CAMINO GHOSTS BY JOHN GRISHAM

Camino Ghosts is the third of a trio of books centered around a Florida barrier island named Camino. In looking at some of the reviews, the three seem to be kind of cruise ship light, but are flagged positively for retaining enough legal fireworks to remind you that master storyteller Grisham is still at the helm.

A newly successful novelist and writing professor, Mercer Mann, comes to Camino Island to marry and find inspiration for her second book. That inspiration appears when she intersects with local bookstore owner, Bruce Cable, who tells her the story of Dark Isle that is just a stone’s throw from Camino. This tiny island has a scary and violent history that begins when a slave ship coming to the United States breaks up in a storm and deposits some of its survivors on the shore. Their 200-year history of survival was told in a self-published book authored by the last surviving inhabitant of the island, who is now living in retirement on Camino. Her name is Lovely Jackson, and she is a peach of a character who dresses to kill in flamboyant African outfits. You will fall in love with her and her style. Mercer reads Lovely’s book and sees the story as grist for her next writing project. She meets her and arranges to get even more information on the island and its long, tragic history.  

This relationship barely begins to bear fruit before a greedy commercial real estate company announces plans to develop the island as a resort, casino, and golf destination. Enter a semi-retired environmental lawyer who agrees to represent Lovely as she fights an ownership battle in the courts. No surprise now, it's suddenly the old Grisham again.

The courtroom battle is compelling, and all the right people win. There are some echoes of The Boys from Biloxi as the crusading underdogs battle the evil forces of corrupt big business, but overall this is an enjoyable if predictable read.

I give it a four out of five and will look for the first two in the series.