Review by Booklist Review
Having fallen in love with Hawaii's laid-back vibe, couple Valerie and Kristen moved there from Southern California after retiring from their jobs as a caterer for the movie-and-TV industry (Val) and talented craftsperson and carpenter (Kris). Val solved a grisly murder case when the couple visited Hawaii previously (in Molten Death, 2024), but trouble is brewing again, and Val's skills as an amateur sleuth are needed. Isaac and Sachiko became good friends on Val and Kris' earlier visit, so when Sachiko, who manages the Speckled Gecko restaurant, becomes a suspect in the murder of Hank, the restaurant's bartender, Isaac begs Val to help find out whodunit, since he's almost positive Sachiko's not the killer. Going undercover as a temporary bartender at the Gecko, Val uses her intuition and natural nosiness to ferret out clues and motives, which eventually leads to her unmasking Hank's killer and the disturbing motive behind the crime. Karst's latest book packs a meaty mystery with lush descriptions of Hawaiian cuisine, geography, lifestyle, and the impact of weather events.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
A semiretired couple learns to love Hawaii while making new friends and hunting a killer. Valerie Corbin and her wife, Kristen, who've recently moved from LA to Hilo, are haunting garage sales for items for their new home, always one step behind a professional picker. Their friend Sachiko, who manages the front of the house at the Speckled Gecko, is so impressed by the cocktail skills Valerie learned at Chez Charles, her late brother's place, that she asks Valerie to help out at the Gecko, where Hank the bartender hasn't shown up for work. Meanwhile, Kristen agrees to use her carpentry skills to help build a lānai for a neighbor, and both women enjoy their temporary jobs. Valerie learns why Hank is AWOL when his body is found in the beautiful but dangerous Wailuku River. When the police determine that his death was no accident, they focus on Sachiko, which upsets her partner, Isaac. He begs Valerie--who's already helped solve the case of a body found in a lava flow--to clear her name. The ever-curious Valerie agrees to snoop around at the Gecko in hopes of finding other suspects, and she quickly learns that Hank was not well liked. Since he was a member of a canoe club, Valerie and Kristen visit, get drafted onto the women's team for a practice session, and learn that the cocky Hank was not beloved of the paddlers either. Now that Valerie has plenty of suspects, she just has to figure out which one is the killer before she's the next to die. Immerse yourself in Hawaiian lore and savor the portrayal of the stunning landscapes while enjoying the entertaining mystery. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
