Starred review from August 27, 2007
The modern-day paladins of the Camel Club are back in their third exciting adventure (after 2006's The Collectors
). Justice-seekers Milton, Caleb, Reuben and honorary member Alex Ford, a Secret Service agent, are led by feisty Oliver Stone, aka former CIA assassin John Carr. Their associate, Annabelle Conroy, is a slick con artist on the run after stealing $40 million from lunatic casino owner Jerry Bagger, who killed her mother. Oliver's CIA past distracts him from Annabelle's cause: his old unit, Triple 6, was responsible for the death of Raymond Solomon, branded a traitor during the Cold War, and now Solomon's son, DHS security expert Harry Finn, is picking off Triple 6 members. Oliver could be next if Carter Gray, his former boss, reveals that John Carr isn't really dead. Gripping, chilling and full of surprises, Baldacci's latest reveals the anarchy that lurks under the slick facade of corrupted governments.
Starred review from October 15, 2007
Revenge is a dish best served "stone cold." In Baldacci's third novel in "The Camel Club" seriesafter "The Camel Club" and "The Collectors"Oliver Stone, aka John Carr, ex-CIA assassin, is back with his eclectic group of conspiracy theorists. Their mission is to discover the truth behind the American government's lies. This time the group is trying to protect Annabelle, an honorary group member, as she is being chased with the certainty of being killed by casino king Jerry Bagger, whom she conned out of $40 million in avenging her mother's murder. Concurrently, Harry Finn, a Homeland Security contractor, is himself out for revenge, against the people who framed and killed his father, a Cold War spy. Finn's targets include such people as ex-intelligence chief Carter Gray, senator and presidential hopeful Roger Simpson, and, if Harry discovers he's not dead, John Carr. Baldacci's intricately woven plotlines, well-developed characters, fast-paced action, and surprise ending will leave readers satisfied and wanting more. A sequel worthy of its predecessors; highly recommended for all fiction collections. [See Prepub Alert, "LJ" 7/07.]Susan O. Moritz, Montgomery Cty. P.L.s, MD
Copyright 2007 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
Starred review from October 1, 2007
Its difficult to decide how seriously to take a thriller about a conspiracy theorist named Oliver Stone. Baldacci does make an oblique reference to the fact that his protagonist shares the name of a noted conspiracy-minded film director, so we know its no accident. But does this mean that the Camel Club novels (The Camel Club, 2005; The Collectors, 2006; and now this one) have taken a lighthearted turn, or is Baldacci just having a quick bit of insider fun before cranking into narrative overdrive? The latter, definitely. Annabelle Conroy, con artist extraordinaire, might have bitten off more than she can chew: shes bilked a casino owner (the wonderfully named, scenery-chewing Jerry Bagger) out of $40 million, and he isnt taking it well. Now Annabelle and her cohorts are on the run fromBaggers murderous rage. Oliver and his band of associates circle the wagons to protect Annabelle, but Olivers having a tough time concentrating, as someone is killing off his old friends and colleagues, and it looks like Stones name is now at the top of the hit list. When Baldacci is on fire, nobody can touch him, and this is an exhilarating thriller: fast paced, with a cast of engaging characters, a couple of mind-wrenching plot twists, and a general air of derring-do that keeps the proceedings from getting too heavy. Lets hope this isnt Oliver Stones last appearance.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2007, American Library Association.)
November 5, 2007
Baldacci may not be a literary stylist, but he really knows how to spin a yarn, and with McLarty he gets a narrator who adds emotional depth to his characters without slowing down the breathless pace of his prose. McLarty uses his distinctive, almost avuncular delivery to excellent purpose in this action-packed thriller that finds the Camel Club members attacked by three tough customers seeking revenge. Washington power broker Carter Gray blames them for the loss of his White House job. Thuggish casino operator Jerry Bagger wants con woman extraordinaire Annabelle Conroy and his stolen $40 million. And an old Cold War wrong has placed former U.S. government assassin and club founder Oliver Stone in the path of world-class hit man Harry Finn. Middle-aged baritones offer no great challenge to McLarty's talent, yet his subtle shifts are admirable, from the thoughtful, slightly rough-edged Stone to the rougher-edged Bagger to Gray's sneeringly perfect locution. But his art becomes more apparent as he effectively captures the voices of Annabelle, Finn and a gallery of other characters, including a bitter elderly Russian woman and a world-weary Irish-American man, providing them all a dimension not always on the page. Simultaneous release with the Grand Central hardcover (Reviews, Aug. 22).