Has there ever been a Cold War mystery in which we do not know from the outset that it will end positively? The pleasure lies in unfolding the peregrinations the hero must face in order to restore order to the world. The challenge to the author is to make us believe that things will not work out as we believe they should, that the world will not be safe for democracy. Having convinced us that all is lost and that the world is barreling toward its inevitable destruction, the bad guys must make a small mistake, which causes the evil to unravel. Baldacci makes this deus ex machina, in this case, the smallest element of humanity is revealed, plausible because he has created his characters with depth.
Once again, David Baldacci proves that he is the new master of this genre. With 12 novels and 7 original screenplays, he is ubiquitous. As I waited for an airplane recently, I saw him on CNN pitching his video game for Hour Game, his previous novel. And, as part of the advertising campaign for The Camel Club, he will continue to be seen on the CNN Airport Network and in major markets.
Once again, David Baldacci proves that he is the new master of this genre. With 12 novels and 7 original screenplays, he is ubiquitous. As I waited for an airplane recently, I saw him on CNN pitching his video game for Hour Game, his previous novel. And, as part of the advertising campaign for The Camel Club, he will continue to be seen on the CNN Airport Network and in major markets.
It is Washington, D.C. Conspiracy theories abound. Most of them are wild suppositions, but there is one group of four men, the self-styled Camel Club, who walk under the radar, hiding in plain sight, who make suppositions based on facts gleaned from years of observation. Of course, they are right.
Are characters who they say they are? Do they represent what they claim? Who is real? Who is fake? A major character calls himself "Oliver Stone" after the filmmaker. Will we find out in time to figure out where this story is going? This is the new cold/hot war on terrorism. Names are so close to reality: Muhammad al-Zawahiri; Gul Khan (an Afghan); Carter Gray (head of all intelligence); Tom Hemingway (a spy, a turncoat?).Who is Adnan al-Rimi, a driver who is "killed" in the opening chapter? Who is John Carr, a CIA operative, who is dead and buried in Arlington National Cemetery? Why is Carr a link to Carter Gray? The link is a major surprise.
Are characters who they say they are? Do they represent what they claim? Who is real? Who is fake? A major character calls himself "Oliver Stone" after the filmmaker. Will we find out in time to figure out where this story is going? This is the new cold/hot war on terrorism. Names are so close to reality: Muhammad al-Zawahiri; Gul Khan (an Afghan); Carter Gray (head of all intelligence); Tom Hemingway (a spy, a turncoat?).Who is Adnan al-Rimi, a driver who is "killed" in the opening chapter? Who is John Carr, a CIA operative, who is dead and buried in Arlington National Cemetery? Why is Carr a link to Carter Gray? The link is a major surprise.
Two murders start an engrossing chain of events which lead to the denouement. There are obviously bad guys; others are not so obvious; others are very misleading. It is the old game of deception, practiced so beautifully by John LeCarre. Baldacci has created a masterful plot of deception, leading us up wrong alleys time after time, but always moving the story towards its inevitable conclusion. And, it is this journey through this slice of life that we find so intriguing and compelling.
The plot twists, turns, re-twists, and re-turns. Who is in the right? Who is wrong? What is right or wrong? Sometimes the plot seems outlandish, unreal, unattainable. But, the events of 9/11 fit that same description on 9/10. If you have the least lack of confidence in our government, you will find much to worry about in The Camel Club. Although a novel, the discussions of what has led to our problems with people in the Middle East are eye-opening and thought-provoking, and so clearly based on well-reasoned fact.
The plot twists, turns, re-twists, and re-turns. Who is in the right? Who is wrong? What is right or wrong? Sometimes the plot seems outlandish, unreal, unattainable. But, the events of 9/11 fit that same description on 9/10. If you have the least lack of confidence in our government, you will find much to worry about in The Camel Club. Although a novel, the discussions of what has led to our problems with people in the Middle East are eye-opening and thought-provoking, and so clearly based on well-reasoned fact.
David Baldacci was born in Virginia, in 1960, where he still lives. He received a B. A, from Virginia Commonwealth University and a law degree from the University of Virginia then practiced law for nine years in Washington, D.C. He serves as a national ambassador for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society and participates in numerous charities as well as founding his own family foundation for literacy, Wish You Well Foundation.
