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Beaches, Sunsets, Gangsters
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
March 18, 2026
This is tale of corruption, murder and danger lurking under the seemingly idyllic Caribbean island of Amelia with its beautiful beaches and glorious sunsets. Amelia is a new republic with a charismatic Prime Minister, Saul Rickard, who has clear ideas about how he wants the country to develop. He is principled, resourceful, but perplexed when it comes to recognising the dark forces that surround him as he begins to build his country. He knows all is not well so seeks help from Britain, the former colonial power of the island.
An oddly assorted pair are sent to help him – Jimmy Blaydon, a Northumbrian police officer, and Saffron Talbot, a frighteningly smart MI6 analyst. They do not get on. They do, however, make a formidable team. Together, they deal with the various challenges that face Saul and the people of Amelia. First, there are the gangsters who have commandeered the local police force; later, existential threats to the island’s economy and to Saul himself.
This is a tense, gripping tale of corruption, secrets and murder. The characters are believable, relatable (well, alright, perhaps not altogether so in Saffron’s case, but she is wonderful) and some are downright wicked. Jimmy and Saffron are excellent characters – humorous with a little hint of ‘will they-won’t they?’. Their differences in expertise, talent and insight are a great strength of this novel.
The plot develops at pace and Jo Calman, with his background in criminal intelligence, and his knowledge of the techniques and technology employed by intelligence agencies presents a deeply satisfying read. Throughout I felt as though I was in safe hands, even if the characters may not be. Frankly, I couldn’t put the book down. It is a terrific read.
As always with Calman, there is a moral ambiguity in the story – Jimmy and Saffron do not abide by ‘the rules’ and there is always a question about whether the risks and short-cuts they take are justified, particularly as the body count rises. That said, this is a cracking political thriller and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it.
An oddly assorted pair are sent to help him – Jimmy Blaydon, a Northumbrian police officer, and Saffron Talbot, a frighteningly smart MI6 analyst. They do not get on. They do, however, make a formidable team. Together, they deal with the various challenges that face Saul and the people of Amelia. First, there are the gangsters who have commandeered the local police force; later, existential threats to the island’s economy and to Saul himself.
This is a tense, gripping tale of corruption, secrets and murder. The characters are believable, relatable (well, alright, perhaps not altogether so in Saffron’s case, but she is wonderful) and some are downright wicked. Jimmy and Saffron are excellent characters – humorous with a little hint of ‘will they-won’t they?’. Their differences in expertise, talent and insight are a great strength of this novel.
The plot develops at pace and Jo Calman, with his background in criminal intelligence, and his knowledge of the techniques and technology employed by intelligence agencies presents a deeply satisfying read. Throughout I felt as though I was in safe hands, even if the characters may not be. Frankly, I couldn’t put the book down. It is a terrific read.
As always with Calman, there is a moral ambiguity in the story – Jimmy and Saffron do not abide by ‘the rules’ and there is always a question about whether the risks and short-cuts they take are justified, particularly as the body count rises. That said, this is a cracking political thriller and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it.
March 5, 2026
My second book by Jo Calman and this book is just as thrilling as Viktor! I love the gangster element to this one, politics and politicians a big part of this storyline but I like that even if you don't follow politics, its easy to understand.
I loved Saffron and Jimmy! Her straight talking made me smile. Jimmy's attitude to her and the situations were great. Saul and Calvin are also good characters overall.
I liked the pacing of this, the story building, introducing different political party members alongside gang leaders and their crew.
This book has corruption, distractions, investigations and gangsters.. brilliant!
The setting for this one comes across as calm but its anything but! A good read and hopefully see more from Saffron, Jimmy, Calvin and Saul if it becomes part of a series!
I loved Saffron and Jimmy! Her straight talking made me smile. Jimmy's attitude to her and the situations were great. Saul and Calvin are also good characters overall.
I liked the pacing of this, the story building, introducing different political party members alongside gang leaders and their crew.
This book has corruption, distractions, investigations and gangsters.. brilliant!
The setting for this one comes across as calm but its anything but! A good read and hopefully see more from Saffron, Jimmy, Calvin and Saul if it becomes part of a series!
May 2, 2026
Very much enjoyed this book. This is not your typical "who's done it?" detective story. This is an active "who's doing it?" thriller. A narrative with real-time and ever-changing developments on an active case on a fictional Caribbean island told in two parts, taking into account modern intelligence, it had me hooked from start to finish.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews