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.

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

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

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.

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.

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?
... ________.

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.

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.

I couldn't believe this was a 400+ page novel ~ it read like so much less.

First time reading a Steve Berry novel. I'm moving immediately to a second. I can't say it's because the characters were that compelling (in fact I didn't particularly like most of them) but rather the history of the Amber Room (which seemed to be well researched) and the mystery of what happened to it kept me enthralled. It's fascinating fodder for the imagination to ponder the current whereabouts of all the exquisite art treasures the Nazi's looted during WWII. The author noted that media coverage about the Amber Room wasn't as comprehensive in the United States as it was in Europe and he's right about that, I'd never heard or read anything about it.

I like to call this kind of book "educational fiction" but I guess historical fiction works too. It was a learning experience cloaked in a readable format. Great beach type read. Focus on the real life mystery and the plausible whereabouts of this treasure that the author presents more than the flawed characters and it will be entertaining and enjoyable book.

A great book to read if your interested in the history based on WWII, German, Historical Treasures or the Soviet Union. This book is based on the Search for the original Amber Room that spanned for more than 50 years. Can you imagine an entire room made from amber, sculptures, wall art, frames, furniture all sculpted by Amber and wood. I've often thought of all the lost and destroyed treasures from WWII and can only begin to imagine the magnificent pieces lost and the lives lost over such treasures. This is a great take of suspense, a great adventure, a treasure hunt of epic proportion. I have to admit that I listen to this book on audio in very broken portions and I believe I would have given it a higher rating if I had read it or at least been able to listen to it in a more timely manor.

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.

I enjoyed this. The characters were great although this was not a Cotton Malone book.