Customer Reviews

Death in Paradise

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Thea Kozak returns, this time attending an education convention on the Hawaiian island of Maui. Thea hadn't planned on attending, but when her partner comes down with pneumonia, Thea has to take her place. But instead of spending part of her time in convention activities and the rest of her time on the beach relaxing and working on her tan, Thea finds herself in the "Ms. Fixit" role as problem after problem arises at the convention. When the universally disliked convention organizer is strangled, Thea finds herself investigating the case in spite of her desire not to become involved. She is aided by a charming 11-year-old girl who sees herself as a secret agent and spies on hotel guests constantly.

Poor Thea is much abused in DEATH IN PARADISE. Every time she turns around, she is attacked verbally and/or physically. On top of that, she is feeling ill from the very first chapter, to the point she knows she must see a doctor when she returns to Boston. What amazed me is how Thea remained oblivious to the nature of her illness throughout the book. While admitting the symptoms (extreme tiredness, nausea and excessive thirst), she didn't put 2 and 2 together to come up with the correct diagnosis. I spent the entire book waiting for her to figure things out!

As far as the mystery goes, I was clueless as to the killer's identity. Suspects abounded, and the author kept the suspence level high throughout the book. You won't want to miss this series, which combines a strong, likeable heroine with great secondary characters and realistic situations.

I read Death in a Funhouse Mirror after reading reviews on Amazon's site. It was excellent - so I then had to find each and every book written by Kate Flora. I haven't been disappointed. They get better and better. Death in Paradise is interesting, earthy and full of suspense. Kate is right up there with Jan Burke and Michael Connelly.

This series just gets better with each book. If you want an in-your-face protagonist, with a sharp wit and a keen sense of justice, Thea Kozak is a great read. In this book, she's out of her native New England, but murder follows her to Hawaii. "Death in Paradise" has a well-constructed plot, interesting characters, including a young "buddy" who helps her solve the case, and a slam-bang finish.

Thea mops up the crime scene in Hawaii in her usual style. Kate Flora has built a strong series with likable characters. She is witty and informative. I look forward to her next book.

Paradise is Hawaii, but private school consultant Thea Kozak doesn't have much time to enjoy it as she's at the mercy of the whims and bad temper of Martina, the director of an organization of girls' schools. When Martina is murdered, Thea tries to stay out of the way especially since she is not fond of cops except for her love, Andre back in the States. Even trying to avoid "detecting", Thea is more than once in great physical danger. Great characters, behind-the-scenes wrangling and a lovable little girl make this more than "just a mystery."

Educational consultant Thea Kozak is looking forward to the conference in Hawaii because she is tired of all the tragedy that seems to strike near her. However,, her plan to learn while bronzing quickly falls apart when the murdered body of the Chair-person of the National Association of Girls Schools, the conference host, is found.

Over the objections of the hostile local law enforcement officials, Thea begins to investigate who murdered Martina Pullman. Used to educators trying to hide their secrets from her, Thea soon finds that several of the attendees have motives to kill Martina. As she gets closer to the truth, other murders occur and Thea finds her own life in jeopardy from a killer who will do anything to remain anonymous.

DEATH IN PARADISE, the fifth Kozak amateur female sleuth tale, is a fresh, witty entry into a tough, gritty series. Thea is a fabulous educator turned amateur detective, who understands the inside of people and is willing to risk all to solve a case. The story line is filled with action, especially with Thea spending a good portion of the book trying to stay alive or arguing with Detective Bernstein. Kate Flora has written a novel that will please her readers and sub-genre fans.

Harriet Klausner