Jump to ratings and reviews
Rate this book

Raythan Preddy #3

Murder at Sugar Rush Beach

Rate this book
Palm trees, white sandy beaches and a perfect turquoise sea. Jamaica’s Montego Bay might just be paradise. If people didn’t keep getting murdered.

Detective Preddy hoped for a quiet start to the new year. But there’s a murder at Sugar Rush Beach. A man is stabbed through the heart with an antique awl.

The victim, Jerome Baccus, was the nephew of a local developer who wanted to transform this quiet local beach into a high-end tourist complex. Now he’s dead.

Everything points to the rival developer. But Preddy realizes other people might have wanted to stab Jerome through the heart:

His two girlfriends.
Local business owners.
The sugar daddy of one of the girlfriends.

Meanwhile, Preddy must work with Scottish detective Sean Harris. And Preddy knows that Harris is conducting a covert internal investigation.

When a woman is found dead, the stakes are raised. And everyone’s career is on the line.

A gripping crime mystery perfect for fans of Steph Broadribb, Gretta Mulrooney, Mary Stone, Chad Zunker, J.M. Dalgliesh, Michael Connelly, J.D. Kirk, Mike Omer and Isabella Maldonado.

302 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 2022

Loading...
Loading...

About the author

Paula Lennon

4 books1 follower

Ratings & Reviews

What do you think?
Rate this book

Friends & Following

Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!

Community Reviews

5 stars
36 (49%)
4 stars
26 (35%)
3 stars
11 (15%)
2 stars
0 (0%)
1 star
0 (0%)
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
Profile Image for Louise Wilson.
3,843 reviews1,703 followers
February 19, 2022
Detective Preddy and Harris Book 3

Detective Preddy hoped for a quiet start to the New Year. But there's a murder at Sugar Rush Beach. A man is stabbed through the heart with an antique awl. The victim, Jerome Baccu, was the nephew o a local developer who wanted to transform this quiet local beach into a high-end tourist complex. Everything points to the rival developer. But Preddy realises other people might have wanted Baccus dead.

I did not know this book was part of a series when I requested it. Set in Jamaica, we get an insight into what it's like to live there. Detective Preddy is helped with the investigation by Detective Harris who is Scottish. Filled with great characters, twists and a steady pace. I was hooked from the first chapter. Thw plotline held my attention throughout.

I would like to thank #NetGalley #JoffeBooks and the author #PaulaLennon for my ARC of #MurderAtSugarRushBeach in exchange for an honest review.
Profile Image for Amanda.
2,026 reviews57 followers
March 6, 2022
I have a little confession to make. Although I have the first two books in the series featuring Detectives Preddy and Harris, I haven’t actually read one. When I was invited to take part in the blog tour for the third book ‘Murder At Sugar Rush Beach’, I thought that it would be an ideal opportunity to ‘discover’ the series and find out what I had been missing. Having enjoyed reading ‘Murder At Sugar Rush Beach’ as much as I did, I am now rather cross that I left it this long to discover the series. I really enjoyed reading ‘Murder At Sugar Rush Beach’ but more about that in a bit.
It didn’t take me long to get into ‘Murder At Sugar Rush Beach’. In fact by the time I got to the end of the first chapter, I knew that I would find it difficult to put the book to one side for any length of time. I was intrigued by the characters and by the storyline and I had to keep reading to see if I could fathom out who the killer was before the two main detectives. I didn’t manage to. I found reading this book to have been rather addictive. I would pick the book up only intending to read a chapter or two but I would become so wrapped up in the story that I would still be sat there reading over half dozen chapters and an hour or so later. I soon got to the end of ‘Murder At Sugar Rush Beach’ and I had to say a temporary farewell to Detectives Preddy and Harris. I found ‘Murder At Sugar Rush Beach’ to be a gripping read, which kept me guessing and which kept me on the edge of my seat throughout.
‘Murder At Sugar Rush Beach’ is extremely well written. The author has a writing style that is easy to get used to and easy to get along with. Paula certainly knows how to grab the reader’s attention and draw them into what proves to be a compelling story. I loved the way in which the author has taken two men from totally different backgrounds and turned them into a successful detective partnership. I have to say that I did have rather a soft spot for Detective Harris on account of his ginger hair- it’s a ginger thing. I loved the fact that this story was set in Jamaica- it’s a place I have never visited before but I would love to visit as I have family links with Jamaica. For me the story hit the ground running and maintained a fairly fast pace throughout. At times I did feel as though I was on a bit of a rollercoaster ride with several unexpected twists and turns along the way.
In short, I really enjoyed reading ‘Murder At Sugar Rush Beach’ and I would recommend this book to other readers. I will definitely be reading more of Paula’s work in the future. The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a very well deserved 4* out of 5*.
164 reviews11 followers
March 12, 2022
Yes, Paula Lennon! You lick it out de park. I went onto this straight from the last one and found it even better. I was worried when I saw the title of the first one, ‘Murder in Montego Bay’ that it would be a kind of ‘Death in Paradise’ kind of thing, but no sah. Dis is de real ting. Believable characters in a believable Jamaica.
3,216 reviews72 followers
February 24, 2022
I would like to thank Netgalley and Joffe Books for an advance copy of Murder at Sugar Rush Beach, the third novel to feature Detectives Raythan Preddy and Sean Harris of the Montego Bay police.

Preddy is hoping for a quiet start to the new year, but the murder of Jerome Baccus using an antique awl puts paid to those hopes and a second murder confirms it. Meanwhile Harris is continuing his top secret investigation into members of the department, annoying Preddy considerably.

I thoroughly enjoyed Murder at Sugar Rush Beach, which is a straightforward police procedural with the added bonus of an exotic (to me) location. It is told from Preddy’s point of view, so the reader can get stuck in to the narrative and guess alongside him, not that I had much luck there.

The plot is fairly standard for the genre with several suspects and motives and the team gradually whittling them down to last person standing. What makes it stand out is the murder weapon and the unconventional way they solve it. I was glued to the pages with all the surprises the author throws in.

This novel is all about atmosphere. There is the setting, sun, sea and sand and the attendant heat, which is exotic and attractive to me as I live near Glasgow, just like Harris. I think that the author does a great job of portraying Jamaica, not just as a tourist paradise but as a real place with poverty and crime on the one hand and friendliness on the other. The team are equally realistic, they bicker and banter with humour and needle, and yet there is never any doubt that they will support each other. Harris is a Glaswegian on special assignment, so he provides the outsider’s take, but it’s not particularly convincing.

Murder at Sugar Rush Beach is a good read that I have no hesitation in recommending.
Profile Image for Julie.
2,685 reviews43 followers
March 13, 2022
Fans of Death in Paradise will find much to enjoy in Paula Lennon’s Murder at Sugar Rush Beach.

Jamaica’s Montego Bay is as close to heaven on earth as it is possible to get. With its bright blue skies, glittering turquoise seas and palm trees swaying gently in the breeze, Montego Bay is an ideal holiday destination – if only people didn’t keep getting murdered! Detective Preddy is hoping for a quiet start to the year, but there won’t be much time for rest and relaxation and the policeman can forget about putting his feet up because a man has just been stabbed through the heart at Sugar Rush Beach.

The victim is Jerome Baccus, the nephew of a local developer, who had big dreams for Sugar Rush Beach. He wanted to transform this quiet part of the island into a high-end tourist complex and naturally the locals weren’t exactly overjoyed about his plans. All fingers might be pointing at a rival developer, but as Preddy begins his investigation, he discovers plenty of people who all had their own reasons for wanting Jerome dead.

Preddy has got enough on his hands trying to find out whodunnit, but with his Scottish colleague Detective Sean Harris to contend with, he certainly has got his hands full. Especially as the killer has just struck again!

Paula Lennon takes her readers all the way to Jamaica with this fun and escapist mystery that is ideal for curling up with on a cold and dreary afternoon. Murder at Sugar Rush Beach is a nail-biting crime novel spiced with plenty of tension, shocks and surprises and red herrings and features a brilliant cast of well-drawn characters sure to delight readers everywhere.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Profile Image for Nickie.
317 reviews1 follower
March 11, 2022
Preddy is hoping for a quiet start to the new year, but the murder of Jerome Baccus using an antique awl puts paid to those hopes and a second murder confirms it. Meanwhile Harris is continuing his top secret investigation into members of the department, annoying Preddy considerably

This is a straightforward crime procedural with a murder and several suspects The location, Jamaica, and the commentary of the inequalities present in Jamaica add an extra dimension to this book which I really enjoyed.

I didn't realise this was part of a series and for the sake of context of certain parts I wish I had read the previous 2 before this one. However, I still enjoyed this even if it is the lower end of a 4 out of 5.

I would like to thank #NetGalley #JoffeBooks and the author #PaulaLennon for my ARC of #MurderAtSugatRushBeach in exchange for an honest review
18 reviews
March 17, 2022
Well worth reading this series.

These Preddy & Harris detective books are extremely enjoyable taking us to Montego Bay in Jamaica, bringing to light the lives, problems & character of these people who are predominantly descendants of The Slave Trade era and how stoic they are in the face of the privations they live under. It is humorous, touching and a wonderful insight into how the locals deal with the Glaswegian detective hoisted into their middle.
Well worth reading this series.
Profile Image for Alison Sharpe-Shreeve.
62 reviews1 follower
February 24, 2022
Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read Murder at Sugar Rush Beach.

I enjoyed this book and the storyline, however for me personally the way it was written, as in the accents speak, I really struggled with this.

I visited Jamaica some years ago, so it was nice to revisit the pictures in my head.

I would recommend this book, as I enjoyed it, it was just the way some of it was written.
Profile Image for Hannelore Cheney.
1,632 reviews29 followers
February 17, 2022
Thank you NetGalley and Joffe Books for the eARC.
Detective Pretty has a problematic start to the new year when a body is found stabbed to death with an antique awl at a beach event. Soon thereafter his girlfriend is found murdered as well. With the help of Scottish detective Harris and their team of two female detectives (my favorites, they are sharp and amusing) they comb the island for anyone who may have seen something. Their higher ups are chomping at the bit for a resolution...
This was a fun and enlightening read, with lots of details about life in Jamaica, with colorful characters and a wonderful sense of place. The difference between the poor and the wealthy is stark (added to that you have the entitled tourists) and enlightening. I loved the patois and the mention of the food and drink made my mouth water. Good book!
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews