I have enjoyed the other books in David Baldacci's The Camel Club series.  But I really didn't care for Stone Cold.

A brief introduction, in case you're new to the series: The Camel Club is a clandestine group of characters best described as major power players with an agenda that does not always agree with normally accepted definitions of "right" and "wrong".  But their members are so powerful, and blessed with such a wide array of skills that they typically meet their goals, regardless of the fallout. 

In Stone Cold, there are two stories running simultaneously.  Casino owner Jerry Bagger (introduced in The Collectors) is hunting honorary Camel Club member Annabelle who conned him out of millions of dollars.  Bagger is not a nice man, and he will stop at nothing to exact his revenge.

Harry Finn is a man with two lives.  In his public life, he's your basic husband and father, with a boring job, always trying to be at home for family dinner and playtime.  But he's also a ruthless killer with his own agenda, once that will have him battling the Camel Club members.

That sounds cool... so what's not to like?

One problem with this book is that it will have absolutely zero appeal to anyone who hasn't read the previous novels.  Now I know, this is a series, and one should typically read the series in order.  But even in a series, it would be nice if each book could stand on its own and make sense.  But this book would be a monster to read, if you're not familiar with the characters.  First of all, there are so many characters that it's hard to keep them all straight.  Worse, many of them go by two different names - their real name, to which only a few are privy and their newly-acquired, fake names under which they live their fake lives.  Baldacci tosses both names out at us, making it even more difficult to keep track of the characters.

Another issue I had was with the ridiculous technology which Harry Finn's character utilizes.  Basically, the man can do anything he wants, because he always has a handy device that can make his work easier.  How he accumulates such devices is anyone's guess.  Half the time I really had no idea whether such a device even exists in the real world, or not, but Harry snaps his fingers and these devices are at his disposal.  One example: Harry can disable a car's alarm system by holding a device of some sort against the car's bumper.  I don't know if such a device exists or not, but let's hope not!

Then there were interpersonal relationships between the characters that made no sense whatsoever.  Annabelle and her father are the perfect example of two characters who don't seem to have any understanding of each other, but are perfectly happy jumping to conclusions, and acting upon them.

Finally, I must mention the end - no, not the specifics, just a general complaint.  I hate when endings are built solely on coincidences and obvious contrivances.  And this ending was loaded with those.  The whole ending felt rushed, cheap, and lazy.   

So, did I like any part of Stone Cold?  Yes, actually.  There was plenty of action, and quite a few twists that held my interest.  I also found one of the subplots involving Harry Finn's "real job" to be pretty entertaining.  But, overall, I find this to be a disappointing book.  Especially for those who haven't read the prior books in the series, I suggest you take a pass.

Also by David Baldacci
Hour Game
The Simple Truth

Recommended: No