A harrowing journey of violence, betrayal and revenge
THE COLLECTORS<br>by David Baldacci<br>Macmillan pp 546, ISBN 9780330444088
Although The Collectors was number seven in the New York Times best-seller list in December 2006, I was expecting more from best-selling thriller and suspense novelist David Baldacci. In terms of character and plot development, The Collectors does not show Baldacci as being on top of his game and because of this, the novel does not qualify as a masterly display of the thriller-writing genre.
The Collectors lies somewhere between a crime thriller and a detective story. It is the sequel to Baldacci's The Camel Club (2005). Still, one does not necessarily need to read The Camel Club in order to follow the story.
There are two plots. The first plot involves a group of con artists, engineered by ring-leader Annabelle Conroy, who are targeting an Atlantic City casino in a $33 million scam. The second plot consists of the return of the odd members of the Camel Club with their different interests and abilities. In this story, the Camel Club investigates the mysterious deaths of a prestigious division head at the Library of Congress and the Speaker of the House of the United States government. The two stories merge as the fast-thinking con artist, Annabelle, joins the Camel Club. So begins a trail that rapidly leads to murder, intrigue and the possibility of a discovery to what lies behind a secret conspiracy.
Most of Baldacci's novels are thrillers whose plot lines involve conspiracies. Like many of his other novels, The Collectors is filled with details about the CIA, the Secret Service and Washington DC. It is a tale that is wrought with danger, secrets, treachery, and murder. The chapters are not very long so they keep the reader engrossed. Moreover, virtually every chapter ending wavers between tension and an anticipation of what is to come.
In both plots, the reader is presented with complex characters with endearing quirks yet Baldacci fails to fully develop the characters and risks their portrayal as being unrealistic. None of the characters are drawn with enough sufficient detail and depth to help the reader understand their actions. Just as in his previous novels, Baldacci uses a formula which allows the reader to draw his own conclusions about the characters and how they come to be. Nevertheless, he fails to balance memorable characterizations with a convincing narrative.
Still, The Collectors does arouse one predominant emotion-the excitement of suspense. People from different walks of life are thrown together in a gritty situation igniting a harrowing journey of violence, betrayal and revenge. There is no single hero where we see things through his eyes alone. Instead, there are multiple viewpoints which add dimension to the plot as all the main characters have a mysterious past. What gives the novel its strength is that the emphasis in the story is not only on the assessment of evidence and its interpretation in order to solve a mystery, but just as much on the actions taken.
On the other hand, a major flaw in the text is that it is not very descriptive so any one who likes detailed scenes would not enjoy this book. More so, the dialogue is not always plausible. The scenes where Annabelle attempts to seduce casino owner Jerry Bagger are particularly unconvincing. Even though Baldacci intertwines the character action and movement, he tends to stretch the characters' credibility making it difficult for the reader to connect with their personas.
Although there are a couple of twists and turns, the book is not hard to follow and would make a pretty amusing holiday read. It depicts a labyrinth of intricate schemes, sidetracks, and deceptions as well as highlighting the fact that guarded secrets are still common within the FBI, NSA and CIA. Furthermore, the story does not end with Baldacci tying up all loose ends but instead he sets up a plot for his next book. Sure enough, despite The Collectors not being one of Baldacci's best, it does offer entertaining fiction.
• Ms Montanaro is a post-graduate student at the University of Edinburgh. She is reading for a PhD on Psychoanalysis and Surrealism in Britain. A review copy of this title was provided by Agenda Bookshop.
The Collectors lies somewhere between a crime thriller and a detective story. It is the sequel to Baldacci's The Camel Club (2005). Still, one does not necessarily need to read The Camel Club in order to follow the story.
There are two plots. The first plot involves a group of con artists, engineered by ring-leader Annabelle Conroy, who are targeting an Atlantic City casino in a $33 million scam. The second plot consists of the return of the odd members of the Camel Club with their different interests and abilities. In this story, the Camel Club investigates the mysterious deaths of a prestigious division head at the Library of Congress and the Speaker of the House of the United States government. The two stories merge as the fast-thinking con artist, Annabelle, joins the Camel Club. So begins a trail that rapidly leads to murder, intrigue and the possibility of a discovery to what lies behind a secret conspiracy.
Most of Baldacci's novels are thrillers whose plot lines involve conspiracies. Like many of his other novels, The Collectors is filled with details about the CIA, the Secret Service and Washington DC. It is a tale that is wrought with danger, secrets, treachery, and murder. The chapters are not very long so they keep the reader engrossed. Moreover, virtually every chapter ending wavers between tension and an anticipation of what is to come.
In both plots, the reader is presented with complex characters with endearing quirks yet Baldacci fails to fully develop the characters and risks their portrayal as being unrealistic. None of the characters are drawn with enough sufficient detail and depth to help the reader understand their actions. Just as in his previous novels, Baldacci uses a formula which allows the reader to draw his own conclusions about the characters and how they come to be. Nevertheless, he fails to balance memorable characterizations with a convincing narrative.
Still, The Collectors does arouse one predominant emotion-the excitement of suspense. People from different walks of life are thrown together in a gritty situation igniting a harrowing journey of violence, betrayal and revenge. There is no single hero where we see things through his eyes alone. Instead, there are multiple viewpoints which add dimension to the plot as all the main characters have a mysterious past. What gives the novel its strength is that the emphasis in the story is not only on the assessment of evidence and its interpretation in order to solve a mystery, but just as much on the actions taken.
On the other hand, a major flaw in the text is that it is not very descriptive so any one who likes detailed scenes would not enjoy this book. More so, the dialogue is not always plausible. The scenes where Annabelle attempts to seduce casino owner Jerry Bagger are particularly unconvincing. Even though Baldacci intertwines the character action and movement, he tends to stretch the characters' credibility making it difficult for the reader to connect with their personas.
Although there are a couple of twists and turns, the book is not hard to follow and would make a pretty amusing holiday read. It depicts a labyrinth of intricate schemes, sidetracks, and deceptions as well as highlighting the fact that guarded secrets are still common within the FBI, NSA and CIA. Furthermore, the story does not end with Baldacci tying up all loose ends but instead he sets up a plot for his next book. Sure enough, despite The Collectors not being one of Baldacci's best, it does offer entertaining fiction.
• Ms Montanaro is a post-graduate student at the University of Edinburgh. She is reading for a PhD on Psychoanalysis and Surrealism in Britain. A review copy of this title was provided by Agenda Bookshop.