Gypsy in Amber [Mass Market Paperback]

Martin Cruz Smith (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 12, 1982

Sorcery and the dark sciences lie at the heart of a terrible murder that threatens to force the police into a confrontation with New York's gypsy community. However, Roman Grey decides to unearth the truth about the killing, whatever the cost. First published in 1975.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: Ballantine Books (September 12, 1982)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0345306147
• ISBN-13: 978-0345306142
• Product Dimensions: 6.9 x 4.1 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #754,489 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Martin Cruz-Smith's novels include Stalin's Ghost, Gorky Park, Rose, December 6, Polar Star and Stallion Gate. A two-time winner of the Hammett Prize from the International Association of Crime Writers and a recipient of Britain's Golden Dagger Award, he lives in California.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars The Gypsy antique dealer hunts down a murderer., March 11, 1999

By 

[e-mail] (Sacramento, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Gypsy in Amber (Hardcover)

I enjoyed this early Martin Cruz Smith mystery. The main character, Roman Grey is fascinating in many of the same ways Smith's later heroes are... quiet, humble, competent, quick, enigmatic. As with his later novels, Smith gives some interesting information about a group of people that the mainstream U.S. doesn't usually think or know much about; in this case, gypsies in the U.S. in the 70's, v.s. later novels inhabited by Native Americans, or Russians, or miners. In this case, I think the circumstances of the Gypsy are sometimes more interesting than the story itself. Not that the story is dull. But I found some of the plot to be a bit stretched.

Martin Cruz Smith is a fantastic writer, and I'd like to hear more of Roman Grey, though I don't really expect we will.

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating material, but ultimately collapses, January 20, 2003

By 

RMurray847 "afilmcritic.com" (Albuquerque, NM United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Gypsy in Amber (Hardcover)

Martin Cruz Smith has a real knack for rooting his stories within really fascinating backgroups. The Russian police in GORKY PARK, bats in NIGHTWING, the development of the Bomb in STALLION GATE, etc. etc. This very early novel of his is no exception. We get to delve into the life of an American Gypsy, something few of us have any background in. And we learn a lot about antique furniture, which I never thought I'd be interested in, but it was so well done, I found myself quite drawn in.

But the actual plot, the mystery, if you will, is pretty thin, and quite frankly, the "final showdown" is really not very good. There's a lot of stuff with "hippies" that seems painfully dated today. The book is a must for people who read Smith avidly, as I do, but I wouldn't recommend it as a starting point for delving into Smith (just plunge right in to GORKY PARK for that), nor would I recommend it to the casual mystery reader, because the mystery itself is not much.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A solid Early Martin Cruz smith book, July 15, 2011

By 

James Earl Carter (Plains, GA USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Gypsy in Amber (Hardcover)

Cruz smith's stories are always interesting for the journey not the destination. Many people know of his popular renko detective series that came after these books. Those are his strongest books and they immerses us in the melancholy atmosphere of russia. This one immerses us in the underworld of gypsy culture in the US. As usual the hero's motivations are an interanl need for righteousness not societies need. One can see the beginnings of Smiths s ironic touches and eye catching metaphor emerging here. It's a solid read and has extra interest for MCS fans who have just read his later works.