The Amber Room

by Steve Berry, Scott Brick

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 operatives loose in pursuit, and the hunt has begun once more. . . .

Life is good for Atlanta judge Rachel Cutler. She loves her job, loves her kids, and remains civil to her ex-husband, Paul. But everything changes when her father, a man who survived the horrors of World War II, dies under strange circumstances—and leaves behind clues to a secret he kept his entire life . . . a secret about something called the Amber Room.

Desperate to know the truth about her father’s suspicious dealings, Rachel takes off for Germany, with Paul close behind. Shortly after arriving, they find themselves involved with a cast of shadowy characters who all claim to share their quest. But as they learn more about the history of the treasure they seek, Rachel and Paul realize they’re in way over their heads. Locked in a treacherous game with ruthless professional killers and embroiled in a treasure hunt of epic proportions, Rachel and Paul suddenly find themselves on a collision course with the forces of power, evil, and history itself.

A brilliant adventure and a scintillating tale of intrigue, deception, art, and murder, The Amber Room is a classic tale of suspense—and the debut of a strong new voice in the world of the international thriller.


From the Hardcover edition.

Genres: Thriller, Fiction, Mystery, Historical Fiction, Adventure, Mystery Thriller, Suspense

Audio

First published August 26, 2003

About the author

 

Steve Berry is the New York Times and #1 internationally bestselling author of twenty-two novels, which include: The Last Kingdom , The Omega Factor , The Kaiser's Web, The Warsaw Protocol, The Malta Exchange, The Bishop’s Pawn, The Lost Order, The 14th Colony, The Patriot Threat, The Lincoln Myth, The King's Deception, The Columbus Affair, The Jefferson Key, The Emperor's Tomb, The Paris Vendetta, The Charlemagne Pursuit, The Venetian Betrayal, The Alexandria Link, The Templar Legacy, The Third Secret, The Romanov Prophecy, and The Amber Room. Steve has also co-written a novel with Grant Blackwood,  The 9th Man  (a Luke Daniels Adventure), and four novellas with M. J. Rose:  The End of Forever,   The House of Long Ago,   The Lake of Learning,  and  The Museum of Mysteries,  all Cassiopeia Vitt tales. His books have been translated into 41 languages with over 25,000,000 copies in 52 countries. They consistently appear in the top echelon of The New York Times, USA Today, and Indie bestseller lists. Somewhere in the world, every thirty seconds, one of his novels is sold.

Reviews

[Jade Saul · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Amber Room was really fun to listen by Scott Brick, I have been St. Petersburg and got to see the Amber when I was on tour there from a cruise. Steve Berry is a really good author

[SVETLANA · Rating 4 out of 5]

In 1716 the Prussian King Frederick William I gave the Amber Room to his ally Tsar Peter the Great of the Russian Empire. During WWII it was looted by Nazis and sent to Germany for restoration. in 1944 it was lost in the turmoil of war and became one of the most wanted war treasures.

In 1979 the Russian government decided to reconstruct the room. There wasn't any proof that the Amber Room was destroyed and there were different speculations about where it can be.

This story served for the book and the author played it to show about art loots during the war and how many pieces of art disappeared to be stored in private collections.

The book has a lot of twists and a lot of details and it is easy to listen to ( I had an audio version of it).

For me, it was a bit too long, but nevertheless was enough interesting and I rated it with 4 stars.

[Ann · Rating 1 out of 5]

Oh Amber Room, how did I hate thee? Let me count the ways...

- Every German says "und" (instead of "and") even as they're speaking English.

- Women say "Damn you" to the man they're about to sleep with.

-"Damn" used in every other sentence: "The trail was easy to follow. Too damn easy."

-How much needless, random sex do you need in a book?

-Every cliche possible is used - my favorite: The greedy American treasure hunter is named McCoy and calls women "little lady". ARE YOU KIDDING ME????

-Crazy long paragraphs of description of the history behind the Amber Room - any competent writer would have been able to put that information in the action without resorting to pages of exposition. Or even in shorter exposition!

-The female protagonist is "feisty", and her Russian, widowed father lovingly says that "she's just like her mother". Oh wow, another cliche! For the record, the character wasn't feisty - she was just bitchy.

-I listened to the audio-version of this, and the reader made every German sound exactly the same, and exactly like the gay German alias on the movie The Saint.

Unbelievably bad. I got to the last disc of the 13 disc set and couldn't do anymore, even though I was so close to the end. Maybe it turned brilliant in that last disc?? I just didn't care. I wanted to like it because I thought the premise seemed so interesting, but it was horrible. Every character makes the stupidest decisions you can possibly imagine, and there is scarcely a character to even like, let alone care about. I suppose, to be fair, I should admit that I hate almost all thrillers, but there are intelligent thrillers of this type out there (The Eight, The Book of Q), so there's just no excuse for using such potentially good material and turning it into something so bad. It's officially in my list of the worst books I've ever read.

To add to my annoyance, I realized after looking at some reviews on Amazon that the reader of the audiobook was also pronouncing the German names incorrectly. Ugh!!!

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book caught my attention right from the get go and is definitely a trip through the past.

What is not to like… war history, mystery, conspiracy, a treasure hunt, priceless heirlooms and characters that are very well-developed.

This is a trip through time with a lot of mystery and charm.

The Amber Room was a treasure looted by the Nazis and lost during the end of WWII.

If interested here is some great background on The real Amber Room:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amber_Room.

It's quite interesting.

I would recommend this book for anyone who likes a treasure hunt with a ton of conspiracy!

As a side note, I was surprised to read so many bad reviews of this book.

But, I really enjoyed it. I will be interested to hear what you think.

[Bonnie · Rating 1 out of 5]

I have one word that sums up my feelings for this book, and unfortunately, 90% of The Amber Room's dialogue content: "Hardly."

Defined:
1.Only just; almost not; barely: We had hardly reached the lake when it started raining. hardly any; hardly ever.
2. not at all; scarcely: That report is hardly surprising.
3. with little likelihood: He will hardly come now.

A few samples:
"They didn't have forklifts?"
"Hardly."

She motioned to the art. "A connoisseur?"
"Hardly."

"I'm waiting," the female voice said.
"And patience is not one of your virtues?"
"Hardly."

"Maybe it's genetic?"
"Hardly."

Knoll obviously hadn't sensed her presence, thinking he'd rid himself of her in the Atlanta airport.
Not hardly, Christian.

"That shaft is hardly big enough for three people to walk through."

She gestured to the blossoms. "Garden?"
"Hardly."

"Sounds like you're developing a heart, Christian."
... YOU GUESSED IT. "Hardly."

GET ANOTHER ADVERB.

This story had potential; it really did. When I grabbed it off the shelf in Penn Station, it was the Nazis, stolen art, war, Acquisitors, rich old men willing to kill people, and promising villains that intrigued me. But somewhere along the way I started realizing that while Amber is pretty and all, it was way cooler in Jurassic Park when it fossilized mosquitoes with dinosaur DNA. I was also tricked into reading it because the main characters were lawyers "doing some very unlawyerly things" as Mr. Berry himself explained in the cute little interview in the back. He likes to "break stereotypes," he says. Well, sometimes that sad old stereotype that mothers take care of their kids, and don't run off to certain death in Stod at a moment's notice over a hunk of rock, may just ring truer than breaking it.

I like fun, globe-trotting adventure stories. I appreciate research. I did not like The Da Vinci Code. Dan Brown writes The Amber Room is "[m]y kind of thriller."

Well folks, is this my kind of thriller?
... ________.

[Mihaela Abrudan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fiind primul său roman publicat se observă că acțiunea e ușor stângace. Oricum ideea în jurul căreia e construită intriga e interesantă, dar comparativ cu următoarele sale romane la acesta parcă nu a avut curaj să riște. Măcar e o lectură plăcută.

[Andy · Rating 2 out of 5]

A mediocre novel at best. If you're looking for a reasonably entertaining book for a long airplane ride then this might do the trick. Otherwise, I think there are much better books of this genre out there. While the concept of recovering lost art treasures that were looted by the Nazis in WWII is a fascinating one, and the historical info about the actual Amber Room is also quite interesting, the author just can't put it all together into a compelling story. One of the biggest problems is that the protagonists just aren't likable, and it doesn't help that by far the most interesting character in the book (Karol Borya) is killed off very early. In fact, it's Borya's murder that is the catalyst for the entire storyline of the novel so it's not a "spoiler" mentioning this here. Overall I give the author credit for the concept and for making a valiant attempt at an exciting novel. I definitely liked the European locales, but the villains, know as "Acquisitors," who scour the world for rare and stolen art treasures for their wealthy employers, who act more like trained assassins was a bit much. I found myself skimming a lot of pages in the final third to get through this one . Not horrible, but just not that good either.

[Stephen Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lot edgier than some of his other books. A great read and keeps you on the edge of your seat. This book has it all, lost treasure, Nazis and plenty of action.

[C. (Comment, don't blank click reviews). · Rating 3 out of 5]

I bought “The Amber Room”, 2003, over ten years ago, scooping up bargains of modern releases. I rarely read men, even though some produce the most beautiful writing; like Farley Mowat and Cleveland Amory. Men’s books tend towards violence. This novel began with a Nazi torture prologue and contained a sexual assault attempt. The male thief was easy to hate and murdered nearly everyone. What I appreciated is a puzzle based on reality that spanned Germany, Czechoslovakia, and Russia. It is Steve Berry’s modus operandi to write historical intrigue and if I liked this novel, I have others.

I enjoyed “The Amber Room” at a three-star level. To the good, Rachel is a judge. She and her ex-husband, Paul, take time to like but her war surviving, eighty-three year-old Father, Karol, is loveable. Rachel and Paul discover that Karol and Paul’s parents had ideas about where the famous Russian masterpiece was stashed in 1941, as does as his war surviving, loyal Czech friend. I saw reviews calling this novel poorly-written, which removed expectations so that I liked it adequately. It was always action-packed, not boring. What tamped down the thrill is that narrating a villain is a waste of pages for me. I want to stick with one protagonist or two and want only their perspectives. I waited out chapters of the murderous thief and a slightly more likeable woman thief.

Secondly, Steve did provide a fictional conclusion about the Amber Room but it was not an exciting place; not a triumphant, clue-following, dramatic retrieval that adventure readers seek. I loved the twist of befriending an American tycoon, who is heroic and not the textbook irritant that he appears to be! The grace and heart of Rachel’s beloved Russian Father and his equally loveable old Czech friend came across nicely.

[Kristy Lin Billuni · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn't much like DaVinci Code, but since I met Steve Berry and liked what he had to say about writing, I thought I'd give this one a try. I may now be in love with the genre. It combines what I love about historical fiction--history lessons--with another area of learning--learning about art--and Berry's novel is a much better, more satisfying read than Dan Brown's.

[Bren fall in love with the sea. · Rating 2 out of 5]

"the Amber Room was not just a treasure, it was a piece of history, a living symbol of centuries of craftsmanship and artistry."
― Steve Berry, The Amber Room


This book has been on my radar for a few years now.


It’s about the Amber room , which was lost during World War II.

It is a World War II book in a way, but it’s also a crime novel.

Everybody it seems are on the hunt for the Amber room. The descriptions of it are breathtaking and I have to be honest and say upfront that the Amber room was real and that I’ve never even heard of the Amber room before I found this book online.

I had a very difficult time reading this. But let’s talk about the good first.


The first scene in this book which concerns, a group of German soldiers, some prisoners, and an assistant to Hitler, was one of the most riveting first scenes I’ve ever read in any book ever.

That’s how good it was.

I was reading another book at the time, and even put that one aside to read this, because the first scene snagged me so much

I think the problem is I’m just not the right audience for the book because that was really the only scene I was riveted by.


The book then jumps ahead in time. We get a history lesson on the Amber room, and we also meet many grifters, liar and murderers All of whom are searching for the amber room.

Now I should mention I knew about 10% in, that I wasn’t going to enjoy this. This was more of an action style story and not at all what I expected when I read the first chapter.

We are also introduced to Rachel, a judge whose dad has a significant role to play in the search for the Amber room. He was also the best character in the book, bar none.

Then there is Paul, Rachel’s ex-husband, who still loves her .

I’m not gonna go into too much more detail on this one. Basically I read this in a kind of odd way. I read to about 20 to 30% and then I skimmed to about 45% and then I skipped a whole bunch of it and I read the ending.


That’s not to take anything away from the book and I can certainly see why some would have enjoyed it much more than I did but it had a lot of aspects to it that I really don’t look for in my books .

For example

There’s a whole lot of violence, and I really didn’t know that was going to be an aspect of the book. I should say that the first chapter also has a lot of violence, but I guess the differences I really felt that the first chapter was more of what I was seeking, namely, pure historical fiction, and the rest was sort of part, crime, novel, part, thriller, part bodice ripper , and then of course there was the search for the Amber room.

So no, I don’t like violence in my books, if the violence becomes gratuitous, which I really felt that it did here.

Then there’s the sex.

Please understand I’m no prude. I have read and do read Jackie Collins novels.

And in my younger years interestingly, I read way more books with random and gratuitous sex but this was another thing altogether

OK here’s the honest truth.

If you’re ever looking for a casual hook up, head to the Amber room.

People are having sex in the pages of this book everywhere, every place, every time, any time, on couches, and beds, possibly on the floor I can’t remember.

I would not be surprised if they had sex swinging from chandeliers, in some of the pages I skipped .

The sex was everywhere. If you wanted to know — if people are still having sex, I can assure you that they are, at least in the Amber room. People had sex all through the book. Bad sex. Good sex. Mediocre sex. I’m sure they would’ve had sex inside the Amber room only they could find it.


It was really too much. I mean it wasn’t sexy sex either not at all.

In fact, if you’re looking for celibacy, you might want to give this one a read. I’m sorry, but the sex scenes were , I mean at one point I could feel hysterical giggles bubbling up and me and it was just I mean I just no no no no no.

Very very slow moving. But really, this was just not my kind of book as you have probably inferred by now if you’re still reading this review.

But I confess I wanted to know how it ended. And I wanted to know where the Amber room was.

It was a little bit disappointing because the opening was so emotionally powerful!

But generally these kind of books that involve chase scenes and crazy shit happening all over the world, and random people sleeping together everywhere every day, every time, and hundreds of pages of that, really doesn’t do anything for me. I think this is a book. I may have liked a bit more if I was younger.


But what I will credit the book for is the research, the amazing research that must have gone into this book.

I was getting a little dizzy, reading so much about the Amber room. As I mentioned, in the beginning of this review, this particular story is fiction, but the amber room is in fact not fictitious at all.

I am a little bit in awe of the author for doing this level of research. That’s one of the reasons I read historical fiction in the first place because the people who write it often travel around the world to obtain the information they need. I tip my hat to all of them, because I could never do it.


I think I’d recommend this if you’re interestingly enough more into thrillers ‘or spy, novels or action movies I mean, books, or bodice rippers . That’s just my opinion anyway.

[Piyangie · Rating 2 out of 5]

A good concept but a weak plot. Couldn't like any of the characters. And too much of swearing really put me off!

[Sophie Narey (Bookreview- aholic) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Published: 2007
Author: Steve Berry
Recommended for: fans of mystery and history fiction


This book caught my attention straight away from the cover to the first paragraph. it was a joy to read it. It was fast paced and kept you guessing as to what was going to happen next. I wouldnt say any of it was predictable it had alot of twist and turns in it. I would recommend it for anyone who likes adventure stories and who has an interest in history. It is very well written, and keeps the reader right until the very end. It doesnt skimp on the description, it paints a very good picture in the imagination and makes you feel like your their seeing everything happen.

[Amy · Rating 1 out of 5]

with such a fascinating (and real) historical subject, it's hard to put into words just how horrifyingly awful berry's execution of this story is. i noted that a lot of people like this. gave it 4 stars even. how is this possible?

i am tempted though, to read more of berry's work. it's almost inspiring. you too, people of the world, can write. and apparently become a best seller.

[Nick Brett · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Amber Room was a treasure looted by the Nazis and lost during the end of WW2. Worth an on-line search to understand the background, it's quite interesting.
And Steve Berry's debut novel is a thriller based around the story. While there are similarities to the many types of book dealing with lost treasures, it was refreshing and interesting to have the WW2 elements and for it not to be the usual search for Jesus' sandal, Hercules lunch box or the lost MacDonald's of Atlantis. Yep, we do have a couple involved (I think that must be in the unofficial rules) and ruthless killers, but this is actually well written and well researched. The "suddenly, as rare things will, it vanished" is a quote from Browning and is used during the book, it's an apt and appropriate quote.


US Judge follows the trail of the Amber Room once her father is killed and she discovers he was involved in the search for the room at the back end of the war. It appears he had a secret that he kept until his death. Judge's estranged husband joins her as they follow the trail through the types of adventures and close calls that we have now come to expect of these books.

Well written and quite good fun if you like these kind of things.

[Tim · Rating 1 out of 5]

While this story is fairly well written, its pace is too slow for my taste. The faint of heart will have no problem with this in contrast to myself. I can give it only 3 of 10 stars.

[Terence M [on a brief semi-hiatus] · Rating 1 out of 5]

I read this in 2011, I guess just after I joined Goodreads.
My file records show that I thought it was pretty pi** poor.

[Belinda Vlasbaard · Rating 5 out of 5]

4,5 sterren- Nederlandse paperback

Het leven is goed voor rechter Rachel Cutler. Ze houdt van haar baan en haar kinderen en ze heeft een redelijke band met haar ex-man, Paul. Maar alles wordt anders wanneer haar vader, een man die de verschrikkingen van de Tweede Wereldoorlog heeft overleefd, onder verdachte omstandigheden sterft - en cryptische aanwijzingen achterlaat over een geheim dat hij zijn hele leven heeft bewaard, over iets wat de Amberzaal heet.

De barnstenenkamer (ook wel amberzaal genoemd) was een kamer in het Chaterinapaleis nabij st. Petersburg. In dit paleis waren de muren van één zaal bekleed met kunstig uitgesneden barn-stenen  panelen.

Deze "Barnsteenkamer van de Tsaar" was in heel Oost-Europa beroemd om zijn schoonheid. De verdwijning ervan gedurende de de tweede wereldoorlog heeft in het recente verleden aanleiding gegeven tot uitgebreide legendevorming. Beweerd wordt dat de Barnsteenkamer zich bevindt in een trein in een grot in het Uilengebergte in Polen.
Steve Berry heeft het in een verhaal geweven.

Gebrand op de waarheid over haar vaders verleden en dood, vertrekt Rachel naar Duitsland, met Paul op haar hielen. Vlak na aankomst worden Rachel en Paul gevangen in een verraderlijke spel met meedogenloze huurmoordenaars. Ze raken verwikkeld in een grootscheepse jacht op de schat, die eindigt in een onontkoombare krachtmeting tussen de macht. Het kwade en het goede.

Het is een weergaloos goed in elkaar stekend en goed geolied verhaal. Een echte Steve Berry.

[Billy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow! Berry's 1st outing is about as good as his others...,

Being that this was Steve Berry's first book and I read his books out of order, I was pleasantly surprised to find that this was as well-written as his more recent outings. I read Berry's other three books before reading this and the only fault that I can find in this book is that he has outdone himself with each subsequent release. Basically, because he has gotten so good at the thriller genre, he makes his older books seem a little less impressive; thankfully, this book was still excellent. It kept me on edge from start to finish. This book was just another example of his unique writing style that keeps the reader entertained and enthralled from cover to cover.

I cannot wait for Berry's next book. I am now a life-long Steve Berry fan.

An excellent read with unexpected plot twists, vivid descriptions and excellent character development. Just shy of a 5/5 I would rate this as a 4.5/5...

[Rakib Hasan · Rating 3 out of 5]

বেশ ভাল লেগেছে আমার কাছে যদিও ধীরগতির কারনে দ্রুত পড়তে পারিনি। অ্যাম্বার রুম নিয়ে এরপর বেশ কিছুদিন গবেষণা করেছি বইটা পড়ার পর।

[Rob · Rating 2 out of 5]

I chose the book because I have been following Steve Berry's Cotton Malone series, and I wanted to see what's going to be my reaction to his stand-alone novels. My two stars should not be misinterpreted. It was a well-researched book. My only complaint are the illogical actions of Judge Cutler and her ex-husband, Paul as they go following the clues behind the death of Rachel's father. During the war, Rachel's father was a POW in a Nazi camp, and he witnessed the interrogation and murder of several soldiers who knew about the theft and possible location of the the Amber Room.
Being a judge, I would think that Rachel would have more respect for the law and police procedure. Instead, she and Paul (although they are already divorced, they are still in love with each other), go off to Europe and tries to follow the trail of clues. Assassination attempts by two treasure hunters who are also searching for the treasure is not going to stop them. Even after Rachel was sure that the guy who saved her from a car accident (it was staged) tried to kill her, she kept it a secret from the investigators and her ex-husband, because she found the guy attractive. Hey, if somebody ever tried to kill me, I don't care how hot she looks. I'm going to be telling everybody who wants to listen about the attempt.

[Powder River Rose · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoy listening to Scott Brick narrate and so will always give him a 5 star stellar review.

The Amber Room is a great story of intrigue and thrills but I was very disappointed with the author's use of overt sex and foul language; I realize so many are following this path but having read the Cotton Malone series in its entirety and not finding that debasing form as a means to grab the listener/reader I naturally assumed this book would be similar.

The Amber Room is a heavily fictitious historical account of treasures lost in war, especially WWII, and plausible scenarios for their whereabouts.

[Julie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well! This was the last of my reads from my winter vacation. I don't know if it was hard to follow as a read or if it was just me trying to read this and juggling arriving at home and unpacking and catching up with me life in MN again. I really really liked the ending so jacked it up a star. I am so glad Steve Berry has matured into one of my faves.

[Jim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Been reading World War II novels and, yep, here's another one. Actually, most of the story is set in postwar Europe. The story begins at the end of the war and involves one of WWII's biggest mysteries--what happened to the fabulous treasure of The Amber Room? This was a room with walls made of exquisite amber panels (and including jewels) of the Catherine Palace near St. Petersburg. After the Germans invaded the Soviet Union in 1941, they reached the palace (then a Soviet museum) and looted the amazing treasure-- and took it to Germany. During the Allied bombing of Germany, it was hidden away--and never seen again. In Steve Berry's story, an American woman finds some clues to the whereabouts of the Amber Room--and begins a treasure hunt for it. But she's not the only one, as there are ruthless men also looking for it. So it's a fast-paced thriller with plenty of twists and turns. But what I think I like most about this book is that it is based on good research. In a short Writer's Note at the end, Berry separates fact from fiction and suggests what he thinks actually happened to The Amber Room.

[Matt Halpern · Rating 4 out of 5]

Steve Berry's writing style is very reminiscent of Dan Brown. The difference that I have found with this book though is that Berry's approach is not about the symbols like Brown, but about the story as a whole. I really enjoyed this book and am looking forward to reading more of his work.

[Manea Ionut · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Operele de artă, în opinia mea, sunt singurele obiecte din universul material care posedă o ordine internă şi de aceea, deşi nu cred că numai arta contează, cred în artă de dragul artei."

[Ithlilian · Rating 2 out of 5]

Unfortunately, an interesting idea does not make a good novel. People who try to look for panels of amber that were once located in a Russian palace turn up dead. The main character's father may know more than he is telling his daughter, but he is murdered. So begins the hunt for the amber room with 2 crazy killers, some old men, and a divorced couple. That may sound a little cynical, but after sitting through this novel I'm a little annoyed.

The history behind the amber room is interesting. The killers and what they do for a living is interesting. Uncovering little bits of information that leads the characters to a mountain is also interesting. Continuing the story once the location of the amber room was obvious is just painful. If you are paying attention you will know what happened to the amber room about half way into the novel. Don't pat yourself on the back because you have to sit through the other half of the novel yelling at the main characters to put their thinking caps on. Maybe if this was told from the perspective of the divorced couple only it would have been tolerable, it actually may have been good. Adding in the perspective of the two treasure hunters reveals too much. As a reader, I can't learn behind the scenes information from one character and then pretend I'm ignorant while I read another character's point of view. This story is way too simple for how long it was, and by 3/4 of the way I was ready for it to be over.

[Jean · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first Steve Berry book that I read. He writes historical thrillers that lead the reader all over the world. He bases his main idea for the book in fact, and then takes a few liberties with the facts to make it a more readable story. Then at the end, he tells the reader what is true and what was made up. In this story, there are two sets of art thieves out to find some of the most expensive and beautiful art treasures in the world. Many were looted in WWII. The biggest prize is The Amber Room, a room made from Baltic amber and taken to St. Petersburg, Russia. After the war, nobody is sure what happened, although it was suspected that the amber was sold off bit by bit. In the book, the two main art thieves are playing cat and mouse with each other and trying to find this fabulous prize. Does someone have it hiding somewhere? You'll have to read the book to find out! The Amber Room has been since recreated, and you can see pictures of it on Flicker.com. It is indescrbably beautiful. I think you will enjoy Steve Berry's writing, since he has good, fast moving plotlines, and you can always learn a bit of history too!

[David Lucero · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was my first Steve Berry book and I've been a fan of his since. It's a historical, fictional action novel that made me want to get in the business of hunting for antiques, too. If you like adventure, you'll love this book.

David Lucero, author of 'Who's Minding the Store?' and THE SANDMAN

[Dan Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of the Best Steve Berry Books written. Not a Cotton Malone book. According to the post notes, there was a lot of research done for this book and there are a lot of truths used.

I think that anyone would enjoy this story..