Audio Book Review and Giveaway - Two Copies: Hell's Corner by David Baldacci

There's lots of detail, many twists and fast paced action in this gripping mystery thriller.
Hell's Corner (The Camel Club) by David Baldacci
Read by Ron McLarty and Orlagh Cassidy

• Audio CD
• Publisher: Hachette Audio; Com/MP3 Un edition (November 9, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 160788657X
• ISBN-13: 978-1607886570

Price: Audio $26.99; Mass Market $9.99; Kindle $12.99
Genre: Mystery Thriller
My Rating: 4.0 of 5.0

Publisher’s Summary

John Carr, aka Oliver Stone—once the most skilled assassin his country ever had—stands in Lafayette Park in front of the White House, perhaps for the last time. The President has personally requested that Stone serve his country again on a high-risk covert mission. Though he’s fought for decades to leave his past career behind, Stone has no choice but to say yes.

But Stone’s mission changes drastically before it even begins. It’s the night of a State Dinner honoring the British Prime Minister. As he watches the Prime Minister’s motorcade leave the White House that evening, a bomb is detonated in Lafayette Park, an apparent terrorist attack against both the President and the Prime Minister. It’s in this chaotic aftermath that Stone takes on a new, more urgent assignment: find those responsible for the bombing.

British MI-6 agent Mary Chapman becomes Stone’s partner in the search for the unknown attackers. But their shadowy opponents are elusive, capable, increasingly lethal, and worst of all, it seems that the park bombing may just have been the opening salvo to their plan. With nowhere else to turn, Stone enlists the help of the only people he knows he can trust: the Camel Club. But that may be a big mistake.

In the shadowy worlds of politics and intelligence, there is no one you can really trust. Nothing is what it seems to be. And Hell’s Corner truly lives up to its name. This may be Oliver Stone and the Camel Club’s last stand.

Review:   I hadn’t read any of the prior Camel Club books but that didn’t lessen my enjoyment of this audio.

Former assassin, Oliver Stone, and MI-6 agent Mary Chapman are dissecting clues to try to find out why a bomb was detonated in Lafayette Park, also known as Hell’s Corner.  They begin to work with the FBI as they investigate the four people who were in the park at the same time as Oliver, when the bomb exploded.  The second and third discs are full of minutia on the bomb evidence, bomb sniffing dogs, and conjecture of why, what and how.  Those details are interesting even if it seems the story is going very slow. It is worth getting past those discs because the puzzle picks up with twists and action.

They follow lead after lead that run to dead ends or worse result in more deaths, but no answers.  As the search goes on they learn that evidence is being withheld by other security arms of the government. So they don’t know whom they can trust and they don’t know which evidence is real or has been set up as a red herring. It all shows a lot of detailed planning so they are sure they must figure out what is at stake before more deaths.  Initially Oliver rejects the help of his Camel Club friends but, when they persist, he realizes he can use their individual skills.

They finally figure out why the bomb occurred and who set it up.  Then the chase begins with the traitor using Stone’s own history and techniques to lead him on a merry chase.  Members of the Camel club are kidnapped and the whole crew is trapped with plans to entomb them and frame them as the terrorists. But the surprises aren’t finished until the very end! 

I like the added sound effects.  If you like Baldacci, you won't want to miss this twisting thriller. My DH listened to the whole book too.

THANK YOU TO HACHETTE FOR PROVIDING TWO AUDIO CD BOOKS FOR GIVEAWAY.
TO ENTER THIS GIVEAWAY:

1. Tell me if you like detailed evidence explanations (worth one entry) and/or let me know if you have a favorite Baldacci book (worth an additional entry).
Please leave your email!

2.  Two extra entries: Visit the Author Website and tell me something you found there of interest.

3.  For an extra entry, become a follower or tell me if you are already a follower.

4. For three entries, blog, facebook, tweet (any of those networks!) about this giveaway and tell me where you did.

It isn't necessary to use separate entries unless you want them in different chronological order.
(Eight total entries possible.) MAKE SURE YOU LEAVE YOUR E-MAIL!

THERE WILL BE TWO WINNERS!

* This contest is only open to residents of US and Canada.

* No P.O. Boxes Please - for shipping reasons.

* Limit one win per household.

* This contest will close 10 PM (Central) on February 4, 2011.
The winners will be randomly selected from all entries.