Before becoming a writer, John Grisham practiced law and served in the Mississippi House of Representatives. He says his first book was inspired as he listened to a twelve-year-old girl testify in court about a brutal attack she suffered, bringing jury members to tears. Grisham later wrote, "I remember staring at the defendant and wishing I had a gun." Over the next three years, he wrote his debut novel, A Time to Kill, a legal thriller stemming from a similar attack. The book was rejected 28 times before he found a publisher.

Grisham's second novel, The Firm, was on the New York Times Best Seller list for 47 weeks and became the seventh bestselling novel of 1991. This began the author's streak of having one of the year's bestselling books almost every year for the next two decades. Many of his titles even nabbed the top spot, including:

Grisham is known for his incisive legal thrillers, but in 2017, he released Camino Island, which reflected a departure for the author. The story begins with the bold heist of several of F. Scott Fitzerald's original manuscripts from a Princeton library vault. Suspicion falls on Bruce Cable, a bookstore owner on Florida's Camino Island, who deals in rare books and occasionally dabbles in the black market of stolen materials. Mercer Mann, a struggling young novelist, is recruited to infiltrate Bruce's inner circle and learn his secrets. Subsequent titles Camino Winds and Camino Ghosts present new mysteries, continuing the stories of Bruce, Mercer, and others.

Other series you might like

If you enjoy compelling bookish mysteries featuring ensemble casts and set in quaint or picturesque communities, try one of these series similar to Camino Island.

Cotton Malone by Steve Berry
Cotton Malone, a one-time top operative for the U.S. Justice Department, enjoys his quiet new life as an antiquarian book dealer in Copenhagen. Except, it's not always so quiet. Somehow, he keeps getting pulled into perilous situations.

Hester Thursby Mystery by Edwin J. Hill
Harvard librarian Hester Thursby knows that even in the digital age, people still need help finding things. Using her research skills, Hester runs a side business tracking down the lost.

Robert Langdon by Dan Brown
Find an exhilarating blend of jet-setting adventure, scholarly intrigue, and cutting wit in this series of remarkable thrillers featuring world-renowned Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon.

Renée Ballard by Michael Connelly
Detective Renée Ballard turned to sleuthing after a stint in journalism covering the crime beat for the L.A. Times. She brings empathy and determination to her work leading the newly found LAPD new cold case division.

Atlee Pine by David Baldacci
FBI Agent Atlee Pine was drawn to her work because of her lifelong quest to solve the childhood disappearance of her own twin sister. She conducts high-stakes investigations in various locations including her Georgia hometown.

Travis McGee by John. D. McDonald
Travis McGee is a self-proclaimed beach bum who won his Florida houseboat in a card game. He only works when his cash runs out, and his rule is simple: He'll help you find whatever was taken from you, as long as he can keep half.

Chief Inspector Armand Gamache by Louise Penny
Set in the picturesque village of Three Pines, Québec, this award-winning series follows the steadfast, thoughtful homicide detective as he methodically solves one confounding murder after another.

Thursday Next by Jasper Fforde
These clever mysteries are set in an alternate universe in which time travel and cloning are routine and literature is taken really, really seriously. Enter Thursday Next, renowned literary detective.

While you're waiting for a new installment to Grisham's Camino Island, dive into the warm waters of one of these intriguing mystery-thriller series.

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