Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
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THE CAMEL CLUB By David Baldacci
It’s all about timing. If I had read this book after a string of thrillers, I might not have enjoyed it so much. But I read this book after Joan Didion’s memoir of her husband’s death and the Fair Tax Book – I was ready to lose myself in a thriller.
The Camel Club is political intrigue in Washington. It describes the secret meetings of four men, quirky mostly has-beens, with a leader named Oliver Stone (a name he chose for its irony after the CIA stole his life.) The book kept me reading past my bedtime, which is always a good sign, but I do have some complaints I should worn you about.
The politics of the book felt a little heavy handed. You’re left with no doubt that Baldacci is not supportive of the war in Iraq. This aspect may get in the way for some of you. I wasn't irritated by it, but it was something I noticed, and when I notice politics in a novel it's distracting.
The thing that irritated me was the ending. It’s not what happens in the end that bothers me, it’s that I found myself wishing it would just be over from about 30 pages out. Have you ever had that experience when you’re reading along enjoying yourself and suddenly you’re racing to an inevitably neat and tidy tying up of everything and it’s all so unsatisfying? Maybe this flaw is in me, the reader, and not the author – but the last 30 pages let me down.
With that slight criticism, it was still a nice diversion. I do recommend David Baldacci’s latest thriller, The Camel Club. On the Book Beat for KSL Newsradio, I’m Amanda Dickson.
