A Meditation On Murder by Robert Thorogood

 A Meditation On Murder by Robert Thorogood, 356 pages

When spiritual guru Aslan Kennedy is murdered in a locked room with paper walls, the Saint Marie police are given the impossible task of investigating. Because as he bakes under the hot Caribbean sun, DCI Richard Poole is sure of only one thing: the one person who has confessed to Aslan's murder is the only person that could not have possibly done it. 

This novel does not contain any spoilers for any season of the show. 

The Killing of Polly Carter

 The Killing of Polly Carter by Robert Thorogood, 333 pages

When Polly Carter, a famous model with an infamous heroin habit, is found dead at the base of a cliff near her Sainte Marie home, DCI Richard Poole realizes her suicide is actually murder. As Poole and his team dig into the case, there is no shortage of reasons why everyone in her life wanted her dead. To make matters worse, DCI Poole's mother has come holidaying on Sainte Marie--alone. Now he must solve two mysteries: who killed Polly Carter, and can he possibly salvage the shipwreck of his parent's marriage?

The Killing of Polly Carter was a lovely return to the Honore and the original team. This novel does not contain any spoilers for any season of the show.

Death Knocks Twice by Robort Thorogood

 Death Knocks Twice by Robert Thorogood, 377 pages

If you, too, are impatiently waiting for season 11 of BBC's Death in Paradise, this novel might help tide you over. Written by Robert Thorogood, the series creator, Death Knocks Twice revisits the  tenure of OG Saint Marie DI, Richard Poole. 

A historic coffee plantation with a dark history, a dysfunctional family, a man murdered in a locked room with no way out, the distinct lack of proper tea: these are the difficulties facing DI Poole and his team. The Honore police department must cut through the web of lies carefully spun by the Beaumonts to discover the grim skeletons in the family's closet to discover not only who has been killing off Beaumonts but also the haunting why.

Death Knocks Twice was a wonderful foray back to the early seasons. As much as I can appreciate the new faces and growth of the team over the years, it was good to spend some time with Camille, Dwyane, and Fidel. And because the novel was written by Robert Thorogood the characters read spot-on and genuine, almost like visiting with friends you haven't seen in awhile. This novel is a wonderfully cozy murder mystery for a cold winter's day, where you can spend an afternoon dreaming of the sand and sun of Saint Marie.

This novel does not contain spoilers for any seasons of the show.