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The Camel Club Reading Order.

Quick Answer

Start The Camel Club by David Baldacci with "The Camel Club", then follow the publication sequence. This order preserves the intended narrative twists and world-building progression.

The Camel Club is a group of four diverse individuals—a former CIA assassin, an intelligence analyst, a rare book expert, and a savant—who act as political watchdogs, constantly searching for and investigating conspiracies within the U.S. government.

Reader's Guide

This series spans 5 main titles released between 2005 and 2010. For the best experience, we recommend following the Publication Order below to preserve key plot reveals.

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Official Verdict

Short Answer:
Start with "The Camel Club"

To experience the narrative as intended, read the main sequence in Publication Order.Ignore novellas and side stories until you finish the first 3 core novels. This resolves all timeline confusion and preserves every major twist.

Community Consensus

High Debate

"The provided comments are overwhelmingly focused on systemic downvoting, hostility, and bigotry toward queer/progressive posts on a subreddit, and do not discuss 'The Camel Club' series or its reading order. The primary literary discussion, unrelated to 'The Camel Club,' focuses on the character FitzChivalry Farseer from Robin Hobb's series (Farseer and Tawny Man trilogies). Therefore, no consensus or advice on the reading order for 'The Camel Club' can be extracted."

Key Reddit Advice

No reading order advice for 'The Camel Club' is present in these comments.

Why This Order Is Confusing

Many reading lists for The Camel Club conflict because early publishers often labeled short story collections as standalone novels, or rearranged internal chronologies for marketing. This guide follows original author intent and narrative continuity to settle the debate for good.

Can I skip the short stories?

Technically yes, but we strongly advise against it for The Camel Club. The shorter volumes often establish the core character motivations and world-building that the main saga assumes you already know.

I watched the show/movie first — where should I start?

Ignore the screen adaptations' timeline. Start with "The Camel Club" to see the original depth of the world. The books offer a significantly different (and usually more complete) experience than the on-screen versions.

Why do people disagree on the order?

Disagreement usually stems from the conflict between purely chronological order and publication order. Most long-term fans recommend publication order to preserve the emotional arc and mystery reveals.

Curator's Strategy

Recommended Reading Order Strategy

The authoritative way to read the "The Camel Club" series is in Publication Order. Start with the first published book. It's the way the author intended the world to be revealed.This ensures you experience character reveals and plot twists exactly as the author intended.

Complete Series Reading Order

Publication Reading Order5 Titles

Why Publication Order?We recommend reading in Publication Order (default). This follows the author's release schedule, ensuring you experience plot twists, character growth, and world-building exactly as intended without spoilers.
Best Start Here
1

The Camel Club

Pub: 20055

After witnessing a shocking murder, four conspiracy theorists team up with a Secret Service agent to uncover the government corruption that threatens to cause an international terrorism crisis in this New York Times bestselling thriller. Welcome to THE CAMEL CLUB. Existing at the fringes of Washington, D.C., the Club consists of four eccentric members. Led by a mysterious man known as “Oliver Stone,” they study conspiracy theories, current events, and the machinations of government to discover the “truth” behind the country’s actions. Their efforts bear little fruit–until the group witnesses a shocking murder…and becomes embroiled in an astounding, far-reaching conspiracy. Now the Club must join forces with a Secret Service agent to confront one of the most chilling spectacles ever to take place on American soil-an event that may trigger the ultimate war between two different worlds. And all that stands in the way of this apocalypse is five unexpected heroes. ([source][1]) [1]: https://www.davidbaldacci.com/titles/david-baldacci/the-camel-club/9780759515239/

2

The Collectors

Pub: 20065

Plot details hidden until you finish "The Camel Club".

In Washington, D.C, where power is everything and too few have too much of it, four highly eccentric men with mysterious pasts call themselves the Camel Club. Their mission: find out what's really going on behind the closed doors of America's leaders. The assassination of the U.S. Speaker of the House has shaken the nation. And the outrageous iconoclasts of the Camel Club have found a chilling connection with another death: the demise of the director of the Library of Congress's rare books room, whose body has been found in a locked vault where seemingly nothing could have harmed him. A man who calls himself Oliver Stone is the groups unofficial leader. Staying one step ahead of his violent past and headquartered in a caretaker's cottage in Mt. Zion Cemetery, Stone, drawing on his vast experience and acute deductive powers, discovers that someone is selling America to its enemies one classified secret at a time. When Annabelle Conroy, the greatest con artist of her generation, struts onto the scene in high-heeled boots, the Camel Club gets a sexy new edge. And they'll need it, because the two murders are hurtling them into a world of high-stakes espionage that threatens to bring America to its knees. From an ingenious con in Atlantic City tho the possible forgery of one of the rarest and most valuable books in America history, to a showdown of epic proportions in the very heart of the capitol, David Baldacci weaves a brilliant, white-knuckle tale of suspense in which every collector is searching for one missing prize: the one to die for...

3

Stone Cold

Pub: 2017

Plot details hidden until you finish "The Collectors".

Stone Cold is a crime thriller written by David Baldacci. This is the third book to feature the Camel Club, a small group of Washington, D.C. civilian misfits led by "Oliver Stone", an ex-Green Beret and a former CIA trained assassin. The book was initially published on November 6, 2007 by Grand Central Publishing. 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.

4

Divine Justice

Pub: 20085

Plot details hidden until you finish "Stone Cold".

Oliver Stone and the Camel Club embark on a dangerous cross-country pursuit to evade a ruthless assassin and expose a secret government organization with lethal reach.

5

Hell's Corner

Pub: 2010

Plot details hidden until you finish "Divine Justice".

After a bomb detonates near the motorcade of the U.S. president and Britain's prime minister, British MI-5 agent Mary Chapman--along with the help of Oliver Stone--investigates whether or not the bomber had a different target in mind.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is it okay to skip books in the The Camel Club series?

We recommend ignoring novellas and short stories until you finish the core sequence. However, main sequence novels should never be skipped as they contain critical character development and plot progression.

What is the best order to read The Camel Club?

The final answer for the best experience is to start with "The Camel Club" and proceed in publication order. This sequence preserves character developments and plot reveals exactly as David Baldacci intended.

Can I read The Camel Club books in any order?

No. The main narrative is strictly sequential. Skipping volumes or reading out of order will lead to significant plot spoilers and confusion regarding character arcs.

Are there spin-offs or companion books?

Yes, the The Camel Club universe includes several companion works. These are marked as 'Optional' in our guide and can be read at any time without disrupting the main storyline.