The X60 from Pittenweem to Edinburgh offers just over 2 hours of peace, relative comfort and the opportunity to start a new book from the library’s shelves. That was me last week. John Grisham requires no introduction – one of my favourite thriller writers. His Camino Winds was my companion.
A storm hits Camino Island, most folk are evacuated to the mainland, but a few do stay. Amongst the ‘remainers’ is Bruce Cable, owner of Bay Books, whose career to date had sailed pretty close to the wind, but whom I found engaging, interesting, different. Cable’s coterie of ‘book buddies’ on the island inhabit the centre ground of this thriller: the storm strikes and one of their number is found dead. Cable and co become convinced that there has been a murder, as the local ‘Keystone Cops’ display their ineptitude. The victim is also an author who is not without form in upsetting the apple carts of the rich and powerful; there is an unpublished manuscript . . .
No story spoilers from me, but suffice to say the many intriguing twists and turns of this plot kept me riveted as we moved in and out of the worlds of contract killers, high finance, drugs, nursing homes ripping off the elderly . . .
I barely remembered my X60 passing Leven and Kirkcaldy. The lights of Edinburgh then beckoned and time to leave Grisham’s world so carefully created and plotted. I was hooked. I finished it the next evening. If I were to be hyper-critical, I’d say it is perhaps not one of his best. The trouble is his best is so good that there are not enough superlatives. Nevertheless Camino Windsand the X60 were a good combination. Bon voyage!
Reviewed by a Library member. We have a copy of this book in the Library.
