Fire and Vengeance

A fire at a school brings Koa to the scene since the chief is away and he is the ranking police officer available. The scene is ghastly and Koa begins to assist with searching for children still in the school. He was able to retrieve 2 before the fumes overcame him. Because of the heat intensity, he requested a robot to search the remainder of the school that no one had been able to reach. Once the robot was on scene and went into the school, it was discovered that the school was built over the vent for a volcano. This was a criminal act.

At the same time this was going on, Koa's brother was being brought back from an Arizona prison to testify. Koa's brother had always been violent and it was no different when Koa met him at the jail. As time went on, Koa's brother suffered a seizure and a brain tumor was discovered.

While Koa was investigating the crime that was a result of the school fire, people who had been involved were being killed. As more information was received, it led to the discovery of a crime that had been committed 40 years earlier.

To find out who was responsible for the school building and what the earlier crime contributed, and how Koa's brother made out, then you must read this book, the action is immense.

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.

Chief Detective Koa Kane is not an ordinary cop. He has murdered someone who was threatening family member .. and gotten away with it. His younger brother has been convicted of numerous, multiple crimes. His is not a typical law enforcement family. Yet it is his fervent wish to pursue justice and give victims and their families closure.

BOOK BLURB: 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.

While his investigation takes off, he's confronted with a family problem. His brother has a previously undiagnosed brain tumor. Kane will go to great lengths to get his brother out of prison.

BOOK BLURB: 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.

Kane and his are faced with an explosive crime, a corrupt government committed to a cover-up and billowing issues with his family.

This is a well written crime fiction / mystery that is well paced from beginning to end. The characters are deftly drawn and lend a credible feel to the story. The two stories are woven together with great care. Multiple suspects to watch lead to a stunning conclusion. Although second in the series, this serves well as a stand alone. I do, however, recommend reading them in order.

Many thanks to the author / Oceanview Publishing/ Netgalley for the digital copy of this crime mystery. Read and reviewed voluntarily, opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.

Set in Hawaii, after a slightly wooden start I am pleased to say this book picked up tremendously and turned into a wonderful, complex crime thriller that puts Hilo Chief Detective Koa Kāne into one of the most difficult situations of this career. Not only does he have crimes to solve but he must balance delicate political interests in the absence of the Police Chief. And the politics get very, very murky indeed. The book opens with drama at the KonaWili school which has somehow been built over a volcanic fumarole (or vent) which is now spewing forth super heated noxious gases and destabilising the whole structure. 14 children and 4 teachers die in the disaster and parents want answers about how this came to be.

Koa starts his investigation but he needs to tread carefully. There are some very influential people involved and someone made the decision to plug the fumarole with tons of concrete. That was never going to work long term but Koa needs to determine who knew what and who is covering things up. There is a lot of money at stake. It all gets even murkier when some of those involved - the building contractor and the architect are murdered. It seems someone is willing to kill to cover up their involvement. But when another link is discovered between the principal players that ties them to a 40 year old crime Koa must tread even more carefully if he wants to net all the conspirators. This is a very high stakes game.

This was a great story with lots of intrigue. It was really well plotted and some of the characters were truly Machiavellian. I did have a problem though with all the Hawaiian names and terms. For example when Pele was first mentioned I didn’t know if it was a person or a place - it turned out to be a Hawaiian fire god. And I still don’t know what a Haole is. Nevertheless the story is easy to follow and meaty enough to satisfy the most ardent crime/thriller buffs. My thanks go to Netgalley, Oceanview Publishing and the author for providing a copy of the book. All opinions are my own.

The torrential rains of Hurricane Ida pour far too much water onto Hualālai Mountain, where it flashes into steam under incredible pressure. One of the volcano’s vents is under KonaWili elementary school, where hundreds of students and teachers are enveloped in yellow sulfuric smoke and white-hot temperatures. As Hilo Chief Detective Koa Kane is helicoptered to the scene, he’s sickened by the sight of so many injured and dead children, or keiki: ”red tags for the critical, and black tags for the dead. Way too many red and black tags.”

A bomb squad robot helps police and firefighters explore the building, where they find inexplicable evidence like a fireproof steel classroom door and a 60-foot-long basement chamber with six-foot-thick concrete walls. The first responders have found visible proof that the building contractor knew the school was situated over a volcanic vent and fruitlessly tried to create barriers against inevitable explosions, for which there are no manmade defenses.

Kane and his rock-solid sergeant, Basa, begin investigating the crime at the express order of Governor Bobbie Mahoe, since the Hilo police chief is in California for surgery. They soon find the building contractor dead, hanging from an electrical cord in his spacious home, and the Micronesian excavator & grader he hired, dying of cancer, confirms that he showed Boyle the active vent. He was given a large bonus to stay quiet, a bonus so large it allowed him to purchase his dirt farm littered with dead bulldozers, rickety houses, and small children. However, he notes sadly, Pele has taken her revenge: his grandson was one of the children who died inside the school.

Not long afterward, the school’s architect, Arthur Witherspoon, is shot dead at point-blank range in his home’s doorway. By that time, it’s clear to Kane and Basu that a massive, murderous cover-up is underway. A well-known developer and a retired county planning official are in the crosshairs, as well as the head of Hawaii’s department of education, but Kane can't figure out what connects them or prompted their cooperation on such a corrupt project, even as someone takes a shot at the developer in his front yard.

And while Kane is dealing with such a horrific conspiracy, his frequent-felon brother, Ikaika, passes out in the county jail and is taken to the hospital, where doctors find a huge, slow-growing brain tumor that has been affecting his behavior since childhood. Is there an explanation for the immense pain Ikaika has caused his family? Is there a possibility he can be paroled for behavior he couldn't control?

Kane is clearly facing the most difficult case of his career – the injuries and deaths of so many children, a tightly interwoven group he can’t penetrate but knows they hold the secrets of the KonaWili disaster – while trying to balance the welfare of his family, especially his felonious brother and his quiet but firmly insistent mother, a respected native healer who adheres to the old ways. Robert McCaw has constructed a tightrope of a novel that stretches the nerves of its readers just as periously as a rope across Hualālai’s crater.

Fire and Vengeance is a modern murder/corruption procedural set in Hawaii and the third book in the Koa Kāne series by Robert McCaw. Released 26th May 2020 by Oceanview, it's 336 pages and available in audio and ebook formats.

This is a procedural with an ensemble cast and the added contrast of what should be an idyllic paradise setting with a horrific corruption/murder scandal and the subsequent murder of a wealthy local construction company owner. The titular protagonist has a conflicted and flawed past himself along with being forced to navigate problems with his immediate family (his brother's incarcerated). There are some scenes (the beginning, with burnt and dead schoolchildren particularly) which might be too graphic for some readers (me included).

The writing is competent but struck me as choppy and abrupt in some places. It reads more like a military thriller (a la Tom Clancy) than a police procedural for a small town police force. I found it somewhat difficult to develop a rapport with the lead character. It's possible that's due to the fact that I read this one as a standalone. I had no trouble following the story, though some of the secondary characters were challenging to keep straight. I also had some issues with the liberal use of the Hawaiian language throughout the book. It added verisimilitude, but where it wasn't explained in context, it left me a bit confused.

I suspect that my issues with the book were due more to my preconceptions than the author's stylistic intentions (i.e., my fault). I went into the book expecting Hawaii Five-0 and got Jack Reacher.

Definitely readable, and enjoyable, just not what I was expecting.Three and a half stars.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

This is book 3 in the Koa Kane Hawaiian book series and although I haven't read the previous books in the series this can definitely be read as a standalone. The story is about lies, dirty dealings and simple greed with a good measure of guts, determination and family loyalty.

This book started with a bang, which I loved and the action just kept on going. I loved the main story and the secondary plot about Chief Detective Koa Kane's family. I enjoyed reading about the medical condition his brother suffers from and how this impacts Koa Kane's investigation, leaving him possibly compromised.

I found the Hawaiian phrases, place names and the Hawaiian culture that weaved throughout the book to be interesting, informative and added to my overall enjoyment of the novel. This also created a real uniqueness to the book which I adored.

This was a fast-paced book and the page-turner I was looking for. The reveal at the end was well presented and the last piece of the jigsaw was surprising and it tied everything together. The characters were richly described and fully dimensional. I look forward to reading more titles in this series.

Many thanks to Michelle Fitzgerald at FSB Associates for an ARC copy in return for my honest review.

Many Thanks to Net Galley, Ocean View Publishing and the author for a chance to read and review this book. All opinions are expressed voluntarily.

Robert McCaw writes a very layered police procedural with his latest Fire and Vengeance, book #3 in the Koa Kane Hawaiian mystery series. It can surely be read as stand-alone as I didn’t have any issues following the story of a detective who is assiduous and unrelenting in the pursuit of truth.

The opening chapter of the book was heart breaking as disaster strikes Kona Wili school on Hualalai mountain, a volcanic vent has erupted and the school in the direct line of the high-pressure steam vent is the first to be hit. 14 children and 2 teachers lay dead in the fury of the volcano which has been lying dormant for over 200 years. As Koa begins investigation into the catastrophe, ugly truths materialize into the light. Natural calamities can of course be reasoned with but what about deliberate acts of treachery wherein a group of people can play GOD with the lives of children.

Amidst the exploding investigation that becomes more murkier by the minute Koa is also faced with personal crisis of his wayward brother, Ikaika who is in jail. Koa with his sergeant Basa, Detective Piki and county prosecutor Zeke unravels the hidden agenda of the big shots and politics and greed and even a 40 yr old conspiracy emerges out of the dark.

This was quite a fast-paced thriller with a brilliant cultural background of the Big Island region in the Hawaii. The machination of big wigs heading the various departments, the ploy and subterfuge to thwart the investigation, Koa’s own demons fighting the guilt of having killed another individual, his brother’s plight, each and every part of the story was incredible and keeps the reader hooked line and sinker.

The author has used the Hawaiian dialect and ways of life liberally in the story and am 100% sure I was mispronouncing all the words and although the meaning of some expressions are given along with it, I did feel a break in my pace, reading it all over again for a better grasp of the sentence.

Koa and his team were well etched out and the thrilling action was brisk and culminated in a whirlwind climax. Highly recommended!

This review will be published in my blog https://rainnbooks.com/ and also in Goodreads, Twitter and Amazon India.

I wasn't sure I was going to like this one with yet again more political/police corruption. It ended up being a great read, and I'm going back to read the first two! I love the main character and definitely want to read more of him.

I received a free electronic ARC copy of this Hawaiian novel from Netgalley, Robert McCaw, and Oceanview Publishing. Thank you all for sharing your hard work with me. I have read this novel of my own volition, and this review reflects my honest opinion of this work. For all you other fans of Five-0, this is an essential book for you. I could not put the novel down. The protagonists are sympathetic, the background is lovingly portrayed, and the action never stops.

Koa Kane is a cop in Kona, and we open with a hurricane bringing down century-old trees and massive quantities of rain to the islands. It is that rainfall that triggers the catastrophic explosions at the year-old elementary school, killing 20 children and four teachers, with no end of trouble in sight. Before another day dawns, it is obvious that the builders knowingly erected the school over a volcanic vent. The question now is how far up the food chain did that knowledge and coverup rise? Because if Koa Kane has anything to do with it, heads will roll.

I was a bit apprehensive starting Fire and Vengeance as I had just finished another police drama that was heavy n the procedural side. However, this book offered a new kind of story for me, albeit still a story filled with corruption and coverups.

It’s always hard to experience anything, whether it be real-life or fictional, in which a child dies. In this case, multiple children are dead. Therefore, I was emotionally invested in the perpetrators being caught. Of course, a reader must always take a journey before they reach the conclusion and what a journey this was. In Fire and Vengeance, the author has provided a well-structured plot that wasn’t too outlandish, a good pace to the story, and, most importantly a book that kept me interested. While there weren’t many twists and turns, in my opinion, my nose was kept stuck in the book thanks to its commentary on greed and whether people are born evil or it is driven by outside influences.

And, if that wasn’t enough, there is some great character development in Fire and Vengeance. I specifically enjoyed getting to know Koa more and found the subplot with his brother interesting and in tune with the overall plot. I was actually surprised to learn that Fire and Vengeance is actually the third book in a series; I didn’t feel like I was missing any important information about Koa at all.

This is the third book from Koa Kane series. I read this book without knowing another two book exist lol again! But yeah it's fine! This book can be read as a standalone book.

I was hooked from the start. I like Detective Koa!!! This story start with a school explosion causes by a volcanic vent that erupts inside the school. Detective Koa trying to find out why government approved the construction of a school over a volcanic vent that killed teachers and childrens. Trust me there was a lot going on here and lot of characters that make me confuse because of their name lol It was hard to keep track of everyone 🤣

Thank you Netgalley for Fire and Vengeance ARC!

Excellent novel. Political corruption tied to a murder committed 40 years prior to the horrific volcanic tragedy at a grade school.. The diligent police detective and the district attorney start an investigation that takes them further than they ever imagined. Koa is also actively engage in attempting to get his younger brother paroled, Extremely well developed characters and plot.

This story combines two exciting plots each with so many angles making “Fire and Vengeance” a riveting mystery. This is an unputdownable read….

Something terrible has happened at the KonaWili School on the Hualalai Mountain. Detective Koa Kane with his police team rushed to the scene and what they saw was horrific. Bodies of kids and teachers on the ground some injured and some dead. Around them it looked and smelled like a volcanic eruption….what happened here… this exciting plot will slowly reveal its mystery and provide us with much more….

Along with the investigation of a property developer who built the school over a volcanic vent in the second plot, Koa’s personal life shines and highlights how far he will go to help his troublemaker younger brother, Ikaika, who is now in jail.

Politic, greed, secrets that binds the politicians for more than four decades is explored in very exciting ways. A bizarre murder in the 1970 that has never been solved drives the plot even more. Yes, this is very ingenious and quite fun to read.

What a storyteller this author is. The story development and characters portrayal are outstanding. I was hooked from the start. So much suspense I was kept on the edge of my seat, biting my nails wanting the adventure to end up on a high note. The story has elements making it both realistic and compelling. Although the author does mention in his notes that the story is the product of a fertile imagination and the disaster at the KonaWili School never happened…ouf thank goodness.

What a page-turner this turned out to be.

If you are looking for a story that will keep you up all night…then look no further.

Some highs, some lows; but a hit overall!

Genre:
Mystery, Thriller

Length:
336 pages

Blurb:
A volcanic vent erupts in the town of Hilo, Hawai’i, killing children and teachers when it causes the explosion of the school that was built on the mountain. The chief architect and contractor of the school are murdered within hours of the event. Chief Detective Koa Kane is called in to investigate whether the explosion and deaths were the result of natural calamity or intentional negligence. As the case heats up, Koa receives news that his estranged and imprisoned brother collapsed in prison and has been diagnosed with a brain tumor.

Chief Detective Koa Kane’s personal and professional lives clash when he’s forced into attempting a risky plan to free his brother. His principles are compromised even as he begins to unravel the mystery behind the explosion, a mystery that goes back forty years. Can Koa save his brother and still pursue justice for the murder of innocent children? Or will his own demons bring about his downfall?

Overall Rating:
6 out of 10

Plot:
8 out of 10

Characterization:
8 out of 10

Primary Element:
8 out of 10 for its mystery

Writing Style:
6 out of 10

Part of a Series:
Yes. This is Book 3 of the Koa Kane series. While I don’t know if it held spoilers for Books 1 and 2, I can say without a doubt that it was perfect as a standalone too. Book 1 in the series is titled Death of a Messenger and Book 2 is Off the Grid. Both sound interesting and might make for great mystery reads.

Highlighted Takeaway:
Koa Kane himself. As a man who continues to deal with demons, personal and professional, that show him the worst of the world, he still fights to do what is right. Sometimes forced into feeling hopeless for his desire to remain ethical and moral in a world where those very qualities are taken advantage of, Koa comes across as a likable character that you can easily associate with and want to root for. That made every defeat and victory he faced personal to the reader.

What I Liked:
The book took some really unexpected turns, turning a story that could have been very one-dimensional into a much more intricate, woven tale of mystery and suspense.

The Hawaiian culture references were really interesting too. Not only did it set the stage for the story to unfold, but also added a lot of depth to the characters, what drives them, and how those nuances influence their reactions and actions.

What I Didn’t Like:
On multiple occasions, I found myself a little confused with the characters. There were a lot of them, and many shared similar names or were simply called by different names at various points, that made it a little tough to follow who was who.

Who Should Read It:
Anyone who is interested in a good suspense and those who like to explore other cultures. Fire and Vengeance has a good helping of both.

Who Should Avoid:
I don’t think anyone would actively dislike Fire and Vengeance, unless of course, you absolutely hate msytery and suspense novels.

Read It For:
The Hawaiian culture references, a complex and very real protagonist, and an intricate plotline.

A gripping and entertaining police procedural that kept me hooked till the end.
I liked the plot even if I think that some subplots are bit out of contest.
The characters are fleshed out and the mystery is solid.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

Fire and Vengeance is the third in the Koa Kane Hawaiian Mystery Series. I have not read the prior two, yet was not at a disadvantage while reading the third. I will backtrack and pick up the first two volumes in the series.

This is a well-written, complicated crime story with a marvelous sense of place—Hawaii. It involves political scandals, bribes, greed, and fraudulent property developments which evolve into a criminal conspiracy to cover up why an elementary school was built over a fumarole, a volcanic vent. Political transgressions pile on top of each other, and it’s up to policeman Koa Kane to unwind the skein of deceit.

Though building schemes and land transfers don’t sound very interesting, the multiple twisting story lines have enough human elements to keep the reader involved, particularly the relationship between Kane and his younger brother, a criminal, who is facing a long-term prison sentence because of his recidivism.

Fire And Vengeance is a story of greed and corruption. Set in Hawaii, Chief Detective Koa Kane is investigating a property developer who built a school over a volcanic vent……when this exploded it resulted in the death of 14 children.

Who knew of the dangers? How far will they go to keep their secret?

This is a thriller full of tension and drama, it’s a slow burn which builds to make a thoroughly engrossing, edge of your seat read.

Thank you to The publishers, the author and NetGalley for an eARC of the book. This is my honest and unbiased review

Robert McCaw has explored so many plot angles in this marvellous thriller - politics and greed for money, a secret that binds the politicians for more than four decades, Koa's brother's illness and much more. Fire and Vengeance is an unputdownable and riveting mystery.
Excellent character portrayal, mind-blowing plot-to-story development and a surprising ending, this book is surely one of my best reads of 2020.
Highly recommended!

This is the third book in this series but my first. It reads well as a stand-alone novel. Set in Hawaii the story gets off the mark straight away with a huge disaster at the local elementary school, when a volcano vent literally erupts inside it, killing young children and teachers. Chief Detective Koa Kane is the man that has to make sense of what just happened and how the plans for a school could have been passed by so many high officials in the first place.
Kane is also dealing with personal issues when he learns that his younger brother, who has constantly been in and out of trouble and currently serving a sentence, has been discovered to have had a brain tumour. After removing the tumour, his behaviour is completely changed. Now he wants Kane to try to get him an early release but nothing is ever so simple.
The story shifts between the two stories with dips back into the past to connect the dots between the high ranking officials involved in the disaster. Gosh, this is a busy book and so fascinating that it is easy to keep track of everything clicking into place. I really took to Kane who has had to prove himself more than others because of his background. It isn't just a matter of working out who is at the back of the disaster, it is a matter of working it all out while there is someone left to charge.
Well written with a steady pace so that you can digest each step, it is a brilliant but heartbreaking story.
I wish to thank NetGalley and the publisher for an e-copy of this book which I have reviewed honestly.

Koa Kane is Hawai`i's Chief Detective and in this third instalment of his mystery series he has to juggle his estranged brother's request for parole and a new investigation into why government officials approved the construction of a school over a volcanic vent. This comes to light after an eruption destroys the school killing children and teachers alike, but Koa has to figure out, was this done on purpose? Who would want to kill children in such a terrible way? Koa is plunged into the world conspiracy and corruption and he must keep his head above water to get to the bottom of it.

Instantly captivating, Fire and Vengeance begins by throwing the reader straight into the action and throughout the novel there is not a lag in any of it. It is apparent that this will be a thrilling adventure for both the main character and the reader within a few chapters as we're thrown from tragedy to tragedy. I was initially hesitant to read this as the synopsis detailed a lot of things going on and I was both wrong and right on that assumption. There was a lot to keep track of not just with the story but with the varying characters involved and although this usually turns me off I have to congratulate McCaw on being able to neatly tie together these different strings. Equal levels of interest were spread out between the two main plot points without distracting from each other, they were introduced at perfect points to keep the reader engaged further. There was a bit of muddling through in the middle where keeping track of everyone was becoming a little laborious but once I came toward the end it was worth it.

As the third instalment to this series there was some underlying introductions and established relationships that I personally could have benefited from further background on that was not covered in this novel itself. Saying this the story itself could read beautifully as a standalone piece, I read it without much complaint to the character histories and there were brief introductions to cover the reader enough to get by. Based on this I do recommend starting with the first novel (Death of a Messenger) to get the appropriate level of prior understanding.

With most crime thrillers the ending is a crucial turning point, do you do a staggered reveal and build up to a dramatic twist? Do you have a big reveal and leave a cliffhanger for the next instalment? With Fire and Vengeance I felt that the ending fell flat, although I got everything I wanted from it there was just an overbearing feeling of 'rushed'. The characters, settings and writing of this novel were wonderful and I would have happily read a further 50 pages if it meant just stretching the ending out a little further. From beginning to 95% of the way through the novel there is a beautiful slow burn that reveals all kinds of secrets but that last 5% was such a drastic change of direction that it was all over before I knew what I'd read.

For the most part this was an amazing crime novel that definitely deserves it's place on my (virtual) bookshelf. I want to thank both the author and Michelle at FSB Associates for sending me a copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is a very well written police procedural with great characters and an interesting plot. One problem is that parts of the plot are dependent on rookie or stupid mistakes by the veteran, main character. I also think the brother's story, although interesting, takes up too much of the book.

Fire and Vengeance is the second Robert McCaw book that I’ve reviewed, and it’s the third in the series with the protagonist Chief Detective Koa Kane who lives and works on the big island of Hawaii. I raved about the second book, Off the Grid, and this one is equally gripping. In the midst of a massive storm there’s a volcanic eruption. Because a grade school KonaWili, was built directly over a volcanic vent and the eruption happened when the school was full, 50 people were killed, mostly students along with some teachers. In the course of the investigation, it was discovered that someone tried to plug the volcanic vent – and that didn’t work. Given that the Chief of the department was on the mainland for surgery, the responsibility for dealing with all of the fall out was left to Kane.

McCaw captured the essence of this heartbreaking disaster, and Koa began the investigation which uncovered a feud between political rivals, Hawaii’s may, George Tanaka and Governor Bobbie Mahoe. Kane also learned about the longstanding corruption of the landed class of Hawaii who continued to control all major developments on the islands. Kane learned that Francine Na’auao, the Department of Education chief, had an apparent ownership in the housing development where the school was located. But, the money was hidden and Kane wasn’t sure how he could prove it.

So, the book is about untangling these stories, and McCaw filled out the characters with others, including the younger brother of Kane who had a longstanding history of psychopathic behaviors. This story kept me engaged. Now, I’ll go back and pick up McCaw’s first book in the series, Death of a Messenger.

Nice book, good story. Maybe not the most original of plots. but a nice change of pace from the usual serial killer genre.
The characters are good- interesting personalities and back stories and the threads that tie them together.
I especially liked the main detective and his internal struggles., although the brother's story and redemption was a bit packaged.

The scenery and history of Hawaii was a nice addition, but it sometimes was an impediment to a smooth read as the Hawaiian words that are sprinkled throughout require the reader to stop and sound the words out.

It seems that this is part of a series and it would have made things a little more understandable if I had read the previous books.

I wish to thank NetGalley and Oceanview Publishers for this gritty, hard-edged ARC in return for an honest review. This was a well-written, complicated crime story set in Hawaii. The plot was well structured and involved big money, a criminal conspiracy, bribes, politics, greed, and land sales including fraudulent property development and coverups. There is also a paid hitman who is a rogue soldier with a supply of stolen weapons. Personally, the topics of land transfers and building schemes don’t appeal to me in a mystery story, but I can appreciate the complex, well-paced plot with its human touch.

I don’t think I have come across a crime story set in Hawaii before, so enjoyed its original location. I was gripped by the story of how Chief Detective Koa Kane killed a man, and then became a police officer. He dedicates his life in the pursuit of justice. Unfortunately, he and his siblings are estranged from a brother who has been a criminal from a young age. He is in prison and is hostile towards Koa, blaming him for his troubles.

There has been a criminal conspiracy to build a school secretly over a volcanic vent. When it exploded 14 children and 4 teachers were killed and many more wounded. A group of prominent people were involved in property development, designing and building the school over the vent. They knew about the danger but covered the fissure up with concrete with the intention of enriching themselves. They kept their silence about the probable threat to the school.

Koa is determined to identify the perpetrators of the crime and to bring about justice for those killed and injured. He discovers a complex plot going back 40 years when the same perpetrators were in a fraternity and were connected in the coverup of a murder. This crime bound them together.

Koa’s younger brother is facing years in prison, with little hope for rehabilitation. Something occurs which gives hope that he may change his behaviour. Koa is looking forward to getting him paroled and looks like the two brothers may reconcile. Koa has almost wrapped up his investigation regarding the school explosion, but he is double-crossed. In order to get his brother an early release from prison, he may be forced to give up the criminal case surrounding the building of the school and even his career as a detective.

After an unexpected betrayal, there is a thrilling, dangerous, and successful action-packed conclusion.