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| Plot Summary of The Amber Room |
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Ballantine, Sep 2003, 24.95, 400 pp.
ISBN: 03454600030
During World War II, the Nazis stripped the incredibly complex relief designed panels crafted from the Amber Room of St. Petersburg, Russia's Catherine Palace. Now decades later few survivors know what the Nazis did with the precious panels made from Baltic amber, but concentration camp survivor Karol Borya knows a few secrets about the lost set, but others are aware of that. Agents of those who want ownership of the precious panels kill him.
Karol's daughter, Atlanta judge Rachel Cutler, enlists her ex-husband Paul to help her learn why her father was murdered in Europe. They head to Germany where they soon stumble into a deadly race between two wealthy rivals intent of owning the panels to reconstruct their own Amber Room. Both sides are willing to kill the amateur Americans to win the race.
This is an exciting by the numbers thriller that incorporates much, if not all, of the known facts about the Amber Room. That makes for a two edged sword as readers will be fascinated with what Steve Berry provides about the panels and the room they created, but also will find the action abruptly sidebarred as if the author could not decide between nonfiction and a thriller. Still the characters make for a delightful ensemble, the historical tidbits enticing, and the thrills fun so that the audience receives a solid somewhat disrupted tale.
Harriet Klausner
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Harriet Klausner, Resident Scholar
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"Karol “Ears” Borya had survived many months in the Mauthausen Concentration Camp during the Second World War. It was there that he first heard mention of The Amber Room, and after his release from the camp he went searching for the treasure. It was never found, however, and forty years later Borya is convinced that the past is behind him – until one day, he gets a visit from Christian Knoll, an “Acquisitor” interested in information about The Amber Room.
Soon after, Borya is found dead, and it's up to his daughter and her ex-husband to undertake a dangerous trip to discover the secret of the long lost artifact. Add into the mix two very dangerous “Acquisitors” who will do anything to obtain the treasure for their employers, and you have the makings of a captivating thriller.
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Liz Cooper, Resident Scholar
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| Review Analysis of The Amber Room |
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Our unique search engine provides a wealth of detail about books by breaking them down into many different literary elements, all of which are searchable (click here).
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Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot
Composition of Book
descript. of violence and chases - 10%
Planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 35%
Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 25%
How society works & physical descript. (people, objects, places) - 30%
Tone of story
- suspenseful (sophisticated fear)
Time/era of story:
- 1980's-1999
- present (2000-2010)
Kid or adult book?
- Adult or Young Adult Book
Crime Thriller
Yes
Crime plotlets:
- search for valuable art/artifacts
- search for gems/treasure/money
General Crime (including known murderer)
Yes
Who's the criminal enemy here?
- stolen goods organization
Main Character
Gender
- Female
Profession/status:
- a lawyer creature
Age:
- 20's-30's
Is this an ordinary person caught up in events?
Yes
How much violence does he/she use?
- a little
Ethnicity/Race
- White/American
- Russian
How sensitive is this character?
- sensitive to others' feelings
- hard edged
Sense of humor
- Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence
- Smarter than most other characters
Physique
- very athletic
- average physique
Main Adversary
Identity:
- Male
Age:
- 20's-30's
- 40's-50's
Profession/status:
- thief/con artist
- business executive
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in:
- a moderate amount
- throughout most of the book.
Motive of antagonist
- money/treasure
The antagonists are:
- foreign organized crime
How sensitive is this character?
- hard edged
Sense of humor
- Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence
- Average intelligence
- Smarter than most other characters
Physique
- very athletic
- average physique
Setting
United States
Yes
The US:
- Deep South
Europe
Yes
European country:
- Germany
Misc setting
- resort/hotel
Style
Person
- mostly 3rd
Accounts of torture and death?
- generic/vague references to death/punishment
How many deaths?
- 2
- 3-4
Sex
Yes
What kind of sex:
- vague references
- touching of anatomy
- licking
- descript. of breasts
- descript. of male nudity
- rape (yeech!)
Amount of dialog
- significantly more dialog than descript
- roughly even amounts of descript and dialog
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Click here for more information about this book
Steve Berry Resident Scholar Profiles
TOP SCHOLAR:
 Vicki Kondelik
SCHOLARS:
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Note: the views expressed here are only those of the reviewer(s). | |
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