In his fourth book featuring the characters introduced in the Camel Club, Baldacci presents an entertaining, if somewhat contrived, tale as Oliver Stone (aka John Carr) attempts to run for freedom following the assassination of two, high-level government officials in the third book. At the same time, the eccentric band of conspiracy-hunting club members seeks to help Stone. Although at times stretching the limits of believability, Baldacci brings together a number of different subplots that are woven together as the story progresses. Action and surprises keep the reader turning the pages, but not quite in the compelling, can't-put-it-down way that was the case of Baldacci's earliest works like Total Control or Absolute Power. This should be an enjoyable read, especially for readers who have become comfortable with the characters of the Camel Club series.

I'm a big fan and I loved this book.
Baldaccis' style is always easy to read and keeps you guessing.
You will recognize some familiar characters if you've read his
other books. Fun to the last page!

In another Camel Club adventure, we find Oliver Stone, aka John Carr, guilty of two murders and on the run. He disappears from D.C. and wants to protect his friends by completely disengaging from them. Putting loyalty before their safety, the Camel Club refuses to stop looking for Stone, and their search may cost Stone his life.

This was fast-paced, and I had trouble putting it down. Another fine work from David Baldacci.

I have enjoyed the "Camel Club" stories and must admit that this one was the most enjoyable because the "perils" never ceased until the very end. I think that the main characters have been given more fullness in this book than in his previous stories. This may be a maturity of writing that has been adapted by Mr. Baldacci over the years but it is a better read now.

I do look forward to his next book and hope that this prolific writer is still willing to create new adventures and new characters.

Best Camel Club Yet
David Baldacci writes a superb thriller with Divine Justice. He weaves together 2 very interesting plots into one action packed novel with many twists and turns. The central thesis revolves around the enigmatic John Carr (aka Oliver Stone) and his attempt to escape the dangerous world of Washington Intelligence after he assassinates two prominent government officials. During his travels he accidentally finds himself embroiled in the mysterious activities of a bucolic Virginia town named Divine. One thing leads to another as he finds himself becoming more and more involved in the strange goings on and even stranger local inhabitants. Couple all this with a massive CIA manhunt for Mr. Stone by the "Company's" best "finder" and you have the makings of a very good story. Needless to say all the usual suspects are present, but what makes the story so interesting is not everyone is who they appear to be. The Camel Club eventually arrives in force to help Oliver Stone, and in the hunt by the CIA's finder, Joe Knox, old revelations of Stone's past come to light that somewhat mitigate his actions. Wrapped up in all this is a master CIA spy who has an old score to settle with Stone, and an evil local super-max prison warden who is dealing in drugs. It all comes together in a climatic conclusion with the good guys winning despite taking some sad losses.
Simply a good story with intersecting plots and dynamic characters. This is undoubtedly the best Camel Club story to date as the characters grow into their individual parts.
Character development is good as Mr. Baldacci continues to expand on each main character. With each Camel Club story we learn more and more about this eclectic band of self-styled investigators. With the introduction of some new characters, it will be very interesting to see if and/or where Mr. Baldacci goes next. There are many possibilities and they all seem good.
No gratuitous sex, language, or violence.
Recommended. Simply a good, solid story with 2 interesting plots. I am looking forward to the next Camel Club adventure.

This Camel Club edition is simply a fantastic read. If you love David Baldacci (as I do) you will love this book. If you have never read one of his books, you will fall in love with him after reading Divine Justice. I also highly recommend Michele Cozzens' It's Not Your Mother's Bridge Club

David Baldacci has written a sequel to the Camel Club series in his usual remarkable form. The parallel action story-line was riveting. No author in my experience can successfully tell two completely separate stories at the same time, interspersing characters and activity at a micro level, as does Baldacci.

Explaining the biography of Oliver Stone/John Carr in this book concerns me as an avid fan as to Baldacci's plans to continue the Camel Club series. However, if he does not, the true enjoyment of having read all four books most assuredly allows me to give props the author deserves.

Having introduced Annabelle as an addition to the group awhile back added a new dimension and certainly tickles the imagination of what might be, should future books be written. My recommendation is absolute, but it also includes reading the entire Camel Club series from the beginning.

[[ASIN:0446195502 Divine Justice] Great book(CD) I've listen to the previous CD's of this series (Camel Club)all are great stories with wonderful characters I'd recommend them all highly.

Baldacci returns with his best novel since the Camel Club,
and maybe this one is a little better. It is a page turner.

Is someone impersonating David Baldacci ? This book is a very poor imitation of a Baldacci novel.
Is David burned out ? I hope not.

Is someone impersonating David Baldacci ? This book is a very poor imitation of a Baldacci novel.
Is David burned out ? I hope not.

I couldn't put it down, read it in two days. Was so happy Oliver lived. Onto the next Camel Club adventure.

I am a huge fan of David Baldacci and have read virutally all of his books, including the Camel Club series in which an unlikely group of friends band together to help one another and then solve some problem that affects the public at large.

In this book, one of the friends (Oliver Stone a/k/a John Carr) kills two prominent public figures for whom the reader loses all sympathy as the story unfolds as to what they did to Stone.

Stone does not have much of a plan for evading pursuit by an arch enemy who now wields considerable power and wants to make Stone "disappear" in retribution for the murders. Stone winds up in a rural Virginia town named Divine by a happenstance rescue of a young man who is traveling on the same train as Stone. It turns out that Divine is teeming with intrigue, murder, and drug runners.

Most of the other reviews discuss further details of the story line as to how Stone's friends find and help rescue him from an assortment of evil doers, and also how Joe Knox, a CIA agent who has been assigned by Stone's arch enemy to find Stone, instead winds up befriending him.

I totally disagree that this book is not as interesting or well written as other Camel Club books, or as other Baldacci novels. To the contrary, not only is the action fast paced, but there are interesting insights provided into Stone's character.

Not only did I find this a page turner, but I thought it deftly brought together multiple plot lines, with an ending that was realistic given how politics and top secrets work.

If you are a fan of David Baldacci, or want to read him for the first time, you will not be disappointed with this book.

Did Baldacci have some pressing debts to pay? Is he angry with his publisher and trying to get out of his contract? There must be some solid reason for a skilled writer like Baldacci to turn out a grotesquerie like "Divine Justice".

In a word (and, of course, in my own humble opinion, "Divine Justice" stinks.

Baldacci has ridden his "Oliver Stone" (a/k/a Vietnam war hero and CIA assassin John Carr) character more or less sucessfully through three prior installments.

Oliver Stone has a past shrouded in mystery, more or less, as he camped out in Lafayette Park across from the White House for years demanding "truth". He assembled a band of, more or less, misfits around him who call themselves "The Camel Club" who, more or less, solve major mysteries or prevent this and that, like the kidnapping of the President or the takeover of the nation by a kook who wants to start a new world war. Barely believable, but Baldacci has, more or less, pulled it off successfully in the past.

This time, however, Baldacci falls on his face.

Oliver Stone needs to get out of Washington. He has, after all, just shot and killed a US Senator and a former CIA Director. (Not a spoiler: that was the ending of the last book.)

So Stone nee Carr, the master Special Forces guy takes an Amtrak train from Washington to New Orleans. His use of Amtrak becomes important later in the story at a point where Baldacci has long lost any ability to convince the reader. Here's this super hotshot guy getting away from a crime scene by riding Amtrak. No, it doesn't make any sense - and soon makes even less.

Stone steps in to rescue a young man who is being beaten on the train by three toughs. Sure, Stone is twice, almost three times the age of the three roughnecks, but he takes them out one, two, three. Sure, every former CIA assassin knowing he is fleeing the scene of two spectacular murders is going to take an Amtrak train - and then make a public spectacle of himself on said train.

Anyway, Stone and the young man leave the train in a desolate part of Virginia and make their way to the young man's home town, Divine.

At this point, I got the impression that Baldacci was channeling Lee Child, the author of the very successful Jack Reacher series; Upton Sinclair, a muckraker from decades ago and the vaucous noisemakers on the left-wing. Baldacci has played out the Vietnam vet thing as far as it could go and then some. His views on imaginary current government policies are yawners.

In a nutshell, Divine is a coal mining town where the men are condemned to livesa of virtual servitude in the mines, where they all eventually die or contract terminal illnesses, or the supermax prison conveniently built on top of a collapsed mine. Oh by the way, lots of the miners are drug addicts too. Hint, hint.

There has been a rash of untimely deaths in the town, but the one man police force consisting of strong, handsome Lincoln Tyree - whose brother is the warden of the supermax hasn't found out much them.

Back in Washington, the evil Macklin Hayes, who is missing only the twirled mustache of the cartoon like silent film villains, sics superstar CIA tracker Joe Knox on the trail of super assassin Stone/Carr.

The story quickly becomes unbeleivable. The misfits of The Camel Club become involved and start tracking Knox who is tracking Stone and is, in turn, being tracked by Macklin. Stone, meanwhile, is saving one person after another from gruesome deaths, except when the people are killed. Quite a show for a murderer on the run, but Stone/Carr is really a good guy.

The plot quickly turns ludicrous. The writing isn't bad: just the plot and characters are unbelievable. Totally unbelievable. Events soon become preposterous.

Like I said, Baldacci must have some pressing debts or wants to get out of his contract with his publisher or something. Maybe he has just let his previously justified fame go to his head. Who knows?

In any event, fans of the prior Camel Club novels are likely to be disappointed. I certainly was.

Jerry

Stone Waverly, that is, from Winter in Kandahar by Steven E. Wilson Winter in Kandahar. That Benjamin Franklin Awardee thriller has what this one lacks...imagination and character development. Baldacci keeps trying to go back to the same well and I find myself less entertained and less interested.

John Carr otherwise known as Oliver Stone and the rest of the Camel Club are back in David Baldacci's latest book Divine Justice.

John is on the run after his recent assassinations have pissed off some people, particularly Macklin Hayes with the CIA. Now John is American's most wanted man. John makes his way to the small town of Divine, Virginia. A town where the biggest attractions are its mine and Dead Rock State prison. John figures no one will find him in Divine. To John's misfortune he becomes the town's hero. He saves two young men. In the process of saving one of the young men, Danny, John starts forming a close relationship bond to Danny's mother Abby. John was not planning on staying in Divine, Virginia but now he doesn't want to leave just yet. It seems this small town has a secret of its own. Some people feel John has worn his welcome out and it is now time for him to leave. Plus the CIA is closing in on John.

John Carr has seen and done it all so dealing with some small town bad guys is like a snack before the main course to him. If there was an award for being one of the best assassins's than it should go to John Carr. I have to admit that I have not read any of the other books in this series, so I was surprised by how easily I enjoyed this book. I read it in a matter of a few hours. Having said this, I never felt like I had missed too much by not reading the other books. I now want to go back and read all the rest of the books in the Camel Club series.

Oliver Stone is running from the law after killing two very important men. He unintentionally ends up hiding in a small town that is less innocent than it appears. The longer he stays in the town of Divine, the more entangled he becomes in the lethal conflicts between the various town members, and the dangerous secrets they are concealing.

Divine Justice is a fast-paced and action-filled story. From the very beginning the plot grabbed my attention, and I was riveted to the story to the very end. It is a well-written, exciting tale - one of those books that makes you feel like you are on a roller coaster ride - speeding along right up to the final page.

I had no idea when I got this book that it is book four of the Camel Club series, and I'm glad I didn't because I don't normally like to read series books out of order. I am pleased to state that the plot in this book was self-contained, and stood alone quite well. Don't let the fact that this is part of a series stop you from reading this book, I know I really enjoyed it.

Divine Justice reminded me a lot of the Bourne movies (Bourne Identity, etc.) and James Bond movies (unfortunately I haven't read the Bourne books or James Bond books, so I can't make a comparison there). If you are a fan of action and suspense then I'm sure you will love this book.

Although usually far more critical of Baldacci (and other authors) than others posting reviews, I thought Divine Justice is easily the best 'Camel Club' book and one of Baldacci's better stories.

Pros: Fast-paced action thriller that also has strong character development (it is rare to see both done well simultaneously), the hidden antagonist was not easily determined, and the story resolves many of the secret underpinnings of what made John Carr who he is. Revenge and love are two classic themes in good drama and both are present. While the initial Camel Club books were anemic at best (read 'lame'), Divine Justice and the preceding book are a lot more fun.

Cons: You have to read the entire Camel Club books in sequence to really 'get' this one. In addition, those who do not share Baldacci's obvious left-of-center political worldview in the culture wars may find certain characterizations uncomfortable.

All-in-all, a great read. I remain astonished that the Camel Club morphed from a 'lame duck' series into one that actually contains fast-paced action, suspense and character development. For those of you who love Baldacci's works, you may want to get this one in hardcover.

The fourth (and probably the last) in the Camel Club series.
The Camel Club was an interesting diversion for Baldacci, the books started off very light and then got darker as the series progressed. I would not recommend Divine Justice unless you have read the previous novels in the series.
This starts off with our hero John Carr (aka Oliver Stone) on the run having taken out two senior US officials (who were bad guys). A manhunt is underway and Carr is looking for somewhere to disappear when he gets involved in a fracas and ends up in Divine, a small town which is hiding a lot of secrets. Does he keep his head down or does he get involved?
Meanwhile tenacious CIA tracker Joe Knox is on his trail and getting closer, as are Carr's friends from the Camel Club who want to help their friend....
As other reviewers have mentioned much of this did remind me of Lee Child's latest (Nothing To Lose) where his hero Reacher ends up in a small town called Despair which also has many secrets.
This ends up as a hit and miss book, the Joe Knox and Camel Club elements are the most interesting but the stuff in Divine was so similar to Lee Child's latest that it really did jar and the scenario around the bad guys felt too contrived.

Characters keep saying he (Oliver Stone) saved my life I owe him everything and with that the reader who has picked this book up without reading the previous books in the series can be left wondering what happened?. It might make you want to read the previous books, but I feel there might be a gap in understanding for those who read this as their first Balducci or `Camel Club' book, they must keep asking themselves what??? What is the camel club and what are the specifics of the glue that holds these characters together.
For much of the novel it seems as if the plot line has split in two - there are the murders of a Senator and a CIA chief ... and then there is the hunt for their killer, who is soon identified as Oliver Stone. Questions crop up in the investigator's mind of the motives and the reasons for the urgency of the hunt for Oliver Stone - this also creates an attention-grabbing air of mystery in the plotline. Then there is the mystery of the strange happenings in the town of Divine. I must admit that I appreciated it when ... Oliver Stone, using the alias of Ben is asked "why are you always there when something happens". When a plotline has this consistently taking place it can... without better reasoning seem so artificial... yes the omnipotent hero Oliver Stone is there to save the day or to witness the unfolding tragedy.
The two plot lines converge together, of course at the end of the book and all is solved with the exception of some questions you still might have, unless you have read the previous books in the series. You might find yourself questioning the why of loyalties or the what is the camel club but that shouldn't deter you from enjoying this as a good `read'

Having assassinated the two men who had been inhibiting his freedom, John Carr becomes the target of a high-stakes manhunt involving the highest levels of the U.S. government, prompting Joe Knox to launch a frustrating investigation that tests the resources of the Camel Club. BT.
David Baldacci has yet to disappoint me with any of his novels. In fact this one is my favorite in the 'Camel Club' series. I had a great time reading this fast and highly entertaining thriller. A feel good adventure that true Baldacci fans will find much to there liking. I am highly looking forward to further adventures.

Divine Justice is the typical product of an author writing to fulfill a contract. This tale is unbelievable and poorly told. I have purchased all of Baldacci's books but Divine Justice and The Whole Truth have convinced me to look elsewhere for quality fiction.

The Camel Club is back, at least what's left of it. Their number has been reduced, since Milton Farb was cruelly cut down in a gun fight meant to take out Oliver Stone. Now Stone has some scores to settle. He says his goodbyes and handles a little unfinished business before taking off for parts unknown. After all these years, things have come to a head.

"He had a letter to deliver. And something to pick up. And then it would be time to hit the road. His alter ego John Carr was finally dead. And the odds were awfully good that Oliver Stone might be right behind him."

Two men have been murdered, linked to Stone by past sins. General Macklin Hayes, wielding heavy influence and little mercy, sets agent John Knox on Stone's trail. A formidable opponent, Knox studies his quarry's reputation. He fears that he too may not live through this assignment. The more he learns about Stone, the more perplexed he becomes. Stone seems like an honorable man. Why would he kill two men in cold blood, as he is accused of doing? It doesn't fit. And the deeper Knox digs, the more nervous his boss becomes. General Hayes refuses to give him access to crucial information and then blocks the investigation when Knox heads in a direction the general doesn't like. What was Hayes's purpose in assigning him to find Stone if he won't allow him to follow all leads?

Meanwhile, Stone has hopped a train out of town. He doesn't really care where it takes him so long as it gets him out of Washington. His plan might have worked out better had he not decided to run interference for a young man grossly outnumbered in an ugly fight. Danny Riker could have died on that train if Stone had not jumped in to help. Soon, he finds himself and the kid standing on a road watching the train chugging off into the distance. They start down the long road for Divine, Virginia, a tiny town in the middle of nowhere, a place that Riker has called home for his entire life. To Stone, it sounds like the perfect place to disappear in. But it turns out that Divine is not the idyllic town suggested by its name. In fact, it has some nasty little secrets. And people with something to hide often look upon strangers with a suspicious eye.

In Divine, Stone, aka John Carr, tries to maintain a low profile. But Abby Riker, Danny's widowed mother, takes an interest in Stone, complicating his ideas of a smooth getaway. And he can't deny the growing fondness he feels for both Danny and Abby, further complicating things for him.

As Knox's search is bringing him closer to Stone and the truth, the members of the Camel Club are working frantically to find Stone before Knox does. A rough-and- tumble group, their personalities and talents get them through the toughest situations. And they know that whoever reaches Stone first will have some hard decisions to make. As will Stone.

With Milton Farb gone, it seemed like the Camel Club may have run its course, but they remain unified and committed to Stone. Each person has battled his or her demons and grown stronger for it. Their faith in Stone is unwavering. And David Baldacci's readers' faith should be unwavering, too. There is good reason Stone is so popular and has lived as long as he has. He is a true hero. Full of compassion, justice and nail-biting tension, DIVINE JUSTICE is the best of this superb series of stories.

--- Reviewed by Kate Ayers

I have read many of David Baldacci's earlier novels, but haven't read him in awhile. Big mistake - I forgot how good he is!

Divine Justice picks up the story of Oliver Stone, aka John Carr - one of the most deadly assasins the U.S. government ever produced. But when Carr wanted out and they killed his family, they made a terrible mistake. Stone retaliates and Macklin Hayes, a high ranking spy, is determined to find him and make him disappear for good. Stone ends up in the small mining town of Divine, Virgina hoping to lie low for awhile. But trouble seems to go hand in hand with Oliver Stone. All is not fine in Divine. Stone's sense of justice will not let him walk away. At the same time his friends from the Camel Club are trying to find him to help him.

As I had not read the Camel Club, The Collectors or Stone Cold, the other novels featuring these characters, I was a bit concerned that I wouldn't understand the plot in Divine Justice. But it wasn't a problem. A few pages in I was up to speed. Most of the action takes place in the Divine setting.

If you're looking for a fast paced, thrilling novel - this is it! The characters are larger than life and the action never stops. Good and evil are clearly defined and you'll find yourself rooting for John Carr.

If you have enjoyed the Jack Reacher character by Lee Child, then this is a series you would enjoy.

In this fourth Camel Club book our hero Oliver Stone is on the run. He
has just assassinated two of his major enemies Carter Gray of the CIA and Senaotr Roger Simpson from the state of Alabama. The two had ruined his life. While riding an AmTrak train to New Orleans Stone breaks up a fight. Three men are beating up Danny Riker.They get off of the train and
proceed to Divine, Virginia. There Stone meets Danny's mother Abby. In the
meantime there is a massive manhunt for Oliver Stone. It is being spearheaded by Joe Knox a CIA tracker. The further Knox gets into the chase the more he doubts Stone's guilt. Stone's partners Annabelle Conroy,Caleb Shaw, and Reuben Rhodes mobilize to rescue Stone. In Divine
Virginia there are several murders. Stone winds up discovering a huge drug ring operating there. He immediately becomes a target of this ring.
The truth behind the drug ring is startling. This is a good continuation
of the Camel Club series. Besure to read this book.

The head of the CIA and a US Senator have been murdered and everyone is after the killer, John Carr, also known as Oliver Stone. Oliver Stone was a former assassin for the CIA and he is on the run. He is being hunted by a federal agent as well as the members of the Camel Club (the Camel Club is a group of friends who seek the truth). The federal agent wants him arrested and the Camel Club aims to protect him.

While Stone is running, he befriends a young man, who leads him to the small town of Divine, Virginia. On the surface, Divine appears to be idyllic, but Stone discovers that things aren't always as they appear. He becomes involved in some investigations into the corruption in the town.

Things really get exciting when the federal agent and the Camel Club arrive in Divine. Divine Justice is David Baldacci's fourth book in the Camel Club series, but it's not necessary to have read the other books to enjoy this one. It was published by Hachette Books on November 4. I found it hard to put down - I even read it while I stood in line to vote. This book is loaded with suspense, mystery and action, and I recommend it to anyone who likes that type of book.

I used to look forward to the new Baldacci book. Not any more. This one reminded me of a bad made for TV movie from 1974. What happened to books like THE WINNER or TOTAL CONTROL? I know you can do better than this David.

If you haven't read the earlier books in this series (The Camel Club, The Collectors, and Stone Cold), stop right here. You will like all of those books much more than this one . . . and you will like this one less than you otherwise would if you start with The Camel Club.

So what's it all about? Oliver Stone (John Carr) has just finished assassinating intelligence chieftain Carter Gray and Senator Roger Simpson as repayment for old and recent wrongs (including the death of Milton Farb, Camel Club member). He knows that he must escape quickly and completely . . . and that the Camel Club will be at risk while he runs. Stone's trail is soon picked up by Joe Knox, with more than a little help (and some stonewalling from shadowy Gray protégé Macklin Hayes).

Stone has paid more attention to getting revenge than he has to his escape. There's a vague plan to head towards New Orleans and to fade into the post-Katrina construction industry. All those plans are changed when Stone interrupts a beating on a train and is threatened with arrest. Quickly leaving the train with the beating victim, Stone decides to follow the man home to Divine, Virginia. Once there, more violence flares and Stone finds himself drawn into the middle of someone else's fight. Much of the rest of the story alternates between the manhunt and Stone's investigation into what's going on in Divine, Virginia. A lot of the suspense in the book involves decisions that the Camel Club members need to make.

Unlike the earlier books in the series, the story line and the characters aren't nearly as compelling. If you plan to stay with the Camel Club series, you'll need to read this book . . . but I doubt if you will like it nearly as much as the others in the series.

I looked forward to this one, but after re-reading the end of Stone Cold, I doubted it could be as good as that. This reminded me of another Baldacci book where the small town had what seemed like more intrigue than it could support. The sub-plot in Divine seemed like this was more a coming out party for the lone adventures of Oliver Stone than a Camel Club book. Sure the Camel Club is there to help, but the dynamic between them was never really explored like in the Collectors for example. All in all, I enjoyed reading it. I only wished it came in before my plane trip because once I pick up a Baldacci book, I finish it--this was no exception.

The Camel Club is back. This time the world's most unlikely posse is hot on the trail of Oliver Stone/John Carr, who is on the lam after engaging in a personal quest for justice which involved committing several capital felonies. Stone, whose habitat across from the White House was adorned with a sign reading "I want the truth", stumbles into a real hornets' nest in a small town in coal country.

The CIA has taken these events personally as well. An order comes from the highest authority to find Stone/Carr. The agent picked for this assignment must come to grips with his own sense of justice, duty and honor. The result is an enjoyable read which races like a Buster Keaton movie from near calamity to near disaster.

David Baldacci will be hard pressed to top this one. But I have thought that before.

Baldacci pulls out all the stops in fictional Oliver Stone's continuing contretemps with his nemesis Macklin Hayes, a powerful man who balances between military and civilian intelligence. Stone (aka John Carr), a former member of the Vietnam-era secret killing arm of the Triple Sixes, an elite force, has been on the run for thirty years. Only Stone's closest friends and comrades-in-arms, the Camel Club are aware of his activities. Stone has finally avenged a great injustice, but in so doing has become a marked man. After removing two critical targets in his own government, Stone is on the run, the CIA not far behind. Deftly maneuvering behind the scenes, the ubiquitous Hayes calls on uber-agent Joe Knox to track his quarry, leaving Hayes to deliver the final blow once Stone is brought to ground.

Meanwhile, Stone goes into overdrive, adapting to his environment as he flees the government agents, seeking a place to disappear for a while. His original plan short-circuited by random violence, Stone makes the acquaintance of a young man, Danny Riker, whom he impulsively accompanies into the heart of a small Appalachian mining town, Divine, Virginia. It is in Divine that Stone is confronted by a whole new set of problems, drug-addicted miners, a series of suspicious murders, a high-security prison with a sadistic warden, brother to the town's sheriff and an elaborate criminal operation that will resort to any means to protect its profit.

The plot moves back and forth geographically, from the clandestine operations of the intricate WA spy network to the increasing violence of an insular town whose men are enslaved to the coal mines. The Camel Club's latest adventure to rescue Oliver Stone from certain death requires considerable suspension of belief. But Baldacci writes with his usual brisk pace, bullies and heroes in a never-ending competition for the soul of the free world. Luan Gaines/ 2008.

As far as thrillers go this was very good. The characters were deep and enthralling, keeping your interest all the way through. There was enough suspense to keep you turning the pages, and plenty of action. If you enjoy Lee Child`s Jack Reacher books then this will please you. I`m a series fan and enjoy Child and Michael Connelly books immensely, if you like that kind of thriller read the `Soft Target` books by Conrad Jones. They are unputdownable!! Back to the review, ten out of ten.

A contrived and totally unrealistic waste of reading time. Wouldn't even make a good comic book scenario.

If you haven't already read a David Baldacci book, can't imagine how you missed him. He's penned fifteen bestsellers four of which feature affecting protagonist John Carr also known as Oliver Stone. Once a CIA assassin Stone now battles mightily to right wrongs. Through this character Baldacci has taken readers to Washington, more often than not shocking them with scenarios that may be too close to the truth.

Stone is back in this the fourth installment in the Camel Club series, and he's once again on the run. "With two early morning pulls of the trigger he'd become the most wanted man in America."

He's too smart to try to board a plane knowing the major airports are alive with those looking for him but instead buys a ticket on the Amtrack Crescent, headed for New Orleans. Once settled in his seat, ever alert, he takes note of his fellow passengers - a mother with a baby, a thin man eating a cheeseburger, and a kid a few years out of high school but still wearing his varsity jacket. "To Stone's eye the young man also had the look of someone who was certain that the world owed him everything and had never bothered paying its bill"

The young man is Danny Riker who is soon assaulted by a trio who accuse him of cheating at cards. Stone rescues Danny and the two leave the train at the next stop. When Stone finds out that Danny is from an Appalachian coal mining town, Divine, Virginia, he decides that might be the perfect place for him to hide out.

Divine might be a good place to take cover but it's also a place where corruption is rampant and most of the coal miners are methadone addicts due to the daily injections they take to pass inspections. Couple this with a suicide that in truth might have been murder, and you have an idea what Stone is up against.

In addition to being a masterful storyteller, an expert at creating riveting suspense, Baldacci is a native of Virginia and lives there today. Thus, he brings an added realism to his descriptions of this area and its people.

Highly recommended.

- Gail Cooke

The fourth installment of the Camel Club series is a fast paced thriller that shows Baldacci's winning style. If you are a Baldacci fan, I can recommend this novel. If you are not a fan, you will be one after finishing Divine Justice. It is not the best novel of the series, but it is a high quality mystery nonetheless.

The heroes of The Camel Club return their latest adventure, one which may be their last. The action puts all of them into jeopardy, and they find themselves in a series of desperate situations. There is a nation wide manhunt for Oliver Stone, who flees to a small town, only to find himself immersed in anther dangerous mystery there.

The main characters, Oliver Stone and Joe Knox, are flawed but understandable characters, men who don't always do the right thing, but try to act according to their principles. You get to hear their thoughts as one hunts the other, and I found myself caring about both of them, even though they were headed for an inevitable show-down. This element heightens the tension in the story, and made it hard to put the book down. Making Stone seem sympathetic to new readers was a considerable feat for Baldacci, after his main character executes a US senator and the "Head of Intelligence" in the first chapter. Both men admit to themselves that they have broken laws along the way, and they are troubled individuals. The fact that they are often more threatened by their own people than by the bad guys makes the story difficult to put down.

In a rare moment of agreement with Publisher's Weekly, I must admit that this is not Balducci's best effort. Nevertheless, his characters are believable and sympathetic, the action never slows, and the book will hold your interest to the last page. Balducci's lesser novels are better than many author's best.

Divine Justice is a totally satisfying follow up to Stone Cold. For more go to YouTube and look up BobsBooks.

Joe Knox scans two homicide scenes in which he concludes a professional sniper took out DC super VIPs, Intel Chief Carter Gray and US Senator from Alabama Roger Simpson. At the same time Joe concludes the same sniper did both murders and that the Intel community was hiding something, former CIA assassin Oliver Stone takes the Amtrak train from Union Station heading to New Orleans after killing the two government superheavyweights who murdered his wife and for all intent and purposes buried his real identity John Carr with her.

Unable to mind his business, Stone intercedes in a fight on the train, but when the Amtrak conductor asks for a picture identification, he knows he must disembark ASAP because he will be exposed as a fake with minimal examination. He ends up in the mining town of Divine, Virginia where once again his tendency to get involved in a David vs. Goliath good cause gets him in trouble with high level corruption and a widow in peril.

The latest Camel Club thriller (see THE COLLECTORS , STONE COLD and THE CAMEL CLUB) is an exciting tale that fans of the series will relish as Stone's code of justice makes him act when he should remain passively in the background. He cannot help himself when he took out the VIPS, on the train or in Divine. Although somewhat formulaic in the mining town reminiscent of Spencer Tracey in Bad Day At Black Rock and Steven Seagal in Fire Down Below, readers will enjoy Stone's latest escapades.

Harriet Klausner