Divine Justice (Camel Club) by David Baldacci
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Book Reviews of Divine Justice (Camel Club)
Book Review: The name's Stone... Oliver Stone
Summary: 5 Stars
Reviewed by Narayan Radhakrishnan for RebeccasReads (12/08)
I am slowly turning into a David Baldacci fan... a fanatic of David Baldacci thrillers. Ever since I read "Absolute Power" (and later saw the movie starring Clint Eastwood and Gene Hackman) I have been in the habit of reading the novels of David Baldacci. And its not often you hear of a lawyer author who has carved success in a genre, outside the legal thriller genre.
But when Baldacci introduced the "Camel Club" series, I just went bonkers. The concept of conspiracy theory was given another dimension, a facelift by Baldacci, and I just had to buy and read, re-read, re-re-read all of his books. Thus, I bought and read "The Camel Club," "The Collectors" and "Stone Cold," and I became a fan of Oliver Stone. For the uninitiated Baldacci reader, Oliver Stone is the series protagonist. And if you confuse him with the real Oliver Stone, I can't blame you: like his eponymous, this Oliver Stone is also one big conspiracy theorist; in fact the origin of this Oliver Stone is also shrouded in conspiracy.
"Divine Justice" ties up some loose ends in the Camel Club series. The origin of the man Oliver Stone is dealt with in this book. John Carr was one of United States' leading assassins. However, he soon got fed up with his job and wanted to call it quits. His bosses disagreed and to keep Carr as an assassin, they developed an idea: simple, kill off his family. But the plan goes awry, and a bereaved Carr takes his guns against those in CIA and the power circles in United States. He kills the CIA chief, as well as a Senator and goes into hiding. The CIA deputes one Macklin Hays to trace John Carr. (And oh...before I forget, Carr was the earlier avatar of Oliver Stone.) But now Stone is in a place called Divine in Virginia. It is a sleepy coal-mining town, but with Stone arriving there, the `sleepiness' doesn't last long...
With their boss in hiding, the other members of the Camel Club are also at a loss of what to do, but they know one thing, they must rescue their chief, they must help him...but does Stone really require their help?
Frolicking between the past and present, alternating between the life of John Carr and the life of Oliver Stone, David Baldacci offers a unique thriller with an absorbing (and twisted) plotline, which culminates in a finish that is vintage Baldacci. Highly, highly enjoyable, I really absolutely devoured the book.
Book Review: Best Camel Club Yet
Summary: 5 Stars
Best Camel Club Yet
David Baldacci writes a superb thriller with Divine Justice. He weaves together 2 very interesting plots into one action packed novel with many twists and turns. The central thesis revolves around the enigmatic John Carr (aka Oliver Stone) and his attempt to escape the dangerous world of Washington Intelligence after he assassinates two prominent government officials. During his travels he accidentally finds himself embroiled in the mysterious activities of a bucolic Virginia town named Divine. One thing leads to another as he finds himself becoming more and more involved in the strange goings on and even stranger local inhabitants. Couple all this with a massive CIA manhunt for Mr. Stone by the "Company's" best "finder" and you have the makings of a very good story. Needless to say all the usual suspects are present, but what makes the story so interesting is not everyone is who they appear to be. The Camel Club eventually arrives in force to help Oliver Stone, and in the hunt by the CIA's finder, Joe Knox, old revelations of Stone's past come to light that somewhat mitigate his actions. Wrapped up in all this is a master CIA spy who has an old score to settle with Stone, and an evil local super-max prison warden who is dealing in drugs. It all comes together in a climatic conclusion with the good guys winning despite taking some sad losses.
Simply a good story with intersecting plots and dynamic characters. This is undoubtedly the best Camel Club story to date as the characters grow into their individual parts.
Character development is good as Mr. Baldacci continues to expand on each main character. With each Camel Club story we learn more and more about this eclectic band of self-styled investigators. With the introduction of some new characters, it will be very interesting to see if and/or where Mr. Baldacci goes next. There are many possibilities and they all seem good.
No gratuitous sex, language, or violence.
Recommended. Simply a good, solid story with 2 interesting plots. I am looking forward to the next Camel Club adventure.
Book Review: Well written fast paced thriller
Summary: 5 Stars
I am a huge fan of David Baldacci and have read virtually all of his books, including the Camel Club series in which an unlikely group of friends band together to help one another and then solve some problem that affects the public at large.
In this book, one of the friends (Oliver Stone a/k/a John Carr) kills two prominent public figures for whom the reader loses all sympathy as the story unfolds as to what they did to Stone.
Stone does not have much of a plan for evading pursuit by an arch enemy who now wields considerable power and wants to make Stone "disappear" in retribution for the murders. Stone winds up in a rural Virginia town named Divine by a happenstance rescue of a young man who is traveling on the same train as Stone. It turns out that Divine is teeming with intrigue, murder, and drug runners.
Most of the other reviews discuss further details of the story line as to how Stone's friends find and help rescue him from an assortment of evil doers, and also how Joe Knox, a CIA agent who has been assigned by Stone's arch enemy to find Stone, instead winds up befriending him.
I totally disagree that this book is not as interesting or well written as other Camel Club books, or as other Baldacci novels. To the contrary, not only is the action fast paced, but there are interesting insights provided into Stone's character.
Not only did I find this a page turner, but I thought it deftly brought together multiple plot lines, with an ending that was realistic given how politics and top secrets work.
If you are a fan of David Baldacci, or want to read him for the first time, you will not be disappointed with this book.
Book Review: By far the best of the Camel Club series
Summary: 5 Stars
I've read most of the series, and I was always hoping that there would be more substance in each subsequent novel. Unfortunately, while I like Baldacci's writing, it usually leaves me feeling a bit too breezy or maybe shallow would be a better word. But there is indeed enough to keep me coming back for more with each installment looking to see what happens.
Divine Justice on the other hand, was the meatiest and most multi faceted book so far. I could feel this way because I know the characters well enough now that he pushed their personalities farther this time that they finally clicked... so that part could be me.
But what I really liked was that this was a book about more than just government conspiracy and goofy power plays in Washington DC. The addition of the new characters in southern virginia's mining country really grabbed me, and made for a substantial contrast with the often shallow DC/govt characters Baldacci has tended to favor in the previous Camel Club incarnations. This time, there is a richer American context, with all sorts of eccentric personalities, from trailer park country bumpkins, to ego maniacal Washington Brahmans...
Personally, I always read Baldacci when I was in between other authors releases, more as a fill in, rather than a devoted reader. Divine Justice may have just turned me into a devoted reader!!
Book Review: The Camel Club Rules!
Summary: 5 Stars
In this fourth Camel Club book our hero Oliver Stone is on the run. He
has just assassinated two of his major enemies Carter Gray of the CIA and Senaotr Roger Simpson from the state of Alabama. The two had ruined his life. While riding an AmTrak train to New Orleans Stone breaks up a fight. Three men are beating up Danny Riker.They get off of the train and
proceed to Divine, Virginia. There Stone meets Danny's mother Abby. In the
meantime there is a massive manhunt for Oliver Stone. It is being spearheaded by Joe Knox a CIA tracker. The further Knox gets into the chase the more he doubts Stone's guilt. Stone's partners Annabelle Conroy,Caleb Shaw, and Reuben Rhodes mobilize to rescue Stone. In Divine
Virginia there are several murders. Stone winds up discovering a huge drug ring operating there. He immediately becomes a target of this ring.
The truth behind the drug ring is startling. This is a good continuation
of the Camel Club series. Besure to read this book.