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Paradise #3

Trouble in Paradise

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A Brand-New Madison Westin Novel, with More Craziness in Tarpon Cove...

Remember Madison? What she had to go through... inheriting her aunt's cottages was peanuts compared to what awaits her in TROUBLE IN PARADISE, the latest addition to the Paradise Series.

What is big news in small town Tarpon Cove? An accidental drowning or maybe even a ruthless murder? When a dead fisherman rolls up on the shore of Tarpon Cove, Madison cannot resist but to jump into her new role as Private Investigator, with only one goal in mind: to solve this intriguing mystery of the dead guy. But things do not go as Madison wants as she discovers that people in small towns are usually tight lipped, and that is certainly the case for the residents of Tarpon Cove. Although a hot bed for gossip, in a town where everyone knows everyone's business, what is safer than keeping your mouth shut?

But that is not all... With Madison's tenant assessment skills not shaping up, her cottages are still full of riffraff, and it has become Tarpon Cove's hotbed for illegal affairs.

Madison teams up with her best friend and Glock-carrying Fabiana... Together they take on cases no other investigators would ever dare to touch in Tarpon Cove or anywhere else.

Sometimes a girl needs a bubble bath and a fun book. So draw your bath and dive into Madison's adventures!

325 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 1, 2013

1015 people are currently reading
436 people want to read

About the author

Deborah Brown

50 books1,437 followers
Deborah Brown is the author of the Paradise series, Crazy, Deception and Trouble Florida Keys mysteries, which makes the reader laugh, cry and cheer...

My personal ad would read:

There's nothing a new pair of shoes can't cure.

Redhead. Long legs. There's nothing like a strawberry-lemonade in summer. Favorite activity: Filling my pockets with seashells. An avid rule follower when eating Animal Cookies: Broken ones get eaten first, match up the rest, duplicates next, line them up favorite to not, least favorite go first. South Florida is my home, with my ungrateful rescue cats, and where Mother Nature takes out her bad attitude in the form of hurricanes.


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5 stars
1,577 (58%)
4 stars
792 (29%)
3 stars
271 (10%)
2 stars
50 (1%)
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7 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 125 reviews
Profile Image for ✨ Gramy ✨ .
1,382 reviews
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March 5, 2022
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This fast-paced mystery series is available free with Kindle Unlimited.

The heroine has a dependable network of friends and associates. However, I had a very difficult time connecting with the characters, experiences, and plotline. The use of profanity was not excessive, but too much for my taste.

The heroine seems to find it impossible to say 'no' and is oblivious as to how to stand up for herself in any given situation. The heroine was clearly not able to manage on her own - especially while her life was in danger, but insisted on doing so anyway (spurning the assistance of trained security officers). The sexual scene was not explicit, but the insinuations about sex were excessive.

I pushed through, looking for the light at the end of the tunnel. It sure was a dim one, because situations just continued to get worse and worse. There were definitely gaps in the plot. lack of character development, no well-rounded characters, editing errors that detracted from the read, stilted dialogue, AND too many characters to keep track of (which progressively gets worse with each book).

However, things that bothered me far outway the small portion of goodness. The use of profanity was low but still too much for my taste. The heroine was clearly not able to manage on her own - especially while her life was in danger, but insisted on doing so anyway (spurning the assistance of trained security officers). The sexual scene was not explicit, but the insinuations about sex were way too much. There was no character development going on, even with the H/H and H/Mother.

Consequently, not my favorite, but certainly not the worst thing I ever read either. As a light read with little mystery, some may actually enjoy it even more than I did.
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Profile Image for Melissa.
739 reviews27 followers
May 21, 2022
Honestly this series is pretty silly. Every character is a character and that gets a bit old and can be exhausting for the reader. . I enjoy most of the characters, the story moves at a decent pace, it’s a nice bit of escapism.
Profile Image for Julie .
4,234 reviews38k followers
November 2, 2014
Trouble in Paradise by Deborah Brown is a 2014 Paradise Books publication. I was provided a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is my kind of cozy mystery novel. It's a combination of mystery, romance, friends, and family with lots of humor capping it off.
In Tarpon Cove, the usually very talkative residents suddenly clam up when a fisherman turns up death and foul play is suspected. Madison is a private detective itching for a case. Despite her boyfriend Zach's objection to her current occupation, she is determined to find out the truth about the suspicious death. Teaming up with Madison is her good friend Fab, who is a riot. Add to the mix Madison's mother, who is always interfering in her love life, her brother Brad and his new girl, and having inherited her aunt's rent cottages, which is littered with some real lowlifes involved in who knows what kind of illegal activities. Having to earn her detective license, Madison is also being sent out of some of the strangest cases you could imagine.

Madison and Fab make a great team, even if they have some rather odd cases and have an unusual way of getting things solved. I loved the tropical locale and the secondary characters, all of whom were well written, some playing it straight and others a bit on the quirky side. Occasionally, the story got a little too busy and too many people were involved which had me mixing a few things up once or twice. Other than that, this is a really fun mystery, action packed, with characters you will want to keep in touch with for a long time to come. This one is 4 stars.
Profile Image for Patti.
688 reviews17 followers
August 19, 2023
This is the third book in a series about Madison Westin. She inherited her aunt’s home and small cottage colony in the Florida Keys. It’s really a variation on Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum saga, complete with quirky characters and Madison getting over her head in danger. The difference is, Stephanie’s crazy antics at least make some sense. The third book really takes a dip from the last two as well.

Madison was inspired to get her private investigator’s license after the last two adventures. When a local fisherman is washed up deceased, she decides to put her skills to the test. The on;y problem is, she really has no skills. She teams up with her friend and current housemate, Fabiana and they are off on a series of adventures that put them in danger, seemingly every time they leave the house.

Part of the problem is that Madison does not seem to be actually doing anything that helps solve the mystery. She’s just sort of going where her life takes her and clues or circumstances lead her to unravel the mystery. There’s no real active investigating on her part. In fact, I’d say she solved the mystery despite herself. She rarely stands up for herself, which leads to problems at the cottages as the tenants there. Ove has moved in an abusive girlfriend who hates Madison and she continually takes the abuse. The other ones are mere squatters, and yet she lets them conduct illegal activity and does nothing to stop them.

To read my full review, please go to: https://thoughtsfromthemountaintop.co...
Profile Image for C.M. Albert.
Author 16 books928 followers
January 15, 2014
Deborah Brown is a new favorite author! Deborah's In Paradise series are addictive, hot, fun, cant-put-em-down reads. (And they're not just for the beach, either!).

Trouble in Paradise has the book's female main character, an in-training P.I., Madison, stumbling into her first "official" jobs as a P.I. getting hours under another P.I.'s license. Brown does an amazing job making all of her characters distinct and extremely loveable or hateable, as the case may be. With characters like Brick, Spoon, Dickie, Creole, Cosmo, and Kibble, you know it's gonna be a fun read, and a wild ride. The books take place in the Florida Keys, and are every bit as heat-filled and full-of-life as the area.

The In Paradise series is the True Blood equivalent, wrapped in a P.I. mystery read based in the Keys, instead of vampires in Bon Temps. It's every bit as exquisitely written, with a wide-range of unforgettable characters, with heat and sex, and lots of guns. Did I mention, lots and lots of guns? Everyone packs in Brown's stories and it adds a slice of humor and charm that make the romp an even cheekier ride.

No spoilers here, but just to say that Brown does a good job solving the crime, with a character I wasn't necessarily suspecting (it could've been just about anyone), and sets up the next book nicely without leaving a frustrating cliff hanger. This makes these books great as stand alone reads, but they're like chips...you won't be able to devour just one!
Profile Image for Becca.
219 reviews116 followers
December 2, 2014
This series definitely lands at one of the top spots of my favorites for the year. As you all that have followed me for a while with my reviews know, I love books. I love all sorts of different genres. Mystery has to be one of my absolute favorites though. A good woman lead role is also something that I adore. So the In Paradise series takes the cake for me. Madison is a strong woman who you would not really suspect would be leading a double life. Madison is a take charge female and her group of friends that she surrounds herself with are amazing to follow as well. Characters that have their own personalities are that much more interesting. Friends that mold into each other can make for a boring novel, which this group of friends definitely is not.

This book is not short on action and the way that Madison handles herself is something for the ages. Women that can hold their own and not have to depend on men are very attractive, and these girls are all that and more. These books in the series are quick reads but they are enjoyable. I never want them to end, but they do. I have had the pleasure of always having the next one to look forward to though. This is the case with this one as I move on in the series. This book gets FIVE stars from me and I look forward to giving the full report on the next Deborah Brown masterpiece.

I received this book to review through Beck Valley Books Book Tours, all the opinions above are 100% my own.
Profile Image for Ashley.
50 reviews5 followers
March 25, 2016
Madison Westin is back and better than ever! This book like all the others starts out with a bang!!! The first thing you will learn about Madison is that she is an IOU collector and redeemer! This woman has inherited IOU's from her late grandmother and keeps on racking them up herself for all of her amazing deeds she does for friends and family. The new addition of Creole as a third player in the Madison and Zach love triangle just makes it even better! I am totally team Zach BUT I would love for him to get a bit of a scare so he steps up ;) This book starts out with Madison making the decision to get her private investigators license which much to her dismay is not something Zach is on board for!

This book is the third in the In Paradise Series and Deborah once again does not disappoint! I am so happy to have the opportunity to review these books :) This book can definitely be read by itself but you should totally just dive in with book one Crazy in Paradise! Go get them all now! You won't be able to put it down!
Profile Image for Sharon Martin.
374 reviews48 followers
December 14, 2015
The third book in an excellent series, it's all kicking off in the Keys, Madison and buddies are knee deep in trouble and have iou's to the big hitters in the area. How much trouble one lady can land herself in as well as trying to help her friends is unbelievable. The whole team has to give everything if they are all to survive.

This novel is full of excitement, sexual tension and romances and superbly backed up with humorous quips. The characters have grown into a very moulded group and their traits shine through.

Another very easy but enthralling read and a lot more going on, odd jobs for the local don, problems of trying to evict troublesome residents and also solve the mystery of a man floating in the local waters.

The women will love the hunks with their dark sides and overprotective nature, with the female characters trying to prove they can live and survive without them, which adds a touch of feminism to the story. The fast cars, the gun tottering and dodgy characters embellished in a warm weather climate makes a rip roaring read.
Profile Image for Victoria Brinius.
761 reviews35 followers
November 12, 2014
Trouble in Paradise is part of the series called The Paradise series. Madison loves being a private investigator and starts trying to solve a new mystery as fast as she can. Why are the residents of Tarpon Cove giving her the cold shoulder? Why is she thinking that she is the one who can solve this cause of death? I have to admit that this is the first book in the series that I have read. I will be getting a copy of the others as soon as possible, I really enjoyed it. I give this book a 4/5. I received this book to review through Beck Valley Books Book Tours, all the opinions above are 100% my own.
187 reviews12 followers
July 12, 2014
Started off pretty good but fell off somewhere in the middle and that's where I quit. The writing left a lot to be desired. Everything felt too "fluffy". I guess for me it didn't have a decent balance of comedy and drama. It reminded me of Twilight in some ways, and that's never a good sign.
21 reviews1 follower
April 21, 2023
This is a long series so the reader can get to know the characters well and see how the author fills in gaps, keeps adding backstory, expanding the family and business, and making changes to move the storyline forward. Madison owns not only an inherited cluster of motel cabins and her Florida house, she is now the owner of a family bar and has endless cash to make improvements. With never of mention of source. Call backs to previous plots and reminders about all the side characters creates continuity, a good thing as it's hard to remember the rotating cast. With each book author Brown adds another person to a growing circle of "specialists" around Madison that she can call upon as needed to clean up current messes.
The whole thing is really quite silly, and I keep reading just for the silliness of it all. She is a PI in training, living in a growing wannabe mobster family, and taking care of bizness in the crime ridden underworld of Florida. I like that this series is in the category of mystery cozy. It fits well there so not to be confused with true crime or any other hint of reality or mystery writing.
Things I'd like to see improved: Everyone has a gun, carries it everywhere, and draws it on everyone, who constantly threaten each other with death and mayham. I groan every time a new baddie accuses PI trainee Madison on being the mastermind on their scam when they get caught and forces the local ahole Sheriff to question and threaten to haul her in to jail in cuffs one more time. That repeating pattern got so old the author finally ditched the whole repeating loop and she finally became friends with the local badass Sheriff Hand. They can now gossip amongst themselves about all the relevant clues on the down low. Kevin as detective is part of the family enforcers and so enables family to bypasses laws so they can get'r'done justice. But wait, a new hardass detective partner Johnson is introduced to play the bad guy harassing her. And we were so close to tossing that endless loop.
Another repeating boring pattern is yet another baddie threatening to steal her house and/or motel cabins through another lawsuit and more stolen proof with looping patterns and countersuits. Buzzer.
And don't forget people beating up other people as a means to handle all conflict. Not a negotiator in the bunch, just threaten 'em and chase 'em out of town. And the weird strange complicated boyfriend Zach, used as both sexy boy toy and controlling misogynistic neanderthal is a real head shaker. Yet another shadow bad guy in sexy drag trying to hold Madison down from becoming the best she can be as family top criminal revenge specialist. With a sidebar waiting in the wings...
And let's not forget complicated layers to irritating Madison. She is both fem fatale without a brain in her head or ability to say No to anyone or any situation. Combined with a hardened streak of enhanced physical and fighting sills, gun accuracy and bloodhound tracking skills. Partnered with my fav character, feisty trainer Fab who is teaching the shadow-masked innocent to become a badass stalker of killers and wannabe criminals. There is a definite story arc in Madison's growth in all areas.
This all seems like a soft echo of the real redneck underbelly of Florida, with fear and paranoia spreading like wildfire to kill each other when they become rabid squirrels. There are no rules, only a family circle taking care of family. I just wish there was an element of satire like the "other" famous Florida writers so I could laugh more and shake my head in sadness less.
Brown's plot lines draw on real and dangerous social ills, woven well into storylines full of pseudo violence, light humor, lots of ribbing, hints and allegations of sex, endless craziness, and lots of points racked up over owing each other favors. The problems are real and seemingly unsolvable. The down side is that Brown appears to be championing these kind of solutions in her storylines, not mocking them or pointing out the futility and bottomless vacuum. There is only family and friends of family that can help so take the law into your own hands. Kill 'em all. A sad story line that kids and adults are listening to and acting upon as guns as solution for all conflict is becoming reality in Florida and around the country.
Profile Image for Jack.
332 reviews2 followers
August 14, 2017
Madison returns with all the usual characters, along with a new mystery to solve (imagine that). A dead body washes up on shore (these things happen when you live by the water), and there ain't nobody talking about it. At all. Very unusual in a place notorious for gossip.

Madison has grown into a character I can appreciate, even if I don't exactly like her all that much. But I do like that her heart is in the right place. Her partner in not-really-crime, Fab, has grown on me some. She's still extremely scary, but she's not all scary. I'd really like to read more about Zach's work, but for the moment, he serves only as the sexist "boyfriend" of Madison. The characters all seem to be fairly consistent, even the lesser characters.

As I was reading through this, about 2/3 of the way through, it seemed like the story was fairly disjointed, more just a series of incidents than a cohesive story. And it dawned on me that maybe Madison's life has progressed to a series of incidents rather than one big mystery. That revelation elevated the story for me.

Enjoyable.
Profile Image for Janet Graham.
2,490 reviews9 followers
July 29, 2023
The Entire Family Are Gunslingers!
This book is the 3rd in a series that takes place in South Florida. While each episode is complete, the books all build on each other so it would be best to read the series in order. The situation is a bit tangled, but it involves several PIs that stay barely legal. Note to author: Shotguns and rifles are not the same thing and are not interchangeable, but they both are long guns. There is quite a collection of friends that help each other out and they are all a bit weird. There is some romance that is not graphic but is spicey. It is a fun series that is not graphic when it comes to anything, but it is not clean nor is it a cozy. I have been reading the series in order and am not about to stop.
237 reviews2 followers
June 8, 2021
Murder, shootings, and more of the same

This author has created clever names for her characters. Brother and sister Brad and Madison are pretty normal names but that's pretty much the end of it. And the characters are all much more wacko than their names. Creole, Kibble, Slice, Zach, Madeline, Cosmo, Fabian, and Dickie.
Everyone is packing including Madison's mom. Everyone is going to be a private investigator, crook, cop or dead before long.
Madison cries too much. Zach, for acting like a boyfriend, doesn't give her enough attention except when he uses the friends with benefits card.
Profile Image for Sidney Rippy McLaughlin.
129 reviews
August 6, 2018
More Excitement and Craziness in the Keys.

I like the characters very much! They live on the edge, not really criminals, but always pushing the limits. This series is light hearted adventure. The details and story lines get convoluted enough that you never quite see the end coming until it’s there.
It’s a little hard to remember who everyone is, because they all have odd nicknames. (Is that really a thing in the Keys?) other than that, it’s a fast paced story with great quirky characters.
Profile Image for Mariann.
372 reviews4 followers
April 5, 2021
Just keeps getting better

This is the third book of the series and my anticipation of reading the next one is on high alert.
It took me awhile to get through this one and of course the content was seductive holding me captive for hours at a time. I was thankful Brad found someone even if his mama helped the situation. That Veta what a bitch even I wanted to slap her face. Creole was worth it and now I'm going to the next book because I don't get to have him either. Another good read!
Profile Image for Diana Hartmann.
8 reviews1 follower
August 9, 2023
Murder in Paradise ( collection of all 28 book series ) are (is) humorous cozy mystery novel with quirky characters that will keep you entertained throughout the novel.

I always enjoy a good mystery, especially one that immediately draws me in and keeps me engrossed. I loved the crazy names and antics each character got into, I spent a lot of time laughing at the outrageous circumstances that came up. I have never read any of this series before but after reading this, I think I will go back and read the others in the series. Deborah Brown has made a new fan out of me!
Profile Image for Drew.
774 reviews26 followers
July 26, 2017
A little bit different than the first two books in the series ‘Trouble in Paradise’ seems to focus a bit more on Madison’s love life rather than her crime solving abilities. Yes, there are some of those as well which are another sore subject for me. She jumps from case to case almost every chapter while the main case, Cosmo’s murder, felt largely ignored until it’s suddenly resolved near the end. It felt more like a romance novel than a beachy mystery to me.
Profile Image for Sue.
47 reviews1 follower
November 19, 2019
Move me to Paradise, please.

Paradise sounds like such a fun place to live even with all the murders, robberies, etc. This book has so many laugh out loud moments in it and a few tearful spots also. Madison and Fab are the coolest, most hilarious P.I.’s ever. The characters in this series of books are more colorful than a box of crayons. Highly recommend reading the series of books.
65 reviews
September 22, 2022
Just keeps getting better

There are few authors that can keep a storyline expanding without losing the tension and interest. Deborah Brown is one of those exceptions. The whole crew are starting to really to find their place and becoming wholly independent.
Each one is falling into the role they should without losing their "true" character. The author has you waiting for the next book, but hoping this one keeps going.
Profile Image for Neena Christianson Martin.
1,185 reviews11 followers
September 22, 2017
Madison is a trouble magnet.

Another winner here!! Madison Westin attracts trouble every where she goes, even when she's trying to be good. A kooky family, barely legal friends, and a hot boyfriend who wants to lock her up and throw away the key, make up her unusual entourage. It all adds up to a really good enjoyable book experience.
Profile Image for Don Rich.
Author 35 books72 followers
March 13, 2018
Madison and Fab are my favorite characters out of all the books that I've read this year so far (except my own). In just three books, Madison has gone from doormat to badass with a Glock, and I can't wait to see where she goes from here! Keep writing Deborah, I'm in 'binge reading' mode! Three down, and eleven more titles to go!
63 reviews
July 12, 2021
Still fun...but...

Ms Brown's editor must have been on vacation for Book 3. There are chapters that end one place & the next chapter starts out somewhere completely different. There's no resolution to several of the crazy/fun scenarios that are introduced. Ms Brown is spinning a LOT of plates right now & I'm not sure even she knows how she's going to keep them spinning...
Profile Image for JENNIFER L OSTRANDER.
26 reviews
July 23, 2018
Keys Life

I live in the Keys and have a great time reading these books. The only thing is sometimes I wonder if the author ever came here. Ocean waves and beaches aren’t easy to drive down overseas highway and have the view of.
Profile Image for Tomi.
1,488 reviews7 followers
May 7, 2019
A fun little murder mystery with a zany cast of characters. A good, quick beach read. But a word of caution - these books need to be read in order, since the characters and their relationships develop and change constantly.
Profile Image for Susan.
2,418 reviews11 followers
September 27, 2019
So entertaining!

I love this series. The characters are varied, fun, and interesting. The setting adds flavor. The suspense keeps the pages turning. And the romance is light. All around enjoyable!
218 reviews
March 1, 2020
Really enjoyable read

The banter between the lead characters makes for a very enjoyable read. The authors ability to mix humor and a bit of sarcasm in with the flow of a main plots is well done.
36 reviews
May 28, 2020
A-one

If anyone reads this review and you want a killer series of books to occupy your time then you won't go wrong with these. They are interesting with great characters and hilarious to boot!😉
Profile Image for Kitten  Peters.
1,017 reviews5 followers
July 24, 2020
WOW

You sometimes expect for a series to have a mediocre book somewhere in the series but it won't be here. Book three is so wild and crazy you just have to say Wow! The chart pop and the plot has you racing till the end!
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