4 out of 4 stars
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Throughout their history, Jews have had to face many challenges simply because of their identity. Sidney Eli Steinburg (Sid), as a young boy, watched the brutal murder of his father by Nazi soldiers. Left under the care of his mother (Kaylah), they fled to Switzerland for safety. Could Sid overcome his fears and trauma and make something meaningful out of his life?
Steinburg; The Road to Amsterdam is a novel written by Douglass K. Davies. The first chapter of the book ushers the reader to the adult life of Sid. As the founder of Capital Studios (a movie-making enterprise in Hollywood), Sid is determined to produce more than just great movies. His eyes are fixed on owning the world’s most sophisticated satellite system (ICON). Why would a moviemaker be interested in such a system? The author unveils Sid’s mission to own ICON in 52 well-written chapters.
I loved the development of the characters in the book. Sid is the main character who develops from a traumatized kid (given in the prologue of the book) to a wealthy entrepreneur who is determined to get the most advanced tech device in the satellite business. His attention to the satellite system draws many enemies towards him, including the Defense Secretary of America (Weissman). The world’s leading group of trained assassins, Scorpion, also found a slot in Sid’s list of enemies. The CIA takes a major role in unveiling the mess that surrounds Capital Studios because of Sid’s pursuit of the satellite system.
I loved how the author used Capital Studios as the launching pad for Steinburg’s higher goal. David Mitchell, Sid’s loyal employee, gave Steinburg his undivided attention. Another notable character was Thomas Dearns, Sid’s finance director and confidante. However, my favorite character was Templeton, Sid’s Chief of Security. Having served in the Secret Service, and with many years of experience as a member of the security team of England’s royal family, his experience and expertise were challenged by the threat that Sid’s enemies constantly posed on his life. I had chills when one of the assassins proved to be more powerful than he was. All his operations really triggered an adrenaline drill in me. The author’s creativity and his mastery of fine prose made Templeton’s encounters to leap off the page and grip my heart in an amazing way. I must commend him for that.
I really liked the author’s ability to build suspense and maintain it throughout the book. Although the novel is quite long (500+ pages), reading it was enjoyable. I actually found myself wanting to read more about the adventures of Capital Studios, the fate of the Defense Secretary, and the fate of the lead scientists in the ICON project. I hope the author writes a sequel to the book.
Due to his ability to grab my attention throughout the book in such a beautiful way, I gave Davies’ Steinburg: The Road to Amsterdam 4 out of 4 stars. It was professionally edited. However, I noted a few minor errors. For lovers of action-packed suspense-driven novels, you do not want to miss this one.
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Steinburg
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