Book Review: Camino Ghosts by John Grisham ( Camino Island #3)

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

With an intriguing plot that combines elements of literary and historical fiction, courtroom drama and a touch of suspense thrown into the mix and its cast of interesting characters (old and new) Camino Ghosts by John Grisham is a compelling read.

The third book in the author’s Camino Island series begins with author Mercer Mann's wedding with Thomas, with whom she has been in a relationship for over three years. In attendance are Mercer’s friends from the island, among whom is Bruce Cable, owner of Bay Books. Mercer is looking for inspiration for her third novel and Bruce suggests the story of the Dark Isle – a now uninhabited island between Florida and Georgia that was once home to a community of runaway slaves. The last living descendant of Dark Isle, Ms. Lovely Jackson, now in her eighties, lives on Camino Island after having left Dark Isle in 1955, when she was fifteen years old, with her mother. Lovely had self-published a book about the island and its history – only a few copies of which were sold at Bruce’s bookstore. The now deserted island has caught the attention of greedy property developers with grand plans for the island, possessing both the political backing and the money to see their plans through. Lovely, who has refused any monetary compensation from the developers, plans to prove her ownership of Dark Isle, hoping to thwart their plans and protect the land where her ancestors are buried. The island is believed to be cursed and it is rumored that many who tried to step foot on the island were never seen again. Bruce encourages Mercer to meet with Lovely to discuss the possibilities of Mercer authoring a book of non-fiction about the island – a proposal Lovely eventually accepts.

As the narrative progresses we follow Mercer, as she commences her research, hoping to find facts that would help Lovely’s case; Bruce, as he taps into his vast network of contacts to gather information on the property developers and their allies; and Lovely and her legal team – retired lawyer Steven Mahon and his “ace paralegal” Diane Krug- as they prepare for the ensuing legal battle

There is no doubt that John Grisham is a master storyteller and though I’ve always been a fan of the author, I'll admit that his Camino Island books were never among my favorites. I'm glad to say Camino Ghosts changed that! The narrative moves at a consistent pace with Nalla’s story - both heartbreaking and captivating on account of the rich historical perspective and the ‘lore of the island -shared in chapters interspersed throughout the novel. I enjoyed getting to know Lovely and found the history of Dark Isle and Lovely's stories of life on the island fascinating. I've never been particularly fond of Mercer, but Bruce , as always, is an interesting character. Mahon and Diane made a formidable team and I loved Diane’s dedication and her go-getter attitude. Despite the serious themes of this novel, the author injects a healthy dose of lightheartedness (Gifford Knox was a hoot!) to keep the novel from becoming too heavy.

Definitely the strongest of all three books in the series, in my humble opinion, this exceptionally well-written, immersive novel is a departure from Grisham’s signature legal thrillers and though not a "legal thriller" per se, I did enjoy the courtroom scenes and I loved how the author chose to end this story.

I always look forward to reading more from John Grisham and now will be eagerly awaiting the next installment in this series.

Many thanks to Doubleday Books for the digital review copy via NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.