Paradise Is the Sales Pitch. The Truth Is Something Else Entirely.

San Ramon, Alajuela Mar 10, 2026 (Issuewire.com) - The dream of paradise has long attracted people searching for reinvention, escape, and a simpler life. But what happens when that dream collides with corruption, crime, and human folly?

Author Roan St. John explores that question in her darkly satirical thriller collection, Expats on the Isthmus, which currently includes the novels Between Volcanoes, Between Oceans, Exit Paradise, Paradise Redux Death on the Isthmus, and Paradise Redux Ghosts on the Isthmus.

Set in the fictional Central American country of Malpaísoften marketed to outsiders as the last undiscovered paradisethe novels explore the unpredictable and often dangerous world that emerges when dreamers from around the globe converge on a place where appearances rarely match reality.

Across the series, St. John blends suspense, dark humor, and sharp social observation to reveal the uneasy truth behind glossy travel brochures and real estate fantasies.

In Malpaís:

The scenery is breathtaking.

The stories are unbelievable.

And the rules of paradise are rarely explained to newcomers.

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Drawing inspiration from real-world scandals, expat folklore, and the surreal contradictions of life in places sold to the world as paradise, the Expats on the Isthmus series transforms the dream of tropical escape into a gripping exploration of illusion, corruption, and survival.

As St. John writes:

Paradise is not lawless. It has rules. Outsiders just dont know them.

About the Author

Author Roan St. John divides her time between Costa Rica and Guatemala. After a high-profile career in the entertainment industry and work as a journalist, she began writing fiction inspired by the often chaotic realities of expatriate life in places marketed as paradise.

Her novels combine investigative intrigue, biting satire, and an insiders understanding of the strange world that forms when dreamers from around the globe converge on tropical destinations. Parts of the series also unfold in the lavender-covered countryside of Provence, reflecting the contrast between quiet refuge and the unpredictable intensity of life on the isthmus.