The killer turns out to be Rebecca, acting out of moral outrage — but the arrest leaves other secrets unresolved, setting up character arcs for the series. For new viewers, S01E01 is a perfect pilot. It establishes:
Murder on the Saint Marie Express (though sometimes listed simply as “Episode 1” or “Arrival”) Original air date: October 25, 2011 Writer: Robert Thorogood Director: Charles Palmer deathinparadises01all
| Element | Description | |--------|-------------| | | Saint Marie — fictional but filmed in Guadeloupe, lush, bright, dangerous beneath the surface | | Hero | DI Richard Poole — socially awkward, brilliant, hilarious in his discomfort | | Sidekick | DS Camille Bordey — warm, intuitive, excellent local knowledge | | Trope | Locked-room murder, false alibis, small island secrets | | Tone | Lighthearted but not silly — genuine mystery with comedic beats | The killer turns out to be Rebecca, acting
Enter DI Richard Poole. He is flown in from London not because he wants to be there, but because the murdered man was a person of interest in a UK fraud investigation. Poole is hot, irritable, allergic to sand, and deeply attached to his suits, wool sweaters, and proper English tea. He has never solved a case without his laptop and London resources — which, of course, do not function ideally in the tropics. He is flown in from London not because
The local police team — led by the pragmatic and sunny Commissioner Selwyn Patterson and the enthusiastic but inexperienced Detective Sergeant Camille Bordey — is baffled.