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 Thrilling, Political Undertones and Secrets. Aug 10, 2009
A most interesting piece of fiction that every reader will enjoy. The work contains different suprises at every turn of the page. I would strongly suggest the reader get a copy of the "Camel Club" first by the same author before reading this work. The characters are vivid, the action exciting, and the ending somewhat unexpected.
Better Characterization Improves this Baldacci Thriller Aug 05, 2009
STONE COLD takes up again the characters introduced in THE CAMEL CLUB and continued in THE COLLECTORS. "Oliver Stone" is the pseudonym of John Carr, an ex-CIA "666" assassin, now war protestor. He and his conspiracy theorist odd fellows--Reuben Rhodes, Caleb Shaw and Milton Farb--form The Camel Club," which had previously helped to prevent a nuclear war by defeating a couple of rogue elements in U.S. intelligence, including the head of intelligence himself, Carter Gray, and then later wrapped up ("skewered" might be more accurate) a spy who had been colluding with terrorists.
This novel follows two plot lines that are only loosely intertwined:
(1) a con played against a Jersey casino gambler by Annabelle Conroy (first introduced in THE COLLECTORS) and her washed-up father, Paddy Conroy, and
(2) John Carr's teaming with Harry Finn, the assassin son of a Russian spy, to defeat the murderous scheme of his former boss and now nemesis, Carter Gray.
The tight, fast-moving plot of STONE COLD fulfills the expectations of a Baldacci reader, although the climactic gun battle is wrapped up a bit too hastily, as if the author got a little bored with the scene and wanted to move on. What follows the gun battle then feels a little melodramatic; it almost (but not quite) works because Baldacci has given the characters a degree of depth. One can feel some empathy for characters like Harry Finn, whose killings, done at the behest of his mother, are to avenge the death of his father, and yet undermine the integrity of his other life as a loving father and husband. As a result of the more rounded characterization, STONE COLD is a more satisfying read than the series debut. On the other hand, John Carr, a.k.a. Oliver Stone, still seems removed from the reader, so when he has an emotional breakdown, it's less moving than weird--especially since the catalyst was so totally gratuitous a plot device.
Baldacci introduces religion in the lives of his characters (for instance, Carter Grey, we learn, is Presbyterian), but it's unclear why since religion never really seems to inform the conduct of his characters. Maybe that's the author's point. I think it would be more effective, though, if the religious and moral lives of these characters actually meant something, even if it was struggling with their faith convictions in the face of a cold realpolitik.
The reader on the audio CD version, Ron McLarty, is the best reader I've yet had the pleasure to listen to. He differentiates the characters through the skilled use of different voices, and does so without going over the top (notwithstanding Paddy's Irish brogue). It's enough to seek out McLarty's other work on Amazon.
0 of 1 found the following review helpful:
 Awful Jul 27, 2009
OK, I read a lot of mysteries and Baldacci kept popping up as an Amazon recommendation. I chose this one because it was the highest rated. If this is the best this writer can do he needs to consider a new career.
It's filled with descriptions such as "he attached a special device." I enjoy Lawrence Block, Stewart Woods, Elmore Leonard, Vince Flynn and more, but this guy is awful.
I foolishly bought the Kindle edition without first downloading a sample. With a sample I would have quit. As it was, I wasted a lot of time on the road reading this whole book, waiting for it to get better. Never happened.
 Another exciting Baldacci novel Jul 14, 2009
In this "Camel Club" novel, where an unlikely group of friends band together to help one another, Baldacci weaves a minor plot about one of the friends who has conned a ruthless casino owner out of millions with a more dramatic plot about how the Cold War with Russia catches up with the present. Without giving away any surprises, Oliver Stone a/k/a John Carr, former CIA assassin, confronts a terrible mistake that he made in the past in "terminating" an innocent man who was falsely branded a traitor. As Stone uncovers the mystery, he finds himself embroiled in the lives of the dead man's family and must act to prevent the further injustice of that family being silenced by the same men who decades ago wrongfully ordered the execution of the husband/father.
This is classic Baldacci--nonstop action, interesting character development, and an ending that neatly ties everything together. I am a big fan and as usual found it hard to put this book down. This is fun adventure reading at its best.
Great Read!! Jul 09, 2009
Like the other books by Baldacci I just couldn't put this one down. They won't win any awards for literature but good fun reading with great characters you come to care about. I will be getting more of his work in the future.
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