written’
VALERIO MASSIMO MANFREDI
‘At last,
a thriller that gets away from the hackneyed old ‘curse of Tut’ stuff;
and since Sussman has actually excavated in Egypt himself, we can trust his background detail … the fast-paced plot is one among many good things in this very assured first novel’
Scotland On Sunday
‘Spine-chilling, fast-paced … it
has all the ingredients of a James Bond adventure
… and it keeps you guessing right up until the final chapter’
Sunday Business Post
‘Adrenaline-packed … combines
all the elements of a truly great adventure story –
a 2,000 year-old historical mystery, buried treasure, a race against time … superbly evocative, with a huge epic sweep’
Crime Time
‘An enjoyable adventure story,
replete with archaeological lore’
Spectator
‘A
tough, sometimes brutal, but always engrossing
thriller. Sussman knows his Egypt, past and present, and he has the gift for creating engaging heroes of both sexes and really, really vile villains’
DR BARBARA MERTZ, archaeologist
‘A textured,
well-researched and expertly paced
debut … truly inventive’
Publishers Weekly
‘The twists in this detective story span 3,000 years and the credible surprises show the writer is a loss to the Secret Intelligence Service.
Frederick Forsyth has a worthy contemporary’
The Week
‘A
cinematic, rip-roaring adventure
mystery, brimming with details of Egyptian archaeology and history’
Booklist
‘Satisfyingly
full of ruthless characters, difficult situations and impossible odds
’
WBQ
‘Excellent twists
… this is Harrison Ford country … Sussman’s knowledge of Egypt – past and present – is
really impressive’
Shots
I am blessed to have found the most perfect oasis on earth, a place of shelter and warmth and joy unbounded. It is called my family: Alicky, Layla, Ezra and Jude.
This book is for them, with love, always.
There are an embarrassingly large number of people without whose advice, help and support this book could never have been written. First and foremost my beloved wife Alicky, who throughout has been there for me with wise counsel and calming words, and who has put up with more than any wife should reasonably have to put up with these last couple of years. I owe her a bigger debt of gratitude than I can ever repay.
The same goes for my wonderful agent Laura Susijn, whose unstinting support has kept me sane and on track, and my editor Simon Taylor, a man of infinite patience and encouragement.
Professor Stephen Quirke of the Petrie Museum provided invaluable advice on ancient Egyptian language, mythology and religion, and I can only apologize for the endless stream of oddball questions with which I have pestered him, and the substantial liberties I have taken with his replies. The British Museum’s Department of Ancient Egypt and the Sudan likewise helped plug the numerous gaps in my knowledge of Egyptian history and hieroglyphs. A particular thank you to Drs Julie Anderson,
John Taylor, Renee Friedman, Richard Parkinson, Neal Spencer and Derek Welsby. Also to Drs Nicole Douek, Clair Ossian, Nicholas Reeves and Robert Morkot for advice on, respectively, ancient Egyptian oases, botany, hieroglyphs and obelisks.
