IT TAKES TWO TO MANGO BY CARRIE DOYLE

It Takes Two to Mango is book one in the Trouble in Paradise cozy mystery series. While it was a rough start for me I ended up really enjoying this tropical mystery.

Rating: ★★★★
​Release Date: June 29, 2021
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Series: Trouble in Paradise #1
Pages: 290 pages
Format: Paperback. Source: ​Purchased. ​

It's all fun in the sun until there's a murder in paradise

After Plum Lockhart's job as a travel magazine editor is eliminated in corporate cuts, she decides she's sick of cold winters in NYC and fruitless swiping on dating apps—what she needs is a dramatic change of scenery. On a whim, she accepts a job as a villa broker and moves to a beautiful Caribbean island.
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However, paradise isn't as perfect as it seems: the slow pace of island life, the language barrier, and a cutthroat office rival make Plum question leaving her old life behind. But when a client is found dead in the jacuzzi of Casa Mango—a property Plum manages—she knows she's really in a jam. With a killer loose on the island Plum will have to deal with a stonewalling police chief, a string of baffling clues, and a handsome Director of Security to solve this deadly case!

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I’ll admit that when I first started reading this one, I didn’t think I would like it. The main character (Plum) comes off as uptight and snooty which is a big turnoff for me. However, as the story progresses, we see her start to change subtly. Perhaps it’s the beautiful paradise that she now calls home or the illustrious Juan Kevin who has caught her eye. No matter what, the change in her demeanor is noticeable and I slowly came to enjoy not only her but the story as well.

It Takes Two to Mango is the first book in the Trouble in Paradise series and features a villa broker who is on the case when one of her residents is killed. Plum believes that the police in Paraiso are too “tranquillo” (aka relaxed and slow) so she and a security guard of the villa in which she works decides to do a little sleuthing on their own. And if you have ever read a cozy mystery then you know that whenever a sleuth is investigating there will be a lot of laughs and mayhem in their wake!

All in all, I really enjoyed this one despite it’s slow start and my inability to connect with Plum in the beginning. I urge those who feel the same way about her character to keep going because she may just end up surprising you as well! The mystery is solid, there’s a lot of breadcrumbs thrown in to keep us on our toes, and the reveal is one I didn’t see coming! This is a solid start to this series, and I look forward to continuing it with Somethings Guava Give!


𝗣𝗘𝗥𝗙𝗘𝗖𝗧 𝗙𝗢𝗥 𝗙𝗔𝗡𝗦 𝗢𝗙:
• Cozy Mysteries
• Mysteries set in Paradise (aka Caribbean islands)

𝗠𝗬 𝗥𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗚: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

SERIES READING ORDER