3.25 stars. Something’s Guava Give is light, cozy mystery in a delightful tropical setting. This is book 2 of a series, but it can be read as a standalone. Plum Lockhart is a former NYC publishing executive who decided to move to Paraiso, a fictional island in the Caribbean. She decided to dabble in real estate and property rentals, finally deciding to start her own company, owning and managing villa rentals.

After helping the police solve a murder in the first book of the series, Plum thinks quite highly of herself as having a knack for sleuthing, and quickly inserts herself in another investigation in this second book. There are several quirky characters and relationships to keep track of, but this whodunit isn’t overly complicated. There’s some humor and wit, romantic tension, and some of the dialogue made me smile. The author is adept at bringing Paraiso to its lush, colourful life and you can almost feel the tropical breeze. Some may find the story and some of the characters a tad cheesy, but if you enjoy a light cozy mystery that’s a bit wacky, and you need a vacation, this may be a great palate cleanser.

Thank you to Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley for the electronic advance reader copy in exchange for my honest review.

Ohhh I just love Carrie Doyle. Her cozy mysteries have the most wonderful balance of cutesy details and curiosity peaking mystery and murder. For me, she's truly the queen of the modern cozy mystery.

This is the second book in the Trouble in Paradise cozy mystery series. I love the title, but, unfortunately, did not love this installment. There were a few good moments, but a lot of dead space where nothing seemed to be happening. The main character, Plum, grew on me a little- I wasn't a huge fan of her in the first book.

Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to receive this book for an honest review.

I love this series. Its so fun cozy mystery. I love the settings and references to food.

If your looking for a break and want a fun cozy mystery give these a try. They are easy reading.

This is a cute book and I love the characters. The setting really drove me in and I found it hard to put down. If you’re looking for a fun, easy read, this is the book for you.

I really loved this book in a new to my series and author. I can't wait to read the next one. The characters and location really add to the plot. This book keeps you guessing until the end.

Dollycas's Thoughts

Plum Lockhart took a big step leaving New York for Paraiso, a Caribbean island overflowing with tourists. Now she takes another big step by starting her own villa brokerage agency. In the midst of finding the perfect tenants for her clients, renovating villas, and trying to get in a little beach time she finds herself in the middle of another murder investigation.

A young publishing heiress runs into a little trouble in paradise and an old employee from New York, someone she fired right before she was let go, Gerald Hand, begs Plum to help the girl, his new boss's daughter out of it. Plum does but then the next day she learns the heiress was found dead on the private beach of Dieter Friedrich, an eccentric fat cat with a crazy theme park-like estate with a group of bizarre friends and staff.

Soon Gerald arrives on the island and moves into Plum's guest room to help her catch the killer. Gerald gets more caught up in island life while Plum deals with Dieter Friedrich, his employees, some B-List Celebrities, a rundown rockstar, and other assorted island residents as she works with the hunky Director of Hotel Security, Juan Kevin Munoz, to catch a killer before they become victims themselves.

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Paraiso is a zany island if you live there, hopefully, the tourists can avoid all the drama. Feuds between families, jealousy, greed, lust, envy, heck all the seven deadly sins are apparent on this island of paradise. Sadly our protagonist, Plum, a tall redheaded American, gets caught up in it all as she tries to find her place and solve a murder. Her new friend Lucia, a small sixty-year-old grandma Paraison, accompanied her to start her own villa broker agency Plum Lockhart Luxury Retreats. Lucia knows everyone and the ways of the island. It will take both of them to make the business a success. I wasn't really a Plum fan when reading the 1st book in this series, It Takes Two to Mango, but I liked her much better in this book. She is still adjusting to island life but still has a lot of New York attitude to work through.

It is Juan Kevin Munoz, the Security Director that I really enjoy. His laid-back way of life is just so comfortable. He grew up on the island so while he takes things like murder very seriously he understands how to handle danger on Paraiso. His interactions with Plum are filled with romantic tension and are very entertaining. He is doing his best to keep her safe while the murder investigation unfolds. He knows she can't keep her nose out of it and that knowledge is half the battle. Of course, having Gerald tagging along in his leather pants on a tropical island adds to the chaos but sometimes it is pretty darn funny.

Yes, there are a bunch of secondary characters but they all have unique traits, good and bad. Some live on unique estates too. The author's descriptions really brought the people and places to life. Let me tell you, Dieter Friedrich has some outlandish tastes and weird things on his estate and I easily envisioned it all from her words.

The mysteries are very well-plotted and Ms. Doyle sets a quick pace. There was a slew of suspects to work through and again Plum isn't always the best amateur sleuth, she needs to work a little more on her questioning and eavesdropping techniques but that just adds to the fun for readers. There were several twists and turns too but all the clues do come together setting up a very satisfying reveal.

Something's Guava Give was a very amusing cozy mystery. Heavy on quirky characters but set on a delightful island paradise. The mystery was complicated and kept me guessing the whole way.  I am looking forward to reading The Girl With the Dragonfruit Tattoo soon.

Book not meant for me. Hopefully someone will enjoy it more. I will look into renting it in the future.

I tried to get into this one a few times, but unfortunately, I didn't feel the same level of interest as I did with the first book in the series. It could definitely be a case of bad timing versus the book. I think there is a lot of promise, so perhaps I'll give it another go at a later date.

This is book two in Carrie Doyle's Trouble in Paradise series. Though I really enjoyed book one in the series, I didn't find this one as interesting to me. It was an average, ok story. The setting of this series, though, is my favorite! Though I wasn't as much a fan of this book, I've already seen the blurb for book three and I am very excited to read that! If you're a fan of cozy mysteries, I highly recommend you try this series!

Here is the second book in a cozy series by Carrie Doyle. It has a fun title with a pun and is an entertaining escapist read.

Dreaming of living on a tropical island after leaving fraught city life? Think it will be easier? Well, maybe it should be but it surely is not for Plum. Her simple life is disrupted by a murder and her need to get involved in the events that follow. There are lots of shady characters in this sunny setting.

Come along for the ride and the escapism. Then read the others in the series.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for this title. All opinions are my own.

A great cozy mystery set on a Caribbean island. Plum is at it again, snooping into the recent murders on the island. A lot of red herrings, a lot of passion and back stabbing. Fun read, and one I highly recommend.

i really enjoy this authors murder hamptons mystery series. So this book is the second in the trouble in paradise series.
This auther always has great characters and plotlines and the storylines are always engaging. Nothing ruins an ocean view like a body on the beach!
That should be enough for you to pick up this book because you really should!
And hopefully this series keeps getting better.

I had not read the first book in this series, but I had no issues following along with this book. I find the idea of living where I would just need a golf cart to get around very appealing. The mystery kept me waffling back and forth. I did find some of the characters to be super eccentric. I will read the next installment. However, I hope for some more basic characters.

I struggle with the lead Plum, she is fiery but she is also a bit too “honest” & rude for me. But it’s a great beach read, the locale is prefect for that. There’s better cozy mystery series out there.

I really love cozy mysteries, but this one was just disappointing. Plum was simply an unlikeable character. She was abrasive, rude at times and judgmental. At one point she referred to another female in the story is "plain and homely". This was one of a few times that she was critical of someone's appearance. The plot was okay, but I didn't find many of the characters as memorable. Juan Kevin, whom is a recurring character, was just kind of boring. I unfortunately won't be continuing this series. Thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book. All opinions are my own.

I love this series. While the characters aren’t always my favorite, though Plum is getting better, just the idea of being on a tropical island and drinking fruity drinks sounds ideal.

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC for an exchange of an honest review.

I liked this book, it had a good flow.

I had a lot of fun in reading this entertaining and compelling cozy mystery.
A cast of likable characters, lovely setting, a solid mystery that kept me guessing.
Can't wait to read the next story.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Something's Guava Give is Carrie Doyle's second book in Trouble in Paradise Mystery series and the first one I have read.

This is a typical cozy mystery story set in a wonderful and breathtaking Caribbean island which I absolutely adored. Not only do we get to read about its beauty we are also treated to the little snippets of island life, culture and tradition. This is a part I enjoyed very much.
The premise is interesting and for that reason I decided to read it, however it had trouble keeping my interest. The story flows nicely and it is steady paced, characters are well developed and engaging enough but something is lacking and I simply can't put my finger on what is missing.
I really wanted to love this story and it had all the ingredients needed but it simply wasn't for me, and I couldn't connect with the heroine and her sidekicks.