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Book Review of Camino Island (Camino Island, Bk 1)

Camino Island (Camino Island, Bk 1)
papertiger avatar reviewed on + 42 more book reviews


Pure entertainment for me. As always Grisham presents an interesting plot; the theft and ransom of the original manuscripts of F. Scott Fitgerald's "The Great Gatsby" and his other books. A close look at the obscure world of first edition book collectors and booksellers should be interesting to avid readers.

What thrilled me the most was to recognize my home town as the setting for the novel. Santa Rosa on Camino Island is Fernandina Beach on Amelia Island thirty miles north of Jacksonville, FL. While not a literal copy of the town, Grisham captures the charm and beauty and historical background of the place; and it was all very familiar which, of course, added to the credibility of the story....at least for me!

This was not the most clever and riveting of Grisham's story lines but the rich detail will appeal to those who enjoy it. It also involves a main character who is a struggling young novelist and, through her association with other mature authors living and visiting on the island, reveals some of the realities of a writer's life. It is hard to imagine that any of these realities ever applied to John Grisham, however, so perhaps even this aspect of the book is pure fiction.

Would make great reading at the beach this summer and will not disappoint Grisham fans.