"
Dead Man in Paradise is as much a post-Cold War take on Latin America as it is a personal journey. Best read with a cold beer and a deep breath." (
Toro Magazine 20051001)
"This is a remarkable blend of regret, reflection and ambiguity whose complexity is reminiscent of a Shakespearean character." (Gavin Miller
Catholic Register 20060129)
"It's rare that a work of historical non-fiction grabs a reader from page one, but
Dead Man in Paradise does exactly that, holding the reader captive as author
J.B. MacKinnon embarks on a remarkable journey to investigate a controversial death in the family." (
Quill & Quire 20051001)
"The book is masterful.
MacKinnon has the craftsmanship for the challenge. He uses flashback well creates arresting images [and] has enough travel experience to take the bizarre in stride." (
Globe & Mail 20051022)
"Precise, sensuous, personal documentary..." (
Focus Magazine 20051201)
"
Dead Man in Paradise...works as travelogue, thriller, and much-needed antidote to the ways in which history is often buried and forgotten." (
Quill & Quire 20051219)
"
Dead Man in Paradise is an ambitious work...It aims to go farther than what could be expected of a family memoir, a travel diary or a political history." (
Toronto Star 20060122)
"A combination of exceptional English, stylistic elegance, deep thought and subtle perception." (
Macleans 20060227)
"There's an amazing arc in
Dead Man...It goes from a fog at the beginning, which is MacKinnon's state of mind, to the process of discovery...to reaching a point where he finds that he can go too far...The whole book is a study in growth, of coming to understand the passion of faith and certainty that existed in the mind of his uncle, and the uncertainty which surrounds the information he is getting." (
Globe & Mail 20060228)
"One of the most compelling aspects of the book is
MacKinnon's nuanced and vivid depiction of contemporary Dominican life." (
Literary Review of Canada 20060401)
"As described by Charles Taylor Prize jury, Laurier LaPierre, W.H. New and Jan Walter: 'Part-true-life detective story... and part travelogue through a landscape in political turmoil,
Dead Man in Paradise describes an engrossing quest in which the riddles of guilt and innocence, memory and reconciliation, what is revealed and what is withheld lead to an unexpected but thoroughly satisfying conclusion.'" (Jeanine Soodeen
Victoria News 20060303)
