Murder on Molokai [Mass Market Paperback]

Chip Hughes (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 2004

When Boston heiress Adrienne Ridgely strides into Kai Cooke's Honolulu office, the "Surfing Detective" likes what he sees, but doubts what he hears. Adrienne's sister, environmental activist Sara Ridgely-Parke, has plunged to her death from a mule on Moloka'i—the first fatal incident on the soaring cliffs above Kalaupapa's fabled leper colony. Adrienne cries murder, perpetrated by Sara's ex-husband, developer J. Gregory Parke. Cooke journeys to Moloka'i, tracking tantalizing leads to an unlikely murder that, despite himself, he starts to believe in.

Was the mule prodded or spooked or drugged? Did Parke do it for vengeance or Adrienne for an inheritance, as Parke alleges? Soon Cooke uncovers a motive more noxious than either of these, entangling him in the shady dealings of big-time developers, corrupt politicians, and underworld thugs. As he hops from island to island seeking a pivotal clue, the clock ticks down on more than the P.I.'s case or even his own life. The future of Moloka'i itself is at stake.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Chip Hughes earned a Ph.D. in English at Indiana University and taught American literature, film, writing, and popular fiction at the University of Hawai‘i at Manoa. His non-fiction publications include BEYOND THE RED PONY: A READER'S COMPANION TO STEINBECK'S SHORT STORIES—also translated into Japanese; JOHN STEINBECK: A STUDY OF THE SHORT FICTION; and numerous essays and reviews. An active member of the Private Eye Writers of America, Chip launched the Surfing Detective mystery series in 2004 with MURDER ON MOLOKA'I. The second book, WIPEOUT!, followed in 2007. The third, KULA, in 2011. Other titles, in various stages of development, include MURDER AT VOLCANO HOUSE, BARKING SANDS, and THE MAUI MASSEUSE. The series has been optioned for television. More at http://surfingdetective.com. Chip lives in Windward O‘ahu with his wife and two retrievers. He surfs when time allows. --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 207 pages
• Publisher: Island Heritage Publishing (October 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0931548624
• ISBN-13: 978-0931548628
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.1 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,371,557 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Chip Hughes lives in windward O'ahu with his wife and two retrievers. He taught at the University of Hawai'i for nearly three decades, until leaving to write full time. Chip launched the Surfing Detective mystery series in 2004 with MURDER ON MOLOKA'I. The second book, WIPEOUT!, followed in 2007. And KULA in 2011. Future titles, in various stages of development, include MURDER AT VOLCANO HOUSE, BARKING SANDS, and THE MAUI MASSEUSE. The series was optioned for television in 2009. When he's not writing, Chip's interests include surfing, golden and Labrador retrievers, learning to play the piano, dreaming about Porsches, and sunsets on the beach with his better half.

Photo: Dennis Oda, Honolulu Star-Advertiser

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Book - Great Character!!, June 1, 2006

By 

Horror writer from TN (Morristown, Tennessee United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Murder on Molokai (Mass Market Paperback)

I read this book while vacationing on the island of O'ahu, and I simply could not put it down. This is one mystery that kept me turning pages until I was finished, and the character of "The Surfing Detective", Kai Cooke, is a great one. While making this character totally unique, Chip Hughes has taken some of the better attributes of some of our most beloved detectives and given them to Kai Cooke. If you can picture Magnum, P.I. with a touch of a Dashiell Hammett or Raymond Chandler, you would have Kai Cooke. I thoroughly urge you to give this author and this story an opportunity to impress you as I was impressed. You will finish the story with a 'Mahalo' to Chip for one fine story! I cannot wait until further volumes about the surfing detective become available.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A new dectective to enjoy!, January 27, 2005

By 

Linda W. Page (Philadelphia, PA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Murder on Molokai (Mass Market Paperback)

Chip Hughes'novel is intelligently and sometimes beautifully written, and he's created a detective, Kai Cooke, that readers will want to read about again and again.

Cooke is adventurous but wise enough to know his limitations, sexy but down to earth. He's the "surfing detective" who can make jokes about Magnum and Hawaii Five O. The case Cooke is working on, solving the death of an environmental activist on the island of Molokia, keeps the reader guessing "who done it" without obscuring the chase unduly or suddenly including the one needed clue.

Hughes also has done the near impossible--presenting the Hawaiian islands clearly and vividly to those who haven't yet had the pleasure of visiting them while pleasing island residents with his deft handling of a wide range of locals and their vernacular. Cooke shifts expertly between "standard" English and local "pidgin" as needed as he interviews heiresses and doctors, mule ranglers and bartenders. The characters are well drawn and appealing, especially that mule rangler.

Hughes clearly likes his detective, and readers will as well (Let's hope Cooke's next adventure is in print soon!) And Hughes obviously also knows and appreciates the islands, including the "mango-tinted water" of Lanai, the aroma of the lei shop below his office, the sheer cliffs of Molokai, and the pounding surf breaks of Wakiki (yes, Cooke really does surf).

What could be better than an armchair tour of the islands and a handsome, tanned detective solving the latest case?! "Murder on Molokai" is a good read.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Midwest Haole loves Surfing Detective story, January 12, 2005

By 

Walter Nugent - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Murder on Molokai (Mass Market Paperback)

Kai, the surfing detective from Honolulu, takes on a mysterious murder on Molokai, the one-time leper island, brought him by a sophisticated and beautiful client. To solve it, author Chip Hughes takes us through the islands in an ever-intensifying series of events to an explosive (and satisfying) conclusion. There's a touch of Raymond Chandler in the book, but Hughes has created his own original, and captivating, hero and style. For a reader like me, shivering in the Chicago winter, it's a warm and exotic read. -- Walter Nugent, Chesterton, IN