Camino Island: A Novel

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • Soak up the sun—and the intrigue—with the first novel in John Grisham’s beloved Camino series.

“A happy lark [that] provides the pleasure of a leisurely jaunt periodically jolted into high gear, just for the fun and speed of it.”—The New York Times Book Review

A gang of thieves stage a daring heist from a secure vault deep below Princeton University’s Firestone Library. Their loot is priceless, but Princeton has insured it for twenty-five million dollars.
 
Bruce Cable owns a popular bookstore in the sleepy resort town of Santa Rosa on Camino Island in Florida. He makes his real money, though, as a prominent dealer in rare books. Very few people know that he occasionally dabbles in the black market of stolen books and manuscripts.

Mercer Mann is a young novelist with a severe case of writer’s block who has recently been laid off from her teaching position. She is approached by an elegant, mysterious woman working for an even more mysterious company. A generous offer of money convinces Mercer to go undercover and infiltrate Bruce Cable’s circle of literary friends, ideally getting close enough to him to learn his secrets.

But eventually Mercer learns far too much, and there’s trouble in paradise as only John Grisham can deliver it.

Look for all of John Grisham’s rollicking Camino novels:
Camino Island
Camino Winds
Camino Ghosts

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Published Mar 6, 2018

304 pages

Average rating: 6.65

85 RATINGS

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Community Reviews

Cindy M
Mar 23, 2026
10/10 stars
I was apprehensive based on some of the reviews, however I really enjoyed this book. It kept me wanting to read more, and I was satisfied with the ending.
Gias_BookHaven
Dec 30, 2025
7.5/10 stars
Thank you #DoubledayPartner for free copy of this book to read.

Camino Island introduces readers to a relaxing yet suspenseful tale regarding the theft of valuable manuscripts that are stolen from a university library. From there, readers are shuffled into the story of their retrieval, whereabouts and in whose hands they've landed in.

I wouldn't say this was a traditional cozy mystery as there's no amateur sleuth on the trail of the case but easily Camino Island can be picked up as a beach or summer read. In a way, it gave me Leverage vibes. I only had issues with two passages the author wrote having to do with a character skin tone and a book concept that references slavery.

Overall, it was an interesting and easy read that kept me interested from beginning to end. And I liked that one of the main suspects in the book came across as rather likable.
I am curious to see if the resident writers of Camino Island make other appearances in the rest of this series. 
Harrietaspy
May 04, 2025
6/10 stars
Good but not great. Reliable Grisham plot with good characters but it just felt like he didn't put his all into it. Nothing too surprising or interesting in the plot like he's known for doing. Quick and enjoyable but not one of his best.
stackedlibrarian
Dec 11, 2024
6/10 stars
3.5
A welcomed departure for Grisham who is mostly known for his legal thrillers.
SherylStandifer
May 16, 2024
7/10 stars
This one got out of the courtroom and ventured into another area Mr. Grisham knows well - publishing and rare books. Extremely interesting. Loved the characters! Fast-paced fun.

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