Am ambitious first novel that doesn’t quite succeed, but is definitely worth a read for what it tries to do. ‘Saint X’ is the name of the Caribbean island at the center of this story about the mysterious death of tourist Alison Thomas and its lifetime of effects on her sister Claire and the two hotel workers, Clive and Edwin, briefly implicated in her death. The book explores the reality and unreality of other people’s lives, particularly across cultures. The book lags a bit in the middle third, as Claire obsessively tries to discover the truth behind Alison’s death; novel readers probably already know the White characters, and we’re introduced to many Saint X residents who don’t add much to the story. But the ending is satisfying, and Claire and we better understand the lives of the residents of paradise.