Waterfall Village is the fourth book in Matt Francis’ delightful, yet often quite dark, Murder in the Pacific series set in Vanuatu. This volume sees detectives George Long and Jayline Oli sent to the island of Pentecost, home to the famous land diving tradition, and getting caught up in the investigation of the murder of an American volunteer.
Waterfall Village opens a few months after Long and Oli’s last case Champagne Beach. George is now living with girlfriend Veronique and their newborn daughter. Jayline has been asked to help out a relative who has moved to Port Vila for work and is being harassed online by her husband from their home island of Tanna. The two are also involved in a Gender Diversity training being sponsored by the New Zealand government and when there is money left over are tapped to go to Pentecost Island to deliver the training there. But not long after they arrive on Pentecost the training is shelved and George and Jayline are asked to help investigate the apparent murder of an American Peace Corp volunteer. The prime suspect, who has confessed (although the confession is not believed by the local police), is the son of a government official. Given the identities of the victim and the suspect, politics quickly comes into play and the pressure is on George and Jayline to solve the case quickly.
The characters of George and Jayline, with their very different but complementary ways of investigating, and their relationship of mutual respect is once again at the centre of this mystery. They are delightful characters and while the investigation itself is not always as focussed as it could be, one of the joys of this series is spending time with them, seeing the country through their eyes, and following the progress of their lives.
Each book of this series has taken readers to a unique part of Vanuatu. Pentecost is well known for the custom of land diving, where giant structures are built and men jump off with only vines tied to their feet. The victim in this case has been found at the bottom of one of the land diving towers and the custom does play some role in the story. But this does not feel like a tourist’s view of the island, its people or its traditions. Francis is respectful of the role of custom and culture but is also live to the influence of politics and foreign interference in the communities of Vanuatu.
Waterfall Village may sometimes be light in tone but Francis has serious intent and does not pull his punches. Combining this with delightful central characters and a strong sense of place and community makes this another great entry in an always entertaining series.
Murder in the Pacific: Waterfall Village by Matt Francis
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