In A Killing in Paradise by Elliot F. Sweeney, readers are taken to a remote paradise that hides dark secrets beneath its idyllic surface. The novel follows protagonist Jack Garrett, a former detective seeking peace after a troubled past, as he stumbles upon a murder that shakes the quiet island community. Sweeney’s storytelling combines a gripping mystery with rich descriptions of the tropical setting, immersing readers in both the beauty and danger of the locale. With complex characters and a plot that twists unexpectedly, A Killing in Paradise is a suspenseful and atmospheric read that explores themes of redemption and justice.

Review Title: Dark, Gripping, and Immersive

Killing in Paradise by Elliot Sweeney is a gritty, intense psychological thriller set in the notorious Paradise estate. Private investigator Dylan Kasper dives headfirst into a murder investigation that uncovers deep corruption and ties to powerful players in both the police and government. The narrative is packed with twists, tension, and danger, making for a gripping read. While this is the second in the Dylan Kasper series, it works well as a standalone.

Kasper is a flawed yet compelling protagonist whose tenacity and streetwise instincts draw readers into the dark world he inhabits. Sweeney masterfully balances Kasper's personal stakes with the investigation’s high tension, keeping the suspense alive as Kasper grapples with impossible choices and life-threatening consequences.

This book isn’t for the faint of heart—its themes are heavy and explore the dark side of both the criminal world and institutional corruption. The writing is sharp, and the pacing fast, creating an immersive, edge-of-your-seat experience. If you enjoy dark thrillers with a strong sense of place and a protagonist willing to go to any length to uncover the truth, this one is worth the read.

Thank you to NetGalley, Wildfire, and Elliot Sweeney for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

The first installment of this series, [book:The Next to Die|63255489], was a solid thriller that showed great promise as the basis of a series. Dylan Kasper is reminiscent of Jackson Brodie before he got too philosophical, and the story hit a good balance of grittiness and intrigue. This second entry in the series picks up a year or so later with a promising start - Kasper's friend Mani the train driver, introduced in the first book, connects him with a teenager whose brother has been murdered. She wants more than the cursory look the police gave the death of a black teenager in a notorious public housing development, and Kasper's own past of having grown up there himself makes him unable to say no.

What follows is a twisty mystery that gives Kasper plenty of opportunity to show off his fighting skills, deductive reasoning, and talent for breaking and entering - but the core villains don't live up to the creativity of the rest of the story. The crimes are horrific to the point that sensitive readers might want to evaluate their own limits before starting to read/listen, but the perpetrators are straight out of Generic Villain Mart. The "twist" at the end is also a bit easy to see coming, as the author has done such a good job of documenting everyone's movements that there's only one possibility by that point. The narrator does an admirable job of differentiating the character voices, and seems to be enjoying the Velveeta of the villain monologues (oh yes, there are multiple), so that helps greatly with the enjoyability of the audio edition - but I suspect that much of this would be fairly painful in printed form.

I hope this series continues and that one day we will look back on this one as a slightly baroque diversion from the more straightforward plots to come.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

This was as dark and gritty as the cover suggests. I listened to the audiobook as a stand alone and having not read the first, it didn't affect my ability to follow the storyline. Dylan Kasper was an interesting lead in that he is also flawed and this did occasionally detract from my enjoyment especially the ending although I'm sure this will come up again in future novels. If dark and gritty is your thing, you'll enjoy this novel!

The plot was gruesome. Somehow the estate called Paradise seemed the right fit for poverty, drugs and the crimes that police ignore. The author doesn’t shy away from blood and death and hearing read out was sobering, there is something of the old books about detectives in New York in the 80s about the book - the anti hero and all his flaws on display.
The narrator was great for our hero and the male characters. There did seem to be a default Eastern European twinge for all the female characters though which got to be off putting,

I wanted to try a crime novel for an author I was not familiar with. Sadly I didn’t really engage with the plot and the violence felt as if it was expected as a trope of the genre. I did not finish the book.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to hear the book.

A fascinating mystery thriller with a plot twist you didn't see coming.
If you're a detective show fan, listening to this will be a blast.

This was just brilliant - far fetched at times with so many things happening to the main character but I thoroughly enjoyed it .

I just reviewed A Killing in Paradise by Elliot F. Sweeney. #AKillinginParadise #NetGalley

Definitely a gritty, unflinching thriller. I hated how much I could see how something like this happens in the real world. I do feel compelled to warn readers that it starts out with a smut film and if you don't know what that means do your research before going into this read. I did feel the plot line was solid and very good writing but not exactly for me. I had feelings I did not like while reading this book. Horror, hate, I felt sorry for the situation, I went through my prejudices of situations. I wouldn't exactly recommend and know this book/series is only for certain readers. The audio was done well and clear with only a slight accent. Enjoy!

I listened to this book thanks to netgalley.

I hadn't realised this was the 2nd book in a series however I still enjoyed it and didn't feel that I was missing anything. There were references to previous events which I don't know if they were events in previous book and therefore spoilers.

I thought this was a decent crime/thriller. Enough twists and turns and characters were well written. Would read more from this author

This title is not to be confised with the exceptionally succesfful BBC Drama "Death in Paradise" that is set on a beautiful Caribbean Island where murders are solved by the team on Saint Marie. This Killing in Paradise takes place in an undersirable London high rise housing estate "Paradise" that would probably be sues for misrperesentation if it were possible.. This is not the first story with Kasper but it was the fist one I have listened to and did not feel that I missed anything.

The main character Kasper is a former police officer turned PI who gets invloved investigating a murder. As Kasper follows the clues it is apparent that the killing was not a one off. There is a constant gritty feel with this thriller that involves prostitution, child exploitation, murders, pornography and snuff movies.

Kasper manages to get caught up in a deadly spiral that puts his life in danger. There are twists a plenty here and there is a point wherre the main story appears to finish but, thankfully, the story contiunes to a truely sad end.

The narrator suits the gritty tone of the story and does all the voices of the characters and does a decent job.

Overall a solid 3.5/5 rounded up to 4/5, a decent decent British thriller set in London.

🎧4⭐️

I had the audiobook of this UK crime debut read by Elliott Fitzpatrick, he manages a decent female voice but didn’t find him the most entertaining narrator Kasper comes over quite flat.

Ex cop turned unemployed PI Dylan Kasper investigates the death of a young man on an estate called Paradise, that’s anything but in London. He soon finds out the reason for his death, but that’s just the beginning of this crime thriller with a dark side.

Kasper doesn’t mind bending the rules during the course of his investigation giving him a bad boy vibe. Kasper has an ‘in’ with the locals via the boxing club. I couldn’t gel with Kasper I think that was in part due to the narrator.

Initially I thought it was going to be a gentle mystery however the theme covered is quite dark it avoids any graphic description to keep it suitable for a wider audience.

It’s a slow burn start which gradually drew me in. I’m not sure if I’d follow the series. I think it would appeal to crime readers who like a different style of protagonist.

I really enjoyed listening to this book, the narrator was really good.
The story is one you don't want to stop with a plot twist at the end that is jaw dropping.

I listened to this book thanks to NetGalley.
The author was previously unknown to me, as was the first book in this series.

The main character Dylan Kasper is a likeable, rough round the edges kind of detective. I felt the story drew me in straight from the beginning and I really like the setting of Paradise, the dingy estate these people call home.

I enjoyed the characters and the developing back story that has led Kasper to where he is now.
As the story developed I became more engrossed in who was who and felt the suspense begin to build and the twists and turns didn’t let me down.

I would definitely recommend this book and will surely reading another in this series.

Dive headfirst into the underbelly of London with Dylan Kasper, a jaded ex-cop turned PI. When Patience begs him to investigate her brother's murder on a notorious housing estate, Kasper uncovers a horrifying truth. The victim stumbled upon a dark secret – a snuff film operation preying on vulnerable women. This case becomes a desperate fight for survival as Kasper follows a trail of cryptic clues and chilling photographs, each leading him closer to a ruthless killer. But the deeper he digs, the more he realizes he's become a target. Can Kasper expose the monstrous conspiracy before it claims another life, or will he become the next victim lost in the city's shadows?

A Killing in Paradise - 4 stars

#AKillinginParadisee is the second book of the series about private investigator Dylan Kasper. I have to say, I didn't read the first one but provided information was enough to get through this story.
A young boy Kwame dies in a pretty rough area of ​​London, ironically called Paradise. His sister Patience wants to find out the truth about his dead. And because the police don't try to do much, she asks private detective Dylan Kasper to help her. As proof that it wasn't just an accident murder, Patience shows him a very disturbing video, that she found in her brother's belongings. Dylan takes this case, even though Paradise is the last place he wants to be. He grew up there and something bad happened to him at that place. As the investigation progresses, Kasper discovers that the boy has gotten involved in something dangerous, something related to snuff films industry. And from this moment, everything is progressing like a snowball and everyone who's involved in this investigation finds themselves in a danger. At the same time, Kasper has to deal with his own demons, it's an anniversary of the death of his young daughter and this leaves its mark on the investigation case and those around him. Will Dylan Kasper fight his own battle and discover all the truth about Kwame's dead? Or Paradise take over him?
This story is quite dark, with a good few twists and turns that will leave you wondering. It's a good combination of detective and drama. Thanks to Elliot Sweeney for the great building up Dylan's character, it was really complex and decent, something you expect in any thriller.
And special thanks to the narrator E. Fitzpatrick, he made the story real and I found myself hooked almost immediately and that it was difficult to stop listening. The perfect voice for this thriller.
Overall, I think that this book will be liked by all fans of psychological thrillers, especially those who like the tropes 'ex-cop to detective'.
Will I read the next book? Yes. I would like to know where E. Sweeney will bring Dylan Kasper next.

Author: Elliot F. Sweeney
Narrated by Elliot Fitzpatrick
Publisher: Headline Audio | Wildfire
Pub Date: 6 Jun 2024
Duration 11 hours, 40 minutes

Thank you NetGalley for providing the audio-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

#AKillinginParadise #NetGalley

I realised quite quickly that this book was not going to be great for me.
I listened to 30% of the book, but I was still struggling to find anything to enjoy in it. I decided to put it aside for a while and come back to it. I then read until the halfway point of the book and decided that was enough for me.
I found the narrator's voice to be very flat and monotonous, which was excellent for portraying the jaded ex-cop turned PI main character. However the flat tone made the other characters seem underdeveloped.
The early chapters of the book contain a very graphic description of a violent crime which was a tough listen.
There are some interesting and important themes raised in the book, but at the point I read to I felt they were being used as buzzwords, rather than genuine exploration of the issues.
I think this book will appeal to readers who like a strong lone-wolf hero who needs to save everyone (like a less trigger-happy Reacher). I am grateful to have had the opportunity to listen to an advance copy of this book, unfortunately it just wasn't for me.

Dylan Kasper is a former policeman, turned PI and investigates the murder to Patience’s brother on an infamous London housing estate. It turns out Patience’s brother discovered a thriving snuff film enterprise and took a camera with raw footage. Then Kasper stumbles across a draw full of photos, linking numerous sex workers to these heinous films who are all missing, presumed murdered.
The investigation takes Kasper down a dangerous path that he knows could end his own life, but pursues it regardless to find the truth and justice for all those killed.
An enthralling tale that keeps you encapsulated, wanting to know what happens next. Totally worth a read for any crime procedural fan, with plenty of twists included to keep you guessing. This is the second book, but can easily be read as a standalone.

This was a new author to me and the blurb really intrigued me and it did not disappoint. The narration really worked and I will definitely be looking for more by this author and narrator.

I listened to the audiobook of this novel and, overall, really enjoyed it. It's dark, gritty and not for the faint-hearted!

I didn't realise this was book 2 in a series but, it didn't matter too much to me as I was able to get into it pretty quickly - not sure what I've missed not reading the first book but it didn't seem to affect my enjoyment of the story.

With great characters, a dark and gritty storyline which is pretty graphic and violent in parts (maybe there should be a warning at the beginning about the subject matter it deals with?), I have to say that I was hooked from the beginning.

The narrator was perfect for the male roles but the females, not so much - maybe use a female narrator for the female parts in future books? Other than that little gripe, I thoroughly enjoyed it and look forward to reading more and getting to know Kasper a little better.

Many thanks to the author, Headline Audio, Wildfire and NetGalley for enabling me to read and share my thoughts of this dark and gritty audiobook.