Diver's Paradise

by Davin Goodwin

Overview

Why do people close to Roscoe Conklin keep showing up dead—and on the paradise island of Bonaire?

After 25 years on the job, Detective Roscoe Conklin trades his badge for a pair of shorts and sandals and moves to Bonaire, a small island nestled in the southern Caribbean. But the warm water, palm trees, and sunsets are derailed when his long-time police-buddy and friend back home, is murdered.

Conklin dusts off a few markers and calls his old department, trolling for information. It’s slow going. No surprise, there. After all, it’s an active investigation, and his compadres back home aren’t saying a damn thing.

He’s 2,000 miles away, living in paradise. Does he really think he can help? They suggest he go to the beach and catch some rays.

For Conklin, it’s not that simple. Outside looking in? Not him. Never has been. Never will be.

When a suspicious mishap lands his significant other, Arabella, in the hospital, the island police conduct, at best, a sluggish investigation, stonewalling progress. Conklin questions the evidence and challenges the department’s methods. Something isn’t right.

Arabella wasn’t the intended target.

He was.

Perfect for fans of Randy Wayne White's Doc Ford and Robert B. Parker's Spencer

While the novels in the Roscoe Conklin Mystery Series stand on their own and can be read in any order, the publication sequence is:

Diver’s Paradise
Paradise Cove

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781608094363
Publisher:	Oceanview Publishing
Publication date:	04/20/2021
Series:	A Roscoe Conklin Mystery , #1
Pages:	336
Sales rank:	686,597
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.60(d)

About the Author

Davin Goodwin is a man of many talents. He’s a graduate of Arkansas State University and works in the technology industry. He has been a small business owner, a real estate investor, an aerial photographer and flight instructor, a semi-professional banjo player, and—important to Diver’s Paradise—a scuba diver, often seen on the island of Bonaire. Diver’s Paradise is his debut novel and he intends to continue writing the Roscoe Conklin series, set in Bonaire. Goodwin lives in Madison, Wisconsin, with his wife, Leslie.

Editorial Reviews

02/03/2020

Goodwin’s impressive debut and series launch introduces retired Rockford, Ill., police detective Roscoe Conklin, who, on the verge of 50, has moved to the Caribbean island of Bonaire and bought a small hotel. His days consist of scuba diving trips and picking out tunes on his banjo between bottles of beer. Then Conklin’s former partner, Bill Ryberg, and his wife, Marybeth, are murdered back in Illinois. After providing Conklin with a few details of the deaths, his former colleagues close ranks, leaving him with more questions than answers. Meanwhile, Conklin’s friend Tiffany and her petulant boyfriend arrive for a vacation, and an angry building contractor starts to hound him. When people on the island who have had contact with Conklin start dying violently, he realizes that he may also be a target for the murderer. The plot has a few holes, but the author knows Bonaire well and provides some tantalizing descriptions of island life, including thrilling scuba diving scenes. Fans of John D. MacDonald’s Travis McGee will look forward to seeing more of Conklin. (Apr.)

Publishers Weekly

"[Diver’s Paradise is] a fun and heady combination of suspense and intrigue that appeals to the underdog in us all. It definitely delivers what readers crave.” —Steve Berry, New York Times best-selling author

“If you like Caribbean settings, scuba diving, fishing and characters who would rather drink a Bright (Amstel Bright beer) than replace a lightbulb in a resort room, you’ll like Roscoe Conklin.” —Key West Citizen


“Diver’s Paradise starts off with a bang and never lets up! A fantastic Caribbean mystery that will appeal to fans of Randy Wayne White. The ultimate beach read for those for who love sun, sand, and turquoise water!” —Ward Larsen, USA Today best-selling author


“Tightly written, Goodwin’s debut novel captures the relaxed, easy going life in Bonaire, then shatters it with explosive energy. You won’t put this book down till the last page!” —Don Bruns, USA Today best-selling author


“[Diver’s Paradise is an] impressive debut and series launch. Fans of John D. MacDonald’s Travis McGee will look forward to seeing more of Conklin.” —Publishers Weekly


“Diver’s Paradise is a fast-paced and engaging thriller that will linger long after the final page.” —D. P. Lyle, Macavity and Benjamin Franklin Award-winning author


“[Diver’s Paradise is] a dazzling debut thriller that grabs you by the throat with spell-binding action from the first page – and never slows down. Davin Goodwin has created a fascinating character in Roscoe Conklin, a retired cop living in an island paradise who can’t escape the deadly secrets from his past. Highly recommended!” —R. G. Belsky, author of the award-winning Clare Carlson series


“Diver's Paradise had me hooked from the first pages, from its opening in snowy Rockford, Illinois to the sunny beaches of an island in the Caribbean. Roscoe Conklin, or R, as he's known, is a totally likable and engaging protagonist whom I can't wait to revisit in the next one. Davin Goodwin is a major new talent.” —Michael A. Black, award-winning author of Blood Trails


“Make room at the table with Child, Grisham, and Coben. Davin Goodwin's debut novel Diver's Paradise is a stay-up-all-night page-turner in the best traditions of the American thriller.” —Renee James, author of Seven Suspects

From the Publisher