Paul Sussman's The Last Secret of the Temple.

Set in the Middle East, with the Palestinian-Israeli conflict as a backdrop, Temple follows the stories of three people: Yusuf Khalifa, a detective investigating a routine murder in Egypt, but finds out that it may be connected to the murder of an Israeli woman, very first case he worked on; Layla al-Madani, a Palestinian journalist reporting on the conflict, receives an anonymous letter stating that an artifact of enormous power and significance is finally able to end the conflict in favor of the Palestinians; and Arieh Ben-Roi, an Israeli detective still depressed over the death of his wife due to a suicide bombing, who is forced to work with Khalifa as the Israeli woman's address is within his station's jurisdiction. As Khalifa and Ben-Roi digs deeper and Layla tracks down the clues to the artifact, they finally converge, as both parties within Palestine and Israel wish to end the conflict peacefully before any more innocent lives are taken.

I have but one word:

Awesome.


This is one of the best books I've ever read, and unlike many books, there is really no filler, no random fact or situation to give color to the setting. Every single thing is relevant, and if it doesn't seem that way at first, Sussman is able to bring even the tiniest detail mentioned into the story at a later stage without it being obvious or awkward. As with every book, you have your obligatory twists, but this book sets you up so well that it pulls a fast one at the last minute, and everything explains itself nicely.

Even the end of the book is a cliffhanger. I won't tell, but initially I'd skipped to the end and skimmed, and panicked when I read it. Thankfully, I was wrong.

It's an amazing, amazing read. And it's not even something I picked up at the store; my mum's friend got it for me by the hotel swimming pool.

[Tourists buy books, read them, and leave them behind. Apparently, other guests are allowed to take them.]