Summer Reading Recommendation

My newest Summer Reading Selection is.........
Summary:
Atlanta judge Rachel Cutler loves her job and her kids, and remains civil with her ex-husband, Paul. But everything changes when her father dies under mysterious circumstances. leaving behind clues to a secret about something called the Amber Room. Desperate for the truth Rachel takes off for Germany with 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.

The Amber Room was the first book by Steve Berry I read, but it wasn't the last. The book's title caught my eye because of research I had been doing on Russian Tsars at the time and the Amber Room was part of it. When I read the summary on the back of the book I was convinced I was holding a gem. I wasn't wrong... at all. I couldn't wait to read it and once I opened the book I never looked back. I was instantly hooked! I recommended the book to my Dad and he's been hooked on Steve Berry's books ever since.

For those of you who may not know, the Amber Room was a real room whose walls were made entirely made of gold panels. Catherine the Great was the first Russian Tsar to own it, and Nicholas II was the last. The room was dismantled and later disappeared. To this day no one knows where the panels are.

Steve Berry does historical suspense books SO well!! His research is amazing. Usually you can tell fact from the writer's imagination, but not so with this author! The settings he used and the way he describes everything in The Amber Room (all of his books, really) had me convinced he was there rather than pulling from his imagination. He blended history and intrigue and mystery effortlessly. During the action and suspense scenes I was on the edge of my seat. Several times I had to fight the urge not to skip ahead so I could find out what happened. (I didn't always win that fight.)

The characters were all believable and interesting. The bad guys, especially, were bad. More than once I was glad they were only characters and no one I would ever encounter. I enjoyed every setback they encountered. The good guys were not perfect, but likable. You knew the Rachel and Paul were flying by the seat of their pants, but I cheered with every step forward they made and got frustrated with every setback.

I can't tell you how how well done I felt the book's climax was written. It was amazing! You didn't get lost in unnecessary details or explanations. It was brilliantly done and well worth the wait!

If you enjoy reading adventures, suspense, and mystery give The Amber Room a try. It would make a great beach or poolside read. I loved living vicariously through the storyline and you may as well. Enjoy!!!