Death in Paradise fans in shock after cliffhanger ending leaves one character's fate in the balance

Death in Paradise fans are in shock following the cliffhanger ending to series eight episode five.

*Spoilers for Death in Paradise series 8 to follow*

The episode, the first in a two-part storyline, saw DI Mooney (Ardal O'Hanlon) and DS Florence Cassell (Joséphine Jobert) on the case after the "queen" of a fishing community's annual festival was murdered.

While the case appeared to be solved, at the end of the episode the soon-to-be-betrothed Cassell found herself in an abandoned warehouse.

A shot rang out, and the fan favourite detective fell to the ground, blood on her chest. Then the words "To be continued..." flashed up on the screen.

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It was a real shock for fans who are used to seeing the cases on Saint Marie tied up with a neat little bow inside the hour. Star Jobert took to Twitter after the episode to tease the second part.

"So the two questions are: who the hell shot Florence??" Jobert wrote. "Who dared!?!?! And will she survive....?"

https://twitter.com/Josie_official/status/1093633319353438213

Many fans are pointing the finger at Florence's fiancée Patrice (Leemore Marrett Jr), who was a friend of the victim's boyfriend and a peripheral suspect in the murder case.

"She better survive, it makes Thursdays worth waiting for - I reckon it was that so called boyfriend!" @king4856 wrote. "Please don't die."

https://twitter.com/king4856/status/1093645822867193856

https://twitter.com/matthewbcafc/status/1093640321269944321

https://twitter.com/lovedpieters/status/1093633524920397824

https://twitter.com/NesahTGonza/status/1093653341584936960

https://twitter.com/jason_nixon/status/1093636925100118017

Others were unable to believe that their beloved series had taken such a shocking turn.

"OMG what just happened," @alice-sophie24 wrote. "The most intense 2 minutes of Death in Paradise."

@Bethanleana added: "That was the best episode of Death in Paradise ever, I'm crying and shaking and oh my god FLORENCE."

Check out some of the best reactions to the episode below.