Sussman, Paul 1968(?)-

views updated

SUSSMAN, Paul 1968(?)-

PERSONAL:

Born c. 1968, in England. Education: Cambridge University, graduated 1988. Hobbies and other interests: Archaeology.

ADDRESSES:

Home—London, England. Agent—Susijn Agency, 3rd Floor, 64 Great Titchfield St., London W1W 7QH, England. E-mail—[email protected].

CAREER:

Journalist, author. Cofounder of the Big Issue magazine, writer of column "In the News"; CNN. com, feature writer for European bureau. Radio 4, broadcaster; Amarna Royal Tombs Project, Valley of the Kings, Egypt, official diarist, 1998-2002. Also worked variously as a gravedigger, builder, detergent salesman, and stand-up comedian.

AWARDS, HONORS:

Nominee, British Columnist of the Year, Periodical Publishers Association, 1997.

WRITINGS:

(Coauthor) MOMI Encyclopedia of Film, Carlton Books (London, England), 1996.

Death by Spaghetti (collected magazine columns), Fourth Estate (London, England), 1996.

The Lost Army of Cambyses, Thomas Dunne Books (New York, NY), 2003.

Contributor to numerous newspapers in England, including Daily Telegraph, Daily Express, Evening Standard, and Sunday Herald. Sussman's novel, The Lost Army of Cambyses, was translated into Italian, German, French, Spanish, Greek, Finnish, Russian, Japanese, Danish, Portuguese, Bulgarian, Swedish, Norwegian, and Hungarian.

ADAPTATIONS:

Film rights to The Lost Army of Cambyses were sold to Apollo Films.

WORK IN PROGRESS:

A second novel featuring Inspector Yusuf Khalifa of the Luxor Police, protagonist of Sussman's The Lost Army of Cambyses.

SIDELIGHTS:

Journalist and author Paul Sussman parlayed an abiding interest in archaeology into a popular first novel, The Lost Army of Cambyses, at once a "cinematic, rip-roaring adventure mystery," as well as a novel "brimming with details of Egyptian archaeology and history," according to Booklist's GraceAnne A. DeCandido. Born in England, Sussman attended Cambridge University, where he studied history. Graduating in 1988, he decided to see the world, working his way around the globe for three years before returning to England. There he helped to establish a magazine called the Big Issue, writing the "In the News" column. His writings in that column gathered something of a cult following in England; he was nominated for British Columnist of the Year in 1997. These columns were gathered in Death by Spaghetti, published by Fourth Estate. Richard Ingrams, writing in the Spectator, noted that that book "wins this year's prize for the most original title." Full of tongue-in-cheek brio, Sussman's articles detail urban tall tales, such as the one about his own efforts to get into the Guinness Book of Records by wearing the same pair of underpants for five years.

Beginning in 1998, Sussman, an avid amateur archaeologist who has taken part on numerous digs, became the official diarist of the Amarna Royal Tombs Project, the first such expedition allowed to search for new tombs in Egypt's Valley of the Kings in seventy years. Each October and November Sussman would accompany the rest of the team and keep a journal of events, which he also posted on the Internet. An outgrowth of that work was Sussman's 2002 debut novel, The Lost Army of Cambyses.

Sussman's novel introduces the Egyptian detective, Inspector Yusuf Khalifa, who suddenly has his hands full of corpses. English zoologist Tara Mullray has gone to visit her famous father at his dig in Egypt only to discover that he has been killed. She also meets up with her former lover, Daniel Lacage, an assistant to her father. Simultaneously, a black market seller of antiquities is found savagely murdered on the banks of the Nile; both cases land on Khalifa's desk. The inspector seeks a connection between the two deaths, but as he searches, a third murder turns up, that of a Cairo dealer in antiquities with burns on his body similar to those found on the black market dealer. Soon politicians from both England and Egypt become involved when it is discovered that an infamous terrorist who wants the Infidels out of his country might have links to the crimes. Mixed with this is the ancient legend of the invading Persian army of the title, which mysteriously disappeared in a sandstorm in 523 B.C. The puzzling question remains: what if traces of that lost army were found, but the officials at the Antiquities Department were never notified? It is this possibility that connects past and present in the novel. Soon Tara and her former lover are drawn into a dangerous cat-and-mouse game between the world of terrorists and the machinations of CIA and MI6 operatives. Khalifa's investigation must forge ahead before events spin out of control.

Critics responded warmly to this tale blending elements of Indiana Jones and The Mummy. Harriet Klausner, writing in Books 'n' Bytes, found the book a "tremendous first dig into the mystery world," and a contributor for Publishers Weekly similarly commended this "accomplished first thriller." The same reviewer went on to note that Sussman "has created a textured, well-researched and expertly paced debut." Maureen Carlyle, writing in Shotsmag Online, acknowledged that Sussman's "knowledge of Egypt—past and present—is really impressive." Carlyle added: "This is Harrison Ford country—so who cares?" More praise came from a critic for Kirkus Reviews, who called the book an "engaging first outing." And writing in the Spectator, Charles Mitchell found that Inspector Khalifa is "the strongest part of the book." Mitchell further commented that it "would be fun to meet him again." The reviewer may get his wish; Sussman is at work on a second adventure mystery featuring his Egyptian inspector.

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

PERIODICALS

Booklist, January 1, 2003, GraceAnne A. DeCandido, review of The Lost Army of Cambyses, p. 856.

Kirkus Reviews, December 1, 2002, review of The Lost Army of Cambyses, p. 1729.

Publishers weekly, January 6, 2003, review of The Lost Army of Cambyses, p. 37; January 13, 2003, review of The Lost Army of Cambyses, p. 40.

Spectator, December 7, 1997, Richard Ingrams, review of Death by Spaghetti, p. 54; April 13, 2002, Charles Mitchell, review of The Lost Army of Cambyses, pp. 55-56.