After 25 years on the job, Detective Roscoe Conklin trades his badge for a pair of shorts and sandals and moves to Bonaire, a small island nestled in the southern Caribbean. But the warm water, palm trees, and sunsets are derailed when his long-time police-buddy and friend back home is murdered. Conklin dusts off a few markers and calls his old department, trolling for information. It’s slow … going, but no surprise there; after all, it’s an active investigation, and his compadres back home aren’t saying a damn thing. He’s 2,000 miles away, living in paradise. Does he really think he can help? They suggest he go to the beach and catch some rays. For Conklin, it’s not that simple.
When a suspicious mishap lands his significant other, Arabella, in the hospital, the island police conduct, at best, a sluggish investigation, stonewalling progress. Conklin questions the evidence and challenges the department’s methods. Something isn’t right…Arabella wasn’t the intended target. He was.
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[Diver’s Paradise is] a fun and heady combination of suspense and intrigue that appeals to the underdog in us all. It definitely delivers what readers crave.
Excellent read and fun following the locations on Bonaire!
A good read worth every one of the four stars. This book reminds me a little of Randy Wayne White and John D. MacDonald, two great authors and great company to be associated. The voice is casual and loose as it should be in a perfect beach read. One of the things I like most is the sense of place; the descriptions carry equal weight as the main characters. I really enjoy finding out about a location I’ve never been. The reader is dropped easily into the story and the Fictive Dream is never disrupted meaning excellent structure. This is the kind of book you fire up a rum punch, a lounge chair in the shade by the pool an enjoy the smooth easy ride.
David Putnam author of the Bruno Johnson series.
Easy read, well worth the time. Conklin or better known as “R” is a delightful character. One of those ex-cop, I don’t wanna be tied down, softies types. When you have such a character and an ocean, you already have me hooked. I liked his easy ways; I wanted to be on the ocean but…I didn’t want to dive, and some people shouldn’t have either.
This was my kind of book. A character somewhat like Travis McGee and yet not…Conklin has his own personality. It’s still one of those mysteries that has everything you want, suspense, interaction between people, dead bodies…well, you get the point.
I don’t know how many other books Davin Goodwin has written. I don’t see others but…I hope he’s working on Book 2 of this as a series.
This is a terrific debut mystery novel by Davin Goodwin. Grabs you from the first page…and never lets go!
Diver’s Paradise is Davin Goodwin’s debut noir novel. In it, he’s captured Caribbean life quite well. There’s great local color both on land and underwater. I read this because I enjoy a good detective story now and then.
Roscoe Conklin is a retired police detective and diver who’s moved to the island of Bonaire and bought a rundown motel with his retirement account. At the beginning of the novel, he receives news of the deaths of his former partner and his wife back in the States. From there, people around Conklin are murdered, so he embarks on the trail of their killer while trying to solve—long distance—the murders of his friends. Unfortunately, he must have lost his edge during retirement because he frequently misses clues that are obvious to the reader. While “island time” may be vague, the police department there seems to work on “island mind” and are frequently dismissed as bumbling and lazy.
The book held my interest. It had a number of twists and turns that kept you guessing.
I liked it a lot. It kept me up past bedtime. I love the keys and they are described accurately.
good scuba story
Tightly written, with surprising twists. Set in my favorite place, Bonaire, the author accurately captures the vibe of the island I know so well. The passages describing the diving made me long for a return trip. Looking forward to the next book in the series.
Davin Goodwin’s debut author, Diver’s Paradise, is explosive crime fiction featuring an ex-cop, now retired, but doing PI work on an island paradise. The crime-element authenticity is superb. The characters real – right down to the Dutch heritage of Bonaire in the southern Caribbean. I hope to see another Roscoe Conklin novel soon!
Make room at the table with Child, Grisham, and Coben. Davin Goodwin’s debut novel Diver’s Paradise is a stay-up-all-night page-turner in the best traditions of the American thriller.
Cops don’t retire to laid-back Bonaire to be targeted for murder, but Roscoe Conklin is the exception. With the grisly murder of his former partner back in the States, Conklin finds himself tangled in a web of lies, deceit, killings and mistaken identity. And all he wants to do is play his banjo on the porch. Tightly written, Goodwin’s debut novel captures the relaxed, easy going life in Bonaire, then shatters it with explosive energy. You won’t put this book down till the last page!
Diver’s Paradise starts off with a bang and never lets up! A fantastic Caribbean mystery that will appeal to fans of Randy Wayne White. The ultimate beach read for those for who love sun, sand, and turquoise water!
Detective Roscoe Conklin’s retirement to the Caribbean paradise of Bonaire is shattered when his old partner is murdered. His attempts to investigate the killing lead him down a convoluted and dangerous path where his own life is at stake. Diver’s Paradise is a fast-paced and engaging thriller that will linger long after the final page.
I don’t read too often mystery books, but from time to time I enjoy myself trying to find the culprit before the story reveals it. For this reason, I do not like those authors who jump at the end with some details kept secret from you. I’m happy to say that Diver’s Paradise is not one of these.
Not knowing what to expect, I start reading and I hear my phone. First ring. I ignore it and keep reading. After the first pages, already I’m totally in and start thinking of various motives and possible directions in which the plot could go.
Second ring. I’m still ignoring the phone. The description of the main character’s retirement life and of Bonaire Island do not disturb the rhythm. The details contribute to the atmosphere and make a great contrast with what has and will happen next. The depiction of the Island is very picturesque adding to the easiness with which the reader can “see” the story.
Third ring. I know I’ll ignore it. I have to think of all the pieces of information, memories, red hearings and too easy to be true details and to work on the puzzle. Davin Goodwin is a sincere mystery writer, but a mystery author nonetheless. He plays with you and apparently forgets about the initial murders dealing only with the present.
I have to discern between the good and bad cops who are out to play, skepticism, broken ribs, unglamorous research, and life attempts. The pages fly, the plot thickens, and every written row brings a jigsaw piece for which I have to find the correct place. I loved that!
Fourth ring. I’m looking at the number and… ignore it. I have to finish this! It is not hard at all to ignore the phone. I like the imperfect-perfect ex-Detective Roscoe Conklin, and how he manages (or not) to be on the other side of the table, facing the mirror. How finding the truth means more than finding a criminal. Objectivity, Logic, and Common Sense… these are the three characteristics that an effective investigator must have. Actually, they are the features around which David Goodwin weaves his mystery.
Fifth ring. Don’t want to answer. Satisfied, I close my kindle. It was a good ride.
There is no place for “maybe, maybe not”! Mystery grunts or veterans, I think you will all enjoyDiver’s Paradise!
Dank je, Mr. Goodwin!
https://mythicalbooks.blogspot.com/2020/04/review-divers-paradise-by-davin-goodwin.html
Diver’s Paradise had me hooked from the first pages, from its opening in snowy Rockford, Illinois to the sunny beaches of an island in the Caribbean. Roscoe Conklin, or R, as he’s known, is a totally likable and engaging protagonist whom I can’t wait to revisit in the next one. Davin Goodwin is a major new talent.
Roscoe Conklin, retired Detective, has relocated to a small island in the Caribbean. But not all is paradise … Roscoe’s partner and best friend was murdered, along with his wife. . in the US.
He’s hoping his old friends still in the department will share a little of their investigation…but everyone is being very quiet.
And when his lady friend, Arabella, lands in the hospital, he discovers that she wasn’t the target …. he was.
Who wanted his partner dead .. and who has their eyes on Roscoe?
This is a well written thriller, filled with non-stop action, and memorable characters that are skillfully drawn. I loved the atmospheric background of surfing, swimming, diving amid the page-turning twists and turns. A little bit of romance, a little bit of humor makes this a winner.
Diver’s Paradise is this author’s debut novel. I look forward to see the next adventures of Roscoe.
Many thanks to the author / Oceanview Publishing / Edelweiss / Netgalley for the digital copy of this crime fiction. Read and reviewed voluntarily, opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.
Detective Roscoe (call me R) Conklin is living on Bonaire after retiring from the Rockford P.D. Life is good with his girlfriend Arabella who is an officer with the local police department. He is stunned when he receives word that former detective Bill Ryberg and his wife Marybeth were murdered in their home. For someone to get to Bill, it had to be someone that he knew. Strange incidents begin to happen on his island paradise. When he is attacked, could his disagreement with a local laborer be involved? After his girlfriend is injured while driving his Jeep, he is sure that he is the target with no idea who is after him…and why. A little confusing towards the end when all is revealed. I received an advance review copy at no cost and without obligation for an honest review. (by paytonpuppy)