The Real Death in Paradise
Richard Preston
- Calypso Beat recounts Richard Preston's idyllic two years spent as one of the twelve young police officers sent to the tropical paradise and infamous tax-haven of the Cayman Islands. Who would not love the opportunity to work in a tropical paradise, live in a luxury hotel suite, drive a jeep, learn to scuba dive, travel widely around the region and buy a share in a speedboat? What could possibly go wrong?
- Policing in this tropical paradise provided unique experiences such as the night-time beach patrol when he rescued 99 tiny little turtle eggs. Or when he looked on as the Governor wearing only a silk dressing gown used his “knobkerrie” to dramatic effect. Ancient laws still enforced, prohibited duelling, firing a cannon in Georgetown and practicing voodoo, but that didn’t stop a witch-doctor placing a curse upon him.
- He integrated well with local officers such as the Firearms Sergeant who appeared to live in the Armoury, the “Old School” Detective Chief Inspector in his opium-den like office and a well-meaning ex-Deputy Sheriff from Mississippi. He also discovered why the police dog could only understand German.
- The wonderful social whirl was occasionally interrupted by police work that included breaking into the Governor’s House, arresting pirates, investigating spooky midnight events in a deserted graveyard and accidently reversing over a cross-eyed gardener.
- Other adventures involved having to investigate a suspected arms dealer whilst wearing only a bed sheet and a curtain tie-back. At the Old Haunted Plantation House, he took part in a gun-battle wearing a cowboy holster and a bullet-proof vest that resembled Dolly Parton’s blouse. He also watched as the Drugs Squad were chased by an angry old lady in a flowery dress, brandishing a fish filleting knife.
- There were memorable trips rubbing shoulders with celebrities in Jamaica, a brush with death in a strange, forgotten village in the Mexican mountains and dancing the night away in a seedy jazz club in Old Havana, with a senorita who could sway.
- Just prior to leaving the island, he uncovered the identity of a corrupt official with the assistance of the overachieving MI6 agent Mr Pyle, who arranged for lunch at the best restaurant on the island to be paid for by the Queen.
Book Details:
- Author: Richard Preston
- Published Year: 2025
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Rights Sold
- UK: Bonnier
Richard Preston
Richard Preston joined Greater Manchester Police as an operational officer in a busy semi-rural area in the Pennines. He later joined the CID and subsequently worked undercover in Manchester before being seconded for two years to the Royal Cayman Islands Police.
After the secondment ended, Richard returned to the UK where he was later promoted to Sergeant working in the challenging areas of North Manchester and subsequently became an Inspector in Salford. He later became a Security Advisor to Counter Terrorism Policing in the North West of England. He is currently the UK Security Adv...
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