Return to Paradise, ABC review: a cosy crime cracker in Dolphin Cove

A seemingly unstoppable global juggernaut, the UK’s mystery series Death in Paradise takes a time-worn concept and puts a shiny new spin on it: what if the usual string of small town murders took place in a sunny holiday island? Corpses for the crime fans, sand and sun for those craving a temporary escape from the British Isles’ soggy weather. Throw in some likeable characters, a touch of self-awareness, some decent mysteries and hey presto: a decade-long success with over a hundred episodes up its sleeve.

Australian version Return to Paradise technically has more in common with another spin-off, Beyond Paradise – they both involve offbeat detectives moving to a small coastal town (in Beyond’s case, Devon) rather than being dropped into a different culture on a tropical island. But Death in Paradise is the series everyone knows out here so that’s the one that gets mentioned in the press releases.

One thing that is very different between the OG UK versions and this Australian take is that here the detective – DI Mackenzie Clarke (Anna Samson), who’s been plying her police trade in London – is coming to Dolphin Cove, a quirky small town that’s also her former home. Having your lead return after years away to find out some things have changed and others haven’t is a very different cosy crime dynamic, as anyone who saw (for example) The Dry knows all too well.

Return to Paradise: under a cloud

Clarke has returned to Australia under a cloud, having been accused of falsifying evidence. Good news for long time Death in Paradise fans: her boss in London was former Death star Detective Inspector Jack Mooney (Ardal O’Harlon, also of Father Ted fame). Bad news for Clarke: thanks to that cloud, the only place in the country that would even consider hiring her is Dolphin Cove, and even there her name is (mostly) mud due to her dumping popular and often shirtless surfer-slash-pathologist Glenn (Tai Hara) at the altar six years ago.

So it’s lucky for her that she arrives just as the body of a local real estate magnate is dragged onshore during a surf carnival. Top cop Sergeant Philomena Strong (Catherine McClements) doesn’t think Senior Constable Colin Cartwright (Lloyd Griffith) is up to the case, but HQ can’t spare a homicide detective to take over. When Clarke turns up on the scene (she was planning to visit her mother; with her out of town, she needs a real estate agent to put her house up for rent), it doesn’t take long for her to get involved.

There’s a lot going on in the first episode. Not only does it have to establish Clarke’s personality – extremely driven, a little abrasive, basically well-meaning, very good at her job – but there’s a supporting cast to introduce, a setting to establish and the previously mentioned mystery to solve. All the boxes are ticked efficiently and effectively (the mystery is especially well handled considering the limited time); things are off to a good start.

Return to Paradise: pleasure

Return to Paradise provides many of the familiar pleasures of the Paradise franchise. Dolphin Cove is extremely scenic, and the cast of police characters strike the right mix of competency without being hard-boiled or unlikable. But the original series is a murder mystery first, a lightweight drama a distant second: aside from the occasional opening scene, usually the only time we get any focus on the detective’s personal life is when they’re about to move on. Based on the first episode at least, Clarke has a lot more going on in her life than just solving crime.

Clarke bolted from Dolphin Cove; she fled London after being framed for falsifying evidence. Her past with Glenn remains unresolved even if he has a new partner, the way Clarke stepped into a role Cartwright wanted might be an issue down the line, and there’s plenty of locals not happy to see her back. For a series traditionally based on the simple pleasures of a group of blandly likeable police solving twisty murders in a sunny location, that’s a lot of baggage.

At this stage it’s hard to say whether the result is skilfully expanding on a much-loved franchise or is messing too much with a winning formula. But it’s off to a strong start, and so long as the bodies keep piling up and the twists keep coming, chances are it won’t matter. Sun, sand, and someone with a kitchen knife in their back: who could ask for anything more?

Return to Paradise premiered on 8 September 2024 on ABC and is steaming on ABC iview.