Most Helpful Customer Reviews
|
|
18 of 21 people found the following review helpful:
The Camel Club gets a bit darker, 5 Nov 2007
This is the third in the Camel Club series. A series that started off very light-hearted and got more serious as it has moved on. The author has also taken the focus off many of the characters to focus on just two or three and almost as much time is given to the main bad guy, an ex-special forces operator who is killing ex intelligence agents.
No light touch in this one and the author is comfortable with the characters and the supporting players. The plot blends the back-story of Annabel as her past starts to catch up and likewise with Stone his past also starts to come back to haunt him and he has to decide how to protect those he cares for.
This is an efficient thriller and possibly the best of the Camel Club books. No classic but good enough to keep you well entertained for a few hours.
|
|
|
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
No longer at his earlier heights?, 22 Jan 2008
I have read of lot of Baldacci, including one prior Camel Club effort. I have rated most of them highly, but I can't help feel that there's been a slide in quality. (I did not read the prequel to this one, however, so it may have lost some of its intended impact on me). Judging by other positive reviews, however, I am not going to bring the average rating down too much here with this somewhat negative review.
There are two sub-plots, one a conspiracy involving the past of one of the Camel Club members, and another involving the aftermath of a con-job executed by a Camel Club friend. They are unrelated, so I suspect both were there to make sure Baldacci could produce 400 pages - neither would have satisfied that test on its own.
It is an easy read without a great deal of real depth - but it has short, punchy chapters, some twists, and a lot of action to produce a good ride. But there are holes in the sub-plots, inaccuracies (which Baldacci admits to, to be fair) and a lot of coincidences to keep the plots moving. And there are bad guys at the highest levels of government, as usual, in an attempt to sustain interest. The writing is nothing special and there is little characterisation, although readers will have established favourites from the prequels.
In view of a couple of things that happen, the Camel Club will be different if Baldacci keeps it live. To me, however, the theme is wearing thin and Baldacci is struggling to come up with new ideas to keep the members actively engaged.
Here, I would say, he has just used too much licence to create his story and I suspect he will do more of the same next time. I would feel a lot better if Baldacci started with a new sheet to allow him to get back where he once was (then again, just prior to reading this book, I had finished a far-fetched Andrew Gross novel, and perhaps two of similar ilk, in a row, is one too many!). 7/10
|
|
|
6 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
Stone delivers, 14 Nov 2007
I enjoyed the original Camel Club and even more so the Collectors so awaited this eagerly especially as it was set up with Bagger seeking revenge on Annabelle.
This book is a departure from traditional Baldacci style and I thought moves more mainstream to Patterson. The chapters are short and numerous, and the plot quickly flowing but with less depth. The characters are not developed sufficiently other than Stone who indeed takes centre stage as on a mission to rectify previous orders given by the government (great Jason Bourne/ Jack Reacher stuff I might add). Particularly dissapointing is Annabelle who does not seem as strong willed as portrayed well in The Collectors.
However, this is more a statement than a critisism and I enjoyed the book, immensely. I highly recommended it for those who appreciate the Camel Club, but perhaps a little isoteric as a standalone read.
|
|
|
Most Recent Customer Reviews
|
(16)
£4.19
(17)
£5.44
(27)
£8.50
(6 customer reviews)
