There's no need to read the first two books in the series to enjoy this one, but they're so good it would be a pity to miss them. Read [[Laura Marlin Mysteries: Dead Man's Cove by Lauren St John| Laura Marlin Mysteries: Dead Man's Cove]] (which won the Blue Peter Award) first, to see how Laura left the orphanage and was adopted by her lovely uncle, and then move on to [[Laura Marlin Mysteries: Kidnap in the Caribbean by Lauren St John| Laura Marlin Mysteries: Kidnap in the Caribbean]].