Against her better judgment Kelly agrees to the task of leading a group that includes only one friendly face: that of her detective boyfriend Jeff’s associate Angie Sanchez. Angie also happens to be Kelly’s ex-husband’s latest girlfriend. The rest of the committee is comprised of pompous Reverend Calvin Stowe, glacial politician Elijah Daniel and a rotund visiting history professor named Dr. Zena Sheffield.

Things quickly begin to fall apart as each member of the group pursues their own personal agenda, and Kelly’s instinct for avoiding any sort of committee proves well-grounded. Especially after Zena Sheffield is discovered poisoned by manchineel, a deadly native Caribbean plant.

It’s soon discovered the manchineel was administered through a box of Zena’s favorite chocolates called Island Delights. Kelly is asked by Victoria, the owner of the shop that sold the chocolates, to help in the search for whoever tampered with her confections.

Kelly’s agreement to help lands her right in the thick of things and it’s soon apparent the killer will do whatever is necessary to keep Kelly from discovering his or her identity. Including murdering Kelly herself.

Pure and simply, I loved this book. It wasn’t so much the mystery elements that attracted me -- I had a pretty good idea who the murderer was right from the start. (Although the reason for the murder was a complete surprise.) It was the superb characterizations and richly described setting that grabbed me from the beginning and had me reading, bleary eyed, into the early morning hours.

Kelly is a Chicago expatriate who has lived in the Caribbean for ten years. The island lifestyle seen through her eyes is magnetic. I wanted to move right in and become a member of her gang of close friends, who are fully fleshed secondary characters.

However, I suspect Death Dances to a Reggae Beat won’t be everyone’s cup of tea. There’s quite a bit of Caribbean history related and the history of St. Chris is a big factor. So if a bit of a history lesson isn’t to your liking, you may not be quite as enthusiastic about the book.

But if you like a mystery where complex characterizations take center stage over the whodunit and an unusual setting comes alive before your very eyes, then I definitely recommend Death Dances To A Reggae Beat.

There are a number of loose ends in this book, and a quick peek at the author’s website confirms this is the first of a series of Kelly Ryan mysteries. I can hardly wait for another opportunity to immerse myself in the St. Chris lifestyle.

--Karen Lynch