If the genre is “thriller,” then two authors often come to the forefront: John Grisham and David Baldacci.

Grisham is the king of the legal thriller/courtroom drama. Has been for decades. Baldacci is a king of thriller fiction. Both are expert storytellers and hugely popular. Both authors have had their books turned into movies. And in 2024, both authors’ most recent releases focus on race relations and the courtroom, either directly or indirectly. It’s kinda like a “Titan Two-fer.”

This is noteworthy cuz legal thrillers are usually Grisham’s bread and butter, as is the case in his latest novel, Camino Ghosts. But Baldacci makes a memorable contribution to the genre too, with A Calamity of Souls. More on that in a min. So kindly keep your shirt on, Toots.

First, Grisham’s newest book, Camino Ghosts:

The 4-1-1

Mercer Mann is a popular writer from Camino Island. After marrying her boyfriend, Thomas, Mercer is back on the beach. Bruce Cable, owner of Bay Books and friend of the bride and groom, performed the wedding. Mercer needs a new idea for her next novel. So when Cable tells Mercer he’s stumbled upon an incredible story, she’s all ears.

The story focuses on Dark Isle, a small island off the North Florida coast settled by freed slaves 300 years ago. Their descendants lived there until 1955, when the last one, Lovely Jackson, was forced to leave. Now a “huge, ruthless corporate developer” wants to build a resort and casino on the island. But Lovely knows, deep down, that the island is rightfully hers, papers or not.

Mercer befriends Lovely and they plunge into a huge fight over who owns Dark Isle, taking on Tidal Breeze Corporation, its stable of high-priced 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 very real and 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.

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Set amid the turbulent 1960s, Baldacci’s A Calamity of Souls takes place in southern Virginia. Strikingly similar to Grisham’s legal thrillers, much of Calamity’s action takes place in the courtroom as a duo of white and Black lawyers battle an unfair system as they work to defend two wrongfully accused Black defendants.

The 4-1-1

Jack Lee is a 30-ish white lawyer from Freeman County, Virginia. He’s never done anything to push back against racism until he decides to represent Jerome Washinton, a Black man charged with brutally killing an elderly, wealthy white couple. Doubting his decision, Lee fears that his legal skills may not be equal to the task. He quickly finds himself out of his depth.

Desiree DuBose is a Black lawyer from Chicago. She’s devoted her life to furthering the causes of justice and equality for everyone. Lee and DuBose couldn’t be more dissimilar. On their own, neither can stop the prosecution’s deliberate march toward a guilty verdict and the electric chair. But together, the formidable legal team of DuBose and Lee fights for what once seemed impossible: a chance for a fair trial and true justice.

Scene stealer (Calamity): Queenie the German shepherd.

Two-fers

Camino Ghosts is a skillful blend of history, archaeology, the publishing and book selling industry, and sharp lawyering. So is Calamity, only without the archaeology and publishing stuff. Be advised that there’s a lot of emotion in both books. A lot of hate. Rage. Loss. But there’s also love and loyalty. Selflessness and hope.

Some readers may feel the novels stray from storytelling into sermonizing a little too often. Or that they’re overlong. (One reviewer quipped that Baldacci made a 500-page novel out of a 300-page book.) Or that some characters are stiffly stereotyped to the point of cardboard cut-outs. And that if you’ve read To Kill a Mockingbird or A Time to Kill, you’ve pretty much already read A Calamity of Souls.

Nevertheless, both authors are superb storytellers and titanic talents. Patient readers will find both novels compelling and poignant.

We got both books from the library. Camino is 292 pages (hard cover). Calamity is 477.  We read both cover-to-cover in under three days.