Stone Cold (Mass Market Paperback)

~ (Author)
Key Phrases: Carter Gray, John Carr, Harry Finn (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Starred Review. The modern-day paladins of the Camel Club are back in their third exciting adventure (after 2006's The Collectors). Justice-seekers Milton, Caleb, Reuben and honorary member Alex Ford, a Secret Service agent, are led by feisty Oliver Stone, aka former CIA assassin John Carr. Their associate, Annabelle Conroy, is a slick con artist on the run after stealing $40 million from lunatic casino owner Jerry Bagger, who killed her mother. Oliver's CIA past distracts him from Annabelle's cause: his old unit, Triple 6, was responsible for the death of Raymond Solomon, branded a traitor during the Cold War, and now Solomon's son, DHS security expert Harry Finn, is picking off Triple 6 members. Oliver could be next if Carter Gray, his former boss, reveals that John Carr isn't really dead. Gripping, chilling and full of surprises, Baldacci's latest reveals the anarchy that lurks under the slick facade of corrupted governments. (Nov.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Review

"Baldacci brings an insider's savvy to his tale." (New York Times Books Review )

"He's hit the jackpot again...Baldacci pushes the pace pedal to the floor and takes the turns on two wheels." (New York Daily News )

"The action is explosive. Readers will barely have time to catch their breath." (People magazine )

"Baldacci does an excellent job of setting the scene and creating complex characters. (A) gripping page turner." (Associated Press )

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Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 544 pages
• Publisher: Vision; Reprint edition (August 26, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0446615641
• ISBN-13: 978-0446615648
• Product Dimensions: 7.4 x 4 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (167 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #4,236 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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• This is item 3 in The Camel Club Series.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

177 of 199 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fast-paced. Great story. , October 26, 2007

By	Monty Rainey (New Braunfels, TX) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Stone Cold (Hardcover)

Even though I do a lot of reading, fiction isn't really my thing. In fact, I usually only read a few works of fiction each year. So, when my daughter brought home an advance reading copy of STONE COLD by David Baldacci from the bookstore where she works, I didn't get too excited about it. She told me she had read one of his books before and thought it would be something I might like. The book sat idle on the desk in my library for a couple of weeks. Then one morning, before going to the office, I had a few extra minutes and decided to take a look at it.

If I lacked excitement about the book before, that lack of excitement was multiplied after reading the excruciating first sentence. It was a painful fifty-two words long and contained six commas. I looked at my watch then glanced again at the cover. "Okay Mr. Baldacci, you've got exactly twelve minutes to grab my attention."

Well, guess what. Mr. Baldacci did indeed grab my attention. The first sentence turned out a poor example of Baldacci's writing style. Over the next day and half, every spare minute was spent flipping the pages of this book. Even though this is apparently the third or forth book in a series, the character development was spectacular. The story is non-stop and will have you dying to know what happens next.

I hate it when reviewers give away too much storyline, so I'll limit what I tell you about the plot. Most books of this nature, I find, too much of a stretch to be believable. I only found minor instances of that here. Here's an example; as I said, Baldacci brilliantly constructs his characters. Here we have a ruthless casino owner, feared by all, known to be a dangerous man you never want to cross. Yet he employs a barmaid at the casino who is quite loose-lipped about her employer's dealings. Not likely. The reader is also asked to buy into assassinations of high ranking cold-war officials. But don't let these little trivialities stop you from enjoying a book that is non-stop action. These mistakes are few and far between and are easily overlooked. This is a book you will not want to put down.

Baldacci is a champion at creating the scene on that big screen TV in your mind. In fact, this book has all the makings of a blockbuster movie. You'll see what I mean as the story unfolds. Unfortunately, as is usually the case, some pedantic, self-absorbed producer will get their hands on it and ruin a perfectly good story.

I'm still not a big fiction reader. I just don't have time. But as someone who reads only a handful of fiction books each year, I'm glad this book was one of them.

16 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Who is Harry Finn?, February 11, 2008

By	J. Cameron-Smith "Expect the Unexpected" (ACT, Australia) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Stone Cold (Hardcover)

This is the third of David Baldacci's books to feature the Camel Club. The books are best read in order because each book builds on earlier events and further develops characters already introduced.

This time around, the Camel Club (Oliver Stone, Milton Farb, Reuben Rhodes and Caleb Shaw) are fighting on two fronts. Casino king Jerry Bagger is hunting Annabelle Conroy, an honorary member of the Club, who conned him out of millions. At the same time, Stone himself is under direct threat. Ghosts from Stone's mysterious past seem to be surfacing, and some significant people are being murdered. We know early on who is doing the murdering, but understanding why (and who will be next) adds a whole dimension to the story.

There's plenty of action in this novel with some interesting twists and turns. I think this is the best of Mr Baldacci's novels I have read so far, and I'll certainly be looking forward to the next.

Jennifer Cameron-Smith

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Stone Cold - Great Book!, April 5, 2008

By	Jay R. Chase (Houston, Texas) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Stone Cold (Hardcover)

Third installment for the Camel Club... I bought this book when it first came out, but did not get to read it until this weekend. Boy, am I glad that I waited until I had the time to enjoy it. The writing was great, the story line was taut and the action flowed from beginning to end. The characters stayed true to their nature, a few of them have grown from first book to now, and... well, I don't want to give any of the story away!!

There are a few intricate parts here that make the whole story more enjoyable, so I would read this when you have the time to actually do so. Skipping over paragraphs could really zap some of the meat out of this story.

I highly recommend - books with heroes like these and such complex villains are hard to come by.

I hope you enjoy this book as much as I did!

All the best,

Jay