Grisham is back with some of his main characters from Camino Island, in this latest instalment set on the tropical island. From the very first sentence, you know that trouble is about to hit this idyllic location, and whilst we’re used to arguments, fights and murders gripping us on the first page of a thriller, a catastrophic hurricane was an engrossing alternative.
As the residents decide if to batten down the hatches and ride the storm out; or to flee to mainland, Grisham catches us up with Bruce Cable; the owner of Bay Books, who hasn’t changed much, but continues to be a character to envy as he manages to balance his exciting career – consisting of a lot of wine and dine meetings with authors, with the chilled back approach of island life – consisting of a lot of afternoon naps!
Cable decides to stay on the island with a few others and Grisham describes the terrifying and devastating effects that a storm can bring to a small island. I found these pages particularly compelling because not only were they insightfully written, there was a sense of foreboding that tragedy was just around the corner…
As the storm passes and the residents re-group, one of them is missing. Nelson Kerr is lying dead in his garden, was it the storm or was this murder? The police are already stretched beyond belief, an accidental death from the storm would suit them better. And the killer knew this…
As Bruce and his friends investigate further, and recruit some help, it turns out that there was nothing accidental about Nelson’s death, but the deeper they dig, the more dangerous it becomes for them.
Both Camino Island and Camino Winds offer Grisham fans something slightly different to his other books, the plots are less legal and more chilled but still give us a complex puzzle to sort and piece together. I find them comparable to watching an episode of Death in Paradise!
The second half of this book took me by surprise, I hadn’t guessed the story would evolve in this way and I loved seeing the plan fall into place, it had a classic Grisham-ness to how it unraveled – nobody puts together a plan and lays it out as savvy and efficiently as Grisham!
Camino Winds is a fantastic summer/holiday read; it’s clever, it’s gripping but it also gives you that tropical location to immerse yourself in!
Camino Winds is out now in hardback and eBook versions from Hodder & Stoughton.
Until next time, Chloé x
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Reviews by Chloé 