The master of the legal thriller sweeps you away to paradise for a little sun, sand, mystery, and mayhem. With Camino Winds, America’s favorite storyteller offers the perfect escape. Welcome back to Camino Island, where anything can happen—even a murder in the midst of a hurricane, which might prove to be the perfect crime...
Just as Bruce Cable’s Bay Books is preparing for the return of bestselling author Mercer Mann, Hurricane Leo veers from its predicted course and heads straight for the island. Florida’s governor orders a mandatory evacuation, and most residents board up their houses and flee to the mainland, but Bruce decides to stay and ride out the storm.
The hurricane is devastating: homes and condos are leveled, hotels and storefronts ruined, streets flooded, and a dozen people lose their lives. One of the apparent victims is Nelson Kerr, a friend of Bruce’s and an author of thrillers. But the nature of Nelson’s injuries suggests that the storm wasn’t the cause of his death: He has suffered several suspicious blows to the head.
Who would want Nelson dead? The local police are overwhelmed in the aftermath of the storm and ill equipped to handle the case. Bruce begins to wonder if the shady characters in Nelson’s novels might be more real than fictional. And somewhere on Nelson’s computer is the manuscript of his new novel. Could the key to the case be right there—in black and white? As Bruce starts to investigate, what he discovers between the lines is more shocking than any of Nelson’s plot twists—and far more dangerous.
Camino Winds is an irresistible romp and a perfectly thrilling beach read—# 1 bestselling author John Grisham at his beguiling best.
The series
Most crime novels begin with a murder, a courtroom battle, or a desperate chase. The Camino series begins with books, and with the people whose lives revolve around them.
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Set against the sunlit backdrop of a small Florida island, these novels blend literary intrigue, mystery, and suspense in a way that feels distinctly different from traditional legal thrillers. The island itself becomes as memorable as any character, a place where independent bookstores, aspiring writers, collectors, tourists, and longtime residents move through a community that appears relaxed on the surface but harbors secrets beneath its coastal charm.
At the center of the stories is Bruce Cable, an unconventional bookseller whose connections stretch far beyond the literary world. Through his bookstore and the network of authors, collectors, and locals who gather there, seemingly ordinary events often lead to investigations involving rare manuscripts, hidden motives, financial schemes, disappearances, and crimes that ripple through the entire community. What begins as a conversation over books can quickly evolve into something far more dangerous.
The series stands apart through its affectionate portrayal of the publishing world. Readers are drawn into the culture of writers, bookstores, literary festivals, and the complicated relationship between art and commerce. Yet these elements never overshadow the suspense. Instead, they provide a rich foundation for stories filled with sharp observations, unexpected twists, and the slow unraveling of carefully guarded secrets.
Unlike darker crime fiction driven by relentless violence, these novels cultivate an atmosphere of curiosity and tension. The pace allows characters to breathe, relationships to develop, and the island setting to come alive. Hurricanes threaten the coastline, visitors arrive with hidden agendas, and long-buried truths emerge when least expected. The result is a blend of mystery thriller and contemporary fiction that feels both immersive and unpredictable.
As part of the work of one of modern publishing's most widely read storytellers, the series has attracted a broad audience by expanding beyond courtroom drama into a world where books themselves can be the catalyst for adventure. The stories celebrate reading, storytelling, and the communities built around them, while never losing sight of the suspense that keeps pages turning late into the night.
Camino offers a distinctive mix of literary mystery, coastal atmosphere, crime fiction, and character-driven storytelling. It invites readers into a world where every rare book has a history, every resident has a story, and every quiet street may conceal the beginning of the next mystery.
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