The protagonist (who seems to have a good deal in common with the author) stumbles upon an amber-smuggling ring during her vacation at the Baltic seashore. Her subsequent adventures lead her into the secretive world of amber traders and jewelers, and through the various social strata of contemporary Poland, Germany and Russia. The writing offers Chmielewska's typically dynamic action and inventive language in a mode linking realism and the grotesque.
Joanna Chmielewska (b. 1932) is the most popular Polish writer of thrillers and detective novels.
There are more than 31,000 publishers registered in Poland. However, the market is highly concentrated. The 300 largest publishing firms still hold almost 98 per cent of it. More »
