Much like its predecessor “Camino Island,” John Grisham’s latest is a lightweight thriller, efficiently paced and plotted, rendered with all the virtuosity of an experienced genre practitioner. It is Grisham at his most pulpy.
Camino Island is a resort island in Florida inhabited by some of America’s most popular writers, all coalesced into a literary cabal by local bookshop owner Bruce Kable. But in the aftermath of Hurricane Leo, who leaves a trail of destruction in his wake, one of Bruce’s author pals turns up dead — actually, murdered.
Nelson Kerr, a former trial lawyer-turned-whistle-blower-turned-bestselling-thriller-writer, had plenty of enemies, but distracted by the hurricane clean-up (and addled by their own ineptness) the local cops are unable to find a suspect. So it’s up to Bruce and his writers to solve Kerr’s murder, which enmeshes them in a plot involving his unpublished manuscript, Medicare fraud, an unapproved Chinese drug, and nursing home abuse — not to mention professional hired assassins.
“Camino Winds” unravels leisurely, but assuredly. This is not a white-knuckle thrill-ride, but a methodical procedural. Various characters flit in and out of Grisham’s spotlight as the investigation takes on a larger scope. His handling of its many pieces is impressive, but the discerning reader might take issue with his workmanlike approach.
ISBN: 9781529342468
Format: Paperback / softback
Pages: 304
Imprint: Hodder & Stoughton
Publish Date: 28-Apr-2020
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