When DI Neville Parker’s time on the fictional Caribbean island of Saint Marie as head of the Honoré Police Department came to a close, the search was on once again for a new DI to solve what seems to be an endless array of weekly murders on the tiny fictional picturesque island of Saint Marie.
DI Parker’s time on Saint Marie lasted a year longer than his predecessors with DI Richard Poole (Ben Miller) lasting 3 seasons only to have his time end on the island at the wrong end of an ice pick, DI Humphrey Goodman (Kris Marshall) arriving to investigate the Dᴇᴀᴛʜ of his predecessor and staying on the island permanently as the new detective for seasons 4-6, after his wife informs him she is leaving him.
Goodman’s replacement on Saint Marie was DI Jack Mooney (Ardal O’Hanlon), a recent widower who was grieving the loss of his wife and who assisted the team on a case in London. He remained on the island from season 6 until mid-way through series 9.
Mid-way through series 9, enter DI Neville Parker (Ralf Little) . DI Parker initially dislikes being on the island (surprise!) and has severe allergies, especially to mosquito bites. He comes to the island only because they need a British detective to sign off on a case, and is forced to stay longer after a period of illness renders him temporarily unfit to travel. Ultimately, he decided to remain on the island and eventually warms to the island lifestyle for almost 4+ series.
Coming to Saint Marie this week on BBC1 for S14 will be Don Gilet (Shetland, EastEnders, Sherwood) as Detective Inspector Mervin Wilson. DI Wilson comes from London who arrives on Saint Marie and, surprise, isn’t overly pleased with his new surroundings. While assisting with a case following a short trip, the team discover Mervin may have an ulterior motive for being on the island…
Gilet first appeared as Detectiver Inspector Mervin Wilson in the 2024 Christmas special which saw Dᴇᴀᴛʜ in Paradise regulars Don Warrington, Ginny Holder and Danny John-Jules all returning.
Alongside Gilet, Warrington and Holder, this season also sees returns for Shantol Jackson and Elizabeth Bourgine, while Tobi Bakare will be reprising his role as JP Hooper in a guest appearance.
The just released trailer for S14 sees Darlene (Ginny Holder) teasing a case which is “juicy, real juicy”, while Don Gilet’s new lead detective, Mervin, appears to be finally coming around to the island, remarking that it’s “actually not a bad view” outside his hut.
Clearly, even though there is a new detective in town, sadly, it appears to be business as usual for the potential victims already lining up in advance wondering what elaborate way they will exit the series.
Dᴇᴀᴛʜ in Paradise S14 premieres Friday, 31 January on BBC One and streaming on BBC iPlayer. Hopefully, it won’t be too long before it will be available in the U.S.
