The Killing of Polly Carter

A spin-off novel from the immensely popular TV series Death in Paradise, this book finds DI Richard Poole investigating the death of supermodel Polly Carter on the idyllic Caribbean island of Saint-Marie. What appears to be a suicide leap from a cliff very quickly turns into a murder investigation.

DI Poole is the man called to the scene and he believes that one of a number of suspects is responsible for her death. Polly’s wheelchair-bound sister Claire, Claire’s nurse, Polly’s agent and many more suspects are investigated. Poole will have to deal with alibis, motives and red herrings to get to the bottom of it all.

All the well-loved characters from the series turn up, Camille, Fidel and Dwayne play substantial roles in the story. Outside the murder investigation, the biggest problem Poole has is the sudden appearance of his mother on the island. Why has she turned up for a visit so suddenly? And what about his father?  And is she really dating Dwayne?

I am sure that this novel is going to be a success whatever I say, due to its enduring popularity on the small screen. However, as somebody who is completely new to it, I can say that anyone who is not a fan of the series will soon become so after reading this book. As a first-time visitor to this tropical paradise, I was pleasantly entertained and it put me in mind of all those Agatha Christie novels I read in the early 70s. It’s a proper whodunit and well-worth your time.