I only needed to read the second story in this book as I’ve already read the first and the third as Book Shots and reviewed them separately. I found “The Doctor’s Plot” enjoyable. It really did not feel like a short story to me. This is one of those times when Mr. Patterson gets it right and puts just the rights amount of detail into the story to make it work and not feel rushed. ( )

Murder in Paradise consists of three stories. The First The Lawyer Lifeguard tells of a lawyer whoms fiancé dies in a car explosion and landing him in the hospital as the main suspect. This story is interesting with various characters bouncing in and out of it all outlined by corruption and keeping eyes out. The end of which is both intense yet a little disappointing. The Doctors Plot is an intense story of a new ME in Napa valley whom stumbles upon death. This story is the hardest to put down yet also lacks details as to how some events happened with a very open ended ending that gives the reader chills. The last story that of The Shut-In tells of a girl whom is allergic to the sun and explores her neighborhood with a drone until she witnesses a murder. This story has a strong main character yet with weak and sometimes annoying secondary characters whom treat the main character as crazy. All in all Murder in Paradise is a different feel for any James Patterson fan. ( )

Abi and Jeremy Brenner moved to Napa, CA so Abi could be the new Medical Examiner after the previous ME died in a hot air explosion. Several people have mysteriously died, and Abi finds conotoxin, the venom from the cone snail in their bodies.
Wealthy winemaker Eric Stelling is a major contributor to the city and Queen of Valley Medical Center. He has an obsession with snails. He also has several of the medical staff in on his plan of genetic cleansing. Abi discovers this and confides in the wrong person, with devastating consequences. The ending is horrifying.

#JamesPatterson #ConnorHyde #BookShots #TheDoctorsPlot ( )

A compilation of three novellas:

The Lawyer Lifeguard --- When a bomb destroys his car, defense attorney Brian Lord narrowly escapes death. His fiancée isn’t so fortunate. While he’s recovering, his boss visits his hospital room and tells him he no longer has a job at Garner and Mackey. Signing on as a lifeguard, he finds solace at the beach, unaware of the danger that stalks him.

The Doctor’s Plot --- Abi Brenner comes to Napa Valley as the new medical examiner. It’s a dream job in a dream location. But she is about to learn there is something quite sinister in this town . . . and the bodies of the murdered are piling up.

The Shut-In --- Tricia Celano suffers from a rare affliction and is a virtual prisoner in her apartment. Allergic to the sun and phobic about the dark, she flies her drone over the city in order to see the outside world. But on one of her innocent excursions, the drone’s camera sends her video of a murder and she decides to track down the killer. But the killer knows that Tricia is watching . . . .

Told with Patterson’s trademark short chapters, the stories are short on character development and lightning-fast on plot development. Tension-building plots keep the stories racing along and draw readers into the telling of the tale. Surprising twists keep readers guessing as each story unfolds and the suspense builds. Readers should remember, however, that not all stories end happily or as the reader expects. [Note to authors: unhappy readers are not a good thing.]

Recommended. ( )