Death in Paradise's Mervin makes big decision about mother after devastating evidence

She'd been out scattering her father's ashes at sea when a storm rolled in hard and fast, but she'd known the weather was about to turn after checking the conditions online. So why go?

Surely there was more to it? Surely Mervin's mother hadn't knowingly sailed directly into the eye of the storm?

But in tonight's episode (Friday 14th February), a key piece of evidence confirmed that to have been the case.

Naomi had spoken to the harbour master who was on duty the night Dorna had died and he'd given her access to a recording, which she then shared with Mervin.

Bracing himself while perched on the steps of the beach shack, he listened to the tape, in which his mother could be heard asking for help as the storm raged. But eventually, after one final exclaim, the call cut out.

That was the last anyone heard from Dorna.

Mervin than rang the commissioner to inform him that her demise "really was an accident, irrefutable proof".

"So I'm shutting the case down," he added. "Thanks for humouring me."

And that, it seems, is that.

Read more:

• Death in Paradise's Mervin has his critics – and they're missing the point
• Death in Paradise's Don Gilet confirms when season 15 begins filming

There's no conspiracy; nothing sinister is afoot. Dorna's death was a tragic accident – at least that's the current line of thinking.

Death in Paradise enjoys stretching credulity to its limits, so it remains to be seen if there will be further developments, or if the murder mystery will break from its formula and simply allow Mervin to grieve and take some time to explore an untapped part of his identity.

Death in Paradise airs on BBC One and iPlayer at 9pm on Fridays.

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