Customer Reviews

Mahu

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Neil S Plakcy has created a differenct character to gay mystery
fiction writing. Kimo Kanapa a good looking mixed race surfer
living in Honolulu. Kimo the protagaonist is a young police
detective with the Honolulu Police Department. Being gay has
created some internal conflicts in the police force for Kimo. But
his love of being a cop overrides these conflicts. Kimo becomes
involved in the investigation of the murder a man outside a gay
establishment problems arise when he leaves the scene of the
crime and later reports the murder by phone. Plackcy writing
style has captured the reader all thru the story his sense
of place is very vivid he must have done some extensive
researh on Hawaii or even spend time in Hawaii. Hopefully we
will see future books with the character KIMO.

I love reading books that have a strong sense of place - especially when that place is somewhere I know well - in this case, Honolulu, Hawaii. And Mahu not only get the place right, but everything else as well, including the introduction of a most original and charming main character: surfer guy cop Kimo.
Congratulations, Neil; a job well done and I join the ranks of fans waiting for more.

This is a great read. You can't put it down once you start. the detective is so interesting and so different from any other detective you've ever read. It is really original, well-written, and unique. A great book to discover.

I've actually posted on my Amazon plog about MAHU, so I won't go overboard here. I was surprised that this was a first novel (considering the flaws in my own first novel). I immediately warmed to the character of Kimo, a mixed-race cop who loves surfing as much as he loves being a cop. He's smart and capable and very appealing--despite the fact that he starts out the novel with an alarming lapse of judgement.

Plakcy does a great job with setting (Hawaii) and with procedural detail. But it's the character of Kimo--his struggle for acceptance (from himself even more than from others) that makes this novel memorable.

I'm very much looking forward to the next one.

Circumstances of a murder force a gay detective to come out. Set in a very realistic present day Hawaii, Mahu is a page-turning, very sexy mystery. But it's more: a moving story of one man's complete life and struggles with family, lovers, friends, and colleagues. Plakcy's dialogue is fast and funny, always pitch-perfect.

I'm not usually a reader of detective novels, but I loved this.
The main character was, to me, completely credible, had a ring of reality.

I loved reading this book--wouldn't go to sleep without finishing it.

And to me it also seems very original in the way the gay issues are developed in the character and story.

It was a perfect Labor Day read.

This was defnitely a different read for me, not an ebook and not strictly a romance, but I could not resist picking it up. Surfing, cops and a mystery were a rather huge temptation and I am certainly glad I did.

Kimo was an incredibly engaging character. It was not that he leapt off the page but rather quietly shared his story with honesty, feeling and flaws. I can only imagine the struggle a man in his position and occupation would go through coming to terms with his sexuality and also the public nature of this disclosure to his family and colleagues. But Kimo, even when he is low, had this very strong sense of self and with it a quiet confidence. He is sharp, intelligent and has an honorable feel about him that I found very readable. He's also sexy as hell and this doesn't hurt either!

The relationships Kimo has with his family were well drawn and the dynamics that are played out in the book are a huge part of what made this so enjoyable. I am quite sure if I had a problem with a sister we'd sit down and discuss it but not Kimo and his brother. There is a scene about half way through, a scuffle, that had me laughing, rolling my eyes and thinking - boys! Even his relationship with his mum and dad was something quite special.

I loved the setting of Hawaii and the descriptions were evocative, drew me in and made me wish I was there. In one part of the book Kimo gets up early one morning to surf after a hard night, `... it's like you can imagine some god pulling back the night revealing the day for you.` Big, beautiful sky and sea. My bags were packed! The island feel of the book was appealing due to living in a pacific country myself. I think I have said before that most books I read are set in the continental US and while Hawaii is a state it still feels like somewhere closer to home and I could identify with some of the cultural references. I also found some of the history that slips into the story fascinating.

This was such an enjoyable read and there are two more books in the series with another coming in 2009. I was also interested to see that there are some Kimo-rotica in several anthologies which you check out at Neil's website. The version of Mahu I read is now out of print but is being re released in March of 2009 by Alyson Books. It has a gorgeous new cover to match later releases in the series.

Definitely a book for the summer and I cannot wait to read more about Kimo Kanapa'aka. Fingers crossed my lovely bookstore in the city has book 2!

I was very intrigued to read this having stumbled across this book on the internet. I love anything to do with Hawaii, surfing and I love mysteries. I have to say Kimo is a compelling character despite some flaws in the story-telling. For example, it's hard to understand how he can shop at Liberty House with his mother when those stores were bought out by Macy's many years ago. Little things like that and the Zippys scene gave the author away as somebody who really hasn't spent all that much time in the islands.
Still, despite the 'mystery' that gives itself away quickly and some questionable police procedural, I'm giving the book four stars because I do like Kimo and will start on his next adventure tonight!

I am an avid mystery reader and my favorite are Hawaiian. So I bought this book. It is fantastic. He does a great job of taking you to Oahu and his characters are so believable. I am just about to order his next book...Mahalo Mr. Plakcy.

Mahu is the first in a series featuring police detective Kimo Kanapa'aka. Kimo is the first in the Honolulu Police Department to come out of the closet - and he didn't even want to. Through no real fault of his own, Kimo finds himself in the middle of a murder, his "gayness" being outed on his brother's television station news report, and being shunned by most (if not all) of the police department. His partner isn't sure he can cope and even his family has trouble accepting the "new" Kimo.

Meanwhile, Kimo is determined to find the killer who put him in the middle of all of this, even if it means having sex with a possible suspect. In between chasing down leads and running away from sex he's afraid to have (because that will mean he really is gay, Kimo surfs the waves of Waikiki.

This is a great mystery and a fun read. Kudos to Neil S. Plakcy for coming up with the wonderful character of Kimo Kanapana'aka!