B. M. Allsopp

Book number five in the Fiji Island Mystery series featuring local rugby hero, now policeman Inspector Joe Horseman and his team, this time investigating the death of a fit young reality TV star who dies most unexpectedly on a small island off the coast of Fiji, in the middle of filming a wildly popular show which features, for the first time, a Fijian contestant.

Full Review at: https://www.austcrimefiction.org/review/death-camera-bm-allsopp… (altro)

On my never-ending quest for mysteries with exotic locations, I came across this first Fiji Islands mystery, Death on Paradise Island. It was an enjoyable read; however, I'm undecided about continuing with the series.

I learned quite a bit about the Fiji Islands, the importance of rugby to its inhabitants, and the customs of its people. (I would imagine that Fijian traditional naming practices could drive genealogists to distraction.) I also liked reading about how a new marine preserve could affect both the wildlife and the human inhabitants of the islands.

Joe Horseman is an interesting character. He works very well with subordinates such as his new detective sergeant, Susie Singh, and his idea to form a rugby team for many of the feral children on the main island is definitely a good one. I also liked how his standing as a rugby champion opened a lot of doors for him during the investigation.

Another thing I enjoyed while reading was the musical Fijian language with a glossary provided in the back. Yes, there is a lot to like about Death on Paradise Island, but the pace of the story did bog down several times, and although Horseman and Singh are interesting characters, they didn't "shine" enough for me to want to grab the next book in the series. Decisions, decisions...… (altro)

The fourth novel in the Fiji Islands Mysteries series, DEATH SENTENCE is slower, more measured, and reflective than the earlier entries, which makes sense, given the subject matter.

For those new to the series, it's based around the investigative team of DI Joe Horseman, a famous rugby player, returned to his homeland and working in the local CID alongside Susie Singh, a dedicated and passionate investigator in her own right. Perhaps because of the different ethnicities of these two characters - Horseman of long-standing Fijian background, and Singh, who is Fijian Indian, you get slightly different perspectives about life in this idyllic place. With a great sense of place, and culture, and the food - which isn't quite as prevalent in this novel - but will have you permanently hungry if you're reading the earlier entries.

In DEATH SENTENCE, however, the case is challenging. Dev Reddy is about to be released from prison, after serving half of the sentence imposed when he was found guilty of the horrendous physical abuse of his young son. Kanan, intellectually and physically handicapped, was found locked in a chicken coop, surviving on scraps, non-verbal, behaving like one of the chickens, but he's safe now, well-cared for, supported by an outpouring of money and assistance when his story was revealed. His father, on the other hand, has spent a fair proportion of his prison sentence in mental health care - he's obviously not well, and whilst the authorities regard him as no threat to the public, no-one is convinced that the public aren't a threat to him. Particularly when a local lay preacher starts up an organisation which might sound like it's aiming to protect children, but seems questionable on many other levels.

(It's worth noting here that in the acknowledgements the author mentions the real life case of Sujit Kumar which came to prominence while she lived in Fiji - that case is the catalyst for the idea, but most of the elements in DEATH SENTENCE are fictional).

The investigation here is a complex one, made more tricky by the arrival of Horseman's new superior officer who is, well odd to say the least, with past encounters between them complicating their expectations and interactions. Bad enough that Reddy is released with very little support, and certainly little protection, but his farm house is run down, he's exposed in a remote rural area with no immediate access to a telephone to call for help if he needs it, and he's definitely not well. Then there's the whip up of public reaction, none of which is ever going to end well. All Horseman can do is make sure that young Kanan is safe, and hope like hell he can explain what happens to Reddy, even if he can't prevent it.

As mentioned in my opening paragraph DEATH SENTENCE is definitely more restrained than the earlier novels. There's lots going on - the search for affordable accommodation, the street boy's rugby team that Horseman has set up to try to help the large numbers of young homeless kids in danger and a conflicting investigation into jewellery thefts which his new boss is considerably more interested in, but balancing acts are one of Horseman and Singh's specialities and they press on, through a fog of distractions and competing priorities until everything is explained, and nothing is left undiscovered.

A most enjoyable series for those that prefer things on the lighter side, even though this outing dips it's toe into the dark a little more, it won't be so dark as to put off earlier fans.

https://www.austcrimefiction.org/review/death-sentence-bm-allsopp… (altro)

I was intrigued as I browsed available titles on Kindle Unlimited as the cover seemed inviting to a beautiful beach and yet ominous at the same time just as it's rare to think of death, paradise, and the Fiji Islands together as I read the title and series name.

This is the 1st novel in the series and introduces Inspector Josefa Horseman and Detective Sergeant Susila Singh of the Fiji Police Force. This is a new team as Josefa returns to the islands after a significant amount of time away playing rugby representing the police and his country admirably but then needing recovery from a serious injury. Susila knows of Horseman as a celebrated athlete but is unsure of what it will be like to have him as her boss. As the two pursue the lines of inquiry necessary for the investigation it is interesting to watch how they negotiate their way to a bond of shared principles and trust and gain mutual admiration for each other's investigative styles.

I found the novel to be well-written as I was drawn into not only a compelling investigation but became engaged in learning of the marine life and other cultural attributes unique to the Fiji Islands. I also liked that the relationship between the detectives stayed professional and didn't immediately become an island romance rather than a credible detective story. There are twists and turns as one would suspect of a crime investigation and made for gripping reading to become on the edge of a suspenseful thriller.

The author lived in Fiji for several years which brings authenticity to every aspect of her novel from setting to characters to cultural to environmental aspects of island life. With my recommendation to enjoy reading a novel with a dedicated detective team in a fascinating location I would also encourage everyone to visit the author's website and enjoy the beautiful photographs shared from Fiji. https://www.bmallsopp.com/fiji-gallery

I'm interested to follow future investigations in this mystery series.… (altro)