The Collectors (Camel Club Series #2)

by David Baldacci

Overview

While a gifted con artist plots against the most ruthless businessman in the world, the Camel Club must stop a renegade CIA agent from selling American secrets to the highest bidder in this #1 New York Times bestselling thriller.

The assassination of the speaker of the House has rocked the nation. And the Camel Club has found a chilling connection with another death: that of the director of the Library of Congress's Rare Books and Special Collections Division.

The club's unofficial leader, a man who calls himself Oliver Stone, discovers that someone is selling America to its enemies one secret at a time. Then Annabelle Conroy, the greatest con artist of her generation, comes to town and joins forces with the Camel Club for her own reasons. And Stone will need all the help she can give, because the two murders are hurtling the Camel Club into a world of espionage that is bringing America to its knees.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780446615631
Publisher:	Grand Central Publishing
Publication date:	09/01/2007
Series:	Camel Club Series , #2
Edition description:	Revised
Pages:	544
Sales rank:	26,604
Product dimensions:	4.10(w) x 7.50(h) x 1.20(d)

About the Author

DAVID BALDACCI is a global #1 bestselling author, and one of the world's favorite storytellers. His books are published in over forty-five languages and in more than eighty countries, with 150 million copies sold worldwide. His works have been adapted for both feature film and television. David Baldacci is also the cofounder, along with his wife, of the Wish You Well Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting literacy efforts across America. Still a resident of his native Virginia, he invites you to visit him at DavidBaldacci.com and his foundation at WishYouWellFoundation.org.

Hometown:

Northern Virginia

Date of Birth:

August 5, 1960

Place of Birth:

Richmond, VIrginia

Education:

B.A. in Political Science, Virginia Commonwealth University, 1982; J.D., University of Virginia, 1986

Website:

http://www.david-baldacci.com/

Editorial Reviews

"Entertaining..."—Publisher's Weekly

From the Publisher

In bestseller Baldacci's entertaining if overly long sequel to The Camel Club (2005), renegade CIA agent Roger Seagraves has set himself up in the business of freelance assassination and selling our country's secrets to the highest bidder. The Camel Club, a group of four dysfunctional crime solvers headed by ex-CIA assassin Caleb Shaw, becomes involved with Seagraves through a killing at the Library of Congress, where one of the club members works. Meanwhile, an enigmatic young woman, Annabelle Conroy, is assembling a team to engineer a "long con," a $33 million scam targeting Jerry Bagger, the sleazy owner of an Atlantic City casino. This time around, Baldacci wisely tones down the wackiness of the club members, focusing instead on bringing Seagraves to justice while Annabelle works her ingenious scam. The splicing of the two plots is problematic, but Baldacci sacrifices a bit of believability to cobble together a new cast of characters destined to continue fighting the forces of evil in the next installment. (Oct.) Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

Publishers Weekly

After several dramatic deaths in Washington, DC, the Camel Club (first introduced in Baldacci's most recent novel) is whipped back into action. Look for the TV ads. Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

Library Journal

Helped by a beautiful grifter, the "Camel Club"-the four-man band of conspiracy theorists-returns to battle a threat to national security. Annabelle Conroy is con-artist extraordinaire; Jerry Bagger, mobster and mark; and Roger Seagraves, master assassin. All come straight from central casting. Seagraves is killing high-level government officials, and Conroy is putting together the con of the century, with Bagger as the target. The mysterious death of a rare-books expert at the Library of Congress launches the story, which splits off at first into two different plotlines. In one, Conroy and her team work their way up to their major score. In the other, the Camel Club investigates the mysterious death of a close friend. Things are slightly more exciting in Conroy's world. She's assembling her team, eager to settle an old score by taking down Atlantic City's most notorious and ruthless casino owner. After a series of capers out west to build their bankroll, the team heads back east. There's little drama Players act out their part; marks fall. The big score comes off without a hitch. The two plots intersect halfway through. Annabelle arrives in D.C., thanks to an awkward development, along with a new piece of unfinished business. Seagraves and the Camel Club are engaged in a cat-and-mouse game, and Annabelle Conroy is the special guest star. The merged stories reach a predictable conclusion. An obvious conflict remains unresolved for much of the way, setting up the next chapter in the saga. A tepid follow-up to The Camel Club (2005), with few surprises.

Kirkus Reviews

The Speaker of the House is assassinated, and the director of the Library of Congress is found murdered in an impenetrable locked vault. Oliver Stone, de facto leader of the mysterious Camel Club, learns that America's secrets are being sold and that contracts have been let on the lives of U.S. leaders. Tom Wopat depicts Stone and the secretive members of the club with full attention to defining each character. A secondary plot involving con artist Annabelle Conroy, portrayed by Maggi-Meg Reed, is spellbinding. Reed characterizes Conroy with a sexy, commanding voice and flirtatious manner. The fast pace and intricate plot won't disappoint Baldacci fans. G.D.W. © AudioFile 2007, Portland, Maine

JUN/JUL 07 - AudioFile