RETRIBUTION

4 stars out of 5

This is the third book I've read in this series, and I have to say that I enjoy learning about our 50th U.S. state almost more than the story itself. Almost. But if it were a contest, the story would win.

This one is pretty much an edge-of-seat story that puts the lives of main character, Hilo Chief Detective Koa Kane, and those around him in jeopardy. It begins with the discovery of a murdered man; fingerprints on the murder weapon match those of Koa's brother, Ikaika, who has a troubled background but has been doing well for some time now. Of course, Koa smells a rat, but how can fingerprints lie?

Also of course, Koa is off the case because of his conflict of interest, but that doesn't stop him and a couple of colleagues (and his brother) from trying to get to the truth - impeded by the fact that the murder investigation has been turned over to a department colleague who is incompetent at best and is after Koa's job at worst. Then comes a shot across the bow - or rather an open space - that nearly kills Makanui K'au, another of Koa's close colleagues. 

The situation at the station goes from bad to worse as Koa's rival colleague's connections to the city mayor come to light; worse are the attempt to kill Nalani, the love of Koa's life, and another murder attempt that succeeds. Can Koa identify and catch the killer before even more of his friends and colleagues die? Only those who read the book will find out. Well done - and I thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for allowing me to read and review a pre-release copy. Now it's your turn!

Retribution by Robert McCaw (Oceanview Publishing, June 2023); 336 pp.

TREACHERY TIMES TWO

4 stars out of 5

This is the second book I've read in this four-book (so far) series featuring Hilo, Hawaii's Chief Detective Koa Kane, and like that other one, I enjoyed it very much. I'll admit it takes a little more effort to read these because I'm almost totally unfamiliar with our 50th state, its customs and, perhaps most important, those people names that often contain multiple apostrophes. But that's not necessarily a bad thing; to me, it means the books are of almost as much importance as a learning opportunity as for entertainment.

This one has two storylines, primary of which is the accidental discovery of a woman's body in an old cemetery that's been partially unearthed in a volcanic eruption. Problem is, the body isn't from an old burial; clearly, it's a recent murder, and whoever did the deed went to some lengths to conceal her identity. As he begins to look into the case, though, Kane's past comes back to haunt him in a big way; suddenly, he's forced to confront the possibility that the murder he committed 30 years ago will come to light. If it does, it's almost certain to ruin his career and, he thinks, his relationship with the woman he loves.

Investigation of the woman's body leads to a local defense contractor working on a highly classified project under the direction of an Elon Musk-type billionaire (is it just me, or are Musk clones showing up way too often in mystery/thrillers these days)? Anyway, it soon becomes clear that corporate powers-that-be haven't been totally honest in their explanation of the dead woman's job, prompting Kane and his crew to dig a little deeper. As it turns out, she played a much greater role at the company than the company is willing to admit - leading to questions as to which side which person is on.

Amid all this, Kane has to deal with the grandson of the man he murdered all those years ago - a death that was at the time ruled a suicide. The grandson, an attorney, claims the investigation back then was shoddy (which, pretty much, it was), and he's looking for the truth about his beloved grandfather (who was, by all other accounts, a rather nasty fellow). When somebody takes a potshot at Kane, the question becomes, who took it and to which case does it relate? From that point on, the action heats up considerably, as do Kane's angst and hand-wringing over his years-ago actions. But the woman's death isn't much easier to solve - at least not without some pretty tense moments. All told, it's another attention-holding adventure, and I once again thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review a copy.

Treachery Times Two by Robert McCaw (Oceanview Publishing, January 2022); 353 pp.

FIRE AND VENGEANCE

 4 stars out of 5

The description intrigued me - and I'm always up for

a new-to-me series - so I happily accepted the publisher's invitation to read it. Now I've finished, and I found it to be an interesting, and for many reasons unique, plot.

I do have to say that reading it was a bit of a struggle for me, given that I'm almost totally unfamiliar with Hawaiian given and surnames. In part, that's my bad; after all, Hawaii has been a U.S. state since 1959 (the year I graduated from high school, in fact). That this many years later the only words and people from Hawaii I knew going into this were "aloha," "mahalo" and Daniel Inouye doesn't exactly put me in a very good light. Still, the abundance of characters and the frequently interspersed Hawaiian phrases made the reading slower than my usual speed of light (notably, though, the meanings of those phrases are always explained).

I'm not sure where the book falls in the series - Amazon calls it No. 2 and Goodreads says No. 3 - but it seemed to me to stand alone quite well. The star of the show is Detective Koa Kane, who, as the official description says, isn't from "a typical law enforcement family." For one thing, he's a murderer who never got caught; for another, his younger brother has been in trouble with the law ever since he was a child and currently is in jail with four more years to go on his sentence.

The story begins with an horrific blast: The sudden eruption of a volcano that's still classified as active but has been quiet for 200 years. When it blew this time, it took with it most of a school that was built recently right at the top (I know, I can't fathom why anyone would do that either, but then Hawaiians are far more used to living with volcanoes than I am). Some children and teachers were killed in the blast; making matters worse, though, is the realization that someone - or several someones - involved in the building process knew that the school would be situated right over a volcanic vent (fumerole) and tried to cover it up with concrete.

As the investigation heats up, Kane gets another blow: His brother collapses in jail, and afterward it is learned that he has a previously undiagnosed brain tumor. That, in turn, leads Kane to split his efforts between solving what has become a crime at the school and trying to get his brother an early release from prison. And at the outset, both become seemingly impossible tasks.

He may be down - especially when conspiracy rears its ugly head - but he's not out. From this point on, the action picks up on both fronts; on the negative side, it's hard for him to tell the bad guys and gals from the good. On the positive side, he's got several loyal friends and sources who are well qualified, and willing, to help. All in all, an enjoyable book - and I look forward to the next one.

Fire and Vengeance by Robert McCaw (Oceanview Publishing, May 2020); 353 pp.