About Tropiques Criminels
Tropiques Criminels (Tropical Crimes) is a French crime drama broadcast on France 2 since 2019, set on the sun-drenched island of Martinique. The series follows Commandante Melissa Sainte-Rose, a police officer originally from the island who returns from mainland France to head an investigation unit in Fort-de-France. There she is paired with Capitaine Gaelle Crivelli, a more methodical colleague whose temperament could hardly be more different, and the friction between the two slowly gives way to a sturdy working partnership.
Each case unfolds against a vivid Caribbean backdrop of coastline, rainforest, markets, and small communities, and the puzzles tend to be rooted in local relationships, old secrets, and the tangled histories of the people involved. The investigations stay anchored in character and place rather than spectacle, with the lead duo and their team, including Lieutenant Aurelien Charlery, piecing together clues through patient questioning and a feel for the island and its rhythms.
Alongside the weekly mysteries, the show gives steady attention to the personal lives of its leads, from family ties and friendships to the adjustments of returning home or settling into an unfamiliar posting. The result is a procedural that balances its self-contained puzzles with a warm, ongoing portrait of its central characters, using the setting itself as a constant presence woven through every episode.
