Death on the Beach
While I struggled a bit with the first Trouble in Paradise mystery, I liked it enough to get the second. And then, I waited two years to pick it up. But I’m glad I finally got around to reading Something’s Guava Give because I enjoyed it.
As this book opens, New York transplant Plum Lockhart is beginning to get some traction for her new villa brokerage agency on the Caribbean Island of Paraiso. However, trouble comes knocking in the form of her former colleague Gerald who insists Plum go help out his boss’s daughter who is being held by the resort’s security. Plum regrets getting involved when Arielle is found murdered the next morning. Now Gerald is insisting that Plum help him solve the crime, and he’s shown up in person. Will Plum solve the case before her patience with Gerald runs out?
My issue with the first book had been the Plum we met at the beginning. She was horrible, but seeing her transform in the book gave me hope. That hope was rewarded here. Yes, Plum can still be impatient at times, but it was a much more relatable character flaw than it was in the first book. And she’s not nearly as self-absorbed.
Sadly, Gerald still annoyed me. I have a feeling he’s supposed to be the comic relief, but he’s just too selfish. I really wanted to smack him. But since he’s a supporting character, it never got too intolerable.
The rest of the cast are entertaining and did a good job of keeping us guessing.
The mystery was strong. There were quite a few surprises along the way to the logical climax. A few things were handled rather quickly, but overall, I was okay with how the story played out.
And I loved the setting. I’m ready for some beach time. If only Paraiso weren’t a fictional island.
I’m glad I gave Something’s Guava Give a chance. I’ll be looking to finish the series soon.
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