A good read, though could have had more mystery and less education about turtles. Having been to Costa Rica many times, I was hoping for more of the culture than what I got.

Murder in Costa Rica was an interesting novel. I was very much interested in all the aspects regarding Sea Turtle rescues, conservation issues and even the perspectives of the poachers. It did not occur to this reader there was actual politics involved when it came to saving an endangered species. Once the murder occurred, I liked the way the investigation was depicted - as a lot of questions, gathering clues, waiting for forensics and listing possible suspects.
However, the "bad guys" were 1-demential. Their characters depicted as cold, violent, drug addled and, well, stupid. Very stupid. To the point of disbelief. The Leader of the "bad guys" was also boringly 1-demential. Other than being ruthless, he too was depicted as foolish. Again, he seemed unbelievable.
I am well aware the depiction of drug smuggling is very much an issue all around the world. I am also well aware many poachers are poachers simply to survive.
At times the writing was awkward, stilted in a sort of amateurish style while at other times, it flowed and and was well written. It is obvious the author is passionate about Turtle Conservation as that was where the book was wonderful. This reader cannot point her finger on what went "wrong", but it was almost as if 2 people with 2 different writing styles wrote it. Or the author wrote parts of the book separately and then inserted them into the book.
For anyone who wants a book about Costa Rica and turtle conservation, this will be enjoyable.
Trigger Warning: there is sexual violence, and brutal depictions of animal abuse

I received this book via Netgalley in return for an honest review. I really enjoyed this fictional re-telling of a real life historical event in Costa Rica. The story is based on the brutal killing of a local Costa Rican environmentalist, and the kidnapping, torture, and rape of four eco-volunteers helping the green sea turtles. I thought the author did a great job bringing the characters to life, and exploring the drug trade and bribery in the government agencies of Costa Rica.

I love this book, could not put it down. I also learned a lot. It felt so real, like I was there. I highly recommend it.

Tension from the underlying section reaches a full stop with the broad foundation on the predicament of the ocean turtles and I would have gotten a handle on the data better had it been worked into the story as the volunteers accepted their down to earth obligations. Activity did not get again until part 7.

All through the book, full depictions of environment, places, homes, the different towns, were on occasion missing by and large; exp., part 11, Laura perceived the engine bicycle however not by any means its shading was noted for the peruser's advantage.

Antonio's character is trustworthy in spite of the fact that his insightful advancement was shady in this confused, worldwide story until page 163 when he abridged his objectives for the case. Afterward, on page 247, it was confounding when Antonio said his biggest case was shut. I addressed how it could be since the huge capture scenes were the day preceding? I checked on to check whether a bounce ahead on the course of events happened, yet clearly not.

Credit to Laura who figured out how to have intercourse with a few broken ribs at that point laid on her side to talk while inclining her head on her hand, something most with broken ribs can't start to achieve.

With the coming of the "Genuine Story" toward the finish of the book, it's unmistakable this fiction riddle was roused by genuine occasions and I praise the writer's examination. I understand the predicament of the ocean turtles and trust the story merits telling; its movement and setting of scenes frustrated. An update might be something I'd want to peruse in future.

This book is a wonderful quick read! It has all the perfect elements: a great beach setting, heart pumping mystery to keep you guessing, and a handsome man interested in our main character. How could you not read it??

The resume of the story sounded good - environmental protection for, and of, nesting turtles versus the locals collecting their eggs in order to make money to survive plus a second string bringing in drug related crimes, distribution and so on, all set in Costa Rica. To start we had very brief descriptions of the main characters but with a lot of stilted dialogue which felt more like a script for an average to poor movie. There were odd sections with an immense amount of detail, for example the life history of the turtles, and that felt like a wiki entry rather than part of the book as well as moving swiftly back to plain dialogue. The story got darker with the murder of one of the environmentalists and general harassment of the others by the various drug dealers and we did start to get some context inserted. Too little too late to rescue the book though. The romance between an environmental volunteer and the "good" policemen was teenage I'm afraid especially as the lady concerned was apparently an adult divorcee. Still, it was a first novel and the story had potential, just not achieved for me.

I thank NetGalley and the publisher for a free copy in return for an honest review.

My husband and I just returned from our honeymoon in Costa Rica which promoted me to request a copy of this book. The cover also intrigued me with its bright colors and great scene. That being said I would like to leave an honest and objective review. The story was hard to follow at times and character development was lacking. I think the idea behind the story or the story being told was good. It was fun reliving our vacation through this book (the places not the story in the book of course) and I think many readers who have visited Costa Rica will feel the same.