This is the first book I have read by Neil S. Plakcy and therefore the first book I have read in this series. I had heard wonderful things about this series but still nothing prepared me for the richness and depth of the story and characters. The characters range from low level thugs to runaway teens, to high society lawyers and businessman, and everything in between. All the characters have a defining “voice” consistent with their histories and culture. Kimo and his partner track down two suspects in the case. We travel with Kimo and Ray as they travel from one side of the island to the other, collecting Hawaiian history and geographical facts as we go. The murder has a complex history. The foster child part will make you laugh and cry, sometimes both together. We also get to observe Kimo and his partner Mike work through yet another potential obstacle to happiness with regard to surrogate fatherhood and still read in amazement as the author rolls in more layers much like the tropical habitats that abound in Hawaii. If I thought they would have heard it, I would have offered a round of applause upon finishing this story. ( )

The corpse in a burned out warehouse turns out to be that of a retired lawyer who had been one of the prime movers in Hawaii's move to statehood in the 1950s. Was he about to reveal some long-hidden secrets?

Good story with some interesting looks back to Hawaii in the middle of the 20th century. ( )