Series: Koa Kāne Hawaiian Mystery #2
Published by Oceanview Publishing on May 26, 2020
Genres: Fiction, Thrillers, Political, Mystery & Detective, Police Procedural
Pages: 336
Format: Paperback
Source: ARC
A heinous conspiracy—a volcano exacting revenge—an island paradise in anguish
Having killed his father's nemesis and gotten away with it, Hilo, Hawaii Chief Detective Koa Kane, is not your ordinary cop. Estranged from his younger brother, who has been convicted of multiple crimes, he is not from a typical law enforcement family. Yet, Koa's secret demons fuel his unwavering drive to pursue justice.Never has Koa's motivation been greater than when he learns that an elementary school was placed atop a volcanic vent, which has now exploded. The subsequent murders of the school's contractor and architect only add urgency to his search for the truth.
As Koa's investigation heats up, his brother collapses in jail from a previously undiagnosed brain tumor. Using his connections, Koa devises a risky plan to win his brother's freedom. As Koa gradually unravels the obscure connections between multiple suspects, he uncovers a forty-year-old conspiracy. When he is about to apprehend the perpetrators, his investigation suddenly becomes entwined with his brother's future, forcing Koa to choose between justice for the victims and his brother's freedom.
Perfect for fans of Michael Connelly and James Lee Burke
While all of the novels in the Koa Kane Hawaiian Mystery Series stand on their own and can be read in any order, the publication sequence is:
Off the Grid, Fire and Vengeance, Death of a Messenger Treachery Times Two (coming January 2022)
Today, I am sharing my review of Robert McCaw’s latest installment of the Koa Kane Hawaiian Mysteries. While part of a series, I read this as a standalone and it didn’t feel as though I was missing too much as McCaw throws in plenty of bits of past information to keep new readers in the loop without being too repetitive. Truly, I accepted this book for review because of the cover and promise of a lush Hawaiian setting. Happily, the setting was beautifully crafted and set a gorgeous backdrop for an interesting mystery. Don’t get me wrong, the first few chapters are rough. The Hawaiian vacation in my head quickly went sour. Injured children don’t make for relaxing holidays. One of my favorite aspects of Fire and Vengeance was the geological information surrounding the volcano and the, thankfully, fictitious school. McCaw seamlessly wove the information into the compelling mystery that surrounds the KonaWili elementary school disaster. That, along with the inclusion of Hawaiian lore and language made Fire and Vengeance a book that felt enriching.
As much as I enjoyed the mystery, tropical setting, and dreams of being an amateur vulcanologist, that isn’t enough to carry my rating all the way up to three stars. The biggest issue was the writing style. It was incredibly clear to me after only a chapter that Mr. McCaw was former military. His writing style is very similar to my husband’s; while I have no problem reading that in memos, it adversely impacted the character creation and interactions in a tell not show sort of way. Some interactions get completely skipped with just a quick notation of what Koa learned.
Now, if I’m being honest, I have struggled with the last few police procedural novels that I’ve read. I’m big on well-rounded characters that read as authentic. Greedy reader that I am, I want fleshy characters AND a great mystery. No matter how interesting the KonaWili case, I still need to care about Koa and, unfortunately, I found him a bit bland and a smidge off-putting with his handling of younger agents. After sitting with this for a bit, I am positive it all goes back to my struggle with McCaw’s style. The great news is this means that other readers will love this book more.
Ultimately, the story and mystery were absolutely solid and just twisty enough to keep me guessing. Koa reminded me a bit of LT Kenda so if you enjoyed the show, Homicide Hunter, I bet you will enjoy this series as well! Plus, it is set in a gorgeous island paradise. What’s not to love? You know, besides exploding elementary schools and politicians oozing about manipulating the system for their own gain at the expense of children.
**I voluntarily read and reviewed a review copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
