A collection of native Hawaiian tales of mysterious happenings in the city of Honolulu. Beyond the cool waters and trade winds of our idealistic paradise is the thin veil which separates our world from the place where shadows talk back.
Many people who live outside the island state don't realize that, like anywhere else, many places in Hawai'i are very haunted, perhaps more so. Local residents seem to take Hawaii's hauntings as a part of everyday life. Lopaka Kapanui is Hawaii's "Ghost Guy" who collects and shares the ghost stories of Hawai'i.Na Mo'olelo Lapu is a collection of ghost stories from different people who have lived in Hawai'i long enough to have experienced their own hauntings personally. From an old woman who longs for her lost child and a Royal Princess who has been known to make a ghostly appearance, to an old Hawaiian man in a former hospital and a regal man who died in a tragic accident, Kapanui shares a myriad of stories of the ghosts of different cultures who all lived, and died, in Hawai'i.Some of the tales are the author's own experiences while others have been shared by those who were haunted. All of them are true as told by everyday people.
Mahu--a generally negative Hawaiian term for homosexuals--introduces a unique character to detective fiction. Kimo Kanapa'aka is a handsome, mixed-race surfer living in Honolulu, a police detective confronting his homosexuality in an atmosphere of macho bravado within the police force. When Kimo Kanapa'aka leaves a Honolulu gay bar late one night and stumbles onto two men dropping a dead body in an alley, he has no idea that he is about to begin the journey of his life -- into danger, passion and self-awareness.
This collection of twelve ghost stories leads readers into a world of obake, supernatural creatures, fireballs, choking ghosts at the University of Hawai'i dormitories the "faceless woman" of the Waialae Drive-in Theater, the "green lady" of Wahiawa, the mo'o wahine or supernatural lizard woman, inugami or dog spirit possession, mysterious occurrences in Kaimuki and Kipapa and other "chicken skin" encounters in Hawai'i. Invisible Ink calls this book true in spirit to the many ghostly traditions of the Islands.
New Year’s Eve, 1934. While Honolulu celebrates with champagne and fireworks, someone is making away with the Bishop Museum’s portrait of King Kalakaua and its curator. A series of brutal murders follows, and an unlikely pair, newspaper reporter Mina Beckwith and visiting playwright Ned Manusia, find themselves investigating a twisted trail of clues in an attempt to recover the painting and uncover the killer. Honolulu in the 1930s is a unique (and volatile) mix of the provincial and the urban, East and West, islander and mainlander. Mina and Ned, both of Polynesian descent, confront the complexities and contradictions of Island life as their investigation takes them into the heart of Honolulu society and close-knit local families, whose intricate histories and relationships will have a direct impact on future lives and events. A lively cast of characters aids Mina and Ned in their search for answers: Cecily Chang, an antiques and explosives expert, steers them through Chinatown’s back alleys; Hinano Kahana, a hula chanter and dancer, brings Ned closer to solving an ancient riddle; Mina’s grandmother, Hannah, helps them unlock a secret from the past. Prewar Honolulu comes to life in this thoroughly entertaining mystery that evokes a colorful bygone era. The Mina Beckwith and Ned Manusia series continues with Murder Leaves Its Mark, available September 2011.
A biography of cinematic hero Charlie Chan, based on the real-life Chinese immigrant detective, Chang Apana, whose bravado inspired mystery writer Earl Derr Biggers to depict his fictional sleuth as a wisecracking and wise investigator rather than a stereotype.
Murder in Hawaii Mysteries 5-Book Bundle contains five full length bestselling suspense thriller novels by bestselling crime writer R. Barri Flowers, including Murder in Maui, Murder in Honolulu, Seduced to Kill in Kauai, Dead in Pukalani, and Murder on Kaanapali Beach. Murder in Maui: A Leila Kahana Mystery is a police procedural medical mystery novel set in the lush, deceptively idyllic tropical paradise of Hawaii. Maui County homicide detective and composite sketch artist Leila Kahana and partner Detective Sergeant Blake Seymour investigate the execution-style murder of two prominent doctors in an upscale condominium. As they interview suspects and collect evidence, more doctors are murdered, making it clear to all that they have a ruthless and determined serial killer on their hands. Murder in Honolulu: A Skye Delaney Mystery is a private investigator crime novel centered on the lush Hawaiian island of Oahu. Ex-cop turned PI and security consultant Skye Delaney investigates the apparent suicide of ex-husband and former prosecutor turned businessman, Carter Delaney, after he had hired her to learn if his new young wife was having an affair. As the bodies continue to pile up, Skye puts her neck on the line to find out the truth and nail a ruthless killer who has targeted her for death. Seduced to Kill in Kauai is a tropical island novel of psychological and erotic suspense and financial intrigue. Pushing forty, Jack Burke was living the good life as a successful advertising executive with a gorgeous wife in Hawaii before, in the blink of an eye, his life began spiraling out of control. Temptation, infidelity, betrayal, deceit, and murder, leaves Jack left wondering if there is any way out. Or will he lose everything, including possibly his life? Dead in Pukalani: An Eddie Naku Maui Mystery is a private eye Hawaii crime novel. Private investigator Eddie Naku is hired by attractive divorcee Kathryn Higuchi to investigate the murder of her sister, Suzette Higuchi-Bordeau, the wife of a well-known criminal defense attorney who was gunned down in a shopping center parking lot in the Upcountry region of Pukalani. What seems like a routine case for the ex-police detective turns into a complex murder mystery as Naku uncovers a web of lies, deceit, arms trafficking, infidelity, seduction, betrayal, and more murders as he tries to solve a deadly crime and avoid becoming a victim. Murder on Kaanapali Beach: A Leila Kahana Mystery is the 2nd book in this popular series. Maui County homicide detective and composite sketch artist Leila Kahana and new partner, Detective Jonny Chung, take on the case of a college instructor, Joyce Yashiro, found murdered on the island's famed Kaanapali Beach. In a seemingly unrelated case, Detectives Rachel Lancaster and Trent Ferguson investigate the execution-style murder of businessman Parker Breslin in front of his Kihei home. While the two murder investigations progress with a myriad of suspects, a surprising connection between the cases and crimes emerges. As the cases move full steam ahead, there is also a brutal serial killer on the loose. Dubbed the "Zip Line Killer," he has been terrorizing women on the island, strangling them with a zip line, for over a year, while staying safely out of reach of the authorities. Can he finally be brought to justice or will he strike again?