The Amber Room

A book that is exactly as you would expect from a single glance at it. Functional prose and dialogue, routine international-thriller plotline, straight-laced protagonists, villainous villains, pointless trashy sex and blow-by-blow action sequences. However (or perhaps because of this) it is hard to dislike: well-plotted, quick and easy to read, and with one hook – the Amber Room itself – that separates it from the pack. One thing it lacks that the genre is usually good at is puzzles for our protagonists to solve (it is more case-file mystery than cryptic teaser) but it is, in short, a capable Da Vinci Code clone that doesn't disappoint if that is what you are looking for.

From Amazon:

The Amber Room is one of the greatest treasures ever made by man: an entire room forged of exquisite amber, from its four massive walls to its finely crafted furniture. But it is also the subject of one of history’s most intriguing mysteries. Originally commissioned in 1701 by Frederick I of Prussia, the Room was later perfected Tsarskoe Selo, the Russian imperial city. In 1941, German troops invaded the Soviet Union, looting everything in their wake and seizing the Amber Room. When the Allies began the bombing of Germany in August 1944, the Room was hidden. And despite the best efforts of treasure hunters and art collectors from around the world, it has never been seen again. Now, two powerful men have set their best show more operatives loose in pursuit, and the hunt has begun once more.

My Thoughts:

There are many twists and turns in this action packed thriller, and a lot of historical information is woven into the fabric of this intricately plotted novel. I was hooked once I read the gripping prologue that sets the tone for the book. I found that I simply could not stop turning the pages of this engrossing thriller. This is a plot driven book, so while it may fall a little short in the area of character development, it does not for one moment diminish the enjoyment that the reader will get from reading this immensely interesting work of fiction. It is simply an amazing debut novel. show less

The Amber Room were panels embedded on the walls of a single room in the Catherine Palace, eventually covering 55 square meters of wall space 6 tons of golden amber brought together in jigsaw fashion to create a stunning interior. Then towards the end of World War II, the interior was looted by the Nazis and brought to Königsberg where it was never seen again. Searches focused on the tunnels of Harz Mountains in Germany. It is rumored that the Amber Room didn’t get destroyed during the Allied bombings of Königsberg, fuelling belief that the panels survived. But where are they now?

The Amber Room by Steve Berry is a wild, intriguing scavenger hunt through America and Europe. Judge Rachel Cutler’s father has what he believes are show more clues as to the location of the Amber Room. When he dies unexpectedly, the secrets he has kept are made known. Cutler doesn't believe for a moment that her father's death was due to natural causes, so she and her ex-husband, Paul, go to Germany in search of answers. Little do they know that they're not alone in their quest. Others seek to discover the whereabouts of the Amber Room, including two unscrupulous collectors who compete to find lost or stolen pieces of art.

This was a very action packed thriller and I enjoyed it quite a bit. show less

The Amber Room is a good mystery/thriller about a group of international art cabal who "acquire" previously stolen artwork. At the heart of this novel is the mystery surrrounding the disappearance of the amber that encrusted a room in the Catherine Palace, the summer palace of the Russian royalty located just outside of St. Petersburg. Having seen the reconstruction of that room (in the summer of 2004), I can understand the fascination that people might have with it.

I enjoy reading mysteries, but have a hard time finding authors who can write passably well. Steve Berry's writing is definitely above average for authors in this genre. I also enjoy mysteries that weave in some history, little-known historical events, and/or artwork, and show more The Amber Room met these criteria. The characters in this book are fairly flat, but the interesting subject and twists and turns in the plot make up for the lack of good characterizations. Overall, an entertaining read. show less

When Rachel Cutler’s elderly father dies after falling down a flight of stairs, ending up with a broken neck, her ex-husband Paul becomes the executor of his estate. He finds papers in his former father-in-law’s safety deposit box that lead him to information about The Amber Room which was constructed almost entirely of amber over many centuries in Russia and which disappeared after World War II. Visits by some unusual strangers convince Rachel to go Germany to try to discover what her father meant in his notes, even though he warned her not to do so.
Greed, lust, treachery, and death are the basis of THE AMBER ROOM. It is the story of what she discovers, revolving around a group of nine very rich men who steal art treasures that show more have been previously stolen just for the ability to have them on display in their own mansions. Many, but not all the items, were stolen by Hitler and Goring as they looted museums and personal collections of their victims during the Nazi Invasion. The book details how some of the treasures were hidden near the end of the war.
During her trip, Rachel does some self-examination to try to figure out why her marriage failed.
The book is fast-paced and maintains the reader’s interest. There is a little repetition and a couple unlikely scenarios, e.g., when Rachel’s secretary tells a stranger where Rachel is going and when she is leaving. I don’t believe a judge’s secretary would ever be that open. show less

Looked for some time to find this book as over the years have become a Steve Berry fan and a real sucker for historical based adventures/thrillers. When I did find it was thrilled as it was a Signed first edition in fine condition. Enough of that foolishness.

This is the first book published by Steve Berry so was not sure what to expect. The reviews on Good Reads were all over the place from a very strong I Hated It to oh my god it was fabulous!! And all points in between. One thing I have learned about books of this nature 'modern day adventures based upon historical events or items', people either love them to hate them. Me, I really enjoy them as anything history related I find very fascinating (sucker for history).

Being his first show more book wasn't sure what to expect. Well (spoiler) there was no Cotton Malone no Cassiopeia. Then what did I expect! I didn't know. Was expecting the usually smooth writing with an intriguing story line about some arcane historical item or event (or both) that leads the reader on an interesting adventure with a little obscure history thrown in to keep it as real as possible. Well the writing was not quite as good as his later works but the story plot was very interesting. The characters were not as well fleshed out as in his later writings and, it really irritated me, there were so many bone headed stupid decisions made by the principal characters. The level of stupidity exhibited by the two main characters almost spoiled the book. I realize that for the story to work they had to have no comprehension of what a really bad situation they were in. Most 10 year olds could have thought circles around them; yes, bazaar decisions were key to the story flow. Really irritating. Ignoring that one point it was a good story. The pace was not smooth and the dialogue so so, neither really got in the way of making it an enjoyable story.

Again, I am really happy I finally found this book and it is a good bench mark to see how Steve Berry has grown and matured as both a writer and story teller. While there were points of some disappointment with the book (probably due to comparing it to his later work - human nature at work) overall I found it a solid fun book and would recommend it for anyone who enjoys there history based adventures. show less

In this suspenseful novel, several sets of people are racing to uncover the Amber Room, which has been lost since World War II. The book manages to impart quite a lot of factual information about the Amber Room while also being a readable, fictional, thriller. The amber itself has still not been found, but the series of events laid out in this imagining seem, at least to a layperson like me, quite plausible. The one complaint I have is that there were several "mini-climaxes" in the book, a couple of which were quite a bit more suspenseful than the final one...it was kind of like a roller coaster. Besides that it was an entertaining and informative book with decent characters and an engaging plot. Recommended to any reader of the show more mystery/thriller genre. show less