Divine Justice (Camel Club)
by David Baldacci
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Book Reviews of Divine Justice (Camel Club)
Book Review: Screeching Halts
Summary: 4 Stars
John Carr (aka Oliver Stone) jumps from many frying pans into many fires in author David Baldacci's Divine Justice. This book begins exactly where Baldacci's last novel, Stone Cold, ended: former government assassin Stone leaps off a cliff into Chesapeake Bay to escape mighty forces who seek to destroy him. Driving these forces is an evil man at the top of U.S. intelligence operations.
Not long after his harrowing plunge, Stone boards a train bound for New Orleans, where he hopes to start a new life. But a fight breaks out on the train and Stone rescues a young man who was taking a beating from three bullies. Stone ends up in the young man's hometown, Divine, a hole-in-the-wall village in the mountains (and coal fields) of southwestern Virginia. Once in Divine, Stone finds very little haven and a lot of trouble. There's an illegal drug ring centered in the town and in a nearby prison from hell. Stone gets entangled in that mess.
There's just too much (seemingly random) action coming from too many directions in Divine and the surrounding "hollers." Baldacci follows a pattern of writing short chapters that come to screeching halts. You have to read a couple of more chapters, that have their own suspensful endings, before you can pick up that earlier trail. Cutting out a couple of the story lines would have made this book more enjoyable, but it's still a good read.
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: Baldacci meets Lee Child
Summary: 3 Stars
The fourth (and probably the last) in the Camel Club series.
The Camel Club was an interesting diversion for Baldacci, the books started off very light and then got darker as the series progressed. I would not recommend Divine Justice unless you have read the previous novels in the series.
This starts off with our hero John Carr (aka Oliver Stone) on the run having taken out two senior US officials (who were bad guys). A manhunt is underway and Carr is looking for somewhere to disappear when he gets involved in a fracas and ends up in Divine, a small town which is hiding a lot of secrets. Does he keep his head down or does he get involved?
Meanwhile tenacious CIA tracker Joe Knox is on his trail and getting closer, as are Carr's friends from the Camel Club who want to help their friend....
As other reviewers have mentioned much of this did remind me of Lee Child's latest (Nothing To Lose) where his hero Reacher ends up in a small town called Despair which also has many secrets.
This ends up as a hit and miss book, the Joe Knox and Camel Club elements are the most interesting but the stuff in Divine was so similar to Lee Child's latest that it really did jar and the scenario around the bad guys felt too contrived.
Book Review: The Best Camel Club Book Yet!
Summary: 4 Stars
Although usually far more critical of Baldacci (and other authors) than others posting reviews, I thought Divine Justice is easily the best 'Camel Club' book and one of Baldacci's better stories.
Pros: Fast-paced action thriller that also has strong character development (it is rare to see both done well simultaneously), the hidden antagonist was not easily determined, and the story resolves many of the secret underpinnings of what made John Carr who he is. Revenge and love are two classic themes in good drama and both are present. While the initial Camel Club books were anemic at best (read 'lame'), Divine Justice and the preceding book are a lot more fun.
Cons: You have to read the entire Camel Club books in sequence to really 'get' this one. In addition, those who do not share Baldacci's obvious left-of-center political worldview in the culture wars may find certain characterizations uncomfortable.
All-in-all, a great read. I remain astonished that the Camel Club morphed from a 'lame duck' series into one that actually contains fast-paced action, suspense and character development. For those of you who love Baldacci's works, you may want to get this one in hardcover.
Book Review: Action, suspense and mystery all packed into one book
Summary: 4 Stars
The head of the CIA and a US Senator have been murdered and everyone is after the killer, John Carr, also known as Oliver Stone. Oliver Stone was a former assassin for the CIA and he is on the run. He is being hunted by a federal agent as well as the members of the Camel Club (the Camel Club is a group of friends who seek the truth). The federal agent wants him arrested and the Camel Club aims to protect him.
While Stone is running, he befriends a young man, who leads him to the small town of Divine, Virginia. On the surface, Divine appears to be idyllic, but Stone discovers that things aren't always as they appear. He becomes involved in some investigations into the corruption in the town.
Things really get exciting when the federal agent and the Camel Club arrive in Divine. Divine Justice is David Baldacci's fourth book in the Camel Club series, but it's not necessary to have read the other books to enjoy this one. It was published by Hachette Books on November 4. I found it hard to put down - I even read it while I stood in line to vote. This book is loaded with suspense, mystery and action, and I recommend it to anyone who likes that type of book.