Friday 7 August 2020

Camino Winds - John Grisham - Camino Island Book 2

Camino Winds
Camino Island Book 2
John Grisham
Dell Bantam
Random House Publishing Group
ISBN 
9780385545938
eISBN 9780385545945
ASIN B081Y4HFXG


When I was younger, I read several of Grisham’s early novels. But the last of his offerings I read was 19 years ago when I read Skipping Christmas. At least until reading book 1 in this series, Camino Island. Prior to reading that book his writings just sort of fell off my radar as I pursued new authors and genres. That book was mentioned by a director at work recently, so I picked it up and read it in three sittings over a weekend. And started this one 2 days later. This one was a slower start for me, in fact, I put it down and read 2 other books that had just released before circling back and finishing this one. 

This story continues a while after the first. And it is very different. There is a lot of overlap in the cast. But this one is much more traditional mystery – who dun it type story. A lot less focus on the literary scene, still some info around books ad publishing, ad the industry, particularly literary estates. But it was more of the side plot than the first one. It is still a lot of fun. 

In this story the island of Camino, that has always been blessed and hardly touched by storms, hurricanes, and other acts of god. But this time very late the storm dodges ad Camino is directly in it’s path. Bruce Cable the owner of Bay Books, one of his employees and an author hunker down in Bruce’s house to ride out the storm. Much of the island is devastated. And the next day the police show up asking Bruce to be local next of kin. Elson Kerr is found dead on his patio, and Bruce and the gang think it is suspicious. Ad because Nelson was one of his authors Bruce cannot let it lay. Soon he is involved with the family and working with a special investigations company to find out what really happened. 

The story took me a while to get into. I put it down twice. But about the hundred-page mark it really picked up ad kept my attention through to the end. It reminds me a lot of the Spencer for Hire Novels by Robert B. Parker. Bruce is not a physical tough guy, but mentally and in the literary world he is a big player. And in this story we see that he knows how to get things done.

This story would not inspire me to pursue other recent books by Grisham, but I would give another Camino Island story a go. A good read in an interesting series, especially for those interested in the whole publishing and literary scene.

Books by John Grisham:
A Time to Kill (1989)
The Firm (1991)
The Pelican Brief (1992)
The Client (1993)
The Chamber (1994)
The Rainmaker (1995)
The Runaway Jury (1996)
The Partner (1997)
The Street Lawyer (1998)
The Testament (1999)
The Brethren (2000)
A Painted House (2001)
Skipping Christmas (2001)
The Summons (2002)
The King of Torts (2003)
Bleachers (2003)
The Last Juror (2004)
The Broker (2005)
The Innocent Man (2006)
Playing for Pizza (2007)
The Appeal (2008)
The Associate (2009)
The Confession (2010)
The Litigators (2011)
Calico Joe (2012)
The Racketeer (2012)
Sycamore Row (2013)
Gray Mountain (2014)
Rogue Lawyer (2015)
The Whistler (2016)
Camino Island (2017)
The Rooster Bar (2017)
The Reckoning (2018)
The Guardians (2019)
Camino Winds (2020)
A Time for Mercy (2020)


Children's legal thrillers:
Theodore Boone: Kid Lawyer (2010)
Theodore Boone: The Abduction (2011)
Theodore Boone: The Accused (2012)
Theodore Boone: The Activist (2013)
Theodore Boone: The Fugitive (2015)
Theodore Boone: The Scandal (2016)
Theodore Boone: The Accomplice (2019)


Short Stories:
Ford County (2009)
The Tumor (2016)
Partners (2016)
Witness to a Trial (2016)





 




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