The Camel Club

By: David Baldacci

Narrated by: Jonathan Davis

Length: 16 hrs and 10 mins

Publisher's summary

It exists at the fringes of Washington, D.C., has no power, and consists solely of four eccentric and 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 could he imagine the conspiracy the Camel Club is about to uncover.

After witnessing a shocking murder, the Club is slammed headfirst into a plot that threatens the very security of the nation, full of stunning twists, high-stakes intrigue, and global gamesmanship rocketing to the Oval Office and beyond. Soon the Club must join forces with veteran Secret Service agent Alex Ford, who becomes an unwilling participant in one of the most chilling spectacles to ever take place on American soil. It's an event that may well be the catalyst for the long-threatened Armageddon between two different worlds, and all that stands in the way of this apocalypse are five unexpected heroes.

In The Camel Club, best-selling author David Baldacci paints a frighteningly vivid portrait of a world that could be our own very soon, and the few people who have a chance to stop the chaos.

©2005 Columbus Rose, Ltd. (P)2005 Time Warner AudioBooks

Critic reviews

"As fans of this writer know, years of experience have made him an author who promises a good story and then delivers it." (Publishers Weekly)

Starts slow but is riveting in second half

It's slow in the first half but riveting in the second half. It is apparent that the author has done a lot of research and seamlessly interweaved interesting historical facts with the story. The main characters in the book are well developed (members of the Camel Club). But the other characters were not as much, such as the Secret Service agent and the lawyer/part-time bartender/part-time piano teacher (yeah).

Restrained

Jonathan Davis does a great job at reading this novel. The plot is quite fantastic - and not necessarily in a good way. However I really like the very balanced perception this book provides about Islam. Finally a thriller that does not blindly resort to stereotypes and even holds the mirror in front of the perceptions that many of us have,

Slow starter but last third like a runaway train

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes. I wasn't thrilled with the start but grew to like the characters and the last third of the book was totally engrossing.

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

The last third kept me on the edge of my seat. Murder Mountain - what a name and what a place!

What does Jonathan Davis bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

He was an excellent reader. Differentiated the characters well. I liked his voice.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

No. Slow starter. Took a while for me to warm up to it but I persisted & was rewarded.

Any additional comments?

I'm not into the genre of suspense where it involves the war on terror. Too close to reality for me. As soon as I hear "CIA" or "Iraq" or anything like that, I'm not likely to buy a book. But I tried this one because I liked Baldacci's Maxwell & King series (the couple I've read - liked the TV show too). Overall book was better than I expected, especially when I first started it.

Great the 2nd time around.

I originally read this book in print when it first came out. Great book and better via Audible.

Great writing with a few downsides.

Overall I enjoyed it. Sounds quality is a little off at parts but the narrator was excellent. A few parts was a little far fetched for my liking and sometimes the logic of the characters where hard to understand. Not

THANK YOU SIRRUS FOR INTRO TO O. STONE

Instead of the news I listen (or used to) a station dedicated to the narration of books. Listened to about 45 minutes of this and HAD to hear the entire book.Outstanding book!

page-turner for the not-so-thoughtful

Rapid-paced action but the characters are not very smart nor do they react as situations dictate. Criminals too dumb to have planned the crimes and heroes too dumb to thwart them.
Typical Baldacci

Fun, informed, a bit unrealistic

I really liked this novel, but as with most movies and books about the White House and politics, I had trouble swallowing my disbelief. Events escalated too fast, coincidences were too frequent, and physical abilities were too extreme. On the other hand, the writer showed a bit more understanding of "the enemy" than the average thriller (no matter which enemy). In a sea of misinformation about Islam and Muslims, it was nice to see someone who knew something about the religion, and didn't fall into the normal hysterical caricatures.

The characters themselves were believable enough for a thriller. There were well-meaning bad guys and flawed good guys, and interestingly quirky people sucked into grand events. Some of the interrelationships were too hard to believe, and an amazing number of characters had similar tales of grief and loss. Overall, though, they were characters you could care about even if they did not always act believably.

The premise of the central plot was interesting, and if you believe the writer's execution of the plot--I almost could--the plot leads to intriguing introspections and scenarios with some nice payoffs. It's a little better than the average mindless, faceless enemy plots of most thrillers.

As a story it's tense, engaging, and mysterious, and has a bit of mind and character. For those reasons I liked it. However, I didn't feel like the writer had ever worked intelligence, or even knew anyone who had. If you want a thriller that reads like a technical manual of gadgets and strategies, this isn't it. The focus of this story is more on characters and the human element, and less on detailed recreations of the workings of intelligence and government.

The reader was decent, but somewhat flat, without much skill at characters. Accents were general and crude, dialogue lacked subtlety. More of a reading than a performance. Not bad, just not great.

My Latest Greatest Heros

Where does The Camel Club rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

A good story with lots of adventure thrown in. I wasn't sure I'd like this gang of misfits but in the end, I just love them. Not gonna spoil the story but I can't wait to listen to the next one!!!

Very Exciting Read

Held my interest. Good characters exciting plot.