Five and Four Star Reviews!

Beaches, Sunsets, Gangsters
 
Emma Minazza

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!

March 2026

Elise Alexander

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.
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April 2026

S Watson

A brilliant fast paced gangster thriller but written with excellent insight into the role of the professionals trying to catch the gangsters. Set in the Caribbean hence the title. I couldn’t put this down..... 


Donna

A thumping good read. I read it over a couple of days on holiday and couldn't put it down. The author either knows the Caribbean well or is a very good researcher, or both? The heat shimmered off the pages and the beauty versus the dark side of the island is very apparent. I wonder if we'll meet these characters again? Hope so.

Nick (4 Star rating)

Very enjoyable pacy read . Momentum keeps building . Strong story line with lots of interesting twists and turns which keeps the reader guessing . Quite different from previous books . More please !! 
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2 May 2026
 
Matt