THE CAMEL CLUB by David Baldacci

Finished Tu 10/16/18

This is the first book in 'The Camel Club' series by Baldacci. I got this as an e-book from the library.

Plot-

A CIA agent is found dead on a river near Washington DC. The killing was made to look like a suicide. This man was trading identities with dead terrorists.

There is a huge plot to kill the president. But, not to kill him, but to kidnap him. Brennan, the president, goes back to his home town. They are re-naming the town after him. At the ceremony, a veteran with a prosthetic hand is working with the terrorists. He has a nerve agent on the hand, and when he shakes the president's hand, he transfers the poison. The president goes down as if he had a heart attack, and the terrorists open fire, but using drug darts- not bullets.
A terrorist group takes credit and says that the president has been taken to Medina. He has, but not Medina in the middle east, but Medina, Ohio.
The Vice President, now in command, threatens a nuclear strike against Syria unless the president is not returned unharmed.
The Camel Club saves the day. 


THE CLUB-

Oliver Stone- works as a caretaker in a cemetery and looks homeless- long hair/ beard

Milton Farb- dresses preppy. round eye glasses. Can remember any document that he's read one time- regardless of how complex. Crippled with OCD.

Reuben Rhodes- hulking hippie. Several tours of Vietnam and veteran of various spy agencies.

Caleb Shaw- a collector of rare books and works at the Library of Congress. dresses in 19th century garb.

Alex Ford- Secret Service Agent assigned to protect the president

All Baldacci's books are good, but the writing is pedestrian, but the story-lines are compelling.