The Amber Room [NOOK Book]

( 154 )

Overview

BONUS: This edition contains an excerpt from Steve Berry’s The Columbus Affair.

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 ...
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The Amber Room

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More About This Book

Overview

BONUS: This edition contains an excerpt from Steve Berry’s The Columbus Affair.

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.
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Editorial Reviews

From Barnes & Noble
The Barnes & Noble Review
Steve Berry's debut novel concerns the true story of the fascinating Amber Room, an extraordinary set of intricately carved panels that were looted from St. Petersburg by Nazi forces during World War II and later vanished under mysterious circumstances. This powerful thriller uses real-life events to weave an enigmatic tale that will hook the reader from the opening chapters.

When Rachel Cutler's father, a concentration camp survivor, is killed in Europe, she and her ex-husband, Paul, find themselves in the midst of a deadly art rivalry between sinister forces. The intriguing premise goes a long way, as secrets left over from the Holocaust suddenly spring to light and the search is on again for the rare Baltic amber.

Descriptive, vivid, and well detailed, The Amber Room ably employs the plot device of the amateur "spy" caught way over his head in a realm of political intrigue. Brutality and murder abound as the story progresses and the suspense builds. Berry's scrupulous research adds plenty of interesting elements about the legendary treasure, other famous pieces of art, and snatches of world history. Expertly plotted and full of slick action, this forceful first novel bodes well for this author on the rise. Tom Piccirilli

Publishers Weekly
First-time novelist Berry weighs in with a hefty thriller that's long on interesting research but short on thrills. Atlanta judge Rachel Cutler and ex-husband Paul are divorced but still care for each other. Rachel's father, Karol Borya, knows secrets about the famed Amber Room, a massive set of intricately carved panels crafted from the precious substance and looted by Nazis during WWII from Russia's Catherine Palace. The disappearance of the panels, which together formed a room, remains one of the world's greatest unsolved art mysteries. Borya's secret gets him killed as two European industrialists/art collectors go head to head in a deadly race to find the fabled room. Searching for Borya's killer, Rachel and Paul bumble their way to Europe, where their naivet triggers more deaths. Berry has obviously done his homework, and he seems determined to find a place for every fact he's unearthed. The plot slows for descriptions of various art pieces, lectures and long internal monologues in which characters examine their innermost feelings and motives in minute detail, while also packing in plenty of sex and an abundance of brutal killings. A final confrontation between all the principals ends in a looming Bavarian castle where Rachel is raped. All the right elements are in place, but the book is far too long and not as exciting as the ingredients suggest. Readers may end up wishing Berry had written a nonfiction account of the fascinating story of the Amber Room and skipped the fictional mayhem. Agent, Pam Ahearn. (Sept.) Forecast: The Amber Room has been in the news again lately (a long New Yorker piece on its history ran earlier this year), because the panels are presently being re-created for the 300th anniversary of St. Petersburg this year. The attention may spark interest in Berry's debut, but less-than-stellar word of mouth may cause sales to peak early. Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.
Library Journal
Berry's debut novel is the second thriller in recent years (after Jonathan Harris's Seizing Amber) to deal with the legendary Amber Room, a magnificent work of art that the Germans looted from the Russians during World War II and has since been lost. Berry tells the story of two "Acquisitors," Christian Knoll and Suzanne Danzer, who are competing to find the room's sumptuous amber panels and exquisitely crafted furnishings. The wealthy collectors they work for belong to a club called the Retrievers of Lost (i.e., stolen) Antiquities. Complicating matters are Rachel and Paul Cutler, ex-spouses with a prickly relationship. Rachel is the daughter of Karol Borya, one of the last men still living who may know the fate of the Amber Room. When he is murdered, Rachel and Paul set out to discover the truth and find themselves growing closer as their own fate hangs in the balance. The author's thorough research into the art world dominates the story; even in the most desperate action scenes, Berry doesn't hesitate to inform the reader about the architectural surroundings and other objets d'art. (Unless you're an expert, keep your art dictionary handy.) Though the novel is uneven in pace, with frequent shifts in viewpoint and occasionally forced plot developments, the intriguing story and engaging characters are vivid enough to merit a recommendation to most popular collections. Art lovers, in particular, will enjoy the wealth of descriptive material. [Previewed in Prepub Alert, LJ 5/1/03.]-Ronnie H. Terpening, Univ. of Arizona, Tucson Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.
Kirkus Reviews
A hotheaded Georgia judge and her probate lawyer husband do battle with a gang of rapacious art collectors and their murderous gofers, in a first novel by a Georgia trial lawyer. Everybody's after the amber room, the eye-popping paneled chamber stripped from its suburban St. Petersburg palace by the Nazis in the fading days of the Reich. Not the most practical living space, you understand, but unique, having been crafted from micro-thin layers of the best Baltic amber by the best Baltic craftsmen. Passed from autocrat to autocrat, Hitler wanted it. Göring wanted it. The Allies nearly bombed it. And Karol Borya, a kindly Ukrainian concentration camp survivor, father of that hotheaded judge in Atlanta, is one of the only people in the world with a clue as to where the pretty but dismantled and disappeared room may be, having been witness to the torture of its last known possessors. Alas for old men with old secrets in thrillers, there's always a pretty assassin waiting in the kitchen to pump you for your knowledge. Here, the villainess is sexy Suzanne Danzer, beloved employee of Czech billionaire, Nazi industrialist, and Soviet collaborator Ernst Loring, member of an ultra-exclusive clutch of stupendously wealthy gents who specialize in collecting stolen masterpieces. And while Suzanne is at Borya's backdoor, Christian Knoll, yet another employee of yet another supercollector is at the front. They both want to pick his brain in the most unpleasant way, hoping to pin down the whereabouts of that Tsarist treasure. Pumped serially for his secrets by the evil duo, poor old Karol gets heaved downstairs to his death, a demise that will drag his daughter Rachel and ex-son-in-law Paul from thecomforts of metropolitan Atlanta to the corrupt corners of Middle Europe. Stilettos fly and silenced bullets plunk, but the plucky legal team, reunited by their special mission, dodge death and poke their noses into darkened churches, spooky tunnels, secret passageways and hidden rooms. Will they live to see their beloved children? Or that rock-lined room? Is the Pope Catholic? Agent: Pam Ahearn/The Ahearn Agency
From the Publisher
Praise for The Amber Room

“Sexy, illuminating, and confident. The Amber Room is my kind of thriller—a globe-trotting treasure hunt packed with exotic locales, sumptuous art, and ruthless villains. Steve Berry writes with the self-assured style of a veteran.”
—DAN BROWN Author of The Da Vinci Code

“Magnificently engrossing, with wonderful characters and a plot that speeds, twists, and turns. Pure intrigue, pure fun.”
—CLIVE CUSSLER

“The Amber Room is a riveting cat-and-mouse game set within the world of international art thieves, assassins, and age-old rivalries. From the opening shocker set in a Nazi concentration camp to the chilling battle within a mountain-top castle, Steve Berry carries the reader on a harrowing journey into a past best left undiscovered. Not to be missed!”
—JAMES ROLLINS Author of Amazonia and Ice Hunt

“Steve Berry has written a tremendous first novel. He weaves vivid details into a lightning quick read.”
—STEPHEN FREY Author of Silent Partner

“Vivid, fast-moving, beautifully imagined, convincing!”
—DAVID POYER Author of Black Storm and Fire on the Waters

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Product Details

  • ISBN-13: 9780345469717
  • Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
  • Publication date: 8/26/2003
  • Sold by: Random House
  • Format: eBook
  • Sales rank: 20,607
  • File size: 656 KB

Meet the Author

Steve Berry
Steve Berry is the New York Times bestselling author of 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, The Amber Room, and the short story “The Balkan Escape.” His books have been translated into forty languages and sold in fifty-one countries. He lives in the historic city of St. Augustine, Florida, and is working on his next novel. He and his wife, Elizabeth, have founded History Matters, a nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving our heritage. To learn more about Steve Berry and the foundation, visit steveberry.org.


From the Hardcover edition.
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Read an Excerpt

ONE

Atlanta, Georgia Tuesday, May 6, the present, 10:35 a.m.

Judge Rachel Cutler glanced over the top of her tortoiseshell glasses. The lawyer had said it again, and this time she wasn’t going to let the comment drop. “Excuse me, counselor.”

“I said the defendant moves for a mistrial.”

“No. Before that. What did you say?”

“I said, ‘Yes, sir.’ ”

“If you haven’t noticed, I’m not a sir.”

“Quite correct, Your Honor. I apologize.”

“You’ve done that four times this morning. I made a note each time.”

The lawyer shrugged. “It seems such a trivial matter. Why would Your Honor take the time to note my simple slip of the tongue?”

The impertinent bastard even smiled. She sat erect in her chair and glared down at him. But she immediately realized what T. Marcus Nettles was doing. So she said nothing.

“My client is on trial for aggravated assault, Judge. Yet the court seems more concerned with how I address you than with the issue of police misconduct.”

She glanced over at the jury, then at the other counsel table. The Fulton County assistant district attorney sat impassive, apparently pleased that her opponent was digging his own grave. Obviously, the young lawyer didn’t grasp what Nettles was attempting. But she did. “You’re absolutely right, counselor. It is a trivial matter. Proceed.”

She sat back in her chair and noticed the momentary look of annoyance on Nettles’s face. An expression that a hunter might give when his shot missed the mark.

“What of my motion for mistrial?” Nettles asked.

“Denied. Move on. Continue with your summation.”

Rachel watched the jury foreman as he stood and pronounced a guilty verdict. Deliberations had taken only twenty minutes.

“Your Honor,” Nettles said, coming to his feet. “I move for a presentence investigation prior to sentencing.”

“Denied.”

“I move that sentencing be delayed.”

“Denied.”

Nettles seemed to sense the mistake he’d made earlier. “I move for the court to recuse itself.”

“On what grounds?”

“Bias.”

“To whom or what?”

“To myself and my client.”

“Explain.”

“The court has shown prejudice.”

“How?”

“With that display this morning about my inadvertent use of sir.”

“As I recall, counselor, I admitted it was a trivial matter.”

“Yes, you did. But our conversation occurred with the jury present, and the damage was done.”

“I don’t recall an objection or a motion for mistrial concerning the conversation.”

Nettles said nothing. She looked over at the assistant DA. “What’s the State’s position?”

“The State opposes the motion. The court has been fair.”

She almost smiled. At least the young lawyer knew the right answer.

“Motion to recuse denied.” She stared at the defendant, a young white male with scraggly hair and a pockmarked face. “The defendant shall rise.” He did. “Barry King, you’ve been found guilty of the crime of aggravated assault. This court hereby remands you to the Department of Corrections for a period of twenty years. The bailiff will take the defendant into custody.”

She rose and stepped toward an oak-paneled door that led to her chambers. “Mr. Nettles, could I see you a moment?” The assistant DA headed toward her, too. “Alone.”

Nettles left his client, who was being cuffed, and followed her into the office.

“Close the door, please.” She unzipped her robe but did not remove it. She stepped behind her desk. “Nice try, counselor.”

“Which one?”

“Earlier, when you thought that jab about sir and ma’am would set me off. You were getting your butt chapped with that half-cocked defense, so you thought me losing my temper would get you a mistrial.”

He shrugged. “You gotta do what you gotta do.”

“What you have to do is show respect for the court and not call a female judge sir. Yet you kept on. Deliberately.”

“You just sentenced my guy to twenty years without the benefit of a presentence hearing. If that isn’t prejudice, what is?”

She sat down and did not offer the lawyer a seat. “I didn’t need a hearing. I sentenced King to aggravated battery two years ago. Six months in, six months’ probation. I remember. This time he took a baseball bat and fractured a man’s skull. He’s used up what little patience I have.”

“You should have recused yourself. All that information clouded your judgment.”

“Really? That presentence investigation you’re screaming for would have revealed all that, anyway. I simply saved you the trouble of waiting for the inevitable.”

“You’re a fucking bitch.”

“That’s going to cost you a hundred dollars. Payable now. Along with another hundred for the stunt in the courtroom.”

“I’m entitled to a hearing before you find me in contempt.”

“True. But you don’t want that. It’ll do nothing for that chauvinistic image you go out of your way to portray.”

He said nothing, and she could feel the fire building. Nettles was a heavyset, jowled man with a reputation for tenacity, surely unaccustomed to taking orders from a woman.

“And every time you show off that big ass of yours in my court, it’s going to cost you a hundred dollars.”

He stepped toward the desk and withdrew a wad of money, peeling off two one-hundred-dollar bills, crisp new ones with the swollen Ben Franklin. He slapped both on the desk, then unfolded three more.

“Fuck you.”

One bill dropped.

“Fuck you.”

The second bill fell.

“Fuck you.”

The third Ben Franklin fluttered down.

From the Hardcover edition.

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First Chapter

ONE

Atlanta, Georgia Tuesday, May 6, the present, 10:35 a.m.

Judge Rachel Cutler glanced over the top of her tortoiseshell glasses. The lawyer had said it again, and this time she wasn't going to let the comment drop. "Excuse me, counselor."

"I said the defendant moves for a mistrial."

"No. Before that. What did you say?"

"I said, 'Yes, sir.' "

"If you haven't noticed, I'm not a sir."

"Quite correct, Your Honor. I apologize."

"You've done that four times this morning. I made a note each time."

The lawyer shrugged. "It seems such a trivial matter. Why would Your Honor take the time to note my simple slip of the tongue?"

The impertinent bastard even smiled. She sat erect in her chair and glared down at him. But she immediately realized what T. Marcus Nettles was doing. So she said nothing.

"My client is on trial for aggravated assault, Judge. Yet the court seems more concerned with how I address you than with the issue of police misconduct."

She glanced over at the jury, then at the other counsel table. The Fulton County assistant district attorney sat impassive, apparently pleased that her opponent was digging his own grave. Obviously, the young lawyer didn't grasp what Nettles was attempting. But she did. "You're absolutely right, counselor. It is a trivial matter. Proceed."

She sat back in her chair and noticed the momentary look of annoyance on Nettles's face. An expression that a hunter might give when his shot missed the mark.

"What of my motion for mistrial?" Nettles asked.

"Denied. Move on. Continue with your summation."





Rachelwatched the jury foreman as he stood and pronounced a guilty verdict. Deliberations had taken only twenty minutes.

"Your Honor," Nettles said, coming to his feet. "I move for a presentence investigation prior to sentencing."

"Denied."

"I move that sentencing be delayed."

"Denied."

Nettles seemed to sense the mistake he'd made earlier. "I move for the court to recuse itself."

"On what grounds?"

"Bias."

"To whom or what?"

"To myself and my client."

"Explain."

"The court has shown prejudice."

"How?"

"With that display this morning about my inadvertent use of sir."

"As I recall, counselor, I admitted it was a trivial matter."

"Yes, you did. But our conversation occurred with the jury present, and the damage was done."

"I don't recall an objection or a motion for mistrial concerning the conversation."

Nettles said nothing. She looked over at the assistant DA. "What's the State's position?"

"The State opposes the motion. The court has been fair."

She almost smiled. At least the young lawyer knew the right answer.

"Motion to recuse denied." She stared at the defendant, a young white male with scraggly hair and a pockmarked face. "The defendant shall rise." He did. "Barry King, you've been found guilty of the crime of aggravated assault. This court hereby remands you to the Department of Corrections for a period of twenty years. The bailiff will take the defendant into custody."

She rose and stepped toward an oak-paneled door that led to her chambers. "Mr. Nettles, could I see you a moment?" The assistant DA headed toward her, too. "Alone."

Nettles left his client, who was being cuffed, and followed her into the office.

"Close the door, please." She unzipped her robe but did not remove it. She stepped behind her desk. "Nice try, counselor."

"Which one?"

"Earlier, when you thought that jab about sir and ma'am would set me off. You were getting your butt chapped with that half-cocked defense, so you thought me losing my temper would get you a mistrial."

He shrugged. "You gotta do what you gotta do."

"What you have to do is show respect for the court and not call a female judge sir. Yet you kept on. Deliberately."

"You just sentenced my guy to twenty years without the benefit of a presentence hearing. If that isn't prejudice, what is?"

She sat down and did not offer the lawyer a seat. "I didn't need a hearing. I sentenced King to aggravated battery two years ago. Six months in, six months' probation. I remember. This time he took a baseball bat and fractured a man's skull. He's used up what little patience I have."

"You should have recused yourself. All that information clouded your judgment."

"Really? That presentence investigation you're screaming for would have revealed all that, anyway. I simply saved you the trouble of waiting for the inevitable."

"You're a fucking bitch."

"That's going to cost you a hundred dollars. Payable now. Along with another hundred for the stunt in the courtroom."

"I'm entitled to a hearing before you find me in contempt."

"True. But you don't want that. It'll do nothing for that chauvinistic image you go out of your way to portray."

He said nothing, and she could feel the fire building. Nettles was a heavyset, jowled man with a reputation for tenacity, surely unaccustomed to taking orders from a woman.

"And every time you show off that big ass of yours in my court, it's going to cost you a hundred dollars."

He stepped toward the desk and withdrew a wad of money, peeling off two one-hundred-dollar bills, crisp new ones with the swollen Ben Franklin. He slapped both on the desk, then unfolded three more.

"Fuck you."

One bill dropped.

"Fuck you."

The second bill fell.

"Fuck you."

The third Ben Franklin fluttered down.

Copyright© 2003 by Steve Berry
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Customer Reviews

Average Rating 4
( 154 )
Rating Distribution

5 Star

(64)

4 Star

(49)

3 Star

(24)

2 Star

(12)

1 Star

(5)

Your Rating:

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See All Sort by: Showing 1 – 20 of 154 Customer Reviews

  • Anonymous

    Posted September 19, 2009

    The Amber Room

    First of all, I am a huge Steve Berry fan. I think his writing style and stories are at least on the same level as Dan Brown's books for this genre.

    What I like about Steve Berry's books is that he finds some unique episode or item in history and turns it into a thriller. I never knew the Amber Room existed. Maybe I just don't know my history as well as I should, but then I've got Mr. Berry to open my eyes to some of the more interesting and intriguing parts of history, which then leads to my own exploration of that event.

    Being from Atlanta, I like that his characters are or were from Atlanta. Being in the legal field myself, I like that Mr. Berry practiced law in Atlanta and that this particular character in the Amber Room was a Fulton County Superior Court judge. She was entirely believable, and so was her husband.

    One thing an author has to do is convince me his characters can be believed and trusted, and this Mr. Berry does well. Also his descriptions of places make me feel like he's been there and thus knows what he's talking about. I know he has traveled to the places he writes about and isn't just getting his information off the internet or out of a travel book in order to fool me. So not only are his characters believable, his settings have the feeling of allowing me to feel like I'm right there with his characters.

    Along with all of Steve Berry's books, I highly recommend the Amber Room. It is both entertaining and informing--a good combination.

    4 out of 4 people found this review helpful.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Posted August 11, 2012

    First Berry book I read, and I was hooked on his writing from th

    First Berry book I read, and I was hooked on his writing from then on. Excellent research and craftsmanship in the writing. Topical subject, lots of facts, and keeps you guessing.

    3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted January 23, 2013

    I LOVE THIS BOOK

    Wish he still wrote these kind.

    1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted September 19, 2003

    Chock Full of Adventure and Intrigue. This has it all!

    Steve Berry has turned out a first novel that is every bit as good as a Grisham, a Clancy, a Crichton, and any other writer of the adventure/thriller genre I can think of. He's brought fresh air to the market, and I look forward to all the books this creative mind can generate.

    1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted March 31, 2013

    Loved it

    I am a pucky ready and couldn't put it down. I was hooked!

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  • Anonymous

    Posted March 11, 2013

    Beth

    Ugh....*plugs my ears* U CANNOT LURE ME TO AUBURN! YOU CANNOT LURE ME TO AUBURN! YOU CANNOT LURE ME TO AUBURN!.......not working -,-

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  • Anonymous

    Posted March 11, 2013

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  • Anonymous

    Posted March 8, 2012

    Not To Be Missed!

    Just discovered this author, and love his work! I've read two of his books and ready for another one. I especially enjoy the historical part of his books. Once you start you won't put it down!

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  • Anonymous

    Posted January 31, 2012

    Good

    Berry focused on history and art and in so doing sacrificed solid character development. His characters, especially Rachel and Paul were not believable. But it was an action-packed fast-moving novel.

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  • Posted October 19, 2011

    Great Read!

    The Amber Room is Steve Berry's first published work, which he points out came after 81 rejections! Well, he got it right! His skillful blend of historical facts with fictional circumstances is what makes his stories so hard to put down. He now has seven books out in the Cotton Malone series as well, which I highly recommend. If you want to get hooked on mysteries based on events that took root in times long past, Steve Berry is your kind of writer!

    0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

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  • Posted September 26, 2011

    Amber room

    People who like Dan Brown's work would enjoy this book, however predictable it was. The book should have been editted down, plot twists too easy to see coming, but an enjoyable read with history and geograph lesson thrown in

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  • Posted August 28, 2011

    Great!

    I thoroughly enjoyed it from start to finish.

    0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

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  • Posted May 12, 2010

    more from this reviewer

    The book is a great and easy read. Pure Berry-entertaining and light: full of historical facts to create his plot.

    The Amber Room by Steve Berry

    The Amber room was created in St. Petersburg, Russia, in the mid XVIIIth century. It consisted of 100,000 pieces of jewel grade amber, cut 5mm thick, polished, sometimes heated to change the color, then glued jigsaw-puzzle-style onto oak panels and fashioned to walls 30 by 13 feet. There were also a variety of fanciful figurines, floral garlands, tulips, roses, seashells, monograms, and rocaille: all made of amber in shades of brown, red, yellow, and orange. It's resting place survived 170 years and the Russian revolution only to be looted by the Nazis in 1941. The panels disappeared in 1945 and have never been seen since. This book deals with theories and fictional characters of its looting and disappearance.

    The maim characters are Judge Rachel Bates-Cutler and her ex husband Layers Paul Cutler. The Judge's father, Karol Borya Yvo and his friend Chapaer Dana have been corresponding about their dealings with the transport of the loot by Hermann Goring, Hitler's second in command and responsible for most of the art looting in WWII.

    The bad guys are a group of nine very rich and eccentric European art collectors: "The Retrievers of Lost Antiquities"; mainly two of the respective families: Monica and Franz Fellner of Germany with their Acquisitor-the one that does all the stealing, killing and any illegal work to acquire the loot-Christian Knoll. The other family is Ernst
    Loring of the Czech Republic and his Acquisitor, Suzanne Danzer.

    Following leads thorough different pathways, Suzanne Danzer and Christian Knoll discover that Karl Bates, Rachel's father-who had changed his name back to Karol Borya-was in the "Russian Registry" as one of the prisoners involved in the theft of the Amber Room by Hermann Goring. Knoll gets to Borya and kills him.

    In Borya's will, there are letters that disclose all the correspondence between Borya and his cell mate Chapaer Dana; with may lead to the localization of the famous Amber Room. Even though her father tells Rachel not to go after the Amber Room, she takes flight to Frankfurt and a rental to Burg Herz, Germany to find Chapaer Dana. Knoll paid a cabdriver to almost kill Rachel, so that he can save her, thus befriending her. He uses his charm to get all the information Rachel has. They are going to go together to visit Chapaer Dana.

    Unfortunately, Suzanne Danzer beats both of them to Dana; and kills him before either one can talk to him-however she uses Dana to draw a map of a mine to create a trap for Knoll and Rachel. As they enter the mine, an explosion occurs, however both Rachel and Knoll survive: Knoll disappears and leaves Rachel behind. Rachel is rescued by tourists and understands that not only did Knoll left her there to die but she also remembers that Knoll had taken a knife and was about to kill her to kill her before the explosion occurred.

    Suzanne had befriended Paul, and warned him about Knoll. When Rachel does not check in with him after two days, Paul goes to Germany, so Rachel wakes up in the hospital next to Paul. This is the beginning of their reconciliation.

    Before long, they are in over their heads. Aided by a fortune hunter by the name of Wayland McCoy they are locked in a treacherous game with both killers-Knoll and Danzer-and they find themselves in a collision course with both The Fellners and Ernst Loring-the forces of greed, power and history itself.

    The book is a great and easy read. Pure B

    0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted October 26, 2009

    Amber Room

    The protagonists were not believable, especially with respect to their interaction with 'the bad guys (and girls)'.

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  • Posted September 13, 2009

    I Also Recommend:

    The Lost Symbol
    Devil's Verse

    I Loved the Amber Room Then & Now- Just Bought The Audio Version

    I was one of the first people I know of to have read Steve Berry's Debut Amber Room. I just bought the audio version so I can listen to it while I'm driving. The Amber room is still one of the most intriging mysteries that I've ever read. It made me an instant fan of Steve Berry. Strap on your seat belt, and open that book, you're in for the ride of your life!

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  • Posted April 21, 2009

    more from this reviewer

    Gripping story

    I was hooked from the first page. The storyline of the Amber Room, which I remember hearing about from my elder relatives in my childhood, woven into a great mystery was fantastic. Another great book by Steve Berry!

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  • Anonymous

    Posted January 23, 2008

    I've Found my Light

    This is a great book that i recommend to everyone. He makes the unexpected happen. Steve Berry is Brilliant and im going to barnes and noble to buy his newest book. In this book, anything can happen. im not the one who goes around reading every day, but Berry makes me want to do it. THANK YOU.

    0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

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  • Posted February 2, 2009

    more from this reviewer

    SUPERB READING OF A SUSPENSEFUL DEBUT NOVEL

    To borrow an old radio show title, 'I Love A Mystery'! For me, the mystery is even more intriguing when it is based on an actual occurrence, a crime that to date remains unsolved. So often in the case of an event that has garnered much newsprint, many will offer solutions or imagined scenarios based on the incident. Such is the case with this suspenseful debut novel, superbly read by actor/writer Scott Brick. In actuality, the Amber Room was a hall like structure with walls covered in amber and semiprecious stones. Presented by Germany to Russia's Czar Peter the Great in 1716, it was lost when the Germans overran Russia during World War II. Theories abound as to its fate, and Steve Berry's well thought tale brings it to the fore once again. Judge Rachel Cutler is one tough cookie as we learn in the opening of The Amber Room. She's good at what she does and enjoys doing it. Her father has what he believes are clues as to the location of the Amber Room and 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. Thus begins an exciting danger filled chase throughout Europe. Stakes are high and lives imperiled in this quest for a treasure. Narrator Scott Brick has a mantel crowded with awards for his voice performances. One more may well be on its way for his reading of The Amber Room. Highly recommended. - Gail Cooke

    0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted November 22, 2007

    Pretty Good

    This was a good concept for a book, and it was a pretty good follow-through. Some parts bored me a little, but the end is very, very exciting. I recommend it to anyone who enjoys a good thriller.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted September 17, 2007

    A great idea....a not so great story

    The story idea was very intriguing. Unfortunately, the story itself was not all that exciting nor did the characters really 'grab' me. This is my second Steve Berry book and they were both just okay. (I may try one more!)

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