Stone Cold

Written by David Baldacci

Narrated by Ron McLarty

In this #1 New York Times bestseller of conspiracy and murder, the Camel Club faces their greatest threat yet: a casino king and a stone-cold killer who are determined to bury the truth.

Oliver Stone, the leader of the mysterious group that calls itself the Camel Club, is both feared and respected. Keeping a vigilant watch over our leaders in Washington D.C., the club has won over some allies, but it has also made some formidable enemies.

Annabelle Conroy, an honorary member of the Camel Club, is the greatest con artist of her generation. As an old, powerful mark hunts her down and the Camel Club tries to protect her, a new opponent suddenly arises.

One by one, men from Stone's shadowy past turn up dead. Behind this slaughter stands one man: Harry Finn. To almost all who know him, he's a loving father and husband who uses his skills to keep America safe. But Finn is also an unstoppable killer who now sets his lethal bull's-eye on Oliver Stone. And with Harry Finn, Stone may well have met his match.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Hachette Audio
• Release date: Nov 6, 2007
• ISBN: 9781600240492

David Baldacci

Nacido en 1960, David Baldacci se licenció en Derecho por la Universidad de Virginia y ejerció como abogado en Washington durante nueve años. El reconocimiento unánime con que el público y la crítica recibieron sus primeras novelas le llevó a abandonar la abogacía para dedicarse por entero a la escritura. Desde entonces, David Baldacci es uno de los grandes nombres del género thriller contemporáneo; su obra ha sido traducida a treinta y cuatro idiomas y se publica en más de ochenta países. David Baldacci colabora también con el mundo del cine: es autor de seis guiones y su primera novela Poder absoluto (1996) fue llevada a la gran pantalla bajo la dirección de Clint Eastwood.

Reviews for Stone Cold

[atticusfinch1048 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Stone Cold is the third book in The Camel Club series by David Baldacci and was originally published in 2007. This book picks up from where the previous book, The Collector, finishes and is an adrenalin ride throughout the book.

Jerry Bagger is on the hunt for Annabelle Conroy, and he will never forgive her for what she had done to him. So much so that when he does find her, he is going to killer her as slowly as he possibly can. When one of Conroy’s gang is found in Portugal it is not very helpful as he probably gave away too much information about her.

Harry Finn is on a mission while looking like a normal family guy even if he is a former Navy Seal and he has a contract with Homeland Security testing sites for their readiness in case of a terrorist attack. He also happens to be killing people who happened to be former members of the CIA’s 666 team and more specifically those that had killed his father and branded him a traitor. When he discovers that John Carr is still alive things suddenly become far more dangerous for Oliver Stone.

Stone with members of The Camel Club have to fight both Jerry Bagger and the CIA which is no easy task but one Stone believes they are up to, if not they will all be dead. Is Stone finally going to go directly against the director of the CIA and live?

Stone Cold is a brilliant example of what Baldacci does best – write gripping thrillers.

[paulagalvan-323293 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

'Stone Cold' is the third installment of the Camel Club series. Consisting of four friends, Oliver Stone (leader of the club and ex-Triple Six assassin), Reuben Rhodes (Vietnam Vet), Caleb Shaw (works in the rare books wing of the Library of Congress), and Milton Farb (genius with severe OCD issues), the Camel Club meets to look for conspiracies inside the US government, then take action to keep politicians in line. In this story, the four are helping a friend, Annabelle Conroy, stay alive after conning Jerry Bagger, a wealthy psychopath out of forty million, when Stone's past roars back, putting them all in danger. As you would expect from this author, this one has many spies, corrupted politicians, government intrigues, and military action. The bad and good fall, as Oliver, a.k.a. John Carr, settles old scores in this fast-paced, emotionally charged story. I can't wait to read the next book to learn how the club deals with saying goodbye to one of their own.

[eyejaybee · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The Camel Club is back, and its members are up against it once again. We are aware that the man now known as ‘Oliver Stone’ has a shady past, and now it seems set to catch up with him. While this does work as a standalone novel, there are strong resonances from the Camel Club’s previous outings.

It appears that someone is killing members of the 666 Group, a secret cadre of highly trained assassins that had been run by the American intelligence service. The fact that someone is capable of killing such capable victims sends shockwaves through that cloistered community, and all sorts of conspiracy theories are unleashed.

Meanwhile, virtual Camel Club member Annabelle Conroy is still being pursued by the Atlantic City gangster whom she stung for $40 million in the previous novel. He is as tenacious as she is evasive.

As always, Baldacci ties all the various threads together very capably, and sucks the reader in right from the beginning of the book.

[lbswiener · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Stone Cold is another excellent Camel Club story. The story is a thriller from the beginning to the end. The only bad part is that it ends literally with Oliver Stone, the main character, flying through the air heading towards the ocean. Stone Cold is a great book about spies. Four stars were awarded to the book in this review. This book is highly recommended.

[judygibson-1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Let's get this year rolling. Good start.

[jarratt_1 · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

I got nearly 200 pages in and decided I just didn't care. About any of it. I'd read the first Camel Club book ages ago and remembered none of it. And while this one refers back to what might have happened in the previous book, The Camel Club was never explained. The dialogue wasn't very good, the characters almost wholly replaceable with each other, and the stories seemed very implausible and silly. I am in no way impressed with David Baldacci's work.

[emscape · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is what I call "beach reads for men" or "dude lit" (like, as opposed to "chick lit" get it?) This stuff is no more realistic than your average romance novel, but somehow gets treated with much, much more gravitas? Oh, well. The characters, especially the Camel Club themselves, were entertaining and the plot was suspenseful. A quick read even considering the relatively prolific amount of pages.
In this one, we've also got a decently intelligent, capable female joining the Camel Club, and an antagonist that's rather sympathetic. I like how these are building.

[kaulsu · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

It has been a while since I listened to a “thriller,” and I have never listened nor read anything by Baldacci, though I know many people who like him.
I enjoyed listening to this book, narrated by Ron McLarty. I will undoubtedly listen and read other books in this series and a few not.

I have given it 4 stars because it IS a good book, but not on a par with regular fiction. Not like fiction of Amor Towles, or Fredrick Backman, not non-fiction like Ron Chernow, or Walter Issacson.

[drled_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Synopsis: While Annabelle is busy dodging Bagger, Harry Finn appears to track down and kill the Triple Sixes who killed his father; Oliver Stone is one of these men. In the process, Finn's son is kidnapped and the rescue goes badly. Milton is killed. Oliver finds that he mush desert his friends to protect them.
Review: These are getting better and better. I'm ready to know what happens next and to hope that they all make it out alive and together.

[jimgysin_1 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

I love the Camel Club members and will continue to read this enjoyable series, but this one had way too many eye-rolling moments near the end and required me to suspend disbelief over plot points that could have easily been handled in a less eye-rolling way. Still, a fun series and I'm hooked.

[bhabeck-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

In this third installment of the Camel Club series, we begin to get more of Oliver Stone's history. Someone is killing Oliver's teammates from his CIA days. Oliver needs to find out who and why before they come after him. If that wasn't enough to keep Oliver and his Camel Club buddies busy, Annabelle Conroy is back in town with Jerry Bagger hot on her heels.

I listened to this on audiobook and really enjoyed the story. The story was interesting, fast-paced, and kept the listener wondering. An added bonus was that the narrator, Ron McLarty did an amazing job with the characters.

Rating: 4 Stars

[brakketh-1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

A solid thriller from the Camel Club series of Baldacci novels. More corruption and the concluding of some feuds from earlier novels.

[debavp · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This was a gift from my sister-in-law and fortunately was the next in the series for me. I'm not sure I would gave chosen to go on with the series otherwise. This rag time band of unlikely heroes just seems unbelievable at times. However, this one was a bit more palatable and I might continue on with the next installment. 

[dcarlin-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

An enjoyable conspiracy story. A bit on the gory side, no inappropriate language. I look forward to my next Baldacci book.

[christineellei · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

David Baldacci never disappoints me. I like the characters, the story moves along with an excellent mix of intrigue, humour, sarcasm and wit. This was more than another addition in the series - was a definite continuation to The Collectors.

[judithdcollins · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I really enjoy the Camel Club (even though I am reading backwards as started with #4 Divine Justice). Olive Stone (Carr) is quite the character and is unstoppable! Annabelle (another Camel Club) is also involved in this thriller by David Baldacci. I look forward to reading the other books in the series! (the audio is fabulous, the sound effects and the narrator is one of my favorites!

[momsterbookworm · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

For such a chilling title, this book is blazing hot!

[jiraiya_5 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Yes! He's dead! Finally. This book started well, picked up pace, and ended breathlessly. I am so glad to have read this book in the state of mind that I did. Sometimes a good book is wasted because of the wrong disposition of the reader, but I devoured Stone Cold (vague title, by the way) like it was my last book. The best aspects of this book are spoiler laden. Let me just say that when Baldacci kills of characters he makes them count. I'm beginning to think that this author is totally compatible with the way my mind works. If that's true, then endless trial and error has been rewarded. What a book!

[csayban · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The Camel Club has earned themselves some formidable enemies, but now things are getting much more personal. Men from Oliver Stone’s past are turning up dead and now Stone is being hunted by an invisible killer. Meanwhile, honorary member Annabelle Conroy is being hunted by Jerry Bagger – who murdered her mother and she stole forth million dollars from. With lethal threats on two fronts, the Camel Club will have to use every trick they have just to stay alive long enough to learn the secrets nobody wants them to know.

Stone Cold is David Baldacci’s third installment featuring the group of divergent individuals calling themselves The Camel Club. Each is plugged into the Washington D.C. establishment in one way or another, but they are all outsiders who have worked to prevent corruptible powers to harm the country. In the first two books, Baldacci succeeds in creating an espionage thriller with lots of action and more than a little heart. Not only does Stone Cold continue the story, it frankly takes it to another level.

The Camel Club books are all about action and intrigue. What makes them a cut above many other espionage franchises are the personalities of the characters. Oliver Stone has been the central character all along, but Baldacci really digs much deeper into his character in Stone Cold, and the story truly benefits from it. The conflicted nature of Stone – between the actions of his past and the desires of his new life – create a yin and yang nature to him that is compelling. Annabelle Conroy also comes into her own, fleshing out her backstory and helping to drive the plot on to separate, but interconnected fronts.

As with all of The Camel Club books, there is plenty of action, mayhem and double-crosses to keep you on the edge of your seat the whole time. Is Stone Cold over-the-top at times? Certainly. However, Baldacci has used it more effectively with each book and Stone Cold is the best yet. Still, it is the characters that make the series so good. As I said in my review of The Camel Club years ago, I hoped that the storylines would improve because the characters we so compelling. That is exactly what has happened.

Another fun read by Baldacci. I think Stone Cold is the best of the first three Camel Club installments. Of course, it is a bit over-the-top, but that's part of what makes the Camel Club series enjoyable to read. But it is still grounded enough to make sense and pass the suspension-of-disbelief long enough to get a lot of enjoyment. The strength is the fast-paced plot that never lets up and the engaging characters. Something about Baldacci's writing style just keeps you speeding along.

[kebets_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is the third Camel Club book and they just get better!!!

I don't want to say too much - because nothing should be given away.

I will say that this picks up the story right after The Collectors.

Loose ends are tied up - new ravelings are discovered and teased open to leave gapping holes in the known past.

The Camel Club is important, but they are not the center of the story - instead Oliver and Annabelle are.

Oliver Stone/John Carr is amazing.

All I can say is BRAVO David Baldacci!!!

Read this one for sure - but not before you have read The Camel Club and The Collectors!!!

[janiereader · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Fast moving with short chapters and reads like an action movie. You can almost imagine your favorite movie stars in the main roles. While not great literature, it is enjoyable and a fast read. Lots of killing, no sex, stereotypical characters with convenient plot lines to move the action along.. I can actually neither recommend nor dis the book. But would think it proper for political thrill junkies or teens looking for a "clean" yet fast moving plot.

[djupstrom · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I am a big fan of David Baldacci. He writes with intelligence and wit. His Camel Club series has rapidly become one of my favorite book series. If you like John Grisham, but wish there was more plot and less predictable filler, then Baldacci is a good choice.

[dannn_2 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A fast action-packed novel. The short chapters added to the pace of the book and always kept all of the characters in focus. A long book, but the pages flew past!

[terribooks · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I am enjoying this series of books, "Camel Club." In this, the third, there are several plot lines weaving together, both tying up the open items from the second book and introducing new lines - and characters. Enjoyable, fast-moving, a little over the top, but the author makes the unbelievable sound plausible when you're in his world. Looking forward to number four.

[sharonsommers · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Exciting Story that will keep you on the edge!

I’ve always enjoyed David Baldacci's Camel Club series and their group of peculiar characters. The books are exciting and always keep you on the edge.
In this story there are several plots and subplots going on. In one plot we find Oliver Stone, who went by the name of, John Carr, as a former CIA assassin, comes to grips with a terrible mistake that he made years ago. He had terminated an innocent man who was falsely identified as a traitor. While Stone uncovers the mystery behind this mistake, he finds himself entangled in the lives of the dead man's family. Once he finds out that this family is to be terminated by the same man who ordered the execution of the father years ago, he must act quickly to prevent another injustice from being performed.

There are other plots, other characters that if covered it would only spoil the book for you. Be assured, that Baldacci, brings all the plots together with nonstop action, interesting character development, and an ending that neatly ties everything together.
Highly recommend.

[iubookgirl · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

There is so much I can't say about this book for fear of giving too much away! Suffice it to say, Stone Cold picks up right where The Collectors left off. Oliver Stone, the leader of the Camel Club, is determined to help con artist Annabelle Conroy out of a jam. Unfortunately, he finds himself in a dangerous predicament of his own, making things far more complicated.

At its core, Stone Cold is a story of revenge. While all the Camel Club books have a theme of seeking justice, the events that unfold in Stone Cold are even more personal and require a large measure of personal sacrifice in order to exact revenge - no matter how well deserved that revenge is. Through it all, you will laugh, gasp and maybe even cry.

I was turned on to the Camel Club two years ago by an advance reading copy of Divine Justice, the fourth book in the series. I hadn't planned to reread it, but it has taken me so long to get back to the series that I don't remember what happens. The books of the Camel Club series flow one into the next making it difficult to stop yourself from picking up the next one.

The next installment of the Camel Club series, Hell's Corner, is due for publication on November 9, 2010. I can't wait to read what happens next!

[creighley_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Alias Oliver Stone finds himself hunted once again when the son of a former hit comes to wreck revenge.

[cathymoore_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Oliver Stone and his motley crew of unlikely heroes return in this next instalment of the Camel Club. Two plot threads run side by side in this novel. We discover more about the mysterious Stone's past as he battles to stay alive when his previous life starts to catch up with him. All the favourite characters are back as the story races to a thrilling and devastating climax. It will be interesting to see where Baldacci takes these characters if he chooses to write anymore Camel Club books.

[she_climber · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

The conspiracy theories continue to fly in the 3rd installment of the Camel Club series. I love that Baldacci brought back Annabelle from the last book and finished that story. Now I hope to see some Henry Finn and company in the next installment. And not to try and spoil the story for those who haven't read it yet, one principal member will sorely be missed, but in these stories where the body count is continually climbing I guess I can't be too surprised. Just sorry it was one of my favorites.

[edwardsgt · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A cracking read which kept me turning the page until I finished it. Most of the action is set in and around Washington and the political scene with two interleaving threads. One thread is a con artist and her team who are trying to evade the wrath of an Atlantic City casino operator they conned out of $40m; the other thread is a cold war retribution involving high-level DC political operators. Well plotted and any holes easily overlooked by the sheer pace of the story.