Camino Ghosts

A Novel (Camino, Book 3)

By: John Grisham

Narrated by: Whoopi Goldberg, Josh Grisham

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • Escape to Camino Island, where bookseller Bruce Cable and novelist Mercer Mann always manage to find trouble in paradise.

Mercer Mann, a popular writer from Camino Island, is back on the beach, marrying her boyfriend, Thomas, in a seaside ceremony. Bruce Cable, infamous owner of Bay Books, performs the wedding. Afterward, Bruce tells Mercer that he has stumbled upon an incredible story. Mercer desperately needs an idea for her next novel, and Bruce now has one.

The true story is about Dark Isle, a sliver of a barrier island not far off the North Florida coast. It was settled by freed slaves three hundred years ago, and their descendants lived there until 1955, when the last one was forced to leave. That last descendant is Lovely Jackson, elderly now, who loves her birthplace and its remarkable history. But now Tidal Breeze, a huge, ruthless corporate developer, wants to build a resort and casino on the island, which Lovely knows, deep down, is rightfully hers.

Mercer befriends Lovely, and they plunge into an enormous fight over who owns Dark Isle, taking on Tidal Breeze Corporation, its lawyers, lobbyists, and powerful Florida politicians. But Lovely knows something about the island that could seriously cloud the dollar signs in the developer’s eyes: the island is cursed. It has remained uninhabited for nearly a century for some very real and very troubling reasons. The deep secrets of the past are about to collide with the enormous ambitions of the present, and the fate of Dark Isle—and Camino Island, too—hangs in the balance.

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

©2024 John Grisham (P)2024 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

“Light-hearted . . . The Camino books have felt like palate cleansers for Grisham, something fun to do before tackling the weightier issues that usually form the backbone of books such as The Client. . . . Grisham makes sure the book moves like the winds that buffet his fictional island.”—Minneapolis Star Tribune

Narration is hard to get through

The narration on this book is terrible. It is a shame because after waiting for the next Grisham book to have it be so poorly narrated. Makes you understand why those who read books for a living make the experience so much better. Get the hardcover for this one.

Meh

I had high hopes for this book when it became available for preorder as I had enjoyed the first two Camino books. This story was just ok, being not nearly as intricate the other two books. Also, would have preferred Michael Beck do the reading performance.

The bitter sweetness of this story.

I was disappointed that the narrator merely read the book instead of performing it considering what a good actress she is.

Whoopi Fails to Deliver

I’ll start by saying I pre-ordered Camino Ghosts as soon as it was possible because I enjoyed Camino Island and Camino Winds so much. However, Whoopi’s performance as narrator leaves much to be desired. The reading was so flat and un-engaged it made it difficult to buy into the same characters I really enjoyed in the first two books. Good story, completely lackluster narration.

Wonderful story!

I loved the story and the narrator - excellent! Once I started listening I had to finish. Looking forward to the next books in this series!

Not a new favorite Grisham book..

If you get a star to narrate, I would expect more. And the story is not as good as the other Camino books. Yes, I am disappointed..

Great story, poor narration

Whoopi Goldberg didn’t narrate well. The book was difficult to get through because of her difficulty in reading the text.

Fantastic narration for a great story!

This could be a stand alone book, if you have not read the other Camino books, it's okay to start here. If you're a writer or ever thought of being one, this book echoes theme I hear from my wife who is a writer. This story has masterful approach to blending the present and the past,while adding elements Grisham fans enjoy, a courtroom, a case, and an uphill battle to defeat Goliath. I highly recommend this book, especially if you have ever lived in FL.

Whoopie ruined the book! Keep your credit!

Whoopie ruined what was already just an alright story. Narration is obviously not a good career move for her. The mispronunciation, the long random pauses, and inflection in her voice were so bad it was a distraction for the story. I have been a big fan of the Camino Island stories since the beginning and was very much looking forward to Camino Ghosts. At this moment I am thoroughly disappointed. This book was unbelievably predictable and the narration was the worst I’ve ever heard. Save your credit!

It fell flat…

There was no real action or anything exciting (for that matter) to draw me in. I found it predictable and boring.
I’ve read / listened to all of the Grisham books and this was the biggest disappointment. I did enjoy the first two books in this series. This was less like a “legal thriller” and more like reading a dull court transcript. I also found the narration to be distracting somehow. Whoopi wasn’t the right person for this story.