ANGEL
IN
TOBAGO

A paradise in peril

A Caribbean thriller

by Tim Bartholomew

Publication Date
November 15th 2024

Gabriel, a middle-aged man adopted from Ghana and living a humdrum life in London, is thrust into a world of corruption, danger, and intrigue when he travels to Tobago to oversee the sale of a family property. As he navigates the island's vibrant culture and contrasting landscapes, he is forced to confront his values and morals in the face of shocking encounters with drug dealers, corrupt officials, and his nemesis, Pablo. Along the way, he meets three strong women who challenge him to break free from his comfort zone and take control of his destiny. With this island paradise in peril and Tobago’s ecological future in the balance, Gabriel will be tested in ways beyond his wildest nightmares.

With its blend of humour, action, and heart, this novel is a thrilling adventure that will leave you breathless and inspired.

Author's note

In these times of public frustration and anxiety in the face of environmental degradation and self-seeking politicians, I have written a deliberately feel-good novel, putting my protagonist through his paces in an authentic Caribbean holiday-escape setting. Twenty years ago, my wife-to-be (herself a Trinidad & Tobago native) encouraged me out of my own Eurocentric comfort zone to experience her homeland. Like Gabriel, I relished the contrasts, interacted with the locals and became obsessed with photographing its extraordinary bird life. I am now irrevocably invested in the ecological wellbeing of Tobago and the welfare of its people with some of whom I have forged lifelong friendships – and in whose company, like Gabriel, I feel completely at home.

Tobagonian Inspirations

Faces
with kind permission of their owners – where known

Two Tobago-inspired stained glass pieces
by the author's wife, Julie ffrench

Rocky Point

Castara

Places

Under threat: Rocky Point

Grafton, fictionalised as Shurland

Grafton, first floor interior

Grafton, view from the balcony

The abandoned hotel at Arnos Vale

Featured Birds...

Rufous-vented Chachalaca or Cocrico

Rufous-tailed Jacamar


Little Blue Heron


Bananaquit


Trinidad Motmot


Copper-rumped Hummingbird

Blue-Grey Tanager


Palm Tanagers

Orange-winged Parrot


Anhinga

Tropical Mockingbird


Osprey


...and Baddies

Hallucinatory Angel Trumpet, or Brugmansia

Sign over a rum shop at Crown Point, now dismantled

Tarantula (and Stag bottle)

Spectacled Caiman, smiling

Spectacled Caiman, approaching

Beauty spot under threat: Rocky Point at midday