It's 1973, and Stephen Friedman is a realtor in Los Angeles. He has no family, no history, no roots, but that doesn't bother him--or so he claims. When he finds out that a Jewish Holocaust survivor who died recently might have been his mother, it doesn't affect him--or so he tries to convince himself. But then he learns that she may have left behind a vast treasure...and some very real danger, both of which are now his to uncover.

This book is quite captivating, as basically a conjunction of many different people's obsessions. Shown in dual timelines, love, hate, hope, thirst for power--all of these combine into a story that spans almost 30 years. The second time period shown, besides Stephen in 1973, is that of 2 women in a concentration camp in 1944-45. And while their lives are threatened by the man who runs the camp, Stephen's life is threatened by that Nazi's serial killer son. It's really interesting to go back and forth and see the story play out, but also see how the son, Roth Braun, was shaped into a psychopath by his equally sadistic father.

The biggest downside in the story, in my opinion, is right there in the title. It's not the obsession, per se, but how unrealistically quickly it's developed by Stephen. And the jump from being obsessed with getting his hands on what his mother might have left to being in love with a woman he's never met, simply because he's told they were born for each other, doesn't stir any emotion in me. Except eye-rolling. Is that an emotion? Plus, too many people in the story seem to have the same take on love and obsession, which is fairly unrealistic.

I also think suspense could have been built a little more without some of the scenes shown from Braun's perspective. And there was one particular major action he took that did not really add anything to the plot.

Overall, though, I enjoyed the book a lot. It's not my first time reading it, but it is my first time in 10 years. I'm really glad it held up as the book I remember loving, and I would recommend it for all fans of Christian suspense or thrillers (understanding that it's fairly light on a Christian message). ( )

55243

Deals with Jews, Nazis and treasure, both of jewels and of people. An orphan Jew in the 70's finds his mother after she dies. She leaves cryptic clues leading to the Stones of David[the 5 David used to slay Goliath] and to the woman of his dreams. All the time pursued by a vengeful Nazi who uses Occultic practices. Dekker seems obsessed with using pathetic main characters. None of them yet have to be in the heroic mold. Just need to get used to it I guess. ( )

The adventure begins when an article in a newspaper convinces Stephen that he is the son of Rachel Spritzer, who had recently died, leaving behind one of the very valuable Stones of David, believed to be one of the five Stones chosen by David to kill the giant Goliath. Obsessed with finding the rest of the Stones, Stephen will go to any lengths to secure the treasure and discover his past. To complicate matters, Roth has also learned of the Stones and is able to buy Rachel Spritzer's house before Stephen is able to. Convinced that clues to what they seek are hidden in her house, both men are working feverishly to find them before the other can.

The pages are filled with twists as unexpected as always, action, adventure, mystery, and a bit of romance. If you enjoy this is book, I'd also suggest "Blink", "Thr3e", and his "Circle Trilogy". ( )

An obsessive read.... of the page-turner variety, that is. A story spanning three decades, beginning in a Nazi concentration camp in World War II, where unspeakable horrors unfold, and culminating in hunt for a Jewish relic. Two factions collide and face off in their quest for this artifact: same goal, different motives, one obsession. ( )