Lee Strobel's Ambition ~ Reviewed

The Ambition

By Lee Strobel

Published by Zondervan

ISBN# 978-0-310-29267-8

286 Pages

Back Cover: 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.

Review: I have a commute to work so I brought the audio book to listen to in my car. I was hooked from the start. Near the end of the book I stayed parked in my driveway to hear the dramatic and suspenseful conclusion! OHMYGOSH! It’s a riveting and nail biting ending.

I work at a book store and have watch Lee Strobel’s non-fiction books fly off the shelf. I listened to his testimony on a CD called The Invitation. It made me want to read his debut novel, Ambition.

Make sure you give yourself plenty of time to enjoy every minute of this suspenseful, gritty, true to life tale. It’s a fascinating novel that naturally deals with evangelical issues of prayer, miracles, healing, relationships etc. It’s also filled with intrigue ambition, power, deception, mystery, faith, mistakes and more.

It’s has surprising plot twits and characters that grate on your nerves. Although this is written from a faith based point of view this author. His evangelical voice is never too strong. He shows us characters we can identify with and some we might meet at church. He shows that Christians are human with faults. We are all a work in progress. God says he died for us when we “yet” sinners.

I liked the fact that this author didn’t try to force the reader to accept a particular worldview; instead he asks the reader to consider all the facts and issues for themselves. It’s what he did in his book Case for Christ. I liked that.

I also liked the fact that even though there were people murdered and some gritty situations they were not described on a gory or gross manner. There were no steamy romance scenes. I like how he tastefully dealt with love and relationships in this book too.

Lee Strobel is a great and gifted story teller. His novel is relevant in today’s world and reveals a frightening but yet hopeful view of political ambitions and mega churches in general.

This is a real slice of life in the fast lane. I highly recommend this intricate, suspenseful thriller with its riveting conclusion that will make your heart race, leave you satisfied and wanting more. You’ll be thinking about this book long after you’ve read the past page. Its a worthwhile read. There is so much in this book it would make a great book club pick. The discussion questions in the back of the book would make for an interesting discussion.

Reviewed by: Nora St. Laurent

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