Richard Poole (character)

Richard Poole
Ben Miller as Richard Poole
Death in Paradise character
Portrayed by	Ben Miller
Duration	2011-14
First appearance	Series 1, Episode 1
Last appearance	Series 3, Episode 1
Classification	main cast
Profile
Occupation	Detective Inspector

Detective Inspector Richard Poole is a character in the crime drama television series Death in Paradise, portrayed by Ben Miller.

A British police inspector assigned to Saint Marie to investigate the previous inspector's murder, Poole was instructed to remain on the island as the new detective inspector. Despite his distaste for the island and inexperience with tropical weather - to the point where he continued to wear his old suits - he often showed a useful knack for making deductive leaps based on minimal information and random events, and favoured making arrests by addressing all the suspects at once before identifying the killer.

In series 2 he grew slightly more relaxed. He recommended a colleague, Fidel, for the sergeant's exam. Despite their frequent arguments over his distaste for the island and the French, his detective sergeant, Camille Bordey, may have developed romantic feelings for him as indicated in "A Murder on the Plantation." Her mother, Catherine, had arranged a blind date during the Erzulie celebrations, at which Camille briefly mistook Poole for her date. She seemed happy until her mistake was realized. However, she may simply have been happy to have a drink with a friend rather than be on a date. Ending the series, Poole briefly returned to London, but in spite of his distaste for Saint Marie, he chose to return.

Poole was murdered in the first episode of series 3, at a Cambridge University reunion, by Helen Reid, when he threatened to expose her identity theft. He was replaced by DI Humphrey Goodman.

Poole is an "English eccentric with a hatred for island life". According to Michael Hogan, Poole "harrumphs around Hugh Grant-ishly in his uptight Brit suit and carries a briefcase, endlessly dabbing at his forehead with a hankie." Hogan goes on to argue that Poole is a "bland blend of several dozen "quirky" screen sleuths: a bit of Morse here, a dash of Columbo there, a pinch of Precious Ramotswe and a lug of Jonathan Creek to taste." The episode "An Unholy Death" reveals that he suffers from sphenisciphobia (an irrational fear of nuns), as a result of a bad experience during his school-boy days.