Book Review: The Ambition by Lee Strobel

The Ambition by Lee Strobel

Publisher: Zondervan

Publish Date: March 1, 2011

Hardcover, 288 pages 
Fiction, Suspense, Christian
 ISBN: 978-0310292678

My Review:
My thoughts:  The Ambition brings forth a very interesting premise, what if a very prominent preacher did step into a political office.  But that is not the only thing going on in this novel.  No, for a short novel, there is a lot going on.  There is a romance between an atheist and a budding Christian that goes to the church of the prominent pastor.  The atheist is a reporter who is trying to get a major story to save his job and thinks this prominent pastor might be that story.  There is also a crooked judge, a crooked politician, the mob, some really good people, some innocent bystanders and some in-between.  The book is filled with characters, but they all stand out and I never really found them confusing.

However there is a lot going on in the book.  It made for a very exciting read and I couldn't help turning from page to page.  I came to really care for some of the characters like the newspaper reporter Strider.  I want him to come to terms with his life and find his faith.  I also wanted the best for Pastor Snow who I felt really lost himself in the chase for political power (and that was the point).  I liked the characters and I felt for them and that made the book for me along with the fast-paced plot.

I think the only thing that I didn't like was how quickly things were tied up - I really think the book needed about 100 more pages and I am hoping this is the beginning of a series (please, please, please).  It was left finished at the end, but a little open so I can hope.  I would love to see more of these characters and see where life after this book takes them.  However it is tied up enough that you feel like the book is over.

Great characters that you come to feel like are your friends and a fast-paced plot make The Ambition a very-worthwhile first venture into fiction for Mr. Strobel.  I look forward to his next book as well.

My Rating: 4.0/5.0


About the Book:
A corrupt judge in a mob murder case. A disillusioned pastor, hungry for power. A cynical reporter, sniffing for a scandal. A gambling addict whose secret tape threatens the lives of everyone who hears it. New York Times bestselling author Lee Strobel weaves these edgy characters into an intricate thriller set in a gleaming, suburban megachurch, a big-city newspaper struggling for survival, and the shadowy corridors of political intrigue. The unexpected climax is as gripping as the contract killing that punctuates the opening scene.

About the Author: 
Lee Strobel is an award-winning legal editor of The Chicago Tribune and a New York Times bestselling author. After years of nonfiction bestsellers, he is publishing his debut fiction novel, a legal thriller. Lee is a Yale Law School graduate, accomplished journalist, and world-renowned speaker.

Website

FTC Information: I received this book from Anne Staszalek, Marketing Associate with AuthorsOntheWeb for an honest review.