Ah, summertime when thoughts turn towards sandy beaches, gentle waves, tropical drinks, warm breezes and untimely death. Wait… what was that last one? Nope, that’s not a typo. This week’s South Branch post features all of these unlikely qualities coming together in the British television hit Death in Paradise.

If the idea of sitting on a beach leaves you worrying that you’ll be vacuuming sand out of crevices in your car, house and just about anywhere else that ubiquitous little grain can end up, try a beach “staycation” this summer with Death in Paradise. This little gem of a show (Season 4 premieres on Wed, June 24th on PBS) infuses a wry, British wit with a traditional murder-mystery detective series and incorporates a cast of quirky, colorful characters that just may have you thinking that your couch is as good a place as any to soak up some island warmth.

Set on the idyllic, fictional island of Saint-Marie  (a neighbor of Guadeloupe where the show is actually filmed), a London investigator is stationed in the capital, Honoré. Equipped with sharp wits but no air conditioning, the detective is expected to navigate island life while solving the murders of the people who seem to drop dead on this little island at a disproportionately high rate. The series has seen two detective inspectors: D.I. Richard Poole, who is plagued by the island’s perpetual cheeriness and laissez-faire attitude, hates the sand and sun, believes in “properly” dressing daily in a wool suit and longs for an English cuppa tea. After his exit (and no, I won’t tell you how or why; no spoilers here!), we meet D.I. Humphrey Goodman, far better suited to island life, but equally as quirky and brilliant as D.I. Poole. Locked-room murders, fun side shenanigans, and a lizard named Harry (that’s him in the top picture) are just a sampling of what you can expect from this  light, entertaining series.

If you prefer to begin a series at the beginning, the South Branch owns all of the first three seasons of Death in Paradise. Check them out to be in the know when the fourth season starts or just to enjoy a little escapism from the unpredictable (and not always summer-like) New England weather!

If you’re looking for more murder without the mayhem, try checking out these selections:

Sugar and Iced by Jenn McKinlay

In keeping with the murder-in-unlikely-places theme, Jenn McKinlay’s Cupcake Bakery Mysteries indulge readers as two artisan cupcake bakers in sunny Arizona end up getting tangled in murder mysteries. In this adventure, Melanie and Angie are baking an elaborate cupcake display for the local beauty pageant, when one of the judges is found dead– underneath their display. In order to keep murder out of their business profile, they’ll have to work with the police to find the culprit.  Light, breezy and a great summer read, McKinlay is always kind enough to include a few recipes of the cupcake creations she mentions in the book, so you can read your cupcakes and eat them, too!

Clammed Up by Barbara Ross:

If jaunting up the coastline is more your summer speed, try this slice of Maine life, the first of Barbara Ross’s Main Clambake Mysteries. The Snowden Family Clambake company does pretty well in Busmans Harbor, Maine, but when a murder taints one of their catered weddings, the family must find out who the killer is before the business suffers. This charming series with local New England flair is sure to appeal to those looking for a quick break.

Bad Monkey by Carl Hiaasen:

If you still prefer your murder mystery set in a more tropical clime, Carl Hiaasen will take you to Florida and the Bahamas, as long as you don’t mind exploring the grittier side of those warm vacation spots. Follow Andrew Yancy of the Key West Police as he investigates a murder while encountering all sorts of unusual characters including an idiotic real-estate agent, a voodoo witch and a very strange medical examiner. If you like warm weather vacations, but are adventurous enough to go off-the-beaten-path, give this mystery a try.

Clue

Yup, this movie is an unabashed reference to the classic board game. Someone murders Mr. Boddy at a surprise dinner engagement and Colonel Mustard, Professor Plum and Miss Scarlett are all suspects. Crazy hi-jinx and slapstick humor may not create a traditional murder mystery tone, but with an all-star cast that includes Tim Curry, Madeline Kahn and Christopher Lloyd, it definitely works. With three possible endings included, this movie will keep you guessing and laughing all at the same time.

Psych

Like Death In Paradise, Psych also injects humor into the business of murder detection, but with far less British influence and far more snacks. If you devoured Jim Gaffigan’s Food: A Love Story from last week’s post, you’ll have a sense of the type of humor you’ll encounter in this show. Set in vacation-worthy Santa Barbara, CA (but actually filmed in Canada) the show boasts an impressive array of guest stars (including a reunion of most of the cast members from Clue) and a sharp, albeit very American wit. It’s irreverent, entertaining and one of the most underrated TV shows that not nearly enough people watched during its surprising 8-season run.

That’s it from the South this week. Till we meet again next week, remember that paradise, complete with the possibility of a good murder, is only a click away…

I’m not sure what it is about food and books that go so well together, but they’re definitely a complimentary pair. I’d say it’s because it puts two of my favorite things together, but I’m not alone in this thought. There are scads of blogs out there that embrace the book/food pairing by creating recipes from literature, inspired by literature or simply juxtapose food with books. For a brief sampling try: Outlander Kitchen; Yummy Books, Paper/Plates, Paper and Salt, or Food in Literature, all fun blogs with great content and intriguing recipes.

Here at the South Branch, we’ve been acknowledging people’s love of food and books for a while. From our chocolate seminars, to our cooking demonstrations and hosting cookbook authors, there’s hardly a better place to indulge your yearning for food knowledge than here (except, maybe, for the Cookbook Club @ the West Branch). We’ve got some exciting upcoming programs that bring food into the library this summer, so if you’re hankering for an evening out and eager to sample a free program, check out these upcoming morsels:

The Baker Chocolate Company: A Sweet History

Whole Foods Cooking Demonstration

If after that, you craving more books that celebrate food, try some of these titles:

Food: A Love Story: I’ll be honest, I wrote this post largely so I could recommend this book. Jim Gaffigan has the healthiest, unhealthy relationship with food and it’s hysterical; I’m fairly certain he’s a real-life incarnation of Garfield. I’m listening to the audiobook (read by the author) in my car and have gotten some strange looks from other drivers because I’m laughing so hard. That pretty much gets a book an automatic thumbs-up from me. Gaffigan is a self-proclaimed food lover, but NOT a foodie, preferring to have fast food over good food that takes forever to find. You’re likely to find something relatable in this book and you’re more likely to find many things that will tickle your funnybone and possibly awaken a long-suppressed craving for hot dogs. If you, too, believe that “bacon bits are like the fairy dust of food community” do yourself a favor and read this book, immediately.

Mystery Writers of America Cookbook: From Mary Higgins Clark to James Patterson; Sue Grafton to Harlan Coben, mystery writers can’t seem to keep food out of their texts. And why should they? Food is a sensual experience that can drive someone further into a story by stimulating more than just the eyes. It can be a respite from intense drama or help us get to know a character better by learning his/her taste. This book collects some of America’s favorite mystery writers’ recipes: from dishes mentioned in a novel, to a writer’s favorite recipe to make at home. You’ll be hard-pressed not to find something appetizing here. (Murder and mayhem are optional.)

Taste: What You’re Missing: Turns out, we’re missing quite a lot from our everyday experience of taste.  I’m not sure Barb Stuckey’s tome got the popular attention is should have given how many considered it more of an academic book. However, Taste is extremely accessible, enjoyable and even a bit fun! Should you decide to experience some of the concepts the author talks about, she offers some exercises to try them out. (Bonus, they can also double as party games if you’re throwing a party for foodies.) She covers a lot here, but it’s broken down into small doses and the chapters stand alone, so skipping around to what interests you is definitely an option here. I read the whole thing cover-to-cover, though, and found it very enjoyable, so I recommend giving it a try!

Medium Raw: Oh, Tony Bourdain. I’ve gladly followed you from the jungles of Malaysia to the boardwalk of Coney Island and everywhere in-between on TV and in text. The man is insightful, sarcastic and eloquent (if a bit heavy on the f-bombs). While many tout the value of his breakout hit Kitchen Confidential (it is a great book, to be sure) and far too few mention the outstanding, albeit short-lived TV series based on that hit, I find this book to be Bourdain at his blunt, snarky best. He’s not shy about discussing the ways he’s been taken in by trappings of mainstream culture throughout his career, but he’s also brutally honest about what he likes, what he doesn’t like and what he’s tried to stay true to, and this makes Medium Raw not only a tantalizing, but also an enjoyable read as well.

The Belly of Paris: I was hungry pretty much through all 300+ pages of this book. It has: people eating; people talking about food; the author describing food; the business of food; the way that food is a commentary on social status; the way food feeds the drama of the plot (see what I did there?) … Heck, I’m getting hungry just writing about it. If you want a book that is pure indulgence, but still calorie-free, you won’t go wrong here. You may want to have a snack handy, though, just in case.

I hope I’ve persuaded you that food and books are not only a logical pairing, but a mouthwatering one as well. Thank you for putting up with all of my food puns. Till next week, dear readers! I need to find myself a snack…