A Meditation on Murder

The original cast in a fleshed out original story set in a series familiar setting. I love the story and certainly the inner monologues. If you are a fan of the show, stop reading this, buy it and enjoy!

Quite a wonderfully warped main character, witty series. Huge fun, lots of twists.

I am a fan of the television series “Death in Paradise,” created by and often written by Robert Thorogood, so I was eager to read the first of the four spin-off novels he penned starring the original detective inspector, Richard Poole. Set on the Caribbean Island of Saint-Marie, The Retreat is a high-end spa hotel for guests who come to enjoy many life-affirming sessions of yoga, meditation, or holistic treatments and therapies, including a Sunrise Healing. Aslan Kennedy, the hotel’s co-owner, yoga instructor, and self-professed Spiritual Guru, walked out to greet the five guests who would be taking his class telling himself he would ignore who was or wasn’t present. He escorted the group to the Meditation Space, locked the door from the inside, and...half hour later, he was dead! But, a confession Poole doesn’t completely find credible, learning he has no aura, and discovering criminal records, illicit drugs, and money schemes all cloud up the investigation. Marvelous! I totally enjoyed this Death in Paradise! I recognized the organization, style, and tone that made me a fan of the television show; of course, it’s written by the creator of the series. The murder occurs immediately as a traditional, seemingly easy peasy, locked room murder, and although the final reveal dragged a bit, the “gather everyone together” was wrapped up in a surprise. The drama focuses on the details, suspects, various motives, and misdirections laid out slowly in an investigation led by a detective who finds the tropical paradise “a misery.” Like the whiteboard used in the television show, clues and information are compiled on note cards labeled Investigation/Leads. They’re presented to the reader as a quick reference to help uncover the killer’s identity before Poole...well, maybe...because I missed it, too. I see and hear in my mind’s eye, the faces of the actors in the television show, but this novel provides additional insights into their dynamic and personalities, especially Poole’s. Lots of fun, including Harry the lizard, and the final reveal may have had a tragic twist, Poole’s frozen manner still indicated he finally put the pieces together. Was that a smile?

Though I admit I guessed the killer by the end of the second chapter, hear me out. No spoilers, I promise. I had no idea of the motive until the end of the book. It was so well played. The way this was written was so awesome. You begin to doubt your own conclusions. The various twists and turns are insanely unpredictable and will keep you engaged. “One more chapter,” I told myself...repeatedly. 5/5