Don Gilet is Death in Paradise’s grumpiest detective yet ...Middle East

January wouldn’t be January without a new series of Death in Paradise, the cosy crime blockbuster in which dark deeds unfold in the sunny Caribbean. Its appeal is obvious – with New Year blues in full swing, what better distraction than a whodunit accompanied by soaring temperatures and white sandy beaches? 

But if the formula is easily understood, the programme has the perennially tricky problem of holding on to its top-billed actor; its revolving door of head detectives is at risk of becoming a bit of a blur.

The new sheriff in town, Don Gilet’s DI Mervin Wilson, is the fifth to parachute into tropical (and fictional) Saint Marie since Death in Paradise debuted in 2011, with his predecessors clocking in for an average of around four years. Forget the murders; the true mystery is when someone will take the gig on a longer-term basis.

The charismatic Gilet is the first black actor to play the lead character and he plays DI Wilson as a straight-talking Londoner who has seen a few things in his day. In an enjoyable series opener, he offers a satisfying contrast to his nice-but-a-bit-dull predecessor, Neville Parker, as portrayed by Ralf Little.

Wilson is also the tetchiest Death in Paradise detective since its original copper abroad, Richard Poole (Ben Miller). He is appalled by what he regards as the slow pace of life in Saint Marie – though, unlike the pensive Poole, his quibbles mainly revolve around the lack of food delivery apps and the quality of the local bacon sandwiches.

Gilet made his entrance in a Christmas special last month, in which he became a holiday detective by mistake. DI Wilson was in Saint Marie to learn more about his late mother – a local to the island and a woman he had never known. But then, two Father Christmases were bumped off in suspicious circumstances, and he offered his expertise as a murder investigator.

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The new series picks up the action with Wilson rushing to make his flight back to London. But before he can jet off home, an eager new recruit to the Saint Marie police is found dead, having seemingly sustained a lethal concussion in a biking crash. Wilson’s detective senses tingle and he decides to stick around.

Nobody watches Death in Paradise for its dazzling storylines. This latest mystery pulls a last-minute switcheroo by tying the death of Officer Benjamin Brice (Anthony Abraham) to a rare and valuable stamp that isn’t mentioned until well into the hour-long episode. Brice has been killed by his brother, who wanted him to retrieve the stamp from the police station where it had been locked away following a failed attempt to rob it from its original owner.

As always, the enjoyment flows from the more familiar characters. It’s heartbreaking to see Saint Marie police chief Selwyn Patterson (Don Warrington) learn that his position is to be eliminated – the authorities back at HQ have decided his job is surplus to requirement. Meanwhile, DS Naomi Thomas (Shantol Jackson) has the measure of the cocky Wilson and enjoys watching him adjust – or not – to island life. Wilson is endearingly grumpy and, like any sensible person, finds Saint Marie’s boundless sunshine and dazzling temperatures unbearable.

He also discovers his mother’s death may not have been an accident, a twist delivered just before the final credits which suggests that the series will play out as an ongoing story with Wilson trying to discover who killed his mum and why.

But that’s for the future. For now, the huge Death in Paradise fanbase will be relieved Gilet has taken to the job like a natural. Fingers crossed, he sticks around long enough to leave a lasting impression.

‘Death in Paradise’ continues next Friday at 9pm on BBC One

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