The book started off slow and didn't pick up. About halfway through the book it started to pick up a little, but I still wasn't able to fully engage in it. The characters were interesting and the elements for a good story were there, but it didn't come together for me. I think I would have enjoyed this more in first person.

I did not read the first two books in this series and I don't believe I missed anything important to the third book by not reading it. It did well as a stand alone.

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book..

I received the ARC for the second book in this series last year and liked it. However, this year I decided to go and read book 1 before I read this book since I hadn't read the series starter yet. I wish I hadn't. Book 1 made me despise the female MC, and I'm not sure how I didn't catch these things about her in book 2, but I began to catch them in this book. She's just annoying and privileged and vindictive, and not the typical MC you see in cozies. This book was at least a little bit of a departure from the previous two books, but I don't think I'll be reading anymore in this series.

What a fun and cute murder mystery! This was my first book by her and I was coming into a series but I didn’t really feel like I was too far behind not reading the other two books. It’s a lighthearted murder mystery with a cast of flawed and crazy characters. I was left guessing till the end who did it!

Really interesting book. Mystery was fun and complex! Loved the ending. Plum is really growing on me. Glad I hung in there after the first book.

Great title and cover, interesting mystery (locked room mysteries are my favorite), fabulous setting, and Plum is still her often-annoying self. It was a fun read. 3 1/4 stars

This is the 3rd book in the Trouble in Paradise Mystery series, but reads ok on its own.

Many thanks to Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley for an advance copy of this book. My thoughts and opinions are my own and without bias or favor or expectation.

THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGONFRUIT TATTOO is the third book in the Tropical Island Cozy Mystery series by Carrie Doyle.
The book is as fun as the cover suggests, it almost makes fun of the cozy mystery genre with it’s over-the-top characters but it does so in a warm hearted way.
The sleuth is New York transplant, Plum Lockhart, who usually lives and works at her villa rental company on the fictional Caribbean island of Paraiso. The setting is fabulous and takes you to a tropical dream getaway - this time spent island hopping on a billionaire’s yacht with the rich and famous. Except, there seems to be a murderer aboard and one of the yacht’s employees is the victim. Plum finagles an invitation and the Paraisoan police sends her undercover to find the culprit.
Plum is reminiscent of Agatha Raisin in her abrasive behavior and style of investigating. This is by no means a realistic police procedural - this is meant to be an over the top fun escapist story -a perfect beach read - and as such it delivers !

The audio narrated by Elizabeth Cottle does a great job at setting the scene and capturing Plum Lockhart’s voice and attitude - this was fun !

I was provided with an advance audio, thanks to @NetGalley and @DreamscapeMedia.

Plum Lockhart is back in a third installment of the Trouble in Paradise series. This time, the cozy ventures off the island and onto a luxury yacht where a maid has been murdered.

What I liked: The locked room mystery amps up the suspense, as the killer is someone on the yacht with Plum. The suspects are all eccentric and Doyle kept me guessing.

I liked the nod to classic mysteries with Plum listing why a few characters could have been the culprit.

Gerald is back and provides a dash of humor.

What didn’t work for me: There was a few continuity issues that might get connected in the final - lights that go off but aren’t mentioned coming back on for example.

There are subplots with Juan Kevin and his ex and then rival real estate agent Damien that are solved fairly quickly and with minimum fuss.

It’s a little far fetched that the police, who have previously told Plum to stay out of their investigations, now need her to go undercover but most cozies require some degree of suspending reality.

Who should read it: you’re ready for warmer weather, like isolated mysteries without the gore, enjoy Below Deck, and lots of characters.

Thank you to Netgalley, Poisoned Pen Press, and Carrie Doyle for an advance copy of The Girl With the DragonFruit Tattoo in exchange for an honest review. What a fun little cozy mystery!! I didnt realize this was a series but this can definitely be read as a standalone. I loved getting to know our main character, Plum, as she attempted to solve a murder on a yacht. I did end up guessing some of the twists and who the murderer was but I definitely didnt have all the details figured out so that didnt take away from the story for me. I always appreciate a light hearted, fun mystery and this book provided just that. I look forward to going back and seeing what Plum has previously gotten up to in the authors other books! This one is available now!

Right about now is the time where I start getting really tired of the Oregon rain and cold weather. I start to randomly look for tropical vacations that are anywhere with sun and warmth. Sadly, my budget doesn’t allow for tropical travel every year so I have to make do with what I have on hand which is usually a book set in a sunny location. Sometimes tropical book setting can be hard to find, but when I do find one, I am usually game to check them out.

When I saw this book come up for review, I was like HECK YES, tropical cozy murder mystery sounds like just the ticket to cure the winter blues. So I decided to give this one a shot, plus I love the cover. It is super cute. I haven’t read anything by Carrie Doyle before and actually I hadn’t even heard of any of her books but once this one came into my orbit, I was curious to see what other books she has put out. This one here is third in a series so obviously there are other books before it as well as another series that Doyle has written.

She seems to have a flair for cozy mysteries and this particular series is set in a tropical destination which to me is rare. Tropical destinations always feel transient. Like people weren’t meant to be there for any length of time. But I love that this book series make a home of the tropical island Paraiso. It gives readers roots to a location that often just feels like a short escape but readers of the series will feel like they are coming home to the island of Paraiso.

Summary
Sometimes you have to rock the boat to catch a killer!

On the tropical island of Paraiso, Plum Lockhart has a new zest for life. Her villa rental company is growing like a weed, she’s solved a couple of pesky murders, and things with her long-time crush are finally starting to heat up.

Plum does sometimes miss her sparkly life in the Big Apple, so she’s thrilled when she gets an invite to dinner on the yacht, where she can mingle with famous singers, up-and-coming stars, society swans, and billionaires. After a few hours on the boat, Plum wonders what secrets are lurking beneath the surface.

Two days later, one of the servers from the yacht―a girl with a dragonfruit tattoo―washes up dead, and Plum’s sweet bit of paradise quickly goes sour. As the ship prepares to set sail across the Caribbean, Plum hops onboard to investigate the case, undercover. But the best laid plans turn deadly as it becomes clear that everyone on the boat has a motive and Plum must sleuth out the killer before she becomes the next victim (summary from Goodreads)

Review
The number one question I get asked when I tell people I am reading a new series (or new to me series)—-is, can the books be read out of order. While the question seems pretty straight forward, it often isn’t. It often depends on many elements but I will say generally, cozy mysteries can be read out of order. I have found many a cozy mystery that I have been able to skip around in the series and I would say that I think this is one of them. I hadn’t read the other books in the series but I felt fairly confident that I could pick up this book and not feel too lost within the greater story. For the most part I found that to be true with this one. Yes there were some established relationships and history that some new readers might notice however, I didn’t feel like it impacted the larger story.

The author did a good job explaining some of the back stories and I didn’t feel overly lost in the story and as often is the case, most cozy mysteries focus on the mystery itself rather than the other plots. I enjoyed getting to know the characters in the book and thought the mystery reminded me of a classic almost Agatha Christie style murder mystery with it being set on a yacht, it was more of a locked room mystery which is what Christie is known for. I really enjoy that type of mystery and this is exactly what this book reminded me of. If you are a fan of lock room mysteries then you will find a lot to love here. Plus the exotic setting gave the mystery a air of newness as so many cozy mysteries are set in places like England or small town America. I loved having something that made me feel like I was getting to take a mini vacation on a warm island or cruise!

While I loved the setting of this book, I don’t know that I loved all the characters. For me Plum was just ok. I don’t know if reading the other books would help that or not, but based on the fact that I haven’t read the other books, I can only go off of how I felt toward her as a character based on this one book. She was smart and I liked watching her solve a mystery, but at the same time I felt disconnected with her. That was the reason I gave this one three stars. It was a quick easy read and I loved the mystery part but I wish I had formed a stronger connection with Plum. That said I would definitely like to read the other books in the series and I am hopeful that I will find a connection with her in other books.

Book Info and Rating
Format

336 pages, Mass Market Paperback

Published: January 31, 2023 by Poison Pen Press

ISBN 9781728232393 (ISBN10: 1728232392)

Free review copy provided by publisher, Poison Pen Press, in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and in no way influenced.

Rating: 3 stars

Genre: cozy mystery

there's plenty of potential in this book: humour, a lovely setting and a solid mystery. I like Carrie Doyle style of writing and I wanted to love this book.
It's quite entertaining but I think that the MC is quite unlikeable.
I want to read the next book as I think it could be just related to this moment.
Many thanks to the publisher for this arc, all opinions are mine

I love me a good cozy mystery, and with a catchy, punny title like this, how can I resist?

Plum, a recent transplant to the tropical paradise of Paraiso, runs a successful villa rental company that caters to the wealthier set. Living there has also uncovered her knack for solving mysteries. She’s become the island’s Miss Marple or Jessica Fletcher, much to the chagrin of the local police force. The latest mystery involves a crew member’s death on a yacht owned by a successful music producer. One of the guests on the yacht is an old colleague of Plum’s. Before the death, Plum had been invited on board by her friend where she hobnobbed with the elite. As the elite do, they’re all eccentric, and it’s here that Plum first met the victim who eluded to needing her help. But before they could speak more, the person is found dead. Since Plum already has an in with the suspects, the police chief reluctantly insists she stay on the yacht to help investigate and gather intel.

The mystery is so much fun and Plum is instantly likable. She so down to earth and seemingly unafraid of landing in the middle of things. As with all cozy mysteries, it’s formulaic and you know she’ll get the bad guy in the end but not before we have some suspense, misdirection, and shenanigans. I ate it up!

I didn’t realize this was the third book in a series until I was about to start, but it was perfect as a standalone. The author provided enough backstory without over explaining it. I loved how this became a comfort read for me, and I’ll be reading the first two books in this series, too!

Carrie Doyle’s a new-to-me cozy mystery author whom I enjoyed. This book is perfect for a quick, fun read or take along for your travels.

Thanks to @netgalley & @poisonedpenpress for ARC. This is my honest review.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗚𝗶𝗿𝗹 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗗𝗿𝗮𝗴𝗼𝗻𝗳𝗿𝘂𝗶𝘁 𝗧𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗼𝗼 is available January 31st.

Coming at you with some honesty and how I was proved wrong!

I headed into this book with the mindset I would DNF it. I read the first in the series and the main character rubbed me the wrong way. Not sure why I requested the third in the series on @netgalley but I did. It was sitting just on my netgalley shelf so I figured I'd try 15-20% of it, call it a dnf, and get on with others on my shelf. However, The Girl with the Dragonfruit Tattoo totally pulled me in when I realized it was a rich people behaving badly story set on a yacht. A body was found and I had to know which rich person was the killer. It's basically Below Deck with a murder- I was all in! I'd say this book isn't a top cozy mystery for me and the MC still didn't hit the mark, but I really enjoyed the mystery and the setting. I'm happy that my mindset was proved wrong and this book wasn't a dnf for me. Hoping this will remind me to give all books a fair shot, even if I've read the author or series in the past!!

Thank you Netgalley and Poisoned Pen Press for my e-arc!

This was one of the toughest books I've had to score.

This book had so many good things. Tropical islands, atmosphere, murder and mayhem on a boat, a quirky cast of side characters...and well developed mystery plot. And QUALITY writing style.

BUT it was all overshadowed. Completely overshadowed by the one of the most annoying main characters in my reading history. This main character is conceited, shallow, whiny, miserable about her past, miserable about her present, bragging about her past to impress people (even though it was so horrible....clearly not traumatized), irritated at her friends and irritated at her "lover" at points. But she has the memory of a goldfish - where she hates things one minute,...loves them the next. Example: <spoiler> her love interest Juan Kevin. She finds out his is married; is mad at him. And 40 pages later...he is the best man she knows and they will get married (never mind he is already married, lets not solve that problem first). </spoiler>

And there were no redeeming features about this main character. No character building or personality change throughout the story. Gosh, she just grated on me all wrong. . Here's the thing....I want to like the main character. Or I want to see a transformation. If the character is going to have 50 bad qualities and only one good. It better be a great character building story....toss the rest of the cozy mystery story somewhere else. But this cozy mystery is great...if only the main character would have been toned down. Made smart, or sassy...conniving or cunning....humorous or cutely clumsy. I just needed something to like about her. Something generic...something trope-y and stereotypical.

This would be better intended for a young adult and teen audience. I would have preferred this type of personality in a flighty 16 year old dragged along with her mom onto a boat and solving the mystery - like a mini Nancy Drew. Then the drama around her friends, relationships, and the general whining would have been 10x more tolerable.

All the other great parts of the story are going to pull me into reading more from this author...but its just not likely to be from this series.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC, I am so exited to find a new author. Despite this book not hitting the right notes for me.

The story is as great as the cover in this fun, cozy mystery. I loved the writing and the suspense, I truly couldn't put it down!

Plum ends up at a yacht party when when of the waitress’s she has just met ends up dead. When Plum is ordered to go along on a yachting trip with the suspects drama and chaos ensues. With another death and more incriminating information collected about the suspects can Plum find out the killer before it’s too late? The Caribbean setting and celebrity suspects made the story so enjoyable and such a fun cozy mystery to escape into! I plan on catching upon the other two books in the series and to keep following the author.

This book was so good! I really enjoyed it!

Plum was exactly the kind of girl power amateur sleuth that I love to read about. I massively enjoyed the location of the book. The island is the exact place I need a vacation in. Plum doesn't see herself very clearly and that makes her all the more endearing.

She is hot on the case to find out how a server on a luxury yacht ended up dead. I totally did not see the ending coming and I am usually very good at figuring out the whodunnits in these kinds of books but nope!!

It was a really easy and light read and I while it is not my usually book, I am pretty hooked now and cannot wait for Plum's next adventure! 4 stars

Carrie Doyle's 3rd instalment in her Trouble in Paradise series, The Girl with the Dragonfruit Tattoo was a really fun read. Following Something's Guava Give, it tracks protagonist Plum Lockhart who has settled into island life on Paraiso in the Caribbean. When a waitress named Lysette is found dead having been on a rich music executive, Robert Campbell's yacht, Plum, the head of her own villa broker agency, Plum Lockhart Luxury Retreats, investigates. Juan Kevin Munoz is around in this novel again. A quick, amusing read with lots of suspects and a sublime setting.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from Poisoned Pen Press via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.

I love the tropical setting of this mystery series. I also think that the luxury yacht gave a unique setting and the perfect locked room-style mystery.

Some things that could have been better: I wanted more romantic tension with Juan Kevin, especially when his wife shows up on the scene! There is also a spoiler to one of my favorite Agatha Christie novels, which will ruin the best Christie ending ever if you haven’t read it yet!

The Girl with the Dragonfruit Tattoo is the 3rd book in Carrie Doyle’s Trouble in Paradise! series. Plum Lockhart is absolutely killing it with her property management company…perhaps that’s a poor choice of words because it certainly seems that wherever Plum goes someone’s always getting killed, lol. This time around the body of the girl with a dragonfruit tattoo washes up on shore. The girl who coincidentally was a server onboard a ship Plum had been on just days earlier. And of course in typical fashion, Plum gets involved in the investigation, and it’s not long before she realizes she’s out at sea and that almost everyone around her might be the killer. Interesting characters and a twisty plot with plenty of red herrings make this another solid entry in this fun series. 4.5 stars I’d like to thank Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an eARC of The Girl with the Dragonfruit Tattoo.

https://www.amazon.com/review/RXCLGTC389Y7M/ref=pe_1098610_137716200_cm_rv_eml_rv0_rv

Another fun cozy escape with Plum Lockhart and her new life on a tropical island. Her villa rental business is going well and her love life is heating up. What more could a girl want? How about an invite to join a party on a fancy yacht? Too bad it leads to a dead body and a typical amateur sleuth on the case. During the party Plum encounters the young woman, a server at the party but Plum brushes her off only to find out later that she has been found murdered.
In true cozy fashion Plum goes undercover to mingle and snoop on the yacht. Think Agatha Christie tropical setting and it's a locked room mystery, too. It doesn't have to be believable, it just has to be a good puzzle and fun, too. This fits the bill nicely. As for Plum? Well I don't think she and I would ever make it as best friends as she is not the most likable person. It's just who she is, almost outright rude at times. I have enjoyed all three books in the series and will read the next one if there is one....or more.
My thanks to the publisher Poisoned Pen Press and to NetGalley for giving me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.