5 Escapist Crime Fiction Suggestions For Fans Of Benidorm Is Murder – The Dorset Book Detective

When I saw the trailer for the new Channel 5 series Benidorm Is Murder, I knew I was going to enjoy it, and I wasn’t wrong.

It’s hardly high art, but like The Madame Blanc Mysteries, this fun series is set in the sunshine and features an ex-pat and ex-copper who now runs a bar.

When a murder happens in a nearby hotel, the bar owner and his new bartender muscle their way onto the case, and soon make some startling discoveries.

There’s not a lot of meat on the bones of the plot, but there’s only so much the writers can do with 40 odd minutes. The plot is as fast-paced and cleverly written as New Tricks, with the essence of Benidorm, the sitcom set in the same city with many of the same cast as Murder They Hope.

It’s early days yet, with the first episode only just out, but early signs are this is good, escapist TV, and you can’t go wrong with a bit of John Hannah.

The show isn’t based on any books, so if you want to delve deeper, you’ll have to look elsewhere.

So, if you enjoyed the start of Benidorm Is Murder and want to find some reading recommendations, here you go.

5.Death In Paradise By Robert Throroughgood: Benidorm Is Murder is remarkably similar to the TV series Death In Paradise, which is actually based on a book series by Robert Throroughgood, the author of The Marlow Murder Club. Featuring the original detective on the TV show, DI Richard Poole, the series begins with the gripping and intriguing Meditation On Murder. The plots are twisted and the pace fast, with all the best tropes of a classic cosy crime series.

4.Spanish Beauty By Esther García Llovet: Set in Benidorm, Spanish Beauty is darker than Benidorm Is Murder, but it is still a gripping thriller. A hard-bitten half-Spanish, half- English policewoman tears across Benidorm in search of Reggie Kray’s stolen cigarette lighter. The book shows the murky underbelly behind the tourist gimmicks and delves into casinos, gang squabbles and more.

3.The Day I Lost You By Ruth Mancini: A modern thriller, The Day I Lost You is set partially in Spain, as the mother of a young boy is interviewed about the parentage of her son. The book splits between Spain and the UK, as we slowly uncover the truth about what happened and how two families became dangerously entangled.

2.The Amory Ames Books By Ashley Weaver: More in keeping with the cosy crime fiction vibe of Benidorm Is Murder, The Amory Ames novels are great escapist fiction. Starting with Murder At The Brightwell, the series travels around the world to Capri and Paris and across the UK, as Amory and her feckless husband entangle with a selection of devilish mysteries. These books are a great escape from your worries and envelope you in class, glamour and romance.

1.A Killer In Paradise By Tom Hindle: Tom Hindle’s most recent novel, A Killer In Paradise, is set in the heart of the Costa Rican rainforest, where a group of friends are gathered for a reunion and to celebrate the launch of a new luxury eco-lodge. The book toes the line between cosy crime fiction and modern thriller, and is a perfect summer holiday read for fans of Benidorm Is Murder.