Murder in Montego Bay

I would like to thank Netgalley and Jacaranda Books for an advance copy of Murder in Montego Bay, a police procedural featuring Detective Raythan Preddy set in Jamaica.

The novel opens with a man being shot in front of his house. The man is Carter Chin Ellis and his death means pressure for Preddy as Carter comes from one of the richest families on the island. Add in the fact that he was recently arrested and his brother, Lester, was assaulted while in custody and it has the makings of not just pressure but a PR disaster for the Jamaican police. Preddy doesn't initially get far in either his investigation or his navigation of police politics but it all slowly comes together.

I enjoyed Murder in Montego Bay which is a pleasant read with an engaging protagonist. I did find the Jamaican patois difficult to follow at times and while the blurb says it is there I didn't expect it to be quite as difficult to understand.

The novel has a fairly complicated plot with several viable suspects but no apparent motive. I must admit to guessing some of it in advance as I have seen the plot device before but can't remember where. With few forensic clues the investigation relies on interviews and shoe leather to make any breakthrough. It's a refreshing and slightly old fashioned approach in these modern days.

Raythan Preddy is a likeable protagonist. He is a smart and dedicated investigator with a good team and a "normal" life, his only vice being ganja tea. He is, however, no pushover and sparks soon fly between him and Sean Harris, the Glaswegian detective on secondment to his unit as he isn't quite sure what Harris is up to. The rest of the team, Spence and Rabino, are not as well developed but I would certainly like to see more of these feisty ladies.

I enjoyed the warmth of the novel, not just in the teamwork, but in the setting. Ms Lennon does a good job of evoking the sunshine, heat and atmosphere of Montego Bay. Its exuberance is in stark contrast to the constraints of modern policing which seem shabby and drab with underfunding, dilapidated buildings and poorly functioning, if any, equipment among the problems.

Murder in Montego Bay is a good debut effort and I would like to read more about Detective Preddy and his team. As a result I have no hesitation in recommending it as a good read.

Don't go into Death in Montego Bay expecting Death in Paradise.  Yes there is a Glasgow detective seconded to the Jamaican force, working with Preddy’s group - but he isn't the lead and this isn't a light mystery/fish out of water scenario.  The Jamaica portrayed by Lennon is varied and realistic.  The extremes of wealth and poverty are very clear.  What also becomes quickly apparent is how little the wealthy think of those “below” them.  If there is one take home message it is that wealth makes people think they are better than everyone else and that there is never enough money to satisfy the rich.

Carter and Lester Chin-Ellis are brothers that have everything.  The family business, Chinchillerz, has placed the Chin-Ellis's amongst the Jamaica aristocracy of wealth.  When Carter is murdered in front of the family home, Preddy and his team are given the case.  The extreme wealth of the family allows them to put pressure on the detectives while impeding their investigation.  Carter’s brother, Lester, is particularly belligerent.  At the same time, police officials do not want Preddy to embarrass or inconvenience the family.  

4 / 5

I received a copy of Murder in Montego Bay from the publisher and Netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review.

--Crittermom

Thank you Netgalley and the Publisher. Great another new series of police procedural books but this time set in Jamaica. Absolutely loved it

4 stars

Detective Raythan Preddy is a Jamaican police officer with eighteen years’ experience. Detective Sean Harris is on temporary secondment from a Glasgow, Scotland station. They respond to a shooting outside of an estate on the island. A man named Carter Chin Ellis was shot three times, but there are other cartridges lying about as well. He was just released from the police station and was on his way home. He and his brother are heirs to the Chinchillerz Empire. They are very wealthy.

As they begin their investigation, they interview witnesses and relatives. They get somewhat mixed results at first. The mixed Chinese and Jamaican Chin Ellis family begins immediately to interfere with the investigation in annoying and dangerous ways.

I found the mixture of Jamaican patios and Glaswegian Scots to be very interesting and entertaining. This book is very well written and plotted. The suspense starts out immediately and increases through the rest of the book. The use of language to further the plot is both creative and inventive. This is my first Paula Lennon book, but it won’t be my last. I immediately went to Amazon to look for other books by her. I’ve never been to Jamaica and this book lends and interesting and delightful look at the island and its people. The differences between the wealthy and the rampant poverty on the island are well drawn and startling. I am looking forward to the next Raythan Preddy novel.

I want to thank Netgalley and Jacaranda Books/Jacaranda for forwarding to me a copy of this nice book to read.

When a member of the Chin family is killed, the Jamaican police are on a mission to find a killer while going up against this wealthy family. Detective Preddy is on a journey to find a killer while also trying to save his career. It took me a while to really get into this book however I was able to stick with it then it picked up towards the end. I'm from Jamaica so I'm accustomed to the dialect however it slowed down my reading because I'm use to speaking it not reading it.

If you like a nice crime story you will enjoy this book. You'll get to follow the investigation through the eyes of detective Preddy and watch him navigate his case, his personal life and his relationship with his team. The ending was a bit predictable to me however, it was great being on the chase. Overall I liked this book and I would recommend it.

Thanks to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read his book and provide an honest review.

Murder in Montego Bay is a police procedural crime novel set in Jamaica, featuring an unlikely partnership and a fight to solve the case despite funding issues and inside involvement. When the son of a prominent entrepreneur family is found killed, Detective Preddy wants to solve the case and prove he’s better than the failures that haunt his past. To do so, however, the Jamaican detective will have to work with Glaswegian Harris, seconded into their force and sticking out like a sore, ginger thumb. The pair, plus female colleagues Spence and Rabino, must hunt through lies and cover-up to find out what was really going on with the family and whether local criminal types were involved.

Lennon’s novel is a solid crime story focused on the police difficulties and the quirks of solving a murder in Jamaica. The story is mostly told from Preddy’s point of view, showing his personal struggles at work and at home, but cuts to other characters to give key scenes and information to the reader. The dialogue is stellar, with Jamaican patois and moments of Glaswegian dialect to show characters’ similarities, differences, and ability to fit into different situations, and giving the novel a realistic feel by showing the varying voices of characters.

This is an enjoyable read, perfect for crime fiction fans and people who like the use of dialect and regional language to create realistic characters. The issues of police funding, racial differences and tension in Montego Bay, and police reputation and brutality form the backdrop to the novel alongside the sunny location. It is a police crime novel with social issues and a message that even the rich won’t stop wanting more.

This book was very slow moving and very hard to understand due to the dialect that was used. People who aren't familiar with the language used in Jamaica will have a hard time getting into this book. I almost quit reading it because it was frustrating trying to make sense of the dialogue.

Murder in Montego Bay is Paula Lennon’s debut but it feels as if it’s part of an established series. It’s set in Jamaica, which is something I loved. It made it stand apart from standard crime novels set in the UK or US. I thought it gave a really balanced feel of the country and the people.
The characters were complex and interesting. I occasionally struggled with the Patois but it didn’t interfere with my understanding of the story.
The mystery itself was quite interesting. I especially liked the action-packed resolution. However, I felt that the investigation of the murder was a little passive. It seemed as if the detectives mainly responded to leads coming up, rather than initiate avenues of investigation themselves. I would have also liked to find out more about the victim and his family. Often crime novels explore personal relationships, leading to figuring out motive and perpetrator, but in this book the focus was more on the leading detective and his life. I thought it made the story a little slow in places.
Overall, I enjoyed the book but I didn’t love it as much as I’d hoped. However, I’m sure other readers will love it more.