CAMINO WINDS

5 stars out of 5

This, the author's second adventure set on

Camino Island, puts some of the characters from the first (appropriately titled Camino Island) back in the eye of the storm. This time, though, it's literally; not long after the story begins, Hurricane Leo threatens to disrupt the festivities honoring successful author Mercer Mann that are to take place in Bruce Cable's Bay Books store. Mercer, who has a college teaching gig, has returned to the island with her latest boy toy, Thomas, expecting to be wined and dined by her old friends.

But it's not long before all those plans are blowin' in the wind; Leo, it seems, has set his eye on the island's downtown. Evacuations are ordered, but Bruce and a couple of his friends decide to ride it out. Luckily, they survive the devastation; but no such luck for Nelson Kerr, a thriller writer and one of Bruce's friends. He's found dead at his damaged home; but an up-close-and-personal look determines that Leo may not have been the killer.

Since Nelson died in the storm when debris was flying everywhere, the local police aren't quite ready to buy the murder angle - and even if they did, they're up to their eyeballs in clean-up efforts and making sure looters don't start running rampant. Bruce, though, is positive he's right. As he and his friends, including Mercer and Thomas, put their heads together, the consensus is that somebody, somewhere, didn't want Nelson's not-yet-published manuscript to see the light of print.

But who might that be? Surely not one of their own - each of whom has a background and secrets that are slowly revealed as the story unfolds - and issues are resolved - over a period of a year or so. As was the first book, it's told in a narrative style, although there seems to be more dialogue here (and, maybe because of that, I think I slightly prefer this one). Those expecting courtroom theatrics will be disappointed, although lawyers do get involved in some of the goings-on. All in all, this one is thoroughly enjoyable - and I've definitely taken a liking to this series. More, please!

Camino Winds by John Grisham (Doubleday, April 2020); 290 pp.