As the third book in the Camino Island series, readers are back with bookseller Bruce and Mercer, an author who lives on the island. Mercer is fed an idea for a book, focused on the nearby island that was home for many escaped slaves. The island has a deep history and has been uninhabited since Lovely Jackson moved off of the island decades ago. Now, a developer has their eyes on the island and wants to build a casino on the land. A legal battle is likely, and Mercer digs in to Lovely's story while others partner to help protect the land.

A 3rd book in the Camino Island series. Lovely Jackson is a 80 year old only living heir of African slaves who claims to own Dark Island. A developer comes along wanting to develop it. This book did take me awhile to get into but once I did, he had me hooked. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this early release in exchange for my honest review. To be published May 28, 2024. Can't wait for his next book.

This is the third book in the Camino Island series by John Grisham and for me, the best one so far.

It brings back a few of the characters we have already met and a few new ones including Lovely Jackson and Diane. . Mercer Mann is struggling over what book to write for her next novel , next until Bruce Cable offers her Lovely Jackson's short book to read on her honeymoon about Lovely's ancestors who lived on Dark Isle, an island close to Camino Island in Florida.

Lovely is the last living survivor of the the Dark Isle, also known as Panther Cay and she claims it as her own after hearing that a large Developer wants to build a casino on the burial grounds on her ancestors after they landed there as former black slaves many years earlier. Despite Lovely having left the island when she was 15 and tending to the graves, she now claims that it belongs to her and with the help of a lawyer and Diane to try and protect her rights.

Can an eighty year old who left the island over 50 years ago hold title to an island she hasn't been to for this many years. The book tells the story of Lovely and Mercer, giving the history of Lovely's ancestors in Lovely's own book.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and rounding up my score from 4.5 to 5 stars for a very moving book. I've just heard that Whoopi Goldberg is now going to narrate this book and I think she'll be the perfect narrator for this book.

Although it's the third in the series they can easily be read as standalones too.

A big thanks to Doubleday books for the opportunity to read this ARC.

Until I saw it on NetGalley, I had no idea that Grisham was making this series a trilogy, and I am so glad that he did.

We all know the setting, the beautiful Camino Island, Bruce's bookstore, and a little drama. In this one, Bruce gives Mercer a book written by Lovely Jackson. Bruce thinks Mercer could turn this into her own book and have a hit, she just needs to meet Lovely and do a little research. Lovely is an 80-year-old woman, who once inhabited an island nearby (there is more to this story-read to discover) and is now suing a developer who would like to put a casino on this island. Lovely believes she is the owner of the island, the company is convinced the island is fair game. Of course, there is a lawsuit, Lovely is very nervous about trusting people, Mercer is writing a grand book, and there is a curse on the island. A lot is going on, but this book is the best in the entire Camino Islands series, by far.

While this is the third book in the Camino Island series, it is the first I have read and I had no problem following along. Made a great stand alone story.
This is, in essence, a story within a story. The current legal plight between land developers and Lovely, claiming to be the sole owner of Dark Isle, a former home to runaway Slaves and also the story of Lovey's Grandmother, Nalla, and her heartbreaking story of being caught and sold into slavery, and finally escaping to the island.
This was a little graphic at times, so be aware, but the story was both emotional and captivating. A legal story with a dose of history.
I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This is the third book in the Camino Island series, a fictional island off the Florida coast with a fun bookstore and lots of intriguing characters. Here we primarily follow author Mercer and bookstore owner Bruce, as he helps her arrive at a new topic for her next book. He suggests she write about Dark Isle, a neighboring island that housed runaway slaves and is claimed to be owned by 80-something Lovely Jackson, a slave descendent who tends to the island graves of her ancestors. When a FL company tries to buy the island to develop it, Lovely and her new friends jump into the legal fray to protect the island. Grisham, of course, writes beautiful legal scenes, but he also writes riveting historical scenes, as he tells the story of Lovely's Civil War-era relative Nalla, who was kidnapped in Africa and brought to America on a slave ship. Nalla's life creates a story within a story that then becomes the story for Mercer's new book. I loved this book and all its characters, especially Lovely! Thanks to NetGalley, Doubleday Books, and Doubleday for providing an ARC.

What a great story within a story. Mercer is a fiction writer with a best seller under her belt. As a college professor living away from the beach, she enjoys her downtime on Camino Island. Bookstore owner and enthusiast Bruce introduces her to a book written and self published by a local woman, Lovely Jackson. Mercer is enthralled with Lovely's story, a memoir of Dark Isle. But Dark Isle is being threatened by a local developer and the environmentalists and Lovely are against it. As the story unfolds, Mercer decides to write a nonfiction book to chronicle Lovely's life and the ensuing court battle.

I loved this book - it was engaging and I wanted to know more. I found it hard to put down. While it is set on Camino Island, it was a standalone read. I did feel that there were a couple of potential storylines that were either unfinished or maybe being teased for a possible next book, but I definitely wanted to know more.

I highly recommend reading this book if you enjoy a good story with some history woven through it.

I was given this book by the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

Camino Ghosts is an absolutely compelling third addition to the Camino Island series by John Grisham! It was a thrilling book I just could not put down! Bookstore owner, Bruce Cabot and author Mercer Mann return f0r this installment, but the center of this book is the regal and resilient 80-year-old, Lovely Jackson, daughter of an escaped slave. Lovely and her mother lived on nearby Dark Island, a tiny island inhabited by a small group of escaped slaves. Although she has resided on Camino Island since the age of 15, she believes Dark Island to be her inheritance as its last descendent. But a large corporate entity also has plans for Dark Island, including a new name, a casino and a large resort, and challenge her claim. Bruce and Mercer lead the effort to substantiate Lovely's claim, resulting in an exciting court battle. John Grisham brilliantly blends the present-day story of corporate greed, fraud, and environmental destruction with the horrors of the slave trade and the complete degradation of those enslaved. I have read many John Grisham books, and this is definitely one of my favorites and it works well as a stand-alone. Thank you to the author, publisher, and Netgalley for my advance copy. The opinions of this review are my own.

I didn't finish John Grisham's last book, and I won't be finishing this one. Why he has suddenly decided to include graphic violence is beyond me. He was always dependable for not doing that! I never expected to rate a Grisham book with one star, but based on what I read of this one, that's what it deserves.

Camino Ghosts
by John Grisham
Pub Date: May 28, 2024
Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the ARC of this book!
I have read all of Grisham's books and this one is outstanding!
Bookstore owner Bruce Cable is reunited once again with Mercer Mann for another thrilling mystery packed with sun, sand, and mayhem. Filled with unpredictable twists, the return to Camino Island is guaranteed to be this summer’s perfect escape.
Grisham is a talented story teller and this book does not disappoint. A quick, compelling read, Lovely is a captivating character. Grisham does an excellent job of capturing the development frenzy that is Florida…the greed of the corporations, the questionable practices of the politicians, the disregard for the environment, the highway sprawl of businesses. He also acknowledges how the electorate can be so easily manipulated.
I highly recomned this book! It is the third in the series and easily the best! It can be read as a stand alone but is better if read in order.
5 stars

I've read nearly all John Grisham books, including the first two books in this series. And for nearly every one, my complaint has been consistent. There is an excellent premise, a compelling story, and the ending falls flat. It either ends too sudden or it just doesn't seem as satisfying as it should for the build up. Unfortunately, this story is no different. Great premise with excellent storytelling. The characters were interesting, the legal aspect of the story seemed legit and reasonable. But again, the trial ended in a manner that seemed just too good to be true. The ending fell a little flat and the story somewhat ended in my opinion.

Thank you to NetGalley, John Grisham, and Doubleday for the advanced reading copy.

Master storyteller John Grisham has done it again. In this visit with the characters introduced in "Camino Island," Grisham blends the tragedy of slavery with the current era of developers' greed into a compelling new read.

Lovely Jackson, the last descendant of escaped enslaved people who made the remote Dark Island their home for generations, tells her story in a self-published book that catches the attention of Camino Island bookstore owner Bruce Cable. When developers propose to build a resort community and casino on the now-vacant Dark Island, the question of ownership arises. Does Lovely own the island, or does the State of Florida? Enter author Mercer Mann and environment lawyer Steven Mahon, who join Lovely's uphill battle to share her story and preserve the island's historical significance.

This fascinating read made me uncomfortable at times because of the telling of Africans captured and enslaved. Painful or not, it is a dark period in the history of some countries and one that should not be swept under the carpet. Grisham adeptly tells of the terror and mistreatment suffered by those who were captured. Add courtroom drama to this, and you will have a recipe for an engaging story, as only John Grisham can tell. 4.5 stars.

Thank you, NetGalley and Doubleday, for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. The publication date is May 28, 2024.

John Grisham has been a favorite of mine for years. Camino Ghosts is one of the best of his I have read in recent times. The book explores the secrets and the history of an island off the coast of Florida that housed the escaped African Americans from plantations in the south and from shipwrecks that ran outside the island that transported newly captured persons from Africa. It is the tale of tragedy and triumph, of a group of people that only wanted freedom and peace. It is the story of a woman who descended from them and now is involved in a fight to preserve the graves and history of the mysterious island where she grew up. Grisham tells the story with grace and respect. While fictional, it is also the story of several generations and the shame of many of those who seek to capitalize on anything, destroy whatever is in their path, and ignore the history of a race and the struggles of generations and America. This is one of my favorites of his. The setting is present day Florida, the characters are rich, and the plot is pure John Grisham. Thanks to #NetGalley#CaminoGhosts#JohnGrisham for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Grisham continues to try and resurrect favorite characters. While Grisham fans are always happy to reacquaint themselves with recurring characters, this one doesn't really do justice to the Camino series. The Dark Isle storyline is fascinating and Lovely Jackson is an engaging protagonist, This is a story worth telling and doesn't really need to be tied to the Camino characters. The connection is tenuous at best, really only relating to the locale. About 85% through the book though Grisham seems to get bored and tries to wrap everything up rather abruptly. However, there are just too many loose ends left untied. The subplot about Mercer and Thomas's relationship is a distraction and seems pointless. Similarly, the introduction of Diane Krug and her abrupt shift from legal intern to foundation chairperson is odd at best. And while there was some explanation as to the source of Lovely's apparent income, it's never fully explained. The last few Grisham's have been somewhat disappointing, but I'll probably keep giving them a try.

This is a quick and easy series to get lost in. Camino Ghosts is just as good as its predecessors.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.

Enjoyed this third book in the Camino Island tales. I gave it a 4 star rating because you can’t do 4.5. It was a bit slow at the start. We meet Bruce, Mercer and a few of the other Camino Island regulars but I loved getting to meet Lovely Jackson - the older African-American woman and her life that this plot focused on. You could feel her energy and spunk through the words on the pages. I hope that at 80 years old I’m as sharp as she was in the story. I recommend this book. Just know it might be hard to get started. Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced copy. #NetGalley #CaminoGhosts

This latest novel by John Grisham is part of the Camino Island series. Earlier titles included Camino Island and Camino Winds. Bruce Cable , bookshop owner, and novelist Mercer Mann are again involved in the events that unfold in this new book.

This is the story of Lovely Jackson and her ancestors. They lived on an island that, at the time of the novel, is full of deep historical connection and meaning to her. When developers want to take over and claim this land, the stage is set.

Will the island be preserved? Will deep pocketed developers succeed? Is the island haunted? Readers will want to know. I think even more, however, readers will want to follow the story of Lovely and her ancestors.

This is one of the better books to have been written by Grisham in recent years. I recommend it.

Many thanks to Doubleday Books and NetGalley for this title. All opinions are my own.

Camino Ghosts is an easy read that takes you back to Camino Island.

Lovely Jackson is the last descendant of slaves that lived on Dark Iles. When a big developer proposes building a large resort on Dark Iles, Bruce Cable and Mercer Man step in to try and help Lovely prove she is the rightful owner of the island and not the state of Florida.

I enjoyed this book. The story was well written and I found Nalla’s story very interesting.

Thank you to John Grisham, Doubleday, a division of Penguin Random House, and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in return for my honest review.

I have read most of John Grisham’s book and his Camino Island series are among my favorites. Camino Ghosts, the third and latest in the series, does not disappoint. Dark Isle is an uninhabited island off the coast of Camino Island that was once the home of freed and escaped slaves. When a large land developer from Miami sets its sights on the island, a legal battle ensues. The state of Florida and the developer claim the island belongs to the state because it has been abandoned since 1955. Lovely Jackson, the last known descendent of the islands’ escaped slaves, claims the island belongs to her as the last known resident of the island.

Camino Ghosts is fast paced, easy to read, entertaining, and witty with a bittersweet ending. We get to visit with some of our old familiar characters like Bruce Cable, the local bookstore owner, and Mercer Mann, an up and coming author looking for her next book idea, but are also introduced to new characters such as Lovely Jackson, an elderly black woman and former resident of Dark Isle. Having finished this new installment of the Camino Island series makes me wish a whole week to just binge re-read the whole series from start to finish.

Author Mercer Mann is introduced to Lovely Jackson's book about her family history by Bruce Cable. Ms. Mann is looking for her next bestseller and is drawn in by Lovely's story and Lovely herself. Lovely's ancestor was brought to America on a slave ship from Africa. The ship never makes it to land but Nalla survives and gets to a small island between Georgia and Florida. There are other former slaves also living on the island and they form their own community. Eventually the group is reduced to just 2 females (Lovely and her mother) who are forced to leave the island in 1955. Many believe the island is haunted or at the very least has a curse on it so it is left alone for many years until a big developer comes on the scene and wants to buy the island a resort. Lovely believes the land is hers since she was raised for part of her life on the island and her ancestors are buried there. Does Lovely have adverse possession even though she's not actually lived on the island since 1955? Does she really own the island or does the state of Florida?

WOW what a story Mr. Grisham has turned out this time around. I especially loved Nalla's story which is told throughout the book. I had no idea what adverse possession was until I read about it in this book. Lovely is the underdog in this one and who doesn't root for the underdog to come out on top. You'll have to read it yourself to find out if she actually does or not.