The Collectors

The Collectors - David Baldacci

It seems that David Baldacci writes about 2 or 3 books per year.  I would suggest that he limit his concentration and output to only 1 per year instead. This would cause him to focus on one story and make it a really good story. Baldacci has written some very good books. He’s also wrote some that were atrocious. This one is mostly good, but like many of Baldacci’s rushed output, it contains too many moments that makes the average reader groan. Baldacci doesn’t seem to work hard enough when some of his characters find themselves in dire straits. And the way his characters get out of these situations are just ridiculous. This is a fault in many of his books, and these instances happen in this story far too often.

Let’s see: We have some folks who are chasing some suspicious characters through the streets of Washington D.C., and they JUST HAPPEN to stumble onto a novelty store, so they can quickly go in and buy fake FBI badges and jackets.   We then have a lady who is being sexually harassed at a restaurant who JUST HAPPENS to notice a table of accountants that “look like” they belong in the mafia, so she “just happens” to accost these strangers and ask them to play the part of “tough guys” for her.   And (my favorite) we meet a hooker who JUST HAPPENS to recollect when she went through a john’s pants several weeks prior, found he had two IDs, and memorized the name on the IDs.  Why would she even do this? What exactly was her motivation?  None, really. Baldacci just couldn’t think of a better way to move the story forward. Apparently, the author never stopped to realize how ridiculous it is that she could remember this event with such alacrity. 

There’s also a few instances where people who are kidnapped and captured, to be killed later, manage to miraculously escape after only a chapter. They seem to not be effected by the event in the least.  Again, the author just needs to slow down here a bit and give these situations a bit more care.  He can do better.

This is the second “Camel Club” book. The plot is pretty inconsequential to describe in much detail.  It’s Washington D.C., suspicious killings are happening, and Oliver Stone (not the real one, he’s the leader of the Camel Club) and his cronies are out to uncover the truth.  Stone is an excellent protagonist. Unfortunately, the other members of The Camel Club come across as a bunch of flakey boobs, but the story moves quite nicely.

We also meet the “new” member of the Camel Club, Annabelle. Her introduction and initiation to the team is actually quite a story in itself, and at times, I felt I was reading two different novels.  There was a bit too much emphasis placed on how she “arrived” at the Camel Club. Sadly, her story isn’t “finished” in this book – it continues in subsequent Camel Club affairs.

So overall a good story, as long as you can stomach some of the absurd details.