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Merryll Manning: Trapped on Mystery Island

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This is the first of Reid's series featuring police officer Merryll Manning, working out of Miami. He and his girlfriend Susan take part in a murder mystery weekend in an old Dominican priory on Cross Key Island. As you might expect, this being a mystery, one of the murders is the real deal, and the varied bunch of paying guests has to band together (while falling apart) to figure out who the real murderer is, and how to survive until help arrives.

The crew is varied, all of them colorful individuals. Susan herself is of interest because while Manning is definitely hooked on her, he's also aware that she's not exactly the most angelic of creatures. She's much different than the typical cop's girlfriend you'd expect to find in a mystery novel, and even Manning seems unsure how he puts up with her. Manning himself is an interesting guy: he's a cop and knows how to read a scenario; he's also intelligent and unafraid of debate. His theological debates with fellow guest Father Connor are rich in detail and a certain amount of passion on both sides. He's not afraid to take on the other guests, to take charge, and even to throw a punch. He even manages a few jabs at the mainstream publishing industry.

The story moves quickly, and Reid does a great job of not allowing suspicion to settle on any one character for long. The scenery--the island and the priory itself--is well-detailed. I can well believe Reid personally researched this setting as well as the murder mystery weekend theme. I understand there are at least eleven more novels in this series, and I'll be checking them out!

On vacation in the Florida Keys with his girlfriend, police sergeant Merryll Manning takes part in a Murder Mystery weekend, with the chance to win a cash prize of $5000 on the line. When a real murder actually takes place, though, all fun and games come to an abrupt end as Merryll strives - almost in vain - to learn the identity of the true-life killer. To make matters worse, the vacationers are all trapped on the island without any way to contact the mainland, adding an element of grave fear to an already tense situation...with little more than his instinctive wits on his side, Merryll soon finds himself in a race against time to solve the deadly mystery before he becomes its next victim...

In Merryll Manning: Trapped On Mystery Island, author John Howard Reid combines vivid, unforgettable characters and riveting action to create a richly compelling - and surprisingly amusing - top-notch suspense thriller. The debut installment in the Merryll Manning Mysteries series, Trapped On Mystery Island introduces the reader to the inimitable stylings of its eponymous protagonist, an abrasive, no-nonsense pain-in-the-ass who you'd nonetheless want on your side if you found yourself in the same predicament as the hapless vacationers. With superb character development, vivid scenarios, and an engrossing plotline that both preserves and pushes the flow of the story, Reid's engaging tale is a classic whodunit sure to please fans of well crafted murder mysteries.

With just enough suspense to keep you guessing until the very end, Merryll Manning: Trapped On Mystery Island is a strong debut from a solid literary talent. Highly recommended.


Renee Washburn
Apex Reviews

Police sergeant Merryll Manning is on vacation on an island in the Florida Keys for a Murder Mystery weekend. The plan is to solve the mystery and win a cash prize of $5,000.00. Easier said than done. Merry has his teenage-looking girlfriend Susan Ford along for the trip. Susan isn't above using her sexuality to keep Merryll flustered and under her thumb.

Merryll Manning: Trapped On Mystery Island by John Howard Reid was published more than twenty years ago in Australia. The first installment of the twelve part Merryll Mysteries made its American debut in the spring of 2008.

The game players are an eclectic group including a priest, lawyer, novelist, as well as several actors who may or may not be playing parts in the game. Merryll begins mingling with the players as only he can. His abrasive, eccentric style quickly puts him at odds with several of the gamers. Merry continuously aggravates the priest with religious debates; while Susan's sexy and spunky charms push and pull Merryll's concentration from the game.

Soon the first victim of the game falls as Merryll has predicted. The others have a problem with a policeman's unfair advantage in the game. Others believe Susan is under-age and doubt Manning is a cop at all.

When blood is found, Merryll traces it to a real murder victim. The horrific bloody murder scene has a profound affect on Merryll. Another gamer disappears during a smoke break. With no way to contact the mainland, to leave the island, or to inform the police, Merryll takes over the investigation.

Author John Howard Reid has an undeniable skill for keeping the reader guessing who-dun-it. Reid points the finger of guilt, through Merryll, at many of the characters. The reader keeps turning pages to see who Merryll will infuriate next with his accusations and taunts. Tension, mistrust, suspense, and a quick pace keep the reader captivated to the final page.

Don't mistake this as another self-published vanity project. John Howard Reid is a talented, experienced writer with more than 70 books to his credit. His dialogue is brilliant in the back-and-forth banter between Merryll and the priest, and Merryll and the novelist. He paints scenes so well that you expect to see Merryll and his suspect burst into your living room.

Books three and four in the series are scheduled for release in 2010 with Merryll Manning: Beachfront Holiday set for release in June. Merryll Manning is a wonderful, old-fashioned style mystery series. Start here with Trapped on Mystery Island and you'll be hooked. Highly Recommended.

[...] (June 24, 2008)
978-1435720855

By William Potter for Reader's Choice Reviews.

Merryll Manning, cop extraordinaire, is on vacation. By his side is a gorgeous nubile nymphet named Susan Ford. Susan is not above using her charms on the man she seeks and Manning, besotted by this dazzling beauty, is only too willing to be her puppet. So much so that he pays two grand for a vacation on an island in the Florida Keys - just to please her.

This vacation is, however, one with a twist. An eclectic group of people have paid a thousand dollars each to be part of a murder mystery setting on an isolated island. They are cut off from any communication with the mainland. The sixteen or so guests comprise of a priest, a lawyer, a novelist, a cop and several actors. They are asked to select a `suspect' and a `victim' and solve a `murder'. The winner will walk away with five grand. Susan has her sights set on the money and Merryll Manning is her trump card. Manning too is keen on getting his two grand back - if he can resist the charms of his sweetheart, that is. As he admits, ` My only hope was her unpredictability. She was a spoilt child. The more I humoured her whims, catered to her caprices, the more likely she'd suffer a sudden attack of guilt."

The stage is all set and the players each have their parts. But the fun and games soon turns to more morbid business when evidence of blood and a real victim are found in the old priory. With no way of contacting the mainland, the only option is to find the murderer. Tension, suspense and mistrust creeps in among the guests. Merryll Manning takes the matter into his own hands and with his clever but somewhat erratic deductive abilities manages to nail the culprit.

John Howard Reid has written a fast paced whodunit with skilful use of dialogue to move the plot along. He points the finger at many, keeping the reader guessing till finally the real murderer is disclosed. Reid has over 70 books to his credit and the Merryll Manning mysteries are great page turners.

If your "whodunit" Mystery Island vacation turned deadly, who would you turn too? Who would you trust? Sergent Merryll Manning was looking forward to a short, weekend vacation with his nubile and manipulative girlfriend, Susan. Using his finely-honed investigative skills, Merryll plans to quickly identify the "Mystery Island Killer" and win a sizable-sum of prize money; as luck would have it, nothing goes according to plan.

Merryll Manning: Trapped on Mystery Island is a suspenseful story, written in the first person; it flows at a steady pace with numerous, surprise twists and turns that keep the reader guessing, right to the end! The characters are well developed, compelling and easy to distinguish from one another; not always the case in multi-character works of fiction. The setting for the story is very well written; the natural landscapes and man-made structures fairly leap off the page and pull the reader deep into the narrative. Natural elements add further atmosphere, lending a sinister edge to the story. The author, John Howard Reid, is a multi-award winning, bestselling author. If you are a fan of the mystery, suspense or thriller genres, get your hands on a copy of this book as soon as possible!

Copyright © Nurture Your BOOKS(tm) --- Bobbie Crawford-McCoy

Detective Merryll Manning and his girlfriend, Susan Ford are finally taking a honey moon together. They have arrived in sunny Cross Keys Island. Unfortunately, Merryll and Susan are not alone. They will be spending their honey moon with eleven other strangers for a Mystery Weekend. The grand prize is five thousand dollars.

Some of the other people joining Susan and Merryll include Brinton Blythe, who is an actor to members of the Paradise AVEPA Club. AVEPA stands for American Veterans and Ex-service Personnel Association. There is no blood loss between many of these people. The games begin with the first victim. It appears though that there is more at stake then just money. Someone is playing for real. It is up to Merryll to seek out the real killer fore the bodies pile up.

There were times in this book where the situation the characters found themselves in where a bit silly but this is what made the book so good. The characters in this book reminded me on the board game Clue. I loved playing that game. I have always been a fan of mystery novels. Trapped on Mystery Island is a shining example of why I love this genre. Author, John Howard Reid takes readers on a who-dun-it mystery adventure with a few twists and turns. Be warned as you never know who just might stab you in the back.

A gripping novel of murder and suspense, "Merryll Manning: Trapped on Mystery Island" is the first in a series of twelve highly acclaimed mystery suspense novels that began life overseas back in 1985. One of the Manning novels, "Merryll Manning's Last Generation", was selected as Book of the Year by Australia's highest circulation newspaper, The Sunday Telegraph.

Merryll "Merry" Manning is a police sergeant, which is certainly not an unusual occupation for the hero of a series of detective thrillers. Admittedly, he comes across as somewhat eccentric, but this again could be rated as a fairly conventional trait among the clue-hunting heroes of crime fiction. Furthermore, Manning works in Miami, Florida, a tried-and-true venue in numerous films and novels.

What does set Manning slightly apart from the pack, however, is Susan Alexis Devoro Ford, his young, super-attractive, pocket-sized girlfriend. Despite her diminutive stature, Miss Ford proves quite a handful for a hero who is, as he ruefully admits, more than twice her age. Again, this also figures as standard Hollywood material, particularly for fans of aging heroes like John Wayne, Clark Gable and Gary Cooper. Unlike these macho super-stars, however, the far more cerebral Manning is really trapped by Miss Ford. She holds the whip hand.

The following review by Robyn McWilliam appeared in "Partners in Crime" for November, 2001, when the novel was first published in England and Australia:

A weird group of characters is assembled on an island in the Florida Keys for a murder mystery weekend. There are office bearers of the Paradise Club. There's also an attorney, businessmen, representatives of the arts and a priest. The story is told by Merryll Manning, a police sergeant. He is a likeable, quirky character accompanied by his feisty girlfriend, Susan Ford. All are competing for a $5,000 prize. Mystery reigns from the outset as several of the participants are actually paid actors. Who is who?

Just as you are caught up in the characters' differing behaviors, the whole game turns sinister. A real murder is committed. The action moves on with surprising twists to the outcome.

"Merryll Manning: Trapped on Mystery Island" is an enjoyable read and does keep you guessing till the end. The author's writing style is pacy and easy to read. His characters are intriguing, but the island setting itself could have been used more effectively.

Merryll Manning: Trapped on Mystery Island by John Howard Reid
By Marti Melville
July 16, 2010

Thrown into the cast and characters isolated for a weekend of "who done-it" murder mayhem is exactly what I did not expect as I opened the cover and began reading John Howard Reid's novel, Merryll Manning: Trapped on Mystery Island.

The calamity begins with the first paragraph as each character arrives for their weekend of anticipated mystery fun, solving a pre-scripted murder play-event, as it were, in which the guests are part of the cast. Only, this weekend takes an unexpected turn and reality is blurred as acting and authenticity blend. Murder is the result.

Following along the same lines as Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None, the author creates a scenario in which the reader is pulled into the story as an observer who mirrors the frustration of the characters as they try to solve the mysterious deaths occurring on the island where they are trapped.

While the concept is not new, the setting for the story is. The author's attempt to create movement and subtle enigma is lost in a confusing conduction of scenes which brought to the mind of this reader, "thought salad". It was difficult to follow the diverse characters and the multiple names associated with each one as their individual personalities and attributes were never fully developed. Clever one-liners and quips were over-utilized throughout the dialogue, which added further to the confusion of the developing plot. On the flip side, it was this dialogue which moved the plot forward, allowing the reader to progress, albeit slowly, through the developing story. Occasional grammar errors and unnecessary punctuation marks peppered the novel which proved distracting as well.

I found myself wanting more as I turned the pages. So many opportunities for detailed description were passed by the author, opportunities to pull the reader deep into his own character and envision himself a character in the plot's venture.

Merryll Manning: Trapped on Mystery Island was not a cliffhanger for me. In fact, I found myself frustrated, wanting to be on the edge of my seat or horrified by the events as they unfolded. I was neither and found no desire to turn the pages as I read on.

My recommendation for this novel is to the book browser looking for a light read with little expectation for nail-biting action, perhaps a quick brain-teaser-type read. The story does lend itself well to a short story-type entertainment for those who may be seeking murder mystery adventure.

(Marti Melville is the author of "Midnight Omen Déjà vu", the first novel in the Déjà vu series)