Status
Available
Collection
Publication
Ballantine Books (2004), Edition: First Edition, 416 pages
Description
Fiction. Suspense. Thriller. Historical Fiction. HTML:�A winner . . . combines the pace and style of Brown�s Da Vinci Code and the densely plotted espionage of Daniel Silva�s Gabriel Allon novels.��The Florida Times-Union Atlanta judge Rachel Cutler loves her job and her kids, but her life takes a dark turn when her father dies under strange circumstances, leaving behind clues to a secret about one of the greatest treasures ever made by man. Forged of the exquisite gem, the Amber Room inexplicably disappeared sometime during World War II. Determined to solve its mysteries, Rachel takes off for Germany with her ex-husband, Paul, close behind. Before long, they�re in over their heads. Locked into a treacherous game with professional killers, Rachel and Paul find themselves on a collision course with the forces of greed, power, and history itself. Praise for The Amber Room �Compelling . . . adventure-filled . . . a fast-moving, globe-hopping tale.��San Francisco Chronicle �Magnificently engrossing . . . pure intrigue, pure fun.��Clive Cussler �Thrilling . . . fast-paced, highly entertaining.��Baton Rouge Advocate.… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member elliezann
I am definitely going to look for more Steve Berry! He is a tad above Dan Brown because he delves deeper into character while he spins a marvelous tale. This one is about amber panels originally made for a Tsarina of the Russian court were stolen by the Nazis then stolen by a member of a cadre of
A full-bodied adventure yarn well worth the time to read.
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wealthy men then found by Rachel Cutler,an Atlanta judge and her ex-husband, Paul.A full-bodied adventure yarn well worth the time to read.
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LibraryThing member Judiex
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
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 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.
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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 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.
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LibraryThing member debbie.menzel
Looking for the famed Nazi pillaged treasure and the infamous "Amber Room" stolen from Russia. Fun story
LibraryThing member jaypee
Good story. A fiction based on a true story of the missing Russian art. I never knew about the mystery of the Amber Room until I picked this book up.
LibraryThing member norinrad10
If your in an airport and need a quick read, this your book. Mildly interesting and certainly not too taxing. Characters are fairly sympathetic.
LibraryThing member tahoegirl
Interesting but slightly unbelieveable. Learned lots about nazis looting art.
LibraryThing member cyderry
Rachel Cutler, an Atlanta judge, discovers after her father's death that he had bee a treasure hunter after WWII. He had searched and possibly found, the Amber Room, a massive set of intricately carved panels crafted from the precious substance and looted by Nazis during WWII from Russia's
Rachel and Paul find a secret club who's members collect great art and are willing to do anything to hold on to their treasures.
This book had a wonderful premise but left something to be desired. It was a bit too long and at times too violent. The fascinating details surrounding the Amber Room, however, did make it an interesting read.
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Catherine Palace. Intruigued, Rachel decides to try to find herself. What she and her ex-husband find are danger and see death that they are unable to prevent. Rachel and Paul find a secret club who's members collect great art and are willing to do anything to hold on to their treasures.
This book had a wonderful premise but left something to be desired. It was a bit too long and at times too violent. The fascinating details surrounding the Amber Room, however, did make it an interesting read.
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LibraryThing member harpua
I've enjoyed Steve Berry in the past and this novel is no different. What I've always liked about Steve Berry is that his novels takes a lesser known historical fact or figure and builds a story around it. This novel involves the Amber Room which was lost during WW2, but really didn't attract much
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attention outside of Europe. I for one had never heard of it until I read this novel and was pleasantly surprised that while this novel is nothing new and in fact isn't one of Berry's better ones, I managed to learn something new. Not one of his best, but enjoyable anyway. Even though I believe this was his first novel, I wouldn't recommend starting here as his later ones are better. Come back to this one after you've enjoyed the others. Show Less
LibraryThing member MsBeautiful
Quick, nice read. Would read future books.
LibraryThing member reblacke
From start to finish, this book was a page turner. A great story built around the Third Reich's quest for priceless treasures from conquered countries and the remaining questions of lost art treasures the world may never see again. While I was not familiar with the story of the Amber Room, this
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author created a story full of intrigue, art history, romance, violence, and yes, even a little sex. The story itself was the drug of choice for me with it's rock-n-roll ride from cover to cover. A great read. Now the search is on for more from Steve Berry. Show Less
LibraryThing member MSWallack
A fairly original "treasure hunt" type of story with interesting characters. One of the "twists" was far too obvious and the climax was a bit too pat and predictable, but this was still an enjoyable read (certainly good enough to make me read Berry's next novel).
LibraryThing member cuicocha
Berry's first book is a suspenseful "page turner". At times predictable, the story is still an enjoyable one and carries the reader through an exciting and dangerous search for Russia's lost Amber Room. Characters are, at times, uneven in their development, but do give a glimpse of things to come
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as Berry hones his craft. It is both interesting and enjoyable to experience Berry's development as an author as he creates his successive suspense/ action novels. Show Less
LibraryThing member SmithSJ01
My husband gave me this to read on holiday as I'd ran out of reading material. It's clearly targeted at a male audience purely from the sexual descriptions but once I'd got past that this book was good to read.
I found bits a little tiresome as there was too much description in places rather than
It is fast paced from the start and the Amber Room was portrayed brilliantly through some effective narrative. The plot surrounds Rachel and her ex-husband Paul. Rachel's father dies suspiciously and leaves behind a series of clues to a treasure called the Amber Room. Desperate to find out the truth she heads for Germany with her ex hot on her heels. They meet professional killers and devious art collectors on the adventure of their life.
A bit too neatly tied up at the end but still worth a read.
I found bits a little tiresome as there was too much description in places rather than
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relying on the excellent plot and good characters. I can see why he is such a popular author and would possibly read his work again in the future. I was surprised at how quickly Rachel and Paul abandoned their children to go in search of the Amber Room in Germany to be honest but then I guess it is only fiction! It is fast paced from the start and the Amber Room was portrayed brilliantly through some effective narrative. The plot surrounds Rachel and her ex-husband Paul. Rachel's father dies suspiciously and leaves behind a series of clues to a treasure called the Amber Room. Desperate to find out the truth she heads for Germany with her ex hot on her heels. They meet professional killers and devious art collectors on the adventure of their life.
A bit too neatly tied up at the end but still worth a read.
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LibraryThing member Talbin
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
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 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.
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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 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.
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LibraryThing member willowcove
I've read all of Steve Berry's books, and loved them all....except for this one. There was just too, too much courtroom/lawyer stuff in it. Really glad that he quickly got away from that.
LibraryThing member adithyajones
A good thriller where Berry takes you through the hunt for Amber room.The novel is well paced and makes for entertaining reading as well as informative.A good read.
LibraryThing member EmScape
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
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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 mystery/thriller genre. Show Less
LibraryThing member JimBrewington
Al a Di Vinci Code - a fun read; little humor; easy to follow characters, for the most part; WWI historical base.
LibraryThing member tzurich
Once housed in Russia, but raided by Germans in the aftermath of the second world war, the story of the lost Amber room is what kept me reading. Steve Berry's book presents some interesting facts knit with a mildly intriguing plot about rich Europeans who play a lethal game (at other's expense) in
In truth, I felt more than a bit dissappointed with the one dimentional characters; especially the two chronically stupid protagonists (a judge and a lawyer) who run off to Europe to investigate the missing amber on rather flimsy evidence. In Europe, they constantly jeopardize their safety just like a bunch of big-boobed blonds in a poorly crafted horror flick. There is no question that the facts about the amber room are far more interesting than Berry's fiction, despite the plug by Dan Brown.
This book was a way too "movie of the week" for me considering the historical gem that supports the premise - but then, I'm hard to please and maybe a bit harsh...
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their persuit of this lost treasure.In truth, I felt more than a bit dissappointed with the one dimentional characters; especially the two chronically stupid protagonists (a judge and a lawyer) who run off to Europe to investigate the missing amber on rather flimsy evidence. In Europe, they constantly jeopardize their safety just like a bunch of big-boobed blonds in a poorly crafted horror flick. There is no question that the facts about the amber room are far more interesting than Berry's fiction, despite the plug by Dan Brown.
This book was a way too "movie of the week" for me considering the historical gem that supports the premise - but then, I'm hard to please and maybe a bit harsh...
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LibraryThing member MaddieBloom
Rated for pure enjoyment, its a 4. I like Berry's books a lot.
LibraryThing member Olivermagnus
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
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 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.
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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 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.
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LibraryThing member LibraryCin
2.5 stars
During WWII, the amber-panelled room in Catherine's Palace, just outside St. Petersburg, Russia was “stolen”. That is, the panels were stolen and they have yet to be found. This book follows Rachel and Paul as they try to find the Amber Room. Rachel's father was very interested in the
Audio: The narrator should be good, but for some reason, he just can't seem to hold my interest. He has a nice voice and does accents well, but for whatever reason, he just doesn't work for me (I have listened to a couple others he has narrated and I'm pretty sure I felt the same way). Unfortunately, because my interest was not being held, I missed a heck of a lot of the book. Because of that, I can't say I liked it. I was somewhat interested in Rachel and Paul, but other than that, it just wasn't enough to hold my interest. The extra half star mostly comes from the narrator's interview with the author after the book is finished.
It's really too bad because I've been to Catherine's Palace and have seen the Amber Room replica, so I really wanted to like this book. Speaking of that, I bought a small book while there that has photos (not allowed to take our own photos in the room) and the story behind the room... which I still need to read! Hopefully soon.
During WWII, the amber-panelled room in Catherine's Palace, just outside St. Petersburg, Russia was “stolen”. That is, the panels were stolen and they have yet to be found. This book follows Rachel and Paul as they try to find the Amber Room. Rachel's father was very interested in the
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room, and after he dies (possibly was murdered?), they take up his interest in finding the room. Audio: The narrator should be good, but for some reason, he just can't seem to hold my interest. He has a nice voice and does accents well, but for whatever reason, he just doesn't work for me (I have listened to a couple others he has narrated and I'm pretty sure I felt the same way). Unfortunately, because my interest was not being held, I missed a heck of a lot of the book. Because of that, I can't say I liked it. I was somewhat interested in Rachel and Paul, but other than that, it just wasn't enough to hold my interest. The extra half star mostly comes from the narrator's interview with the author after the book is finished.
It's really too bad because I've been to Catherine's Palace and have seen the Amber Room replica, so I really wanted to like this book. Speaking of that, I bought a small book while there that has photos (not allowed to take our own photos in the room) and the story behind the room... which I still need to read! Hopefully soon.
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LibraryThing member Andrew-theQM
An enjoyable book, but my least favourite one by Steve Berry.
LibraryThing member adam.currey
Not Steve Berry's best, but as it was his first novel we can forgive him that. Otherwise a great jaunt with plenty of action and twists and turns. I enjoy books like this, based around real historical events - you can learn something along the way.
Subjects
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
2003
Physical description
416 p.; 5.2 inches
ISBN
0345460049 / 9780345460042