The Camel Club (Camel Club Series) by David Baldacci

" シリーズ5作目のHell's Cornerがおもしろかったので、Camel Clubと主人公の事をもっとよく知りたいと思い、手に取りました。予想をはるかに超える展開の連続で引き込まれました。英語自体も読みやすいと思います...." " ワシントンDCで隠者のような生活を送っているOliver Stoneは実はかつてCIAで暗殺者としての訓練も受けたことのある男。アメリカ政府内で陰謀を企む者たちを密かに割り出してその謀略を未然に防ぐための秘密集団the Camel Clubを率いている。メンバーはStoneの他にReuben Rhodes、Caleb Shaw、そしてMilton Farbだ。彼ら4人は偶然にも、セオドア・ローズヴェルト島でNIC職員Patrick Johnson殺害の瞬間を目撃してしまう。殺害犯2人に追われるものの、なんとか危機を一旦脱出するが、犯人たちはその後も執拗にClubの面々を追ってくる。一方、折しもBrennan大統領が再選を目指して選挙戦に乗り出そうとしていたが、大統領が地元ペンシルベニア州入りするのを手ぐすねを引いて待っていたのが、中東各地から集められたテロリストたちだ。果たして彼らは大統領に対してどのような陰謀を企てようというのか..." " As the opening chapter of a series, David Baldacci's The Camel Club did exactly what a good first chapter should do while still surpassing my expectations. It introduces a myriad of characters and a compelling concept that will keep the reader engaged from beginning to end while also providing an authentic real-world scenario that makes the reader contemplate issues that plague humanity to this day. It's so effective in its execution that it may actually rival science-fiction novels in its ability to make the reader question our world and those who run it. The central issue of scrutiny which Baldacci comments upon focuses on the mutual hypocrisies involving the United States government's War on Terror, and the holy war jihad used to justify the violent actions of Islamic terrorists....."

David Baldacci의 작품을 좀 읽다보니 이 작가의 스타일이나 다루는 내용들을 대략적으로 이해할 수 있는 거 같다. 음모론, 탐욕, 복수, 테러 같은 이야기들이 이 작품의 전체적인 흐름이다. 노장들의 활약이 돋보이는 작품이다. 등장하는 인물도 많고 이야기의 구성도 복잡해서 페이지가 벽돌 같은 두께이기 때문에 읽는데 어려움이 있는 작품이다. 물론 문장들이나 표현도 평균을 상회하기 때문에 읽는데 시간이 좀 필요하다.