Review: Sun, Sand, Murder
I received this book in my BooklyBox for December's Mystery Genre! The premise of the book looked really promising when I started but ... well ...
So our protagonist is Special Constable Teddy Creque. He lives on the island of Anegada in the middle of the British Virgin Islands - which is as quiet as it is beautiful. No major crimes ever occurred - until a body was found on the beach. The man is identified as Paul Kelliher, a research biologist that came every winter but when Creque goes to identify the next of kin - Paul Kelliher is found to not exist. We follow Creque on his journey to figure out who Paul Kelliher was, why someone would want to murder him, and most importantly, who the murderer is.
Overall, the main character was an interesting read and the plot line was great (if you're into a typical murder mystery)! But there were a lot of things in this book that made me really dislike it. I would give this book a 2.75/5 star review.
So here is how I got my rating:
I give reviews based on five separate categories: plot, characters, description, pace, and extras. Each point earns a total of 1 star - which is what gives my five star rating.
Plot: 0.5/1 stars. It's a basic murder mystery. Quiet town (island in this case), a brutal murder shakes the town, an innocent cop is stuck in the middle of the investigation, and the big game of "Who Done It?". I really enjoyed the book in the beginning, but the more it progressed, the less I liked it. By the time I got to the end, I was so done with the story it was unbearable.
Characters: 0/1 stars. All of the characters were stereotypical, poorly written, or completely unrealistic. The main character annoyed me and it didn't get better from there. The women in this book were so unrealistic and stereotypical it was disappointing to see their stories intertwining with the main character. We have the slutty, sex-crazed mistress. The Church loving wife. The weed, and thereby reggae, obsessed Englishman with dread locks and a fake accent. Even a weak, overly emotional female coworker - that also happens to be overweight and undesirable. Stereotypes that are overused, unappreciated, and annoying.
Description: 1/1 stars. Keyse-Walker does one thing well - describe everything. The description was pleasant, especially the secluded, small paradise he describes as Anegada. Every detail the reader needs to know is laid out clearly in front of them, which is something I can appreciate completely.
Pace: 1/1 stars. The pace was perfect for a murder mystery. It was neither too fast nor too slow and left you in suspense at the perfect moments. Or speed up for the big reveal at just the right moment.
Extras: 0.25/1 stars. The fact the author didn't white wash this book gives him some extra points, but that should be the norm, not the exception. The main character is a Afro-Caribbean man born and raised on Anegada. His wife and children the same. His mistress also black. Which is why I only gave him 0.25/1 stars. The fact that this book is set on a Caribbean island with mostly Afro-Caribbean or Afro-British characters is refreshing and expected. Besides that the book didn't stand out to me in any other way.
Overall, the book was enjoyable enough, with plenty of plot twists and an interesting premise, but the bad outweighed the good. Stereotypical characters and a basic plot line made this book difficult for me to read. And with certain stereotypes taking hold, annoying to finish.
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HAPPY READING!!!!
