Baldacci can spin a tale, yep.  Also First Family, his most recent which is about well … you know who (in theory) and chilling in a national “chop off your nose to spite your face,” coincidently, sordid way.  And The Winner, about the lottery & its lateral machinations. 

The Camel Club was interesting too.  I haven’t YET read Wish You Well which is loosely described as a departure from the lifelike bigger than life thrillers Baldacci has a penchant for.  

I fear (although I’d rather maze at the renaissance taking place) that we’ve cooked it.  That we really have cooked this thing; this likely hopeful excellence that is air, land and water and legged creatures with the natural predilection to fight and fuck and procreate maybe a little too much for the experiment to be anything but, …well, kinda silly from a distance.  

But the US has what three-hundred-some million people and a whole lota still beautiful spaces all around … out of a grandiose total of six point seven BILLION, up point seven since the last time I checked.  Wow.  Those Saturday morning educational animations (like Conjunction Junction and I Am a Bill) would have had a field day with these numbers!  We’re off the charts, people. Not necessarily the US, but w0w the planet!

. . . . . . . . . Don’know, Andrea.  It would take a miracle.  I think. 

but today's another day