We always knew the underdogs would win, but with how many extreme obstacles to overcome?

Baldacci, David ~ The Camel Club

When I selected this book I thought
A good action drama freshens the mind and makes time pass quickly and pleasurably; with a poor action drama, at least you can guess the ending and know it’ll be over soon.

50-word description
Four down-on-their-luck conspiracy theorists witness the murder of a US secret service employee. Another secret service agent supports a group of terrorists plotting a stunning attack in America. A down-on-his-luck secret service agent meets a lawyer moonlighting in a bar and they become involved with each other and help the conspiracy theorists stop the planned attacks. Somehow the city of Damascus and its occupants are at risk of being blown to smithereens

150-word review
My general rule for action novels is that I’ll tolerate three suspensions of disbelief, comprising perhaps an unlikely love story, a good agent turned bad, a good agent struggling against overwhelming odds to stifle the bad agent and the circle of villains, a startling coincidence every 75 pages or so, up to three elite snipers missing the good agent in close-range shots, a bad hospital employee who happens to be on shift at the right time trying to kill an important political figure, a maximum of five seemingly random characters who appear to deliver small but timely clues, and a master of disguise (women are never mistresses of disguise and this upsets me).

Oh, hang on, I just described The Camel Club. Except poor old Damascus nearly copped a nuclear warhead just for existing. I did not expect that.

Baldacci has written far superior books. Then again, three follow-up to The Camel Club have been published, so perhaps I’m just an idiot.

david baldacci ~ the camel club

Found in
Library B

Read
Jan 10

Links
David Baldacci web site
Frankston Library catalogue link

Rating
Overblown

This is book 29 of the project.

Too much luck, too little likelihood

Abrahams, Peter ~ Oblivion

When I selected this book I thought
I haven’t read a crime or suspense novel for a long time and this seemed as good as any. I enjoyed A Perfect Crime by the same author years ago after Stephen King touted it as a grand read in his On Writing book.

50-word description
Cop turned private investigator Nick Petrov takes on a missing person case that turns sinister when his instincts are muddled after suffering amnesia. While ailing and undergoing urgent medical treatment, he valiantly tries to remember and solve the case while an unknown assailant gets in his way.

150-word review
I’ll start with the most interesting part of the book: Abrahams gives Nick Petrov the character a solid voice as clever arsehole evolving into sick man with a conscience. Nick’s attempts to get his life on track are believable and almost keep the book from turning into a phantasmagoria of unlikely coincidences.

However, the rest of his battle to solve the missing girl case while squeezing in treatment for a virulent form of brain cancer verges on the ridiculous. Oh, and a very nasty person gets him while he’s down and tries to kill him. And, although he can’t remember the case he is working on, informants and suspects happen to be in the right places at the right time to toss him clues like a Labrador retriever catches tennis balls.

Then he gets the girl. Of course.

peter abrahams ~ oblivion

Found in
Fiction A

Borrowed
Dec 08

Author’s link:
Author’s web site

Rating
Overblown

This is book 11 of the project.