K.O.'d in the Volcano: A K.O.'d in Hawai'I Mystery (K.O.'d in Hawai'i Mystery series) [Paperback]

Victoria Heckman (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 15, 2003 | Series: K.O.'d in Hawai'i Mystery series

When Honolulu police officer Katrina Ogden lands an assignment at Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park, her working vacation turns ugly as she is caught between two forces: murder and Madame Pele, Goddess of the Volcano. In a race against time, she struggles to save lives before the volcano's eruption sweeps them away.

Editorial Reviews

Review

". . . a terrific novel. . .as fast and hot as the lava that threatens to blow from Kupaianaha I recommend it highly." -- —JR Ripley, author of the Tony Kozol mystery series

". . . a unique and delightful mystery . . . an intriguing story full of twists and turns . . . Grab your lei and hang on!" -- —Earlene Fowler, author of the Benni Harper mystery series

". . . white-hot lava, razor-edged characters, pakalolo caves, and volcanic smog. . . living, breathing Hawaiiana; shadows in the mist. . . Well done!" -- —Richard Barre, award-winning author of The Ghosts of Morning and Burning Moon

About the Author

Victoria Heckman graduated from a reserve police academy and worked in a police department for two years. She is the author of the K.O.'d in Hawaii series. Her work has appeared in Futures and Short Story. She is a former president of Sisters in Crime–Central Coast Chapter, and she is a member of Mystery Writers of America, the Police Writers Association, and Sisters in Crime National's E-Publishing Committee. She lives in California.

Product Details

• Paperback: 189 pages
• Publisher: Pemberley Press; 1 edition (March 15, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0970272758
• ISBN-13: 978-0970272751
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.7 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,035,584 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Victoria Heckman is the author of two mystery series, "K.O.'d in...." Hawaii mystery series, & "The Coconut Man mysteries of Ancient Hawaii." She has a stand alone coming out early 2011, "Burn Out," about an animal communicator. Not pet psychic! she says in interviews. She divides her time between Hawaii and California's Central Coast and is the President of the Central Coast Chapter of Sisters in Crime.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A beautiful and exciting thriller, March 28, 2003

By 

Cynthia P. Chow "Hawaiian Librarian" (Kaneohe, Hawaii) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: K.O.'d in the Volcano: A K.O.'d in Hawai'I Mystery (K.O.'d in Hawai'i Mystery series) (Paperback)

Katrina "KO" Ogden is happy to be assigned as a training officer for park rangers at the Big Island's Volcanoes National Park while she recovers from injuries caused by a previous case. A Honolulu Police Department officer who is transferring from Records to Evidence, this new assignment is a welcome break that will also provide her time to explore her growing relationship with a old friend. What she doesn't expect to find are hostilities from the park rangers who don't want an outsider amongst them, an increase of violence resulting from drugs on the park, and murder.

KO's peace is further disturbed by having to bunk down with a gaggle of kids on a Diabetes camp, one of whom seems to have almost prophetic powers into KO's life. While KO attempts to deal with the tensions among the rangers and a possible volcano eruption another set of events concerning an elaborate marijuana ring will intrude and have lasting impact on her life.

This is a wonderful mystery that successfully illustrates the beauty, power, and danger living in Hawaii's volcanoes. KO is a delightful character, confident with her professional skills yet still insecure in her personal life. The plot moves along quickly with events all tying together in a satisfying and explosive conclusion. Heckman's second mystery in the KO series is even better than the first, and I can't wait for the third, KO'D IN HAWAIIAN SOVEREIGNTY.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Prt of a compelling series with a romantic backdrop, January 15, 2004

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: K.O.'d in the Volcano: A K.O.'d in Hawai'I Mystery (K.O.'d in Hawai'i Mystery series) (Paperback)

Victoria Heckman attended a Reserve Police Academy and served as a patrol office for two years in southern California. She briefly considered joining the Honolulu Police Department, but opted out, although she maintains close ties. She has written the K.O.'d in Hawai'i series, featuring the lovely backdrop of the Hawaiian islands.

Katrina Ogden is known as "K.O.," and in this story she is arriving from the Honolulu Police Department for a combination rest and training activity for the Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park. She is there because, with recent drug activity, the park employees need additional training to deal with problems in the park. Unbeknownst to K.O., there's been a murder, and it won't be long before she is up to her eyeballs in murder and volcanic activity:

"K.O. trembled, and forced herself upright. He's a copy, she told herself. I have to. Do I really? What is my obligation here? Aid a fellow officer in trouble. Capture a criminal. At the very least, it's attempted murder now, since that woman shot at him. Would I even hesitate if this were a dark alley in Waikiki? Or an abandoned warehouse in Iwilei? Not for a second. She blinked, and found she was halfway down the shield, picking her way between two large rivers. She stepped cautiously, afraid of crashing through a think crust and into boiling lava a hundred feet deep."

There is something about a river of lava that is compelling in and of itself. Heckman does a nice job of combining the most sinister of elements: a drug cartel; an apparently dirty cop; a huge volcanic eruption; and a good cop who badly needs a rest to form an interesting and exciting tale of right and evil. To add even more flavor to the mix, K.O. is constantly haunted by images of sacrifice on the edges of the lava pits, plus ominous warnings from a teenage diabetic who happens to be on hand for all the fun.

All in all, K.O. is an interesting, well rounded character the reader will groan for, cheer for, and finally...get a little exasperated with as she almost blows it with her perfect Hawaiian gentleman. K.O.'D IN THE VOLCANO is part of a compelling series with a romantic backdrop.

Shelley Glodowski
Reviewer