Camino Island

May 29, 2017
The opening chapters detailing an elaborate scheme to steal five F. Scott Fitzgerald manuscripts from Princeton are the best part of this thriller from bestseller Grisham (The Whistler). A sophisticated gang pulls off the theft after faking a campus shooting that causes widespread panic. The university’s insurance company, liable for millions, reaches out to unemployed academic and struggling writer Mercer Mann, who has just lost her position at the University of North Carolina and is in desperate financial straits. Mercer grew up spending summers on Florida’s Camino Island, where Donna Watson, the shadowy insurance company representative, believes the stolen manuscripts are; she thinks they’re in the possession of Bruce Cable, who runs a successful independent bookstore there. Despite Mercer’s initial misgivings about functioning as a spy, she agrees to return to Camino Island and insinuate herself into its literary community as a precursor to gaining Bruce’s confidence—and determining whether he has the stolen goods. But after this promising setup, the plot follows predictable lines to a conclusion that genre fans have seen before. Author tour. Agent: David Gernert, Gernert Company.

This languid, innovative mystery begins with a carefully planned rare manuscripts heist from Princeton University's library by a group of experienced crooks. January LaVoy's expert narration engages listeners as debt-ridden novelist Mercer Mann reluctantly becomes involved in the case. The prime suspect is successful Florida bookstore owner and bon vivant Bruce Cable. LaVoy's presentation is well suited to this slow-paced yet fascinating study of a private eye's investigation methods, which are occasionally just this side of illegal. She finds outstanding, distinctive voices for the various charismatic characters--from writers to academics to FBI agents. The sardonic edge to the dialogue includes all those involved in the book business, and LaVoy appears to enjoy their parties and conversations. Listeners will appreciate the surprising ending, which proves that Bruce is a true gentleman and Camino Island a true writers' community. S.C.A. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award � AudioFile 2017, Portland, Maine