I am a big fan of thrillers and I have been hooked on David Baldacci’s writing ever since I first picked up Absolute Power. In his novel The Camel Club, Baldacci introduces a host of interesting characters from various walks of life who come together in a powerful investigative group. Baldacci did a great job of bringing the characters to life, especially Secret Service agent Alex Ford and conspiracy hunter “Oliver Stone.” The pacing was perfect through the first half of the book and I was truly engaged in the story. Unfortunately, it was at that point that the story snowballed out of control. Global political thrillers will often times take you right to the edge of believability, forcing you to consider that, yes, this really could happen under just the right circumstances. Baldacci, however, took about two steps over that line and I just couldn’t follow him in. Without spoiling the ending, the plot becomes unbelievable Baldacci really doesn’t provide enough to support what happens leaving the reader to buy-in on their own, which is a gamble that didn’t pay off. The story becomes comic-bookish in the end and looses the tension that built up well early in the book.

This book is the beginning of a series by Baldacci with these characters. Given that I really loved the characters, I am hoping that subsequent books have a more believable storyline for them to romp around in. ( )

Good stuff.

I have read other Baldacci books and enjoyed his seminar at the South Carolina Book Festival a few years ago. This one was different and it took me a little time to get into it. I wasn't sure I really liked the main character Oliver Stone but I did like the Secret Service agent Alex so I kept reading. It is based on conspiracy theories and at times it seems far-fetched but I was intrigued and soon couldn't put it down. As the book ends you understand and like Stone and Baldacci sets it up for new stories for The Camel Club which I plan on reading. ( )

Little hard to get into at first with all the unusual names, but quickly becomes intriguing. Great read. ( )

It exists at the fringes of Washington, DC, has no power, and consists solely of four eccentric downtrodden members whom society has forgotten. Their simple goal is to find the "truth" behind their country's actions. One man leads this aging, ragtag crew. He has no known past and has taken the name "Oliver Stone". Day and night, Stone and his friends study wild conspiracy theories, current events, and the machinations of government, hoping to discover some truth that will hold America's leaders accountable to its citizens. Yet never in Stone's wildest nightmares cold he imagine the conspiracy the Camel Club is about to uncover. ( )