After reading a number of heavy-hitting advance reader books, I decided I needed a break with something light and silly. Murder in Paradise is the fourth book in author Deborah Brown’s series set in the Florida Keys. I’ve been lukewarm on the series overall so far. The series seems to be much like Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum series, but it is a bit more outrageous if that’s possible.

Madison Westin inherited her aunt’s home and cottage colony in Tarpon Springs. She was looking for some direction in her life when this landed in her lap. Ever since, she seems to be involved in crazier things. Her aunt knew a lot of people in town, and they operated on a currency of IOUs which Madison also inherited. In addition to the cottage colony, she also took over Jake’s Bar once he left town one step ahead of the loan sharks he owed money to, and is attempting the get her private investigator’s license with her best friend, Fab.

Fab’s past comes back to haunt her in Murder in Paradise. Her ex-husband has tracked her down after getting out of jail. He threatens Madison and her family if Fab won’t help him. The two were once cat burglars in France, with Fab having straightened out her life once he went to jail. Fab doesn’t want to go back to that life, but she is protective of Madison’s family as if they were her own.

When the ex-husband turns up dead at a crime scene where the homeowner was also killed, Fab seems to be the likely suspect. Adding to the conflict is Madison’s boyfriend, Zach, who would like nothing more than for Madison to give it all up and move in with him.

I have something of a love/hate relationship with this book and the series. On one hand, it’s silly and a lot of fun; the exact kind of escapism I need at times. There are many colorful characters already here from Madison’s other adventures and a few more get added in this book. Not one person has a normal name, except for Madison, her brother, and her mother. The characters have names like “Quirky”, “Apple”, and “Brick.” There doesn’t seem to be too many normal people in the Keys. The author doesn’t forget characters from one book to the next, and Madison’s do-good personality wants to save them all.

However, that zaniness also detracts from the story and makes it hard to believe. Fab and Madison are less like Cagney and Lacey and more like Ethel and Lucy. I found myself rolling my eyes quite a bit at events that just felt contrived. Whenever Madison is in trouble, it seems there’s someone she knows who she can call on for help. This is especially true when it comes to Creole, the undercover narcotics detective who finds himself working on the murder. She can call a lawyer for Fab who isn’t worried about how he’s going to be paid. When her most recent ride is totaled, Brick is on hand for a loaner. Needs access to a private island? Someone can arrange that for her.

Leading up to this book, one of the biggest sources of conflict for Madison was her relationship with Zach. He’s a security specialist and has stated he wants Madison to give up her house and come live with him. He wants a girlfriend or wife that he knows is going to be there when he comes home at the end of the day to rub his feet (and anything else he might want rubbed) and serve him dinner. That’s not Madison. Hell, that’s not most women nowadays. Zach seems to feel Madison should give up everything and do what he wants. It’s a problem of him liking the idea of Madison, but not who she really is. That comes to a head in Murder in Paradise and it’s hooked me enough that I want to see where everything goes from here, despite not being all that crazy about the series in general.

The mystery was decent, although I figured out who did it pretty early on. The characters are what make the story interesting. Although they might be over-the-top most of the time, it’s fun and escapist when I needed a break from so many serious topics. This series is on Kindle Unlimited, and I think that makes it worth checking out if you need some escapism. I don’t know that I’d recommend buying the books themselves.

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