CAMINO GHOSTS
by John Grisham
Synopsis
In this new thriller on Camino Island, popular bookseller Bruce Cable tells Mercer Mann an irresistible tale that might be her next novel. A giant resort developer is using its political muscle and deep pockets to claim ownership of a deserted island between Florida and Georgia. Only the last living inhabitant of the island, Lovely Jackson, stands in its way. What the developer doesn’t know is that the island has a remarkable history, and locals believe it is cursed…and the past is never the past…
Richard says
An awesome tapestry of characters and suspenseful plotlines, Grisham can be counted on writing a good story. As a retired lawyer, his books always spin on some sort of legal case. Usually, the spin is engaging and captivating reading and Camino Ghosts delivers.
The story is founded on slave history, adding voodoo curses to the setting of modern-day Florida. Grisham’s tapestry weaves in colourful personalities that steadily create intrigue and suspense. The characters start with our a main character a likable owner of a book store where he hosts publicity and book promotional gatherings for authors. The dominant protagonists, Mercer and husband, Thomas, thread more colour and tension into the art piece. Then our main character, the Lovely Jackson, adds the climax of colour with her apparel, her published novel and her biography. A descendent of African slaves herself, she weaves suspense and mystique into the story steadily.
White men who visit the Dark Isle are the victims of the isle’s, perhaps being punished for enslaving and exploitating Africans Blacks. Lovely Jackson claims to own the Isle but Florida law expropriates such land, reverting it to the state. When developers see an opportunity to make a profit by building an exclusive gambling resort on Dark Isle, the intrigue and excitement begin.
The drama unfolds engagingly, as one would expect from a Grisham work. He does justice to his reputation throughout almost the entire book. The level of excitement and intrigue is constant and superbly maintained until the last couple of pages.
Perhaps I am becoming jaded with too many Grisham books under my belt. I thought this one was rising to the level of his very best…until the final couple of pages.
Read it.
