Death at Paradise Palms

They’re back! Rick, Moira, Philip and Lizzie, are known as the Retired Detectives Club to the residents of the The Homestead, a Florida mega retirement community. Since solving their last case, they have improved security with hidden cameras and added patrollers to the community watch. So it isn’t a surprise when retired movie star Olivia Hamilton Zeigler, resident of the Millionaires’ Row neighborhood, contacts them. Her much younger husband Cody, a producer, has disappeared. The police assume that, because of the age gap, a younger woman is involved. Olivia knows this isn’t true but is unwilling to reveal all her secrets.

So the search is on. Aided by camera surveillance and helpful neighbors, the team follows Cody’s movements while dealing with their own problems. Lizzie and Philip’s long term marriage has been wounded by personal betrayal and Moira’s past may be catching up with her. This deftly plotted novel, with a mature cast of characters, is another hit for Stephanie Broadribb. I’m waiting to discover more secrets from The Homestead in the next in this must read series! 5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley, Amazon Publishing UK and Steph Broadribb for this ARC.

Death at Paradise Palms is the second book in Steph Broadrib's Retired Detective Club series. about 4 retired police officers living in "The Homestead", a luxury retirement complex in Florida, 3 British expats and an American.

In this episode the gang are asked by an elderly former actress to investigate the disappearance of her much younger husband ,while she's convinced that he's in peril local police don't agree.
Using their combined skills the former Detectives confirm the actress's fears and find themselves in peril as events escalate very quickly.

I enjoyed this book more than the first in the series. All of the retired Detectives have interesting pasts that play a part in how they behave and interact as well as in the crime-solving skills they have . There's also the unrolling backstory of The Homestead itself where things are definitely "off" in a number of ways and the local police seemingly trying to avoid getting involved in any kind of criminal investigation in the place.

A quick and easy read and part of a series that gets better and more involved as it goes on.

I was excited to receive this second book in the cozy mystery series about 4 ex-cops at a Florida retirement community as I had really enjoyed the first book. I loved the retirement paradise setting and the four mature main characters who were not ready to leave the world of crime behind them just yet. Their wisdom that comes with age rounded out their character and presented readers with a chance to smirk when younger detectives/policemen crossed their path.

As was the case in book 1, Broadribb has continued to write in 3rd person present tense and dedicated each chapter to one of the four detectives and their point of view. Broadribb continued to develop her characters’ across the arc of the series as well as within each of the books in The Retired Detective Club series. To keep things fresh, she’s written about different types of crime and added new characters (clients). I also noticed that she’s added more detective procedural into the plot and it brings the focus back to their former careers and gives authenticity. I liked Moira’s character and appreciated learning more about her and why she retired as a DCI in the Metropolitan Police and headed to Florida. The author keeps her cards close and gives readers just enough about Moira’s backstory to keep it intriguing. Of the four of them, Moira has a great sense of humour and I giggled when she admitted that “she hates being shaken around like a martini at a James Bond convention.”

Florida may be known as the ‘sunshine state’ but it’s also by far the most popular destination for retirement communities. I’m happy to see an author capitalize on that fact and craft a great cozy mystery with mature protagonists. I’m looking forward to book 3. With so much going on in the world, it’s nice to escape to a sunny climate where justice is done, villains are conquered and all ends up well.

I was gifted this advance copy by Amazon Publishing UK and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.

I actually really enjoyed this read, however wishing o had rad the first novel. This was well written and loved the togetherness of the four main characters. Enjoyed the community of The Homestead too. Look forward to the next one in the series.

Missing In The Sun…
The second in the Retired Detectives Club series and a missing person with a ransom on their head causes great consternation for the gang. Cody Ziegler, movie producer, is missing from The Homestead’s Millionaires Row. His younger wife, Olivia, enlists help from the retired detectives. Whilst the police don’t believe that Olivia is not involved, the group are determined to investigate. With a well drawn cast of credible and compelling characters, an engaging mystery at heart and a plot peppered with twists this is another enjoyable and entertaining outing for the retirees and a worthy follow on from the first in this series.

Compelling story with great characters bringing there back story along . Well written and intriguing. Thank you netgalley for the advanced copy

Ich habe letztes Jahr mein erstes Buch von Ms Broadribb gelesen, und das habe ich als ziemlich cool in Erinnerung – die Autorin ist nicht nur als Queen of Crime bekannt, hat einige Preise eingeheimst, sondern sie hat auch selbst schon mal als Kopfgeldjägerin gearbeitet - sie weiss also, wovon sie schreibt, wenn sie Krimis schreibt 😉!
Auf diesen hier war ich also gespannt. Es handelt sich hier um den zweiten Teil einer neuen Serie um ein Quartett aus 4 ehemaligen Cops, jetzt aber als Pensionäre im sonnigen Florida ansässig, die - natürlich – nicht aus ihrer Haut können und über Verbrechen quasi stolpern, die in ihrer Umgebung passieren. Und natürlich lösen sie diese mit Scharfsinn, Instinkt, jahrelanger Erfahrung und Training besser als die lokale Polizei. Das muss man jetzt einfach mal so vorausschicken, das ist der Charme des Plots. Ich mag solche Konstellationen und Stories aber sehr gerne, und habe mich gerne auf die 4 „retired detectives“ eingelassen. Alter schlägt die Jugend 😉: wir haben hier die Britin Moira, die nach Mobster Erfahrungen in London ihre Identität gewechselt hat und in Florida ein ganz neues Leben begonnen hat, Rick, der auch im Alter noch ein Draufgänger sein möchte, und das Ehepaar Lizzie und Philipp, die in diesem Band als Nebenplot einiges an Eheproblemen zu lösen hat. Nebenbemerkung: war interessant – mehrere Jahrzehnte Ehe hinterlassen Spuren. Nicht immer schöne.
Hier nun werden die Pensionäre zu einem Entführungsfall gerufen. Die alternde Hollywooddiva Olivia vermisst ihren 35 Jahre jüngeren Ehemann Cody. Für die Polizei ist klar, der Ehemann ist abgängig, da kann man erstmal nix tun, aber für Moira, Rick, Philipp und Lizzie sieht die Sache anders aus, und sie beginnen zu ermitteln. Und schon bald treffen die Erpresserbriefe bei Olivia ein, und es geht um Leben und Tod. Und der Entführte selbst scheint nicht ganz der zu sein, für den man ihn gehalten hat….
Mein Leseeindruck: das war ein Krimi, der mir richtig gut gefallen hat. Sehr kurzweilig, sehr viel Action, permanent hoher Spannungsbogen, Kapitalverbrechen, aber ohne ins Blutrünstige abzurutschen, und ein Ermittlerquartett mit Pfiff. Die Oldies waren cool. Natürlich hatten sie einen stillen Helfer in den lokalen Behörden, der mal Kennzeichen, Adressen und Telefonnummern abfragen kann (hey, wofür hat man sein ganzes Berufsleben Kontakte aufgebaut?), und ansonsten ergänzen sich die 4 perfekt. Lizzie, die als ehemalige CSI die Spusi-Arbeit übernimmt, und die anderen 3 alles erfahrene Einsatzkräfte. Halt, nun ja, nicht mehr ganz in der Frische der Kraft, soviel Realismus ist drin, und das war gut. Das hat dem Ganzen immer wieder die Glaubwürdigkeit gegeben. Ich mochte dieses Team. Endlich mal „reife“ Charaktere, die trotzdem noch komplett im Leben stehen.
Den ersten Band der Serie kenne ich jetzt nicht, aber das hat nichts ausgemacht; es gab ein paar Referenzen zum ersten Fall, aber das hat meinen Lesefluss nicht gestört.
A propos Lesefluss – das war (erwartungsgemäss) flüssig zu lesen gewesen, hat mich abgeholt.
Ja, mein Fazit: rundum gelungener Krimi!
Vielen Dank an Netgalley und den Verlag für das Rezensionsexemplar; ich bin schon gespannt auf die nächsten Fälle mit den 4!

Fun read. Had me from the beginning and didn't let me go. I read this in one sitting while waiting in the hospital. The story was flowing so well, I felt annoyed that I had to stop in the middle. The writing is tight and the story flows well. While they're were a couple of characters that were unlikable, they were written in a way that you still had empathy and wanted to know how the story ended. My first time reading, but it won't be the last.

Pub date: 11 Oct 2022

3.5 stars, rounding up.

I read the Retired Detectives Club book 1 and was looking forward to seeing what Moira, Rick, Lizzie and Phillip would get up to next. Each character has their own secrets & stuff going on yet they all come together to investigate a missing person. I liked this story and getting more of the characters story from book 1. Lizzie & Phillip's drama was a continuation from the end of the last and Moira's secrets were explained even more here from book 1 as well. The twists at the end were mostly unexpected for me but I know lots of readers will suspect who's behind the abduction early on.

3.5 instead of 4 only because at times I felt the characters seemed a bit immature in their thinking/ feelings. Maybe that's just me but it was how I felt while reading. Example: Phillip's "they won't support me, that's fine I'll go off on my own to follow this lead and it'll SHOW THEM" (paraphrasing his thoughts). Lol, felt a little bit childish. Again, maybe it's just me (shrug).

A lot of reviews mention the POV but it honestly didn't bother me. A good, quick, crime read.

Thank you to the publisher via Netgalley for the copy to read and review.

In this second adventure of the Retired Detectives Club, the group is called in by a former movie star, Olivia Ziegler. Her husband Cody, is missing. The police tell her to wait because he has only been missing for a short while, but Olivia feels certain that something is wrong. As the group start their investigations, Moira is getting threatening texts messages from an unknown number and thinks it is related to her past. Philip and Lizzie are having martial problems and are not as focused as they should be. While the other member of the team, Rick is worried about all of them, if they are to succeed.
A quick, cozy mystery set in a Florida retirement community, with older individuals that have a great deal of experience In working cases and getting results.
Thank you NeGalley and Thomas & Mercer for this e-galley of "Death In Paradise Palms".

Death at Paradise Palms
2 (The Retired Detectives Club)
by Steph Broadribb

Olivia Ziegler, a former movie star, summons the team. Cody, her husband, has vanished. The police tell Olivia she should wait because he has only been missing for a short time, but Olivia is convinced that something is wrong. Moira is receiving threatening text messages from an unknown number and believes they are related to her past as the group begins their investigation. Philip and Lizzie are struggling with marital issues so aren't as focused. Rick is concerned about all of them.
This is a cosy mystery set in a Florida retirement community with older people who have a lot of experience working cases and getting results.

#DeathatParadisePalms #StephBroadribb #crime #NetGalleyArc #amazonukpublishing

While this could be a stand alone, it would be better to read the first book first to get the character development.

I think this is a 3.5 star book, rounded to 4 because I love a mystery. The first book I found to be better - mainly due to the character development and the interactions between characters. There was a lot of going off on their own in this book and I think the group does best/is more entertaining when they are together.

The second book in the series finds the group of detectives trying to find the missing husband of a wealthy woman who lives in the Homestead community with them. The police don’t take her seriously so she asks the Retired group to investigate.

I think this one was a little harder to believe with how little the police were involved and how much the group took on risk… there were a few times when I almost rolled my eyes that the police weren’t called. I also think that the death in this story was unnecessary.

I would still recommend this book for people who enjoy a cozy mystery, but read the first one first!

While I was aware that this was book 2 in a series, I was happy to realize it can be read by itself.
The storyline was pretty good. Liked the way that they really delved into what was unique about Olivia & Cody's marriage.
My hurdle came with the main characters. They aren't real likeable. When I'm reading a book of i can't click with at least one character...have someone to root for...then it makes the booknless enjoyable to me. I was annoyed with Lizzie and her reaction to Phillips lie. I was annoyed with Moira and her inability to be open when I couldn't see how it could hurt. They supposedly have each other's back. Characters all felt selfish which made reading it difficult.
But again, the storyline was interesting. I definitely didn't guess the bad guy. And the little twist after the climax was pretty cool to discover.

This opinion is all my own.

The gang are back with a new case, a few months on from the murder in Manatee Park. Ex-DEA agent Rick Denver, Ex undercover DCI Moira Flynn and married couple Ex-CSI Lizzie and Ex-DCI Philip Sweetman (AKA The retired Detectives Club) are enlisted by retired actress, Olivia Hamilton-Ziegler when her younger, movie producer husband, Cody Ziegler unexpectedly goes missing. Olivia appears frightened and claims there’s foul play afoot, but the combined experience of the detectives tells them that all is not what it seems!

When a million-dollar ransom demand comes in with clear instructions not to involve the police, the detectives find themselves racing against the clock to solve the case before it is too late. As they begin to work the case, they uncover that the much loved, kind-hearted Cody actually had enemies – a disgruntled employee, a jilted film-maker – and the celebrity couple with the strongest marriage in the business also had big secrets…

When Cody’s silver Lexus turns up in a nearby lake, the case becomes even more complicated. But with threatening notes from Moira’s past distracting her, Lizzie and Philip’s marriage on the rocks and one of the retired detectives going missing – the club risks falling apart before they get the chance to find Cody! Will this case see them lose in more ways than one?

I read the first book in this series, Death in the Sunshine back in March this year when I spotted it while scrolling through Kindle Unlimited, so when I saw book two available on Netgalley, I requested it straight away! To be honest, I couldn’t remember everything that happened back in book one, but remembered the general premise. This book does a good job at reminding you of the relevant details that pertain to this case without dragging it out too much like other books are guilty of doing in a series. I enjoyed the flow of the book having each chapter dedicated to each of the four detectives perspectives which kept the book fresh. There was the perfect amount of the case, police procedure, the detectives backgrounds before they were retired and a few twists and red herrings thrown in to keep you guessing – although, I did correctly guess which detective goes missing!

This book is an all round easy read that is reminiscent of Death In Paradise, Murder She Wrote or Columbo – all of which I love by the way. I’m looking forward to a book three. A great escape that doesn’t take itself too seriously and isn’t too dark.


My thanks to the author and Amazon Publishing UK for my advance copy to review via Netgalley. Due out 11th October 2022!!

My new favorite detective team's back! Retired or not, these four (Moira, Rick, Philip and Lizzie) are one of the best sleuths ever!

I cannot pick a favorite part from the book - the mystery behind the kidnapping, Moira receiving threatening messages from an unknown number, Philip and Lizzie's marriage in jeopardy.

Coming back to the mystery behind the kidnapping of Cody Zeigler, as the team starts to investigate, they learn of a disgruntled employee, a jilted film-maker and many more. To add a cherry on top of this already-going-nowhere case is when Moira finds Cody's car in a nearby lake. And as we all know, spouse must also be one of the suspects...

We have some development, or should I say, revealing of a well-kept secret - Moira's past. Gosh, I did not see this coming nor did I expect it. No wonder Moira is always anxious and has to look over her shoulder every single time. This shocking revelation gave me chills!

I absolutely loved every bit of this story. Be it the writing, the mystery behind the kidnapping, the excitement and tension of finding Cody before it is too late, suspense, character development (Moira's was the best!) and plot to story development - absolutely Fantabulous!

There is some exciting development in the mystery behind the Homestead's management team - and this piqued my curiosity. In the previous book, the Retired Detectives team had found out that, the management has been purposely hiding all negative news about the community. Moira and Philip decided to look into it. In this book, we have an investigative journalist from Boston wanting to dig deeper into the case. I am curious to learn how this particular development will be explored further.

Death at Paradise Palms by Steph Broadribb is an absolutely engrossing, riveting and keeps-you-on-the-edge-of-your-seat kinda mystery. If you love detective fiction, you must give this book a try.

The Retired Detectives Club consists of four ex police, Moira, Rick, Lizzie and Phillip, who all live in a retirement community in Florida, and enjoy using their skills to solve crimes. In Death at Paradise Palms they are asked by his wife to find a missing movie producer since the police are not showing interest in the case.

Events become dangerous and each member of the team is distracted by something. Moira is receiving threatening calls which she thinks are to do with her past, Lizzie and Phillip are having marital problems, and Rick is worrying about all of them. I probably should have read book one before I read this one. Although the story was stand-alone I think I may have missed out on some character development, because I struggled to be interested in any of their personal problems.

The story on the other hand was excellent. Using ex detectives as sleuths was a great idea because the team were using their professional skills and this made their investigation more plausible. The book was well written, and I enjoyed it enough to know I should read more from this author.

Moira, Lizzie, Rick and Philip are known as the retired detectives to the Florida community they live in . They have previously solved a murder and are now asked to investigate a missing person case
Lizzie and Philip are married and their marriage isn’t without its issues Moira is running away from problems in England and Rick is a retired American detective.
The writing flows well and this in turn makes the book an easy and enjoyable read.
I like the dynamic between the four characters and I look forward to reading the next in the series.
Thanks to NetGalley and Amazon Publishing UK.

Death at Paradise Palms by Steph Broadribb is an exceptionally entertaining read that is mostly cozy, yet a solid whodunit.

Death at Paradise Palms by Steph Broadribb is the second book in the Retired Detectives Club, featuring four retired residents of The Homestead Retirement Community in Florida. It’s an exceptionally entertaining read that is mostly cozy, yet a solid whodunit. The premise is probably a little far-fetched, but the novel is pure escapism, so I tried not to overthink the practicality of retired folks (albeit all former law enforcement) gallivanting about after armed, murderous kidnappers.

Broadribb introduces us to a primary cast of four – a former DEA agent (Rick), a British ex-DCI (Moira), and a married British couple (Philip and Lizzie), an ex-DCI and ex-CSI, respectively. I haven’t read the first bestselling book in the series, Death in the Sunshine, but references in this one suggest here we have the same group of retired detectives investigating crimes that the local cops either can’t or are unwilling to investigate. While I don’t think it matters if you’ve not read the first book in the series, that one might give the reader more context since authors often spend significant time in first books building the backstories and personalities of the regular characters. Still, Broadribb gives us ample information about the characters, so we never feel lost entering the series with the second book.

While here we seem to have a protagonist by committee since all four main characters seem to have equal weight, the book unfolds in third person from the point of view of Moira Flynn, but we get the points of view of the others and Broadribb spends plenty of time developing them all. We learn not only the roles they play in the investigation, but get personal side stories for all four that help give us clearer perspectives of them that help us see them as real people we come to care about. Still, I found Moira the most interesting character in the group because I found her side story more compelling and sympathy provoking. Rick Denver is also a likeable, realistic character and his budding romantic interest in Moira adds much to the story. I didn’t really like Philip and Lizzie Sweetman much at the start. Philip seems to have an inflated idea of his own importance. His wife Lizzie, holding onto an old grudge bitterly and tenaciously, uses it as an excuse to treat her husband harshly. I felt little sympathy for either until near the end of the book when circumstances forced them both to finally became more likeable.

The retired detectives are in fine form and there are a few laugh-out-loud moments interspersed among the more serious issues Broadribb touches deftly on, such as ageing, life after retirement, and relationships.

We’re offered a simple missing person case at the start when a former Hollywood star, Olivia Hamilton Zeigler, hires the retired detectives to find her missing husband Cory. But when Oliva receives a ransom demand, the case turns into a kidnapping case. Still, the team stays on the case since Olivia doesn’t rust trust the police and refuses to involve the authorities. Broadribb’s writing and characterization are incredibly engaging and the reader feels as if they are as involved in the case as the cast.

As mentioned, a team of amateur sleuths, even retired law enforcement types, probably wouldn’t take on an active kidnapping case, but it’s certainly good fun and an enjoyable page-turning read. If you’re a fan of Miss Marple or Richard Osman’s Thursday Murder Club series, you’re sure to enjoy this book.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley for review purposes.

This is book 2 in the Retired Detectives series and this time the team have been asked to look into local former actress Olivia's missing husband. The police don't seem to be taking it seriously and she is adamant that he would not have just upped and left without telling her. So they tap into their well-hones skills and set about working out what happened to Cody.

Alongside the investigation, we get more of an insight into the lives of the four friends with Lizzie and Philip's marriage troubles, Rick struggling to keep his feelings in check and Moira's past threatening to upend everything... who says retirement is relaxing!

Just like the first book in the series, this one packs suspense and a bit over the top scenes that makes it perfect fiction story in my cards.
The characters are interesting and more realistic in here as we get to know them more, parts of their past are revealed along the investigation and the connections and interactions are well drawn.
I found it entertaining and great for an autumn chill afternoon.


Very grateful to the publisher for my review copy

The second in the Retired Detective series came together and kept my interest. The characters & their interactions had more substance. I think the author still includes quite a bit of unnecessary fillers that do not contribute to the plot or characters, but it's less noticeable than the first story. Death at Paradise Palms has a fair amount of action - especially considering that all of the players are senior citizens. I am enjoying the way the series is heading and will look forward to the 3rd book.

Death at Paradise Palms by Steph Broadribb.
2 (The Retired Detectives Club).
When movie producer Cody Ziegler goes missing from The Homestead’s Millionaires’ Row, his wife, retired actress Olivia, immediately claims there’s foul play afoot. A million-dollar ransom demand soon follows, with clear instructions not to involve the cops. In desperation she enlists the help of Moira, Rick, Philip and Lizzie, aka the Retired Detectives Club.
A really enjoyable read. I do like this series. 4*.

This is a fascinating mystery. Retired cops are on the job because the cops on the force now don't want to investigate. But the retired cops are in danger...
Amazon Publishing UK and Net Galley let me read this book for review (thank you). It has been published and you can get a copy now.

One of them goes missing and they are trying to find him. His car is in the lagoon with a dead woman in it. The current cops think he killed her...

Then another man goes missing. It takes some good investigation to find out where they are. And the killer is a real surprise.

It's a good mystery and the story is interesting. Give it a try!

Having enjoyed the first book in this original series of The Retired Detectives Club I was keen to pick up the four central character’s stories.
The writing is crisp and well plotted with clever dialogue and the resulting story is amateur sleuthing times four.
Told alternately across the four retirees’ perspective we see them reluctantly and keen to help a Homestead resident when her husband goes missing.
The stakes quickly get raised into a life and death struggle but little fazes these individuals who all have experience working in criminal detection roles.
Punchy and with a degree of fun these are not just cozy cases as murder is never far from the cases they investigate. The questions remain however. Why are the police so inept? Why does the retirement settlement they live on seem so keen to bury bad news stories and How can four elderly sleuths outsmart and out perform the criminals and local law enforcement consistently?
The answers and the joy, is in the reading of this books.

This was fun, lightweight mystery with all sorts of interpersonal dynamics as a subtext. Its an active group in a retirement community. The younger woman is worried about her older missing husband, despite looking like the perfect suspect.
The story moves along pretty quickly and is a fun distraction.

An intriguing second book in this series. The Retired Detectives, Moira a former DCI with the Metropolitan Police, Phillip a former DCI and his wife Lizzie a former CSI, along with Rick, former DEA are once again on a case. Former Hollywood star Olivia Hamilton’s husband Cody is missing. The police tell her she needs to wait as he has only been missing one night, but she knows her husband…he would contact her if he was able. She contacts Moira as the retirees had previously solved the Manatee murder. As the group investigates, Lizzie is still dealing with information that has put her at odds with Phillip and Moira is receiving threatening text messages. When one of their own goes missing, did they find Cody and are now in danger as well? These retirees are using the knowledge they gained after many years of police work to step in when the police won’t or don’t. I received an advance review copy at no cost and without obligation for an honest review. (paytonpuppy)

Death at Paradise Palms is a fantastic follow up to Death in the Sunshine. I love a well written cosy mystery and this book, the second in The Retired Detectives Club series, ticked all the right boxes for me. A great setting, captivating characters and a suspenseful plot. A real must read.

Thanks to Netgalley, the author and Amazon Publishing for an advanced copy.

Four law enforcement retirees living in the same retirement village have formed a "murder club" in which they try to solve mysterious deaths. After the success of their first venture, they're asked by a former movie star to find her missing husband. A side-plot involves the individual dilemmas within the group: a married couple going through a rough patch, a woman who has taken on a new identity, and a man who wonder if he'll find love again after his wife's death. I'm sure these sub-plots were added as depth to the novel, but I found them rather annoying and distracting. Also members of the group seemed to do several unwise things that one would not expect of people with their backgrounds. Three of the four main characters are ex-pats from Britain, and the descriptions in the book are written in language from that background (e.g., boot instead of trunk, indicate instead of signal, etc.) That seemed odd to me, as an American reading about something happening in America, but I suppose I can understand the perspective. Overall, the story wasn't that interesting and the characters could be improved by adding a bit more humor or quirkiness. Not sure I'd recommend this book.

Thank you NetGalley and Amazon Publishing UK for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

This book has a palpable tension that keeps the pages turning…..simply brilliant… I had to finish this marvelous thriller in one sitting! Taut and incredibly suspenseful, every moment is perfectly crafted to keep me wanting more.