Murder in the Caribbean: A gripping, escapist cosy crime mystery from the creator of the hit TV series Death in Paradise: Book 4 (A Death in Paradise Mystery)

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After four decades in the Met, culminating in four years as head of the murder squad, Campbell was swapping grey clouds for endless blue skies and hard pavements for white sand beaches. It found that even though the total number of murders in Jamaica dropped after the report’s completion to 1,124 in 2011 – a seven-year low – the country has the highest homicide rate in the Caribbean and the third-highest murder rate worldwide in recent years, with about 60 murders per 100,000 inhabitants.

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Jason Rafiel: It wasn't my idea, and the person who had it - the idea, I mean - is a little old lady who knits and wears lace. She also has a mind like a bacon slicer. When a boat explodes in the harbour, Richard and his team soon realise there’s a new murderer on the loose. But who is it? And why did the killer leave behind a ruby at the scene of the crime? Key explains: "We’ve had years where we’ve kind of left it to the elements, and then people were having parties in it at weekends, like tourists having parties. We were like, 'We have to secure this a little bit more now!""

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A short walk into the close and sweaty forest took us to the Cascade des Ecrevisses, a waterfall crashing into a small pond. It was incredibly refreshing to take a dip. At the botanical gardens, among tangle-stemmed pandanus bushes and whole ranges of bougainvillea, emerald-throated hummingbirds flashed, momentarily engaging in a dogfight over territory, and then flitted away, wings whirring. Heliconia are bewildering. Their flowers are like plastic ornaments – scarlet lobster claws and glowing torches. We start with Richard spying on Dwayne, trying to catch him out. Then there's an explosion at the harbour and a suspected death, followed by a break in where a ruby has been left. And so begins a rather convoluted tale, the body count rising steadily, until, eventually, that niggle that Richard inevitably has in every case becomes clear and the its a race to the end to get their suspect and prove it all! We do also hear occasionally from the "killer" along the way. I wasn't too fussed about these parts as I felt they were a bit unnecessary and also felt a bit out of place for me. Latin America and the Caribbean are home to 8.5 per cent of the world population, yet the region accounts for some 27 per cent of the world’s homicides, according to the report, which was launched today in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago. An exotic holiday for Miss Marple is ruined when a retired major is killed… As Miss Marple sat basking in the Caribbean sunshine she felt mildly discontented with life. True, the warmth eased her rheumatism, but here in paradise nothing ever happened. Eventually, her interest was aroused by an old soldier’s yarn about a strange coincidence. Infuriatingly, just as he was about to show her an astonishing photograph, the Major’s attention wandered. He never did finish the story. Having watched the series, I ‘knew’ what the characters and locations looked like, which added to my enjoyment.

Radio Times Death in Paradise filming location - Radio Times

It’s a change from working in London where every scene has been used a million times before,” he said, as we looked out on the sparkling bay visible from his office. “The beaches are a cinch – and then there are the benefits of the sunshine, the sea and working so close to nature.”When not shuffling between caravans to interview cast members, I headed out to explore the island, driving two or three thousand feet up on the mountain road, where lianas hang from massive ficus trees and 20ft ferns seemingly explode at the roadside. Thorogood sets the stage well, with a great sub-plot involving Poole and his compulsive need to micro-manage his officers, trying the patience of everyone around him, even as they appreciate his gift for detective work. He has breathed new life into the distinctive characters I first saw on television and provides a great mystery for them to solve. I am proud to report that I was able to actually solve the mystery, but it was NOT EASY! (I stopped before the big reveal to reread key passages in the novel and work it out.) Thorogood is very skilled in misdirection and kept me on the edge of my seat. I enjoyed the book immensely.