loribonesscaswell

Dollycas’s Thoughts

Doesn’t that cover just scream fun! and murder!

Em Johnson’s uncle owns Tiki Goddess Bar on the North Shore of Kauai. The Hula Maidens, a group of seniors who dance at the joint have written to Em and asked her to come because they are worried about her uncle’s memory, plus the place is losing money fast. With nothing to hold her on the mainland she hops a plane. She has been there are 6 months and some of her ideas have started to turn the place around. The jury is still out on her uncle. But when one of the bar’s neighbors is found dead, in the Imu, (the pit where they cook the pigs for the luaus) Uncle Louie is the police’s prime suspect.

What really makes this book sing or I should say dance is its cast of quirky characters. Their antics had me in stitches from the first page until the last. The Hula Maidens are a hoot and Detective Roland is a fire dancer when he isn’t trying to put Uncle Louis or their new bartender behind bars. A new neighbor is quite flamboyant and the dead neighbor took obnoxious to a whole new level. There is also parrot named David Letterman, who is the taste tester for Uncle Louie’s new creations and he is a big fan on the television show Survivor. The ringmaster trying to hold this whole circus together is Em Johnson and while trying to protect the people she cares for she doesn’t always make the best decisions.

This series gets off to a nice start with not only a murder or two but also a kidnapping and a human femur bone found on a shelf. Everyone seems to be holding something back and those secrets lead in many different directions. Detective Roland seems to be around often but in addition to asking questions the Hula Maidens think he has romantic ideas about Em. She feels a little spark too, but until the case is solved she has no interest in the fire dancer, no matter how good he looks in that loin cloth.

I have never been to Hawaii and probably will never get there so I really enjoyed this little virtual escape. I will be back when I read book #2, Two to Mango.

If you like your cozy mysteries to include a nice slice of humor, fix yourself a mai tai and enjoy!