The Ambition: A Novel
The Ambition: A Novel book cover

The Ambition: A Novel

Hardcover – Bargain Price, March 1, 2011

by
Price
$7.67
Format
Hardcover
Pages
288
Publisher
Zondervan
Publication Date
Dimensions
6.18 x 0.98 x 9.21 inches
Weight
1.5 pounds

Description

Bestselling nonfiction writer Strobel (The Case for Christ) makes his fiction debut with a legal thriller that draws on his background in legal journalism. In Chicago, which specializes in deep-dish corruption, the mobster Bugatti brothers want a murder case steered to the right judge, so they send a payoff to Judge Reese McKelvie. McKelvie is a candidate for a U.S. Senate seat vacated as a result of corruption; his rival is pastor Eric Snow, who heads a suburban megachurch and who has developed political ambition. One member of Snow's congregation is Gina D'Orazio, girlfriend of investigative reporter Garry Strider. When Gina's faith prompts her to move out of Strider's apartment, the cynical Strider takes Snow's megachurch as his next investigative target. The much published author writes with great confidence and plots like a screenwriter. The book's ending has a rushed feel, as if some major developments are dropped rather than resolved. On the whole, however, Strobel succeeds in his new direction; his nonfiction fans will certainly want to check this out. ---Publishers Weekly Lee Strobel was the award-winning legal editor of The Chicago Tribune and is the best-selling author of The Case for Faith, The Case for Christ, and The Case for a Creator. Visit Lee's website at: www.leestrobel.com. SPANISH BIO: Lee Strobel tiene una licenciatura en periodismo de la Universidad de Missouri y una maestria en estudio de leyes de la Universidad Yale. Fue el galardonado editor legal del periodico Chicago Tribune y esceptico espiritual hasta el ano 1981. Es autor de exitos de ventas del New York Times de casi veinte libros y ha sido entrevistado por numerosos programas nacionales de television, incluyendo 20/20 de la cadena ABC, Fox News y CNN. Cuatro de sus libros han ganado el premio Medalla de oro y uno de ellos fue el ganador del premio Libro cristiano del ano 2005 (el cual escribio junto a Garry Poole). Lee sirvio como pastor de ensenanza en las Iglesias Willow Creek y Saddleback. Ademas, contribuye como editor y columnista de la revista 'Outreach'. el y su esposa, Leslie, residen en Colorado. Para mas informacion, visite: www.leestrobel.com

Features & Highlights

  • 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.

Customer Reviews

Rating Breakdown

★★★★★
30%
(134)
★★★★
25%
(111)
★★★
15%
(67)
★★
7%
(31)
★
23%
(102)

Most Helpful Reviews

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dragged

Mr. Strobel should stick to writing non-fiction. This story was too disjointed and dragged in parts. It was not very engaging or well written. Some authors just aren't meant to write fiction!
1 people found this helpful
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A Good First Effort in Fiction

Although Lee Strobel has long been a superstar writer of non-fiction (Christian apologetics), this is his first novel. It is an interesting and worthwhile read.

The story features a corrupt judge, organized crime, investigative reporting, and a mega church pastor with political ambitions. There is a lot of action and the pace of the tale is good. In addition to a fun story, there are some thought provoking themes for Christians in particular.

I enjoyed this book and hope that Mr. Strobel continues to hone his novel writing ability. I think he has strong potential in this area as well to go along with his specialty in apologetics.
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A very entertaining read that was hard to put down

I have read most of Lee Strobel's Case For books, but given his extensive journalistic background, I was confident that he would have plenty of material to glean from when I heard about The Ambition. I started it yesterday afternoon and just finished it today. It was hard to put down and was a very enjoyable read. Similar to his writing style in his other books, Strobel wrote The Ambition in a way that was easy to read, kept you interested and engaged, and nicely tied multiple story lines together. Initially I found myself going back to seeing who was who because the story quickly jumps to different main characters interacting with key supporting characters, but once acquainted, it was a smooth and entertaining read.

There are two negatives worth noting. The stubbornness of one character was a bit irritating. Understandably, a pastor has an ethical obligation of keeping private conversations just that, private. But morally, it felt as if the character was willing to let innocent people suffer and/or die than to divulge any details of a confession. It went beyond being irrational and brought on more trouble than was necessary. Not being a pastor, I will not find myself in that position of a moral and ethical struggle such as that; the book does somewhat address this through dialog, but it still irked me nonetheless. The other item was Eric Snow's character. Going from pastor to potential politician, it often seemed like such a smart guy would not have been so easily naive or callous without considering the actions being suggested to him. It seemed as if, despite his assurances that he has sought God for guidance, he only gave each decision a fleeting thought before acting on them. I would offer specifics, but then I would be spoiling things.

I highly recommend this page burner of a book. Fans of Ted Dekker's thriller books should love this. It has a lot of momentum and while a few general outcomes were predictable, the manner by which they were achieved were somewhat unexpected. This is a strong first novel and I look forward to more.
1 people found this helpful
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Page Turner

Great read cover to cover! Most read for any Lee Strobel fan!
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Five Stars

Lee Strobel is a fantastic author.
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It was like several mini stories rolled into one book

This was a page turner, the characters were so interesting. It was like several mini stories rolled into one book. The main characters had their own stories, and it was so interesting how their lives were intertwined together. This book felt like it was pulled out of today's headlines.
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God, politics and the mob

If you know anything about Lee Strobel and his own testimony, then you are in for a treat. Not only is The Ambition loaded with suspense and mystery, but it is filled with spirituality. Everything from coming to Christ, to miracles of complete physical healing, to a Pastor moving to politics.

Knowing his background as a reporter, and how Lee sought the truth of Jesus and the Bible, having to have the Bible spelled out as factual for him to come to faith in Jesus, you see that through his characters and appreciate it all the more.

There were many leading, well rounded characters. It's a story of a church that makes a huge difference in Chicago where there are corrupted judges and politicians that are bought by the mob. The struggles of the church, judges and politicians collide and there are explosions.

The Ambition is a page turner that will leave you with deep thoughts of your own. It was an amazing story that I found very compelling.
Note: I received a complimentary copy for an honest review of this book. The opinions shared in this review are solely my responsibility. Other reviews can be read at [...] . Also follow me on Twitter @TMWoodsBook, FaceBook at [...] .
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Sets the bar HIGH for a first novel!

Strobel turns his considerable, proven talent toward Christian fiction, and what a splendid first effort! If you've read any of his Case for... books, you've come to expect great writing and a true talent for anticipating the questions believers and skeptics alike might ask. Project that same keen, inherent sense into a work of fiction, and you've got all the makings of a first-rate story that captures and holds your attention from Prologue to Epilogue.

The halls of power will never be the same when Christ is along for the ride - read this book!
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Disappointed

Lee Strobel's non fiction books - The Case for Christ, The Case for the Creator and others have helped me and many others know how to share the Gospel with seekers and helped seekers/unbelievers come to Christ. I eagerly ordered his first novel, The Ambition, thinking this could reach seekers or even unbelievers more easily. I was mistaken.

However, it is a well written, action packed tale of intrigue, corruption, and ambition reminiscent of John Grisham's books. The story involves a mega- church and an ambitious pastor who hopes to fill a senate seat and change the world via politics and government. Unfortunately, this book will not change anything or anyone.
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Strobel's Case For The Ambition Is Still Doing God's Work!

When you think of Lee Strobel, you think of "The Case For Christ," you think of "The Case For Faith," all which are quite good. He's somewhat of a legend, and people want to hear what this man has to say. So who figured that he'd write a novel? "The Ambition" is out and about, and it's good stuff! Wasn't exactly sure what I'd think of it, simply because not every author out there is a novelist. But Strobel did good.

You have the mob, you have murder, and you have a statement on tape made by a judge that could really damage a career. Eric Snow is a Senior Pastor for a huge church, and might have a chance to be in the Senate. And just as Eric gets going on his mission in politics, a miracle or two happens in his church. Is this a coincidence? Add in to the equation, a reporter named Garry Strider, and he wants his Pulitzer! He knows a thing or two, and he's been watching people rather closely.

God's Hand is always on His people, whether we realize it or not, sometimes whether we even want it to be or not. I thought that Strobel did quite well in um, making his case in the form of a novel. Ok, puns aside, he opened a lot of eyes! He may have tried throwing in some old school Mario Puzo in the mix, along with some light gangster talk, but it didn't come off as cheesy. It came off as sincere, and as a man who's still doing God's work!

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