Lovely debut novel, full with great atmosphere, humour and really great touch in characters.. absolutely colorful psychological thriller.

Thank you NetGalley 🤗

Diver’s Paradise, A Roscoe Conklin Mystery is a very good story. Roscoe, better known to most as R, is a retired detective. He took his savings and most of his retirement money to buy an old resort on Bonair, a Carribean Island originally settled by the Dutch, lying just off the coast of Venezuela. Good weather and great reefs make it an ideal stop for divers. At the start of the story, R learns that his former police chief in Rockford, Illinois, along with the chief’s wife, Bill and Marybeth Ryberg, were shot to death in their home. They were also people who R loved. This occurred simultaneously with another friend from Rockford, Tiffany, who is on her way to the island for her own vacation. Tiffany is a younger woman with a 2-year-old son who was best friends with the Rybergs and R when they all lived in Rockford. Tiffany was on the plane when the murders occurred, so she arrives in Bonair and is unaware of their deaths. At the same time, R has a current love, a local woman from Bonair, Arabella, who is a detective in the police force on Bonair. R, who has a phobia of commitments, is truly smitten by Arabella.

Suddenly, murders start happening on Bonair. Tiffany dies in an apparent drowning while she is on a solo diver. Then, some other locals to whom R has been talking, also end up dead. Bonair is an island where there is almost no crime, until now.

The author takes us through a well-developed mystery. Good characters and a good plot, all the way to a satisfying ending. He includes various other character and subplots to fill out a good picture of life on the island and the livers of R, Arabella, and the other main characters.

I'd be happy to read another Conklin mystery.

Diver’s Paradise is Davin Goodwin’s debut noir novel. In it, he’s captured Caribbean life quite well. There’s great local color both on land and underwater. I read this because I enjoy a good detective story now and then.

Roscoe Conklin is a retired police detective and diver who’s moved to the island of Bonaire and bought a rundown motel with his retirement account. At the beginning of the novel, he receives news of the deaths of his former partner and his wife back in the States. From there, people around Conklin are murdered, so he embarks on the trail of their killer while trying to solve—long distance—the murders of his friends. Unfortunately, he must have lost his edge during retirement because he frequently misses clues that are obvious to the reader. While “island time” may be vague, the police department there seems to work on “island mind” and are frequently dismissed as bumbling and lazy.

Easy read, well worth the time. Conklin or better known as “R” is a delightful character. One of those ex-cop, I don’t wanna be tied down, softies types. When you have such a character and an ocean, you already have me hooked. I liked his easy ways; I wanted to be on the ocean but...I didn’t want to dive, and some people shouldn’t have either.

This was my kind of book. A character somewhat like Travis McGee and yet not...Conklin has his own personality. It’s still one of those mysteries that has everything you want, suspense, interaction between people, dead bodies...well, you get the point.

I don’t know how many other books Davin Goodwin has written. I don’t see others but...I hope he’s working on Book 2 of this as a series.

Bodies are piling up in paradise, also known as the island of Bonaire. Former Rockford, IL police detective Roscoe Conklin and current owner of the almost resort, Yellowrock, needs to discover who the murderer is soon because it looks increasingly clear that he will be the next victim.

Diver's Paradise is a good read. I enjoyed being in Bonaire despite the rather frequent murders. Since they were all related to that motel guy, R, I figured I was safe. The diving tours were great, as were the seaside bars and restaurants. The characters I met in Diver's Paradise were, for the most part, interesting. R himself had an interesting background. (But, I felt so bad for Tiffany.)
I was disappointed that we were left uninformed about the character Lesley. Why he so antagonistic and what was his connection the the tenant in Room 5?
The development of the plot was occasionally awkward. A couple of times I even felt that the author had gone overboard in killing off peripheral characters. But, all in all, I did enjoy the read and would be happy to read a sequel!
Thanks, NetGalley, and Oceanview Publishing, for the ARC.

Roscoe Conklin is a retired detective living in Bonaire, an island in the Caribbeans where he runs a small motel and spends most of his time drinking beer and hanging out with his Dutch girlfriend Arabella, a cop herself. The story opens with the brutal slayings of some old friends of his in Wisconsin, another retired cop and his wife, by someone they trust who is referred to as The Neighbor. Roscoe wants to help investigate and an old contact sends him the files, but there’s really nothing he can do from 2000 miles away.

Meanwhile, strange things are happening in Bonaire. An old friend named Tiffany has come to visit, dragging with her a total loser of a man who makes enemies all around him. Roscoe’s Jeep Wrangler has the brakes go out when Arabella is driving it, landing her in hospital. It turns out the brakes were sabotaged, but the local police don’t seem to be taking it seriously at all. The old friend, Tiffany, is determined to solo dive, and Roscoe notices that everyone close to him seems to be under some kind of attack. While he’s trying to connect the dots in the murder case in Wisconsin, someone seems to be targeting him.

Divers Paradise could use a really thorough editing. There is too much description, so that we know the outfit choices of every minor character, and the writing is rough and often awkward. However the plot keeps you going, and the author captures well the relaxed attitude of island life.

I don't read too often mystery books, but from time to time I enjoy myself trying to find the culprit before the story reveals it. For this reason, I do not like those authors who jump at the end with some details kept secret from you. I'm happy to say that <i>Diver's Paradise</i> is not one of these.

Not knowing what to expect, I start reading and I hear my phone. <i>First ring.</i> I ignore it and keep reading. After the first pages, already I'm totally in and start thinking of various motives and possible directions in which the plot could go.

<i>Second ring.</i> I'm still ignoring the phone. The description of the main character's retirement life and of Bonaire Island do not disturb the rhythm. The details contribute to the atmosphere and make a great contrast with what has and will happen next. The depiction of the Island is very picturesque adding to the easiness with which the reader can "see" the story.

<i>Third ring.</i> I know I'll ignore it. I have to think of all the pieces of information, memories, red hearings and too easy to be true details and to work on the puzzle. Davin Goodwin is a sincere mystery writer, but a mystery author nonetheless. He plays with you and apparently forgets about the initial murders dealing only with the present.

I have to discern between the good and bad cops who are out to play, skepticism, broken ribs, unglamorous research, and life attempts. The pages fly, the plot thickens, and every written row brings a jigsaw piece for which I have to find the correct place. I loved that!

<i>Fourth ring.</i> I'm looking at the number and... ignore it. I have to finish this! It is not hard at all to ignore the phone. I like the imperfect-perfect ex-Detective Roscoe Conklin, and how he manages (or not) to be on the other side of the table, facing the mirror. How finding the truth means more than finding a criminal. <i>Objectivity, Logic, and Common Sense</i>... these are the three characteristics that an effective investigator must have. Actually, they are the features around which David Goodwin weaves his mystery.

<i>Fifth ring.</i> Don't want to answer. Satisfied, I close my kindle. It was a good ride.

There is no place for <i>"maybe, maybe not"</i>! Mystery grunts or veterans, I think you will all enjoy <i>Diver's Paradise</i>!
Dank je, Mr. Goodwin!

What a great novel. I really enjoyed it. I thoroughly enjoyed the setting and appreciated getting to know a new location in the Caribbean. I liked the characters. Goodwin has done a good job of creating characters I cared about and wanted to see succeed. And the mystery was good with systematic gathering of clues and plenty of red herrings.

But the best part was the Dutch influence. Being of Dutch descent myself, I loved that aspect of the novel. And to read one of the characters say a phrase I've heard so often, every time an odd couple would walk by: there's not a pot so crooked there's not a lid to fit it. What fun. I will certainly be looking for more from this author.

I recommend this novel to mystery lovers who enjoy a great setting, well developed characters, a mystery well plotted, and a good dose of suspense near the end.

I received a complimentary egalley of this book through Partners in Crime Virtual Book Tours. My comments are an independent and honest review.

Diver's Paradise ended up being a pleasant surprise. I read this book in one sitting. I was sucked right in from the beginning of the mystery. The opening was a shocking scene and made me want to keep reading. I don't want to talk plot too much. I think it's a book you are better off going in knowing very little. I was sure I knew what was going on, but I was completely wrong. That is my favorite type of mystery.

Aside from the mystery, the characters and the setting really made the book. "R" is the type of detective that I can really get behind. I'm not sure if this is a stand alone, but I wold love to see him as well as his girlfriend, Arabella in future books. I also loved the SOuth Caribbean setting. Especially now as we are all in quarantine and can't go anywhere. It was a great escape for a while. This is a great debut novel. I look forward to reading more from this author. Give this one a try..

The writing is good, and the dialogue and the characters are great, but the plot is weak because there's too much stupidity and a few strange things.

As someone who loves to SCUBA dive any time I try to read anything with SCUBA as a plot point. I also try to support authors from my home state of Wisconsin. So when I saw Diver’s Paradise by Wisconsin writer Davin Goodwin I just had to read it.


Diver’s Paradise
Diver’s Paradise is set on the island of Bonaire. Retired officer Roscoe Conklin has moved to the island to run a hotel. His life is a perfect retirement. Sun, beer and beautiful ocean dives.

That idea retirement is shattered when he finds out his old partner was murdered. To coincide with the murder news Conklin is playing host to an old friend visiting. His life is complicated trying to balance entraining his friend and calling his old PD to find out about his partner’s murder.

The situation gets worse when Roscoe’s girlfriend, an island police officer, has an accident. Followed by a murder on the island. The local police don’t seem equipped to handle the investigation and the evidence in the case does not line up. Then Roscoe figures out maybe he was the target.

This is author Davin Goodwin’s first novel. I sure hope it is the start of a series. Roscoe could be an interesting character to read over many more books. Also, Bonaire and his owning a hotel would make a great backdrop for more misadventures.

Anyone looking to start reading a new series should make sure to check out Diver’s Paradise. It has some solid police procedural aspects mixed with the smaller town cozy feel from being on an island. The mystery of the story is solid and the ending was solid.

Pick up your copy of Diver’s Paradise when it comes out on April 7, 2020.

A free review copy of this book was provided via NetGalley for this unbiased review.