Seizing Amber

Absolutely, hands-down my favorite mystery thriller in years! Racing across continents through some tremendous cities -- New York, Florence, Paris, Moscow -- the CIA undertakes a covert effort to retrieve a fabulous old Russian work of art, The Amber Room. Lots of interested parties: the CIA, the Russian government, private collectors, and various others. Great characters -- an ex-CIA operative and thief who's trying to regain her role at the agency; a blackmailer unwillingly pulled into the chase; a NYC cop; the Russian-equivalent of the CIA chief, spies, collectors, greedy people, and more. Lots of great history and art woven throughout. Picked it up and couldn't put it down. Loved it as much or more than Sydney Sheldon, Thomas Harris and John Grisham!

Harris has really hit a home run here. His work glitters like the Amber Room that is the subject of his novel. Although he has crafted a relatively thin volume, he has filled it to the brim. The novel is a suspenseful mystery; it's an international thriller; it's a rumination on the Cold War; it's almost a text book on art history. What can you say about a book that, in the space of a few pages, gives the reader insights into the life of an associate at a big New York law firm, the mindset of a small town girl in the big city, the education of a spy, the evil of Lenin and the continuing influence of the Medici. All this and more. Harris put a lot of effort into this book. I can't wait for his next one.

Hard to believe this is the author's first -- this book is up there with anything you'll read from the biggest names in the thriller business. Seizing Amber is a great read!

This is dynamite. Can't wait to read more novels of Jonathan Harris.

I don't want to give anything away, but this is a writer to watch! You have to read it to understand.