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Camino Island: A Novel Hardcover – June 6, 2017
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“A happy lark [that] provides the pleasure of a leisurely jaunt periodically jolted into high gear, just for the fun and speed of it.”—The New York Times Book Review
A gang of thieves stage a daring heist from a secure vault deep below Princeton University’s Firestone Library. Their loot is priceless, but Princeton has insured it for twenty-five million dollars.
Bruce Cable owns a popular bookstore in the sleepy resort town of Santa Rosa on Camino Island in Florida. He makes his real money, though, as a prominent dealer in rare books. Very few people know that he occasionally dabbles in the black market of stolen books and manuscripts.
Mercer Mann is a young novelist with a severe case of writer’s block who has recently been laid off from her teaching position. She is approached by an elegant, mysterious woman working for an even more mysterious company. A generous offer of money convinces Mercer to go undercover and infiltrate Bruce Cable’s circle of literary friends, ideally getting close enough to him to learn his secrets.
But eventually Mercer learns far too much, and there’s trouble in paradise as only John Grisham can deliver it.
Look for all of John Grisham’s rollicking Camino novels:
Camino Island
Camino Winds
Camino Ghosts
- Print length304 pages
- LanguageEnglish
- PublisherDoubleday
- Publication dateJune 6, 2017
- Dimensions6.4 x 1.21 x 9.52 inches
- ISBN-100385543026
- ISBN-13978-0385543026
- Lexile measure860L
Book recommendations, author interviews, editors' picks, and more. Read it now.
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From the Publisher
Editorial Reviews
Review
“A happy lark [that] provides the pleasure of a leisurely jaunt periodically jolted into high gear, just for the fun and speed of it.”—The New York Times Book Review
“Sheer catnip . . . [Grisham] reveals an amiable, sardonic edge here that makes Camino Island a most agreeable summer destination.”—USA Today
“Fans will thrill with the classic chase and satisfying ending; and book lovers will wallow in ecstasy.”—The Florida Times-Union
“Grisham weaves an engaging story, with enough plot twists and hints of danger and past secrets to keep the reader involved. And for aspiring writers, he includes tidbits about publishing and book selling that provide the kind of insider’s feel that only an established author might know.”—St. Louis Post-Dispatch
“Grisham twists the expected into a set of cascading surprises that fooled and entertained this reader just as he does in his legal thrillers.”—Winston-Salem Journal
About the Author
Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
The Heist
1.
The imposter borrowed the name of Neville Manchin, an actual professor of American literature at Portland State and soon-to-be doctoral student at Stanford. In his letter, on perfectly forged college stationery, “Professor Manchin” claimed to be a budding scholar of F. Scott Fitzgerald and was keen to see the great writer’s “manuscripts and papers” during a forthcoming trip to the East Coast. The letter was addressed to Dr. Jeffrey Brown, Director of Manuscripts Division, Department of Rare Books and Special Collections, Firestone Library, Princeton University. It arrived with a few others, was duly sorted and passed along, and eventually landed on the desk of Ed Folk, a career junior librarian whose task, among several other monotonous ones, was to verify the credentials of the person who wrote the letter.
Ed received several of these letters each week, all in many ways the same, all from self-proclaimed Fitzgerald buffs and experts, and even from the occasional true scholar. In the previous calendar year, Ed had cleared and logged in 190 of these people through the library. They came from all over the world and arrived wide-eyed and humbled, like pilgrims before a shrine. In his thirty-four years at the same desk, Ed had processed all of them. And, they were not going away. F. Scott Fitzgerald continued to fascinate. The traffic was as heavy now as it had been three decades earlier. These days, though, Ed was wondering what could possibly be left of the great writer’s life that had not been pored over, studied at great length, and written about. Not long ago, a true scholar told Ed that there were now at least a hundred books and over ten thousand published academic articles on Fitzgerald the man, the writer, his works, and his crazy wife.
And he drank himself to death at forty-four! What if he’d lived into old age and kept writing? Ed would need an assistant, maybe two, perhaps even an entire staff. But then Ed knew that an early death was often the key to later acclaim (not to mention greater royalties).
After a few days, Ed finally got around to dealing with Professor Manchin. A quick review of the library’s register revealed that this was a new person, a new request. Some of the veterans had been to Princeton so many times they simply called his number and said, “Hey, Ed, I’ll be there next Tuesday.” Which was fine with Ed. Not so with Manchin. Ed went through the Portland State website and found his man. Undergraduate degree in American lit from the University of Oregon; master’s from UCLA; adjunct gig now for three years. His photo revealed a rather plain-looking young man of perhaps thirty-five, the makings of a beard that was probably temporary, and narrow frameless eyeglasses.
In his letter, Professor Manchin asked whoever responded to do so by e-mail, and gave a private Gmail address. He said he rarely checked his university address. Ed thought, “That’s because you’re just a lowly adjunct professor and probably don’t even have a real office.” He often had these thoughts, but, of course, was too professional to utter them to anyone else. Out of caution, the next day he sent a response through the Portland State server. He thanked Professor Manchin for his letter and invited him to the Princeton campus. He asked for a general idea of when he might arrive and laid out a few of the basic rules regarding the Fitzgerald collection. There were many, and he suggested that Professor Manchin study them on the library’s website.
The reply was automatic and informed Ed that Manchin was out of pocket for a few days. One of Manchin’s partners had hacked into the Portland State directory just deep enough to tamper with the English department’s e-mail server; easy work for a sophisticated hacker. He and the imposter knew immediately that Ed had responded.
Ho hum, thought Ed. The next day he sent the same message to Professor Manchin’s private Gmail address. Within an hour, Manchin replied with an enthusiastic thank-you, said he couldn’t wait to get there, and so on. He gushed on about how he had studied the library’s website, had spent hours with the Fitzgerald digital archives, had owned for years the multivolume series containing facsimile editions of the great author’s handwritten first drafts, and had a particular interest in the critical reviews of the first novel, This Side of Paradise.
Great, said Ed. He’d seen it all before. The guy was trying to impress him before he even got there, which was not at all unusual.
2.
F. Scott Fitzgerald enrolled in Princeton in the fall of 1913. At the age of sixteen, he was dreaming of writing the great American novel, and had indeed begun working on an early version of This Side of Paradise. He dropped out four years later to join the Army and go to war, but it ended before he was deployed. His classic, The Great Gatsby, was published in 1925 but did not become popular until after his death. He struggled financially throughout his career, and by 1940 was working in Hollywood, cranking out bad screenplays, failing physically and creatively. On December 21, he died of a heart attack, brought on by years of severe alcoholism.
In 1950, Scottie, his daughter and only child, gave his original manuscripts, notes, and letters—his “papers”—to the Firestone Library at Princeton. His five novels were handwritten on inexpensive paper that did not age well. The library quickly realized that it would be unwise to allow researchers to physically handle them. High-quality copies were made, and the originals were locked away in a secured basement vault where the air, light, and temperature were carefully controlled. Over the years, they had been removed only a handful of times.
3.
The man posing as Professor Neville Manchin arrived at Princeton on a beautiful fall day in early October. He was directed to Rare Books and Special Collections, where he met Ed Folk, who then passed him along to another assistant librarian who examined and copied his Oregon driver’s license. It was, of course, a forgery, but a perfect one. The forger, who was also the hacker, had been trained by the CIA and had a long history in the murky world of private espionage. Breaching a bit of campus security was hardly a challenge.
Professor Manchin was then photographed and given a security badge that had to be displayed at all times. He followed the assistant librarian to the second floor, to a large room with two long tables and walls lined with retractable steel drawers, each of which was locked. Manchin noticed at least four surveillance cameras high in the corners, cameras that were supposed to be seen. He suspected others were well hidden. He attempted to chat up the assistant librarian but got little in return. He jokingly asked if he could see the original manuscript for This Side of Paradise. The assistant librarian offered a smug grin and said that would not be possible.
“Have you ever seen the originals?” Manchin asked.
“Only once.”
A pause as Manchin waited for more, then he asked, “And what was the occasion?”
“Well, a certain famous scholar wished to see them. We accompanied him down to the vault and gave him a look. He didn’t touch the papers, though. Only our head librarian is allowed to do so, and only with special gloves.”
“Of course. Oh well, let’s get to work.”
The assistant opened two of the large drawers, both labeled “This Side of Paradise,” and withdrew thick, oversized notebooks. He said, “These contain the reviews of the book when it was first published. We have many other samples of later reviews.”
“Perfect,” Manchin said with a grin. He opened his briefcase, took out a notepad, and seemed ready to pounce on everything laid on the table. Half an hour later, with Manchin deep in his work, the assistant librarian excused himself and disappeared. For the benefit of the cameras, Manchin never looked up. Eventually, he needed to find the men’s room and wandered away. He took a wrong turn here and another one there, got himself lost, and eased through Collections, avoiding contact with anyone. There were surveillance cameras everywhere. He doubted that anyone at that moment was watching the footage, but it could certainly be retrieved if needed. He found an elevator, avoided it, and took the nearby stairs. The first level below was similar to the ground floor. Below it, the stairs stopped at B2 (Basement 2), where a large thick door waited with “Emergencies Only” painted in bold letters. A keypad was next to the door, and another sign warned that an alarm would sound the instant the door was opened without “proper authorization.” Two security cameras watched the door and the area around it.
Manchin backed away and retraced his steps. When he returned to his workroom, the assistant was waiting. “Is everything okay, Professor Manchin?” he asked.
“Oh yes. Just a bit of a stomach bug, I’m afraid. Hope it’s not contagious.” The assistant librarian left immediately, and Manchin hung around all day, digging through materials from the steel drawers and reading old reviews he cared nothing about. Several times he wandered off, poking around, looking, measuring, and memorizing.
Product details
- Publisher : Doubleday; First Edition, First Printing (June 6, 2017)
- Language : English
- Hardcover : 304 pages
- ISBN-10 : 0385543026
- ISBN-13 : 978-0385543026
- Lexile measure : 860L
- Item Weight : 1.3 pounds
- Dimensions : 6.4 x 1.21 x 9.52 inches
- Best Sellers Rank: #6,816 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #7 in Legal Thrillers (Books)
- #47 in Science Fiction Crime & Mystery
- #404 in Suspense Thrillers
- Customer Reviews:
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About the author

John Grisham is the author of forty-seven consecutive #1 bestsellers, which have been translated into nearly fifty languages. His recent books include The Boys From Biloxi, The Judge's List, Sooley, and his third Jake Brigance novel, A Time for Mercy, which is being developed by HBO as a limited series.
Grisham is a two-time winner of the Harper Lee Prize for Legal Fiction and was honored with the Library of Congress Creative Achievement Award for Fiction.
When he's not writing, Grisham serves on the board of directors of the Innocence Project and of Centurion Ministries, two national organizations dedicated to exonerating those who have been wrongfully convicted. Much of his fiction explores deep-seated problems in our criminal justice system.
John lives on a farm in central Virginia.
Customer reviews
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To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. It also analyzed reviews to verify trustworthiness.
Learn more how customers reviews work on AmazonCustomers say
Customers find the book easy to read and enjoyable. They find the characters believable and interesting. The writing style is fluid and readable. Many describe the beginning as promising and exciting. However, opinions differ on the story quality, with some finding it good and unexpected, while others feel the ending was rather boring. There are mixed reviews on the pacing, with some finding it quick and suspenseful, while others felt it was slow and lacking excitement.
AI-generated from the text of customer reviews
Customers find the book an enjoyable and easy read. They describe it as an interesting novel with a good reader. The story is described as nuanced and worth revisiting.
"...It didn't disappoint and was very good. I enjoyed the characters and the setting with lots of surprise twists...." Read more
"...Boring.But in the end, this is an entertaining, well-written book that taught me something about the book world and I'm glad I read it." Read more
"...few pages to go, but I don't need to read it all to say this is a wonderful book. Grisham does something a little different here...." Read more
"quick read, Enjoyed very much. Now I'm reading a continuation of the book" Read more
Customers enjoy the believable and interesting characters. They find the plots engaging without being overly descriptive. The supporting cast is also described as interesting and fun.
"...It didn't disappoint and was very good. I enjoyed the characters and the setting with lots of surprise twists...." Read more
"...I could not like her for a single second. Happily, the other characters are fresh, funny and amazing, and worth reading the book for...." Read more
"...He has learned how to set a scene and develop interesting characters among other talents...." Read more
"Very good read although, at times, it was a bit of confusion with a lot of characters...." Read more
Customers enjoy the writing quality of the book. They find it engaging, well-written, and easy to read. Readers appreciate the writers featured in the book, especially those who write romance novels. The writing style is fluid and readable. Overall, customers describe the book as an enjoyable, light read from a popular author.
"...Also, he gave some writing tips through the story also...." Read more
"...I loved the writers in the books, especially the lesbians who write romance novels. Perfect...." Read more
"This story was another great story written by Grisham. It is a nice cozy mystery with very little violence and a great plot." Read more
"...Thoroughly entertaining and well written if not action packed. An entertaining novel and will be reading the next in the series...." Read more
Customers find the book has an engaging start with a nicely-plotted heist. They appreciate the good premise and first section that creates interest. The basic idea for the book is good, but it drags a bit. However, some readers find the book gets better as it progresses.
"Enjoyable easy read with a few good twistGood start to this 3 book series ready to read the next" Read more
"...down for something else, and finally picked it up, and it started getting really good...." Read more
"Oh John Grisham... So, this book started off very promising and then it petered out to a pretty spectacularly bad ending...." Read more
"...The characters were good but perhaps not as fully developed as his characters usually are...." Read more
Customers have mixed opinions about the story quality. Some find it interesting with unexpected twists and turns, while others feel it's a slow start with far-fetched events. Overall, the prose is readable and the story has suspense.
"...I enjoyed the characters and the setting with lots of surprise twists. Also, he gave some writing tips through the story also...." Read more
"...of the book, starting with Grisham's always readable prose, interesting plots, and just plain good story-telling skills...." Read more
"...I did find the epilogue ending quite unsatisfactory--it seemed like something an author might attach if he were running short on deadline and..." Read more
"...To me, this was a good story, not a great John Grisham page-turner novel like many of his legal thrillers, but it is a superb crime fiction...." Read more
Customers have different views on the pacing. Some find it quick with short staccato sentences and plenty of suspense and action. Others feel it goes too fast, is rushed, or moves slowly without literary purpose.
"quick read, Enjoyed very much. Now I'm reading a continuation of the book" Read more
"...Something elseThe end is pointless, too rushed...." Read more
"...His ability to provide terse legal thrillers that had a great pace but also featured relatable characters proved to be an irresistible combination...." Read more
"...It fell short of five stars because it did tend to drag in spots and because the "heroine" of the story was more than a little annoying,..." Read more
Customers have mixed opinions about the book. Some find it fun and engaging, finishing it in one day. Others describe it as uninteresting and lacking excitement. The plot seems repetitive and slow-paced for some readers.
"...This is a great missed opportunity, once he writes a book that is lawyerless and he has the talent to write interesting thrillers, he spoils..." Read more
"...This is one of Grisham’s best books, keeping you flat-footed through the end." Read more
"...in spots and because the "heroine" of the story was more than a little annoying, unbelievably so...." Read more
"...It's just not a mind blower, but is nonetheless a worthy summer read." Read more
Customers have different views on the book's plot. Some find it simple to follow and enjoy, while others feel it's difficult to follow with its back-and-forth nature. The story is considered a fun and easy read by some readers. However, others felt the criminal entanglements were not easily believable, making it hard to root for the characters.
"This book has some twists that keep you guessing but an easy to follow plot...." Read more
"This is a hard book to classify. There are not enough thrills for a thriller. There is a crime, but the book is not really a crime novel...." Read more
"Starts right out and easy to follow fun story. Will read more Camino books from John Grisham great summer book" Read more
"...It is way to difficult to put down! I will not give away the storyline as some reviewers do...." Read more
Reviews with images
"...everything I want from a summer read."
Top reviews from the United States
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Okay, first the good parts of the book, starting with Grisham's always readable prose, interesting plots, and just plain good story-telling skills. I always finish any of his books I've started and have read everything he's written, so for me, Grisham has a good track-record. This story kept me entertained throughout, and the ending was wonderful.
Now for the not-so-good parts of the book, I won't say bad, because Grisham probably couldn't write a bad book if he tried, starting with the lead character Mercer. She's as boring as one of those perfect characters out of a pulp-fiction-romance-chic-lit novels. She's slim and fit, with no visible means of exercise which at 31 does NOT happen, she wrote one wonderful, critically acclaimed first novel and then quit her tour because no one came to the first two signings(so what? You were supported by a real publisher, something most writers only dream of, stop being a baby and get out there and do the work), she gets paid and sleeps with someone she's ready to send to jail(no moral compass, yet she talks about her vampid sister's obsession with material things),she whines about how her sister's college was paid for while Mercer only got one year out of her dad before he went broke, and then says she dutifully sees him once a year and whines again about how they have nothing in common and he only talks about himself. What? Mercer is the classic example of a narcissist. I could not like her for a single second. Happily, the other characters are fresh, funny and amazing, and worth reading the book for.
If you love books, which I'm assuming most people who read even this review are, this is a fun book. I loved the writers in the books, especially the lesbians who write romance novels. Perfect. And the bookstore owner should have been the main character. The thieves are boring and I almost quit the book after the first couple of chapters of those four. Boring.
But in the end, this is an entertaining, well-written book that taught me something about the book world and I'm glad I read it.
Ultimately, "Camino Island" is commentary about the underworld of stealing, concealing and marketing valuable pieces of art, and the myriad efforts of identifying and tracking the culprits as well as recovering the properties.
Bravo. I look forward to reading the other Camino books.
Camino Island is a novel about the theft of five original, hand-written F. Scott Fitzgerald manuscripts from Princeton’s Firestone Library by five cunning yet nerdy guys, well except the one psychopath, which goes south rather quickly after the heist, when the FBI discovers a small drop of blood left by one of the thieves.
There are rumors that Bruce Cable, a Camino Island bookstore owner bought the manuscripts. Elaine, an investigator for a mysterious and covert company hired by an insurance company that holds a policy on the manuscripts for $25 million, hires Mercer Mann. Mercer is a down-on-her-luck writer, who has just lost her teaching job. Elaine wants her to get close to Bruce and his wife, Noelle Bonnet, an antique dealer, to possibly discover if they have the manuscripts.
Summary of Camino Island a Novel
Mercer is the “perfect” woman for the job as she is young and beautiful, newly unemployed and up to her eyeballs in student debt. Elaine offers to pay off for her, plus $100,000 for a six-month assignment, during which time she can finish the novel she has not even started writing yet and is three years overdue. She will get half up front and the other half at completion. Another component that makes her ideal for the situation is that she spent nearly every summer with her grandmother, Tessa on Camino Island. Though she has not been back since her grandmother’s passing, the beach cottage is still in the family and available for use.
Mercer fits right in with the crowd of Bruce’s friends on the island, mostly writers with storied pasts and stories about each other, as writers are notorious gossips. At least, they are in this story. Her plan to spend the six months writing her passed due novel does not necessarily go as planned. However, the discussion she has with Bruce about writing turns into a story that draws them closer together. One of Bruce’s past girlfriends was writing a story about a love triangle between F. Scott Fitzgerald, his wife Zelda, and Ernest Hemingway before his ex-girlfriend committed suicide and he begins giving Mercer the details.
While Noelle is in France buying antiques, they have a romantic fling. Despite Bruce and Noelle’s open marriage, Mercer feels a bit guilty about it, but not enough to stop.
Narration
The narrator is the storyteller, the bard, or Mr. Grisham, whichever you please.
Setting
The first setting of this novel is the Firestone Library at Princeton, then the cabin in the Poconos where the thieves hide out for a while, but the setting for most of the story is modern day Florida, Camino Island, in the small, sleepy tourist town of Santa Rosa.
Theme
To me, the overall theme of this novel is not to let greed rule your life. The thieves wind up dead, in jail, or on the run because of greed. Mercer sells her moral standing to discover if Bruce has the manuscripts, mainly because she has no job, no money, and a ton of student debt. Elaine’s company and the insurance company do not want to pay the $25 million they insured the books for, and Bruce gives up a cushy, comfortable, and prosperous life on a resort island and possibly risks everything for the excitement of dealing in stolen goods.
Genre
This is a crime fiction dealing with rare books and manuscripts.
Author
As all Grisham fans know, he is a notable trial defense and courtroom drama writer with very few exceptions. From his very first novel, A Time to Kill to The Rooster Bar, and some top-rated titles in between, such as The Frim, Sycamore Row (the sequel to A Time to Kill), and The Pelican Brief most are courtroom dramas. Many of these titles became major motion pictures. Even his Young Adult (YA) series of Theodore Boone books were courtroom drama based. And yes, he did stray from the genre with Playing for Pizza, Calico Joe, The Tumor, and a few others, but crime drama or legal thriller, at least to me, is his forte! After all, he was an attorney.
Well, this is not the usual John Grisham courtroom drama, but you could refer to it as a legal thriller because much of the storyline deals with criminal elements within the underground rare books and art trade.
My Opinion & Recommendation
My favorite character was Bruce Cable. I cannot imagine having a more perfect life than as the owner of a successful bookstore and coffee where you are the barrister. I mean come on, you can wear any outfit you want, even with a bowtie if you are into such things, and no one thinks you are weird because, hey you own a bookstore. You go to “work,” make some coffee, grab whatever book you choose from the shelf, and sit down and read until someone comes in. You have a huge collection of first edition books autographed by the authors, most of whom you know personally; and then, you meet and marry a beautiful and beguiling antique dealer, who fills your home with Provençal furnishing. I could not imagine wanting much more, but then there are the nefarious deals with rare books to keep things exciting.
To me, this was a good story, not a great John Grisham page-turner novel like many of his legal thrillers, but it is a superb crime fiction. If you are looking for a compelling story that forces you to turn the page in anticipation, this is not it. Although, I do believe it is a must-read for all Grisham fans, and it did not become a New York Times Bestseller and reach number one just because it was Grisham who wrote it; still and all, I'm sure that helped. Plus, his going on tour for the first time in twenty-five years to publicize the book probably helped as well.
I think non-Grisham fans would probably like this book much more than his regulars because it is such a departure from courtroom dramas and legal thrillers. Someone that is not expecting a cutting-edge courtroom battle would perhaps be more in tuned to the book. Nevertheless, I do think anyone would enjoy the story, but not if you are waiting for a page-turner. Camino Island: A Novel
Top reviews from other countries
5.0 out of 5 stars Great story line
5.0 out of 5 stars great book
5.0 out of 5 stars Massively enjoyable; highly readable
It starts with a successful theft six months ago of the five original hand-written manuscripts of F. Scott Fitzgerald from Princeton University by a gang of five. One of them gets away with the manuscripts and in a panic quickly offloads them for too little money and later tries to get them back.
Bruce Cable over about twenty years has honed a very successful well-known bookshop on Camino Island, a holiday resort in Florida. I’ve no idea whether Camino Island is real or fictional but the book makes it sound idyllic. Not really the marrying kind, he and a successful dealer in Provençal furniture and effects, Noelle, form a relationship and tell people they’re married though it isn't clear whether they are married or not. It’s an open relationship and Cable is a laid-back, likeable character and massively supportive of writers.
Mercer Mann is a woman of thirty-one who’s just been laid off as a lecturer by the University of North Carolina. She published a successful novel some years ago and also a book of short stories but hasn’t been able to write anything much since. Though she comes from a monied family, she has no money herself and in fact is in debt, which worries her a lot. She has an older sister but they’re not close. Her parents are unsatisfactory, the mother absent and the father a spendthrift womaniser who’s got through his fortune.
Her happiest times as a child were summers spent with her maternal grandmother, Tessa, at Tessa’s beach cottage on Camino Island, beachcombing and turtle-watching. She knows of Cable’s bookshop, Bay Books, having gone there a few times with Tessa and nearly visited on a book tour to promote her own book, but cancelled the tour before getting to Bay Books.
Tessa died in a boating accident about ten years ago and Mercer hasn’t visited the cottage since though she owns half of one-third of the cottage. Other family members vacation at the cottage.
Mercer is approached by a woman who at first gives a false name and offers her a teaching job. The woman soon admits to being Elaine Shelby and the job is something different. Elaine works for a company specialising in security and investigations. They’ve been working with the FBI to find the Fitzgerald manuscripts. Elaine offers Mercer $100,000 to work for them for six months. Elaine appears to know all about Mercer and her company seems to have vast resources, including technical and surveillance, at its disposal. The plan is for Mercer to spend the time at the cottage claiming to be writing her second novel and to inveigle herself into Cable’s inner circle of friends with a view to finding out as much as possible. Mercer is told that Cable’s main source of income is as a dealer in first editions and rare books and is suspected of having the Fitzgerald manuscripts. As an added incentive, Elaine says they’ll pay off Mercer’s student debt which clinches it for her.
So that’s the background. Mercer does successfully worm her way into Cable’s set and enjoys the dinners and social side while still writing very little. She likes Cable a lot, also his friends and Noelle and becomes somewhat compromised.
The characters are so well drawn, they leap off the page. Mercer is a little flat, but that’s understandable since the main story is told from her POV.










