My Review Camino Island: A Novel

Camino Island is a novel about the theft of five original, hand-written F. Scott Fitzgerald manuscripts from Princeton’s Firestone Library by five imaginative, yet nerdy guys.

The heist goes south rather quickly after the FBI discovers a small drop of blood left by one of the thieves.

There are rumors that Bruce Cable, a Camino Island bookstore owner, bought the manuscripts.

Elaine, an investigator for a mysterious and covert company hired by an insurance company that holds a policy on these original documents for $25 million, hires Mercer Mann. Mercer is a down-on-her-luck writer, who has just lost her teaching job. Elaine wants her to get close to Bruce and his wife, Noelle Bonnet, an antique dealer, to possibly discover if they have the manuscripts.

Summary of Camino Island a Novel

Mercer is the “perfect” person for the job as she is young, beautiful, newly unemployed, and up to her eyeballs in student debt. Elaine offers to pay off the debt for her, plus $100,000 for a six-month assignment.

Mercer figures during that time she can finish the novel she accepted a partial commission for but hasn’t even started writing yet. It is three years overdue.

She will receive half up front and the rest after completion. Another component that makes her ideal for the situation is that she spent nearly every summer with her grandmother, Tessa on Camino Island. Though she hasn’t been back since her grandmother’s passing, the beach cottage is still in the family and available for use.

Mercer fits right in with the crowd of Bruce’s friends on the island. They are mostly writers with storied pasts and stories about each other, as writers are notorious gossips. At least, they are in this story.

Her plan to spend the six months writing her passed due novel does not necessarily go as planned.

However, the discussion she has with Bruce about writing turns into a story that draws them closer together. One of Bruce’s past girlfriends was writing a story about a love triangle between F. Scott Fitzgerald, his wife Zelda, and Ernest Hemingway before his ex-girlfriend committed suicide and he begins giving Mercer the details.

While Noelle is in France buying antiques, they (Mercer & Bruce) have an affair. Despite Bruce and Noelle’s open marriage, Mercer feels a bit guilty about it, but not enough to stop.

Narration

The narrator is the storyteller, the bard, or Mr. Grisham, whichever you prefer.

Setting

The first set for this novel is the Firestone Library at Princeton. Then the cabin in the Poconos where the thieves hideout for a while. However, the primary setting for this novel is modern-day Florida, Camino Island, in the small, sleepy tourist town of Santa Rosa.

Theme

To me, the overall theme of this novel is not to let greed rule your life. The thieves wind up dead, in jail, or on the run because of greed. Mercer sells her moral standing to discover if Bruce has the manuscripts, mainly because she has no job, no money, and a ton of student debt.

Is Bruce so greedy he would give up a cushy, comfortable, and prosperous life on a resort island? Would he risk everything for the excitement of dealing in stolen books?

Genre

This is a crime fiction dealing with rare books and manuscripts.

Author

As all Grisham fans know, he is a notable trial defense and courtroom drama writer with very few exceptions. From his very first novel, A Time to Kill to The Rooster Bar, and some top-rated titles in between, such as The Frim, Sycamore Row (a sequel to A Time to Kill), and The Pelican Brief are primarily courtroom dramas. Many of these titles became major motion pictures.

Even Grisham’s Young Adult (YA) series Theodore Boone books were courtroom drama based. Yes, he did stray from the genre with Playing for Pizza, Calico Joe, The Tumor, and a few others, but crime and courtroom dramas are his forte! After all, he was an attorney.

Grisham wrote a non-fiction, The Innocent Man: Murder and Injustice in a Small Town about Ron Williamson, an Ada, OK native wrongfully accused of murdering a waitress. But that’s another story.

My Favorite Character

My favorite character was Bruce Cable. I can’t imagine having a better life than as the owner of a thriving bookstore and coffee where you are the barrister. I mean come on, you can wear any outfit you want, even with a bowtie if you’re into such things. No one would think you’re weird because, hey, you own a bookstore.

You can go to “work,” make some coffee, grab whatever book you choose from the shelf, sit down, and read until someone comes in. You have a vast collection of first edition books autographed by the authors, most of whom you know personally. What’s more, you meet and marry a beautiful and beguiling antique dealer, who fills your home with Provençal furnishing. I couldn’t imagine wanting much more.

My Recommendation

To me, this was a good story, not a great John Grisham page-turner novel like many of his legal thrillers, but it is superb crime fiction. If you’re looking for a compelling story that forces you to turn the page in anticipation, this is not it.

I do believe it is a must-read for all Grisham fans. I don’t think it became a #1 New York Times Bestseller just because it was Grisham who wrote it; still, I’m sure that helped. Plus, his going on tour for the first time in twenty-five years to publicize the book probably helped as well.

I think non-Grisham fans would probably like this book even more than his regulars because it is such a departure from courtroom dramas and legal thrillers. Someone that is not expecting a cutting-edge courtroom battle would perhaps be more in tune with the book. Nevertheless, I do think anyone would enjoy the story. Well, that’s my review Camino Island!

Note: This post contains affiliate links. Read my disclosure statement for additional information.

Buy it Now!

Buy the Hardcover: https://amzn.to/325troD

Buy a Kindle copy: https://amzn.to/2Hp2vZ7

Welcome back to Camino Island, where anything can happen — even a murder in the midst of a hurricane, which might prove to be a perfect crime . . .

Just as Bruce Cable’s Bay Books is preparing for the return of bestselling author Mercer Mann, Hurricane Leo heads straight for the island. Florida’s governor orders a mandatory evacuation, and most residents flee to the mainland, but Bruce decides to stay and ride out the storm.

Pre-Order Camino Winds: https://amzn.to/3785Dmh

Subscribe to My Newsletter

About Me:

Steve Dalton is a writer, blogger, book reader & reviewer. Web content for Home, About Us, Contact Us, and Blog pages on your website are only an email away. Steve is a retired US Army First Sergeant with a degree in journalism from the University of Maryland and a Certified US English Chicago Manual of Style Editor. He provides a discount for Veterans, First Responders, & students.

Email [email protected] to hire him to write for your website.

Read his other reviews on Goodreads and his portfolio here.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest

I use this profile exclusively for book reviews and recommendations. I write stories on various subjects on my other Medium profile: https://medium.com/@stephendalton