Hell's Corner by David Baldacci

The Camel Club's unofficial leader, Oliver Stone is about to begin a secret mission against Russian and Mexican drug cartels for the President when he witnesses a bombing in Lafayette Park, across from the White House. Since the British Prime Minister is attending a state dinner at the White House and was scheduled to walk across the park, it is assumed that he was the intended victim. Stone, a former member of the CIA and one of its mostly highly skilled assassins finds his orders changed. He is now tasked with finding out who planted the bomb and why. British Intelligence assigns MI6 agent Mary Chapman to work with Stone to discover the truth about the bombing. Working with Mary proves to be both challenging and stimulating as the two work together to sort through conflicting reports, erroneous assumptions, misplaced allegiances and increasing casualties. Although they are offered assistance by both American and British agencies, this exposes them to security leaks which could prove to be fatal. Reluctantly, Oliver agrees to let the Camel Club help him once again, putting them all in jeopardy. Mind-blowing plot twists conclude this thriller, leaving the listener stunned and breathless.

The Camel Club is Baldacci's group of conspiracy theorists who've banded together to discover truth and uncover corruption in government. Each of the members brings a particular skill to the group: Stone, the ex-CIA top agent and skilled killer understands the ins and outs of international crime, Rueben the West Point grad and former war protester adds to the muscle and Caleb, the Library of Congress curator is the researcher. These three aging warriors act as a kind of super-hero ensemble, not necessarily possessing super powers, but bringing all their skills acquired and honed over a lifetime to the task at hand. Along the way they've added unofficial members Alex Ford, Annabelle Conroy and Harry Finn who all contribute to the success of their ventures. Ron McLarty and Orlagh Cassidy double team this audio book production to provide listeners with an extremely pleasurable experience. Having the masculine voices tempered by the feminine seems to intensify the book's distinction between good and evil, chaos and order.

Baldacci is equally adept at crafting a gripping plot and developing likable and believable characters. Insider information about government security issues and possible conspiracies just add to the appeal of this entertaining audio book. As long as there are bureaucracies, there will be conspiracies and conspiracy theorists. We can only hope that Baldacci will continue to keep The Camel Club active in its pursuit of truth and justice. Hell's Corner is a worthy addition to The Camel Club series. Highly recommended.

Hell's Corner by David Baldacci
Read by Ron McLarty and Orlagh Cassidy
Hachette Audio, unabridged: 14 hours