Private investigator Kai Cooke postpones some weekend Waikiki surfing a bit to discuss a job at Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park on the Big Island. He takes the case, though it means interrupting another investigation.
Former Miss Hawai’i runner-up Donnie Lam Ransom believes her husband Rex, former CEO of Ransom Geothermal, is the victim of revenge by the Hawaiian volcano goddess, Madame Pele. She wants Kai to shadow him for a couple of days, while they’re at a funeral.
Why? Two of Rex’s former associates have died in Pele’s domain in as many years. Their deaths appeared accidental but in the first incident, an old woman and a dog were seen in the vicinity — a familiar incarnation of the legendary Pele. And, as we all know, bad things come in threes.
It’s interesting, but pretty routine for a while, until the morning the Ransoms (and Kai) are scheduled to fly out. Rex insists on walking the Crater Rim Trail alone, and Donnie gets a cursive note warning her to stay away from Pele. On the trail, a woman in red appears, and Rex dies at the bottom of a steam vent.
Case and investigation over, right? It seems so, and Kai gets back to work on his interrupted investigation. But the Volcano House case just doesn’t go away. Rex’s daughter from his first marriage, Caitlin, gives Kai a call and the case changes from murder prevention to murder investigation.
There are a few revelations that appear out of left field, but eventually things work out for Kai and he’s able to bring his two investigations to satisfactory conclusions.
Lots of local history and customs are presented in the narrative — like why do cars carrying pork stall as they approach Oahu’s Pali Lookout, and descriptions of the Volcano House hotel. It’s almost like being on a narrated private tour.
Murder at Volcano House is quick-moving, interesting, and an easy read. Those not familiar with Hawai’i culture may stumble a little over local vocabulary, colloquialisms and dialect, but they just add to the color.
Grade: B+
Murder at Volcano House
(Surfing Detective Mystery Series #4)
Author: Chip Hughes
Genre: Murder Mystery
Amazon.com (Kindle, 2014)
1 comment:
Great ppost thankyou
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