Bound for Eternity [Paperback]

Sarah Wisseman (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 22, 2005

I still hadn’t figured out any motive for harming Marion. She must have known or done something that the attacker found threatening, probably without realizing it. In fact, it was the classic gothic novel situation: Marion knew something, but didn’t know she knew it. Rather like me; I had the feeling of some vital piece of knowledge locked in my subconscious, just out of reach.

Disappearing artifacts, jealous colleagues, and dead bodies—who says a museum curator’s job is easy?

After transporting a newly acquired Egyptian mummy to a local clinic for an X-ray, curator Lisa Donahue safely returns the ancient relic to the Boston University Museum of Archaeology and History. Upon returning to the museum after hours, the widowed young mother is shocked to discover the bloodied body of a colleague in the mummy’s vacated case. The two-thousand-year-old mummy contains an enigmatic clue that will help Lisa solve the murder and keep her job. But she must move fast—before someone turns her into a permanent exhibit.

“Highly authentic, written by an archaeologist, Bound for Eternity is a great read. The museum setting was both eerie and fascinating. I hope to see Lisa Donahue in many books to come.”—Barbara D’Amato

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Archaeologist and former museum curator Sarah Wisseman teaches archaeological science at the University of Illinois. Bound for Eternity is based on her real-life research, described in The Virtual Mummy. She grew up in Boston but now lives in Champaign, Illinois.

Product Details

• Paperback: 222 pages
• Publisher: iUniverse, Inc. (April 22, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0595350887
• ISBN-13: 978-0595350889
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,040,846 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Sarah Wisseman (a.k.a. Sally Underhill) writes the Lisa Donahue archaeological mysteries. She hadn't a clue that she wanted to be an archaeologist until she traveled to Israel right after her freshman year in college. There she ate felafel, fell in love with Jerusalem, camped illegally on Masada, and spent a month at the excavation of biblical Beersheba. Once hooked by archaeology, she returned for her Junior Year Abroad at Tel Aviv University, an experience that eventually inspired The Dead Sea Codex.

In her day job, Sarah is an archaeological scientist at the Program on Ancient Technologies and Archaeological Materials (ATAM), Illinois State Archaeological Survey, Prairie Research Institute, at the University of Illinois. Her research project on Egyptian mummies led to the first Lisa Donahue mystery, Bound for Eternity (first published 2005, new paperback edition 2012).

The third Lisa Donahue mystery, The Fall of Augustus, and the fourth, The House of the Sphinx, both came out in late 2009. For more info, go to www.sarahwisseman.com

Sarah has recently added several short works to the Kindle Store. They are: Heaven for Roosters (a short story about theft in the Dominican Republic), Then, Fall Caesar (a short story similar to the novel, The Fall of Augustus, but with a very different ending, and Mummy Dearest (a novella form of the longer Bound for Eternity).

Reviews of Fall of Augustus:

"Wicked! Wisseman just keeps getting better!"

Molly MacRae, author of the novel Wilder Rumors and short stories in Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine.

"Wow! I just finished reading The Fall and my head is still spinning! What a tale! It would make a good movie."

Allan C. Campbell, M.D.


"I've always thought of a museum as a quiet place to while away the time, but that's not the case when Sarah Wisseman shows us what can happen behind the scenes. Her character, Lisa Donahue has a distinctively difficult challenge ahead of her to keep her position at the museum. Some of the display pieces go missing, and newly discovered mummies haven't been procured from Egypt. The Fall of Augustus will definitely keep you guessing who the culprit might be, right down to the last chapter. "

Jo Ellen Conger, Conger Book Reviews

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Sip of Education, glup of murder, June 7, 2005

By 

F. Stoneback (New York, NY USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Bound for Eternity (Paperback)

Most good fiction today combines expert knowledge of something with an interesting plot -they makes us feel as if we are taking an educational vacation. Sarah knows alot about Egyptian Mummies and hard pressed archaeological museums. You can smell the dust, feel the fur, taste the wine, see the blood, and nod your head at the Filemaker Pro frustrations. It's a darn good read and cheaper than a Sierra Club vacation. My only question is when is the next one coming?

5.0 out of 5 stars Wisseman corrects some of the folklore regarding archaeology and mummies, July 12, 2008

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Bound for Eternity (Paperback)

Sarah Wisseman works as an archaeologist at the University of Illinois, directing the Program on Ancient Technologies and Archaeological Materials. She has also written a second Lisa Donahue mystery entitled THE DEAD SEA CODEX, based on her experiences living in Israel in the 1970's.

Archaeologist Lisa Donahue is working as a temporary curator at the Boston University Museum of Archaeology. The tale opens with the x-ray of an ancient mummy from Roman times, who appears to be a young child. A team of scientists, doctors, and archaeologists team together to examine the Roman period Egyptian mummy. Lisa is also competing for a permanent position with another temporary archaeologist. True to the academic world, competition brings out the best and worst in the department; the worst being the discovery of a body in the museum, which turns out to be Lisa's friend and co-worker. Someone has something big to hide, and Lisa's co-workers suddenly turn into murder suspects. To add to the fun, Lisa has met and fallen in love with her best friend and co-worker's steady squeeze:

"'He dumped me. We had a dinner date the other night. Halfway through dessert he told me it wouldn't work, that he'd met someone else.' Ellen was indignant. 'I can't believe it. We had such a good thing going. I think I'll give him a little cooling off period and call him again. Maybe the new lady will disappear.'

'I'm sorry,' I said insincerely. Ellen didn't seem that upset, so I wasn't worried about her emotional well-being--just her notorious temper. Was I the 'someone else?' There was something about the way James had looked at me...this could get really sticky. Would he call, now that he was no longer dating Ellen? If he did, would I agree to see him? Would we..."

Wisseman does a great job of combining 'archaeology for dummies,' 'museum management for dummies,' and a great plot with lots of action and interesting characters to make her first Lisa Donahue mystery provocative, page-turning entertainment. It is always fun to read about mummies, and Wisseman corrects some of the folklore regarding archaeology and mummies. BOUND FOR ETERNITY is crisp and seductive.

Shelley Glodowski
Senior Reviewer

5.0 out of 5 stars mummies and murder, March 16, 2006

By 

Karen Thomas "mystery lover" (Mendocino CA USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Bound for Eternity (Paperback)

With a liking for archaeology/anthropology based mysteries, I tried this first novel with some anxiety. The anxiety was misplaced, as this tale of museum, mummy and murder is first-rate. Ms. Wisseman clearly knows her stuff, and the story is full of forensic detail, fascinating science, and believable characters. A tidy plot and likable heroine make for a most enjoyable story. Looking forward to more adventures for Lisa Donahue. Highly recommended.