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.
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"Grisham takes us on a wild ride through the world of used and rare booksellers. This tightly constructed mystery-thriller is entertaining from beginning to end. Just when you think you have the story figured out, it changes into something more interesting. The phrase "you can't tell a bookseller by his cover" might be appropriate here. "
— Twigsy (4 out of 5 stars)
“The book provides the pleasure of a leisurely jaunt periodically jolted into high gear, just for the fun and speed of it.”
— New York Times Book Review“Fans will thrill with the classic chase and satisfying ending, and book lovers will wallow in ecstasy.”
— Florida Times-Union“January LaVoy’s expert narration engages listeners…[and] 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…Listeners will enjoy the surprising ending…Winner of the AudioFile Earphones Award.”
— AudioFile“A light caper turns into a multilayered game of cat and mouse…[Grisham is] a skillful spinner of mayhem and payback.”
— Kirkus Reviews" Enjoyed how Grisham interweaves the characters and describes this Florida setting. You can envision yourself on the island and interacting with the characters. I was enthralled enough to purchase the next two in the series! "
— Cynthia R, 9/3/2024" Grisham is my favorite author. This was my first time listening on audio versus reading the book (although I did purchase the book). I was pleasantly surprised that the narrator was able to give a distinct voice to each character. I am looking forward to listening to another Grisham story on audio. "
— Felecia morning, 2/17/2020" Slow, hard to follow. "
— Anj, 7/30/2017John Grisham is the author of more than thirty-five novels, one work of nonfiction, a collection of stories, and seven novels for young readers. Thirty-three of his crime thrillers have made the #1 spot on the New York Times bestsellers list
January LaVoy, winner of numerous awards for narration, was named a Golden Voice by AudioFile magazine in 2019. She is an American actress best known for her character Noelle Ortiz on the ABC daytime drama One Life to Live. In addition to working extensively in narration and television, including roles on Law & Order and All My Children, she has worked on and off Broadway as well as in regional theater.