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Death in the Dry River
When Police Constable Johnson "Sonny" Stone stumbles upon a murdered man's corpse in the filthy Dry River on the edge of Port of Spain, Trinidad, he unwittingly opens a case involving calypso, conspiracy and corruption.
It is 1932. African chattel slavery and Indian indentureship are over, but neither has been left behind. British Colonial Port of Spain is a roiling pot of disparate races, classes and the rich take what they want, the gangsters take what they need, and the poor take whatever's left.
Depressed by his wife's leaving him, and suspended from the Constabulary for insubordination, Sonny Stone is drawn into an investigation that searches every corner of the city. His Solve the case no matter where it ends, or who it destroys.
It is 1932. African chattel slavery and Indian indentureship are over, but neither has been left behind. British Colonial Port of Spain is a roiling pot of disparate races, classes and the rich take what they want, the gangsters take what they need, and the poor take whatever's left.
Depressed by his wife's leaving him, and suspended from the Constabulary for insubordination, Sonny Stone is drawn into an investigation that searches every corner of the city. His Solve the case no matter where it ends, or who it destroys.
140 pages, Paperback
Published August 20, 2024
1 person is currently reading
105 people want to read
About the author
Lisa Allen-Agostini
13 books145 followersLisa Allen-Agostini is a poet, playwright, and fiction writer from Trinidad and Tobago. She is the author of a children's novel, The Chalice Project (forthcoming, 2008). An award-winning journalist, she is the Internet editor and a columnist with the Trinidad Guardian.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
December 21, 2024
Short, intense, and gripping!
Lisa Allen-Agostini knows how to write an interesting story and I was hooked from the very beginning. I feel like I haven’t read a lot of mystery novels set in the Caribbean, specifically Trinidad and Tobago so I loved this one.
In Death in the Dry River we meet Constable Johnson “Sonny” Stone who was chilling at home when some children smashed his window. He chased them and ended up in a dry river where he found the body of a famous Calypsonian. Sonny was sent home from the police force for insubordination so he really shouldn’t be anywhere near a case, especially one as big as this.
Sonny decides to spend his time solving the mystery. This takes him all over Port of Spain, meeting with different persons and finding out what could be the reason someone would want to kill this well-loved Calypsonian.
This is a very short read but enjoyable, I look forward to what she writes next.
Lisa Allen-Agostini knows how to write an interesting story and I was hooked from the very beginning. I feel like I haven’t read a lot of mystery novels set in the Caribbean, specifically Trinidad and Tobago so I loved this one.
In Death in the Dry River we meet Constable Johnson “Sonny” Stone who was chilling at home when some children smashed his window. He chased them and ended up in a dry river where he found the body of a famous Calypsonian. Sonny was sent home from the police force for insubordination so he really shouldn’t be anywhere near a case, especially one as big as this.
Sonny decides to spend his time solving the mystery. This takes him all over Port of Spain, meeting with different persons and finding out what could be the reason someone would want to kill this well-loved Calypsonian.
This is a very short read but enjoyable, I look forward to what she writes next.
August 23, 2024
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It met all of my requirements for a 5 star read. A main character I wanted to see win, a storyline that kept me guessing, and a satisfying end that made me smile. It was also a Caribbean based book by a Caribbean author. What is better than that for a Caribbean woman? Nothing!
Death in the Dry River felt akin to slipping into the time stream and allowing my consciousness to flow back to 1930s Trinidad. Back to a time when my grandparents lived and worked. A place and time they frequently told me stories about. It was almost nostalgic to me, even though it was a new tale spun by an author of this age. Maybe as a person from Trinidad I might be slightly biased about this, but it was a genuine delight to recognise the street names and places described in this book.
That said, the language wielded by the author painted a colorful canvas of words and characters. I happily and easily fell into Sonny’s (MMC) life, wondering what was coming next with every turn of the page. This author has a way with words and turning a phrase that makes your brain go YUM while reading. In fact, the realness and richness of Trinidadian life evoked here actually reminded me of V.S. Naipaul’s Miguel Street. It was that good!
Add in a murder mystery with unexpected turns and revelations, and it is no wonder I completed the entire book in less than a day. The more I read, the more I wanted to read.
One thing in particular that stood out as I was reading was the use of local sayings and language. Too many times such phrases are used, and it excludes non locals. However, the skill with which these sayings were woven within the story felt inclusive and inviting to readers. Kind of like a prod to get them to dig deeper into Trinidad’s lingo and find out more about it. This is something I wish more writers would do. Open up new worlds right here and call more people in!
Overall, this truly was, for me, a 5 star no notes book. One I have actually started recommending to my friends and family. Hope to see more along this vein from this author soon.
Thank you 1000Volt Press for granting me this arc. It was a pleasurable read.
Death in the Dry River felt akin to slipping into the time stream and allowing my consciousness to flow back to 1930s Trinidad. Back to a time when my grandparents lived and worked. A place and time they frequently told me stories about. It was almost nostalgic to me, even though it was a new tale spun by an author of this age. Maybe as a person from Trinidad I might be slightly biased about this, but it was a genuine delight to recognise the street names and places described in this book.
That said, the language wielded by the author painted a colorful canvas of words and characters. I happily and easily fell into Sonny’s (MMC) life, wondering what was coming next with every turn of the page. This author has a way with words and turning a phrase that makes your brain go YUM while reading. In fact, the realness and richness of Trinidadian life evoked here actually reminded me of V.S. Naipaul’s Miguel Street. It was that good!
Add in a murder mystery with unexpected turns and revelations, and it is no wonder I completed the entire book in less than a day. The more I read, the more I wanted to read.
One thing in particular that stood out as I was reading was the use of local sayings and language. Too many times such phrases are used, and it excludes non locals. However, the skill with which these sayings were woven within the story felt inclusive and inviting to readers. Kind of like a prod to get them to dig deeper into Trinidad’s lingo and find out more about it. This is something I wish more writers would do. Open up new worlds right here and call more people in!
Overall, this truly was, for me, a 5 star no notes book. One I have actually started recommending to my friends and family. Hope to see more along this vein from this author soon.
Thank you 1000Volt Press for granting me this arc. It was a pleasurable read.
March 13, 2025
I loved how the story seamlessly wove together historical context, cultural nuances, and a whodunit.
Sonny Stone, is a relatable and endearing character. His determination to solve the case resonated with me, as I'm also someone who loves puzzles and uncovering the truth.
This novella is a quick, bingeable read that hooks you from the start. I appreciated the unique setting and historical insights into Trinidad during that era.
My only complaint? The book was too short! I wanted more of Sonny's investigation and the vibrant world of 1930s Port of Spain.
A great find for mystery lovers, especially those looking for Caribbean representation.
Sonny Stone, is a relatable and endearing character. His determination to solve the case resonated with me, as I'm also someone who loves puzzles and uncovering the truth.
This novella is a quick, bingeable read that hooks you from the start. I appreciated the unique setting and historical insights into Trinidad during that era.
My only complaint? The book was too short! I wanted more of Sonny's investigation and the vibrant world of 1930s Port of Spain.
A great find for mystery lovers, especially those looking for Caribbean representation.
October 13, 2024
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The research that had me seeing the places as characters walked through them, the descriptions of places and people, and the characters themselves were all well done, and the ending 🤌🏾! I hope others enjoy this as much as I did.
May 19, 2025
My immediate thoughts post-read: Penis does really make people do thing! Oh geeeeed🙄 Miss Tina really pissed me off and is a true yamhead!
'Death in the Dry River' is a mystery novel set in 1930s Port-of-Spain. We meet the clever Constable Sonny who is on the hunt for the killer of the 'Mighty Jaguar'— a calypsonian found dead in the filthy dry river in Trinidad's capital.
This story made my inner child smile as I often enjoyed reading mystery books like the 'Nancy Drew' series and 'The 39 Clues' as a young girl. This book brought me back to those feelings. The use of Caribbean (more specifically Trinidadian) themes is refreshing and I would love to see this turn into a book series where the main character solves crimes independently (maybe in some other Caribbean islands too😉).
Agostini is truly a compelling narrator. She does an excellent job at descriptive writing which helped paint the picture of the story's rich anthropological landscape.
As an individual who has consumed countless hours of true crime shows and mystery stories, I found the plot to be a bit predictable but I was still compelled to read until the end. I hope that this book reaches a wider audience as Caribbean stories (both traditional and contemporary) have something unique to bring to the global literary landscape.
A good read! 3/5⭐
'Death in the Dry River' is a mystery novel set in 1930s Port-of-Spain. We meet the clever Constable Sonny who is on the hunt for the killer of the 'Mighty Jaguar'— a calypsonian found dead in the filthy dry river in Trinidad's capital.
This story made my inner child smile as I often enjoyed reading mystery books like the 'Nancy Drew' series and 'The 39 Clues' as a young girl. This book brought me back to those feelings. The use of Caribbean (more specifically Trinidadian) themes is refreshing and I would love to see this turn into a book series where the main character solves crimes independently (maybe in some other Caribbean islands too😉).
Agostini is truly a compelling narrator. She does an excellent job at descriptive writing which helped paint the picture of the story's rich anthropological landscape.
As an individual who has consumed countless hours of true crime shows and mystery stories, I found the plot to be a bit predictable but I was still compelled to read until the end. I hope that this book reaches a wider audience as Caribbean stories (both traditional and contemporary) have something unique to bring to the global literary landscape.
A good read! 3/5⭐
September 20, 2024
What a read! It's been some time since I've read a book in one sitting and this definitely brought me out of my reading slump!
The storytelling was fast-paced, fluid and entertaining; historical, murder mystery with an engrossing rear-view glance at colonial Trinidad.
We follow Sonny through the streets of Port of Spain as he finds himself embroiled in an ever-evolving "whodunit" that he is compelled to solve.
Sonny is man! He's a bonafide hero and talented detective with the softest soul for the few people he cares for and someone we all want to root for.
Death In The Dry River reminds me why I love Caribbean literature: I love seeing us reflected on pages and in a story. Having grown up with baptist family: Papa Phil, the palais, flowers, candles and the orishas, though mentioned briefly, tugged at my heartstrings especially. It isn't often that mention of shango/baptist in a Caribbean novel is done with the quiet respect and care shown in this book (thank you): it is, too often, villanized with a nefarious shadow. Not here.
This book has solidified itself as one of my new favourites!
The storytelling was fast-paced, fluid and entertaining; historical, murder mystery with an engrossing rear-view glance at colonial Trinidad.
We follow Sonny through the streets of Port of Spain as he finds himself embroiled in an ever-evolving "whodunit" that he is compelled to solve.
Sonny is man! He's a bonafide hero and talented detective with the softest soul for the few people he cares for and someone we all want to root for.
Death In The Dry River reminds me why I love Caribbean literature: I love seeing us reflected on pages and in a story. Having grown up with baptist family: Papa Phil, the palais, flowers, candles and the orishas, though mentioned briefly, tugged at my heartstrings especially. It isn't often that mention of shango/baptist in a Caribbean novel is done with the quiet respect and care shown in this book (thank you): it is, too often, villanized with a nefarious shadow. Not here.
This book has solidified itself as one of my new favourites!
June 7, 2025
This is my second book from Lisa Allen-Agostini. Death In The Dry River is historical fiction with some mystery that was too short for me but I enjoyed.
The beginning was a slow burn as the author set the stage for MC Sonny. Death In The Dey River was set in the 1930s in Port of Spain, Trinidad. The story was descriptive and educational as Lisa shared about racism while setting the stage for Sonny to find out who did it!
As a lover of mystery I wanted more and would love a book 2!
Make sure you read the Acknowledgement!
The beginning was a slow burn as the author set the stage for MC Sonny. Death In The Dey River was set in the 1930s in Port of Spain, Trinidad. The story was descriptive and educational as Lisa shared about racism while setting the stage for Sonny to find out who did it!
As a lover of mystery I wanted more and would love a book 2!
Make sure you read the Acknowledgement!
August 14, 2025
I thoroughly enjoyed this book, mainly for the characters, they were well written, well developed and quite charming. Great pacing, the story gripped me from the very start, I was invested! Where it fell short was at those moments where the tension built up, they seemed to fall so suddenly instead of prolonging the moment. I would love to read a sequel with Sonny Stone and his colourful cast of characters.
July 18, 2025
This short story carries so much weight it kept my attention and I really liked the story and how it was written
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews