Definitely felt like I was on the island!
A couple of twists and turns that I didn’t expect. Writing was easy to read.

Murder at Sugar Rush Beach was a tough one for me to get into. It got easier to follow the dialogue the more you read, but it did throw me off as a reader. I do appreciate the way in which the author kept the way the natives spoke authentic. The story felt slow moving, that there were a lot of different things happening but none of them were progressing with any speed (which is true Jamaican time I guess!). I wanted a faster plot to keep the story moving and keep me intrigued. This was a DNF for me, unfortunately. It has the potential to be a great read so I hope other's find that!

I have a little confession to make. Although I have the first two books in the series featuring Detectives Preddy and Harris, I haven’t actually read one. When I was invited to take part in the blog tour for the third book ‘Murder At Sugar Rush Beach’, I thought that it would be an ideal opportunity to ‘discover’ the series and find out what I had been missing. Having enjoyed reading ‘Murder At Sugar Rush Beach’ as much as I did, I am now rather cross that I left it this long to discover the series. I really enjoyed reading ‘Murder At Sugar Rush Beach’ but more about that in a bit.
It didn’t take me long to get into ‘Murder At Sugar Rush Beach’. In fact by the time I got to the end of the first chapter, I knew that I would find it difficult to put the book to one side for any length of time. I was intrigued by the characters and by the storyline and I had to keep reading to see if I could fathom out who the killer was before the two main detectives. I didn’t manage to. I found reading this book to have been rather addictive. I would pick the book up only intending to read a chapter or two but I would become so wrapped up in the story that I would still be sat there reading over half dozen chapters and an hour or so later. I soon got to the end of ‘Murder At Sugar Rush Beach’ and I had to say a temporary farewell to Detectives Preddy and Harris. I found ‘Murder At Sugar Rush Beach’ to be a gripping read, which kept me guessing and which kept me on the edge of my seat throughout.
‘Murder At Sugar Rush Beach’ is extremely well written. The author has a writing style that is easy to get used to and easy to get along with. Paula certainly knows how to grab the reader’s attention and draw them into what proves to be a compelling story. I loved the way in which the author has taken two men from totally different backgrounds and turned them into a successful detective partnership. I have to say that I did have rather a soft spot for Detective Harris on account of his ginger hair- it’s a ginger thing. I loved the fact that this story was set in Jamaica- it’s a place I have never visited before but I would love to visit as I have family links with Jamaica. For me the story hit the ground running and maintained a fairly fast pace throughout. At times I did feel as though I was on a bit of a rollercoaster ride with several unexpected twists and turns along the way.
In short, I really enjoyed reading ‘Murder At Sugar Rush Beach’ and I would recommend this book to other readers. I will definitely be reading more of Paula’s work in the future. The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a very well deserved 4* out of 5*.

MURDER AT SUGAR RUSH BEACH by Paula Lennon.
Palm trees, white sandy beaches and a perfect turquoise sea. Jamaica’s Montego Bay might just be paradise. If people didn’t keep getting murdered.
Detective Preddy hoped for a quiet start to the new year. But there’s a murder at Sugar Rush Beach. A man is stabbed through the heart with an antique awl. 
The victim, Jerome Baccus, was the nephew of a local developer who wanted to transform this quiet local beach into a high-end tourist complex. Now he’s dead. 
A really really good read. I liked the story and characters. 4*.

- Petite lecture découverte -
Murder at Sugar Rush Beach de Paula Lennon

Un roman policier qui se passe en Jamaïque. Le dépaysement fait réellement du bien! J'aime voir ces personnages vivre, sans la lunette de l'influence touristique portée quand nous, nous voyageons.

L'écriture (en anglais seulement) est facile à suivre. Certains personnages ont un accent changeant l'orthographe des mots et la structure des phrases, mais je trouve que ça ajoute justement une couleur à la lecture.

Ce volume est le troisième d'une série mais je n'ai pas senti qu'il me manquait quelque chose. Ça me donne juste le goût de lire les 2 premiers mettant en vedette les détectives Preddy et Harris.

Trouvé ici :
https://www.amazon.ca/-/fr/PAULA-LENNON-ebook/dp/B09SJ4KTS3/

The characters are well-drawn and believable. The plot is perfectly paced, holds your interest, and keeps you guessing. It’s a page turner, for sure! I loved this novel and every single one of its characters. And the location setting……wow!

This ARC was provided to me via Kindle, Joffe Books and by #NetGalley. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

I quite appreciate a title keeps me entertained and engaged throughout, mission accomplished.


Characters are well written, formed and play off others. . They come to life making it relatable.

Detective Preddy's quiet New Year is not to be when a bloody body is discovered. He and his team have to investigate across most of Jamaican society to finally hunt down the murderer. More murders, lots of red herrings, the inevitable bent cop and lots of well-drawn context lead to an interesting read. The sense of place is excellent and makes the reader feel that they could be on Preddy's patch. Preddy himself is a dedicated officer, frustrated by his bosses; Spence and Rabino are a brilliant duo as well as being excellent at their jobs, Harris is an enigma - Glaswegian exile seconded to help investigate the bent coppers - and not that believable to me. His "literary" Scot's accent is stereotypical and at odds with the highly decorative patois of the native Jamaicans. Perhaps that's because I'm familiar with Scots, living there, but not Jamaican. I have to admit that I found the patois quite difficult and it spoilt the reading to a degree as I had to keep re-reading to make sense rather than being drawn along with the story - my problem though. 3.5* rounded up. Thanks to NetGalley and Joffe Books for an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

This mystery is set in Jamaica with some interesting characters. I struggled at times with the dialect but it didn’t take away from the story, it just gave it a different flavor. It had me guessing until the end!

Preddy is hoping for a quiet start to the new year, but the murder of Jerome Baccus using an antique awl puts paid to those hopes and a second murder confirms it. Meanwhile Harris is continuing his top secret investigation into members of the department, annoying Preddy considerably

This is a straightforward crime procedural with a murder and several suspects The location, Jamaica, and the commentary of the inequalities present in Jamaica add an extra dimension to this book which I really enjoyed.

I didn't realise this was part of a series and for the sake of context of certain parts I wish I had read the previous 2 before this one. However, I still enjoyed this even if it is the lower end of a 4 out of 5.

I would like to thank #NetGalley #JoffeBooks and the author #PaulaLennon for my ARC of #MurderAtSugatRushBeach in exchange for an honest review

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read Murder at Sugar Rush Beach.

I enjoyed this book and the storyline, however for me personally the way it was written, as in the accents speak, I really struggled with this.

I visited Jamaica some years ago, so it was nice to revisit the pictures in my head.

I would recommend this book, as I enjoyed it, it was just the way some of it was written.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Joffe Books for an advance copy of Murder at Sugar Rush Beach, the third novel to feature Detectives Raythan Preddy and Sean Harris of the Montego Bay police.

Preddy is hoping for a quiet start to the new year, but the murder of Jerome Baccus using an antique awl puts paid to those hopes and a second murder confirms it. Meanwhile Harris is continuing his top secret investigation into members of the department, annoying Preddy considerably.

I thoroughly enjoyed Murder at Sugar Rush Beach, which is a straightforward police procedural with the added bonus of an exotic (to me) location. It is told from Preddy’s point of view, so the reader can get stuck in to the narrative and guess alongside him, not that I had much luck there.

The plot is fairly standard for the genre with several suspects and motives and the team gradually whittling them down to last person standing. What makes it stand out is the murder weapon and the unconventional way they solve it. I was glued to the pages with all the surprises the author throws in.

This novel is all about atmosphere. There is the setting, sun, sea and sand and the attendant heat, which is exotic and attractive to me as I live near Glasgow, just like Harris. I think that the author does a great job of portraying Jamaica, not just as a tourist paradise but as a real place with poverty and crime on the one hand and friendliness on the other. The team are equally realistic, they bicker and banter with humour and needle, and yet there is never any doubt that they will support each other. Harris is a Glaswegian on special assignment, so he provides the outsider’s take, but it’s not particularly convincing.

Murder at Sugar Rush Beach is a good read that I have no hesitation in recommending.

This was a gripping read that was engaging all the way through, it was well written with good character development and a good ploytline. It was also informative and I learnt so much about Jamaica which I loved. I will definitely be looking for more from this series and the author in general.

Detective Preddy and Harris Book 3

Detective Preddy hoped for a quiet start to the New Year. But there's a murder at Sugar Rush Beach. A man is stabbed through the heart with an antique awl. The victim. Jerome Baccus, was the nephew of a local developer who wanted to transform this quiet local beach into a high-end tourist complex. Everything points to the rival developer. But Preddy realises other people might have wanted Baccus dead.

I did not know this book was part of a series when I requested it. Set in Jamaica, we get an insight into what it's like to live there. Detective Preddy is helped with the investigation by Detective Harris who is Scottish. Filled with great characters, twists and a steady pace. I was hooked from the first chapter. The plotline held my attention throughout.

I would like to thank #NetGalley #JoffeBooks and the author #PaulaLennon for my ARC of #MurderAtSugatRushBeach in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley and Joffe Books for the eARC.
Detective Preddy has a problematic start to the new year when a body is found stabbed to death with an antique awl at a beach event. Not long thereafter the body of his girlfriend is found, murdered as well. With the help of Scottish detective Harris and the team of two female detectives, who are my favorites (they are sharp and amusing) they comb the island for anyone who may have seen something. The higher ups are chomping at the bit for a resolution...
This was a fun and enlightening read, with lots of details about life in Jamaica, with colorful characters and a wonderful sense of place. The difference between the poor and the wealthy is stark (added to that you have the entitled tourists) and eye opening.
I loved the patois and the mention of the food and drink made my mouth water!

Paradise With Problems…
The third in the Detectives Preddy & Harrris series of mysteries and the New Year is not off to great start when a body is discovered on Sugar Rush beach. A man lies dead, stabbed with an antique Awl. With a plethora of suspects and motives the detectives will have to dig deep to find the perpetrator. A credible and well drawn cast adds to this enjoyable mystery with a wonderful and well defined sense of place. This may be paradise but it has it’s problems.

This author has done a great job of weaving a must-read mystery.

In this story, the hope for a quiet life for Detective Preddy falls apart as Jerome the nephew of a local developer is found murdered. The murder weapon - an antique awl.

As he begins the investigation he realizes there are several people who may have wanted the victim dead. And so, the real mystery begins when a second body is found.

Great characters and believable story!