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Detective Inspector Richard Poole lives in paradise on the Caribbean island of St. Marie. Others would do anything for Poole’s beachy lifestyle, but this idyllic place is wasted on him due to his aversion to spicy Caribbean cuisine, relentless humidity, and…worst of all…sand. Poole’s only solace are the cases that threaten to stump him. And when the leader of a spiritual resort for the wealthy is murdered inside a locked room with five potential witnesses, Poole and his team must put their skills to the ultimate test.

I’m a huge fan of the British TV series Death in Paradise whose creator went on to gift us with this novel and others featuring the original and my favorite investigating team: Richard, Camille, Dwayne, and Fidel. The chemistry between Richard and Camille remains palpable as these opposite characters search for the killer. And the comedy, oftentimes at the expense of a quite grumpy Richard, was brilliantly sharp. While I was able to answer the “who,” I remained baffled by the “how” and “why” elements. Thorogood even made me question my chosen culprit at the very end, reminding me of Agatha Christie’s tendency to make any and all suspects capable. 

I highly recommend this book and the TV series that inspired it to anyone looking for a cozy mystery on an island setting.