Customer Reviews

Murder in Paradise: A Christmas in Hawaii Turns to Tragedy

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

 

 

I live in Hawaii and was familiar with the case. It was very tragic that something like this could happen right here in our back yard. I enjoyed reading all the details that wasn't available in the media. Excellent storytelling. I could feel the families frustration with Hawaii's justice system. Great pace, a definite page turner.

Unlike most true crime books, this one was logically organized and very well-written. It was refreshing to read such an objective analysis of all the details and obstacles involved in this tragic event in Hawaii.

When reading other nonfiction crime books, I have difficulty keeping the people and events straight; having to frequently refer back and forth, losing the continuity of the narrative. Murder in Paradise flowed because the authors clearly delineated all the characters and organized their material meticulously. Their unique point of view kept me on the edge of my seat every moment. I learned more about the workings of our justice system from this book than any other in the genre.

As soon as I finished the book, I wanted to write the authors demanding more follow-up on the murder immediately. I found the book extremely thought-provoking. Murder in Paradise: A Christmas in Hawaii Turns to Tragedy has remained in my consciousness months after reading it.

A beautiful young woman is brutally raped and murdered on Christmas Eve, and no one is arrested for the crime for 9 years. I think the Author did a good job of telling the story however, I would have liked to know more about the killers....the two brothers -- what led them on the path to murder? And if the DNA didn't match any of the three men, who's DNA is it? If the men convicted of the murder are hiding someone who is it and why?

Am up to about the 120 page mark, I pounced on this seeing it at a library sale, even though Id never heard of this crime, as I visited Hawaii for the first time in June 09.I wanted to know more about the place not from the angle of a Lets Go Lonely Planet book, but from the dark side if you will, as a couple of times in my brief stay there even I was exposed to the breath of what felt like a dark undercurrent. I didnt get beyond the southern half of Oahu, but I was happy, enjoying the beauty of Waikiki that Ive known of since childhood and unsuspecting minding my own business strolling on the Waikiki beachfront, probably not far from the Duke monument, beautiful noon-afternoon maybe Sunday or Monday, and found myself being badmouthed/abused by this local punk."Oh, Yeah, He's Gay!" was the opening comment (I'm not) when Ive recovered from my astonishment, Ive demanded of him "what did you say to me??" Received an obscene hand gesticulation in response..beginning to get pissed, Ive suggested he go forth and fg multiply to effect. Back he has pranced , and into my face, and proceeded to abuse me in some dialect I now know is "pidgin" (thats what Id have described it as, turnes out, thats what its called, I learned this from this book!!) anyway because of the "pidgin" I could only 30% understand what this grinning ape (est 18-19-20YO, maybe 6ft 1-2" tall) was even saying, but I got that I was now being told something about i was a pedophile who frequently interfered with children or similiar.
Charming.
Very shaken and utterly astonished. The confrontation had quickly attracted attention, its even possible that someone who was there that day witnessed it.
Anyway, I can see there is a dark undercurrent there which admittedly is probably common also to places which resemble Hawaii, seemingly idyllic tropical tourist stops, even such as Gold Coast Australia where I grew up, there is a certain hostility between local youth and visitors, Hoales as it is in Hawaii, which might be intensified in Hawaii because of it's geo isolation and possessing its own indigenous ethnic group.
Anyway, this book is in part touching on similiar themes, that Dana Ireland was selected because being white was "mandatory", and Detective Guilermos initial interviews with Frank Pauline took place in "pidgin".

I think it's well told so far as St Martins type True Crime books go, as some readers point out, the standard of writing in American true crime books is perhaps chequered.
We probably could have done with some more pics of the players involved.

Perhaps one of the saddest chapters ever befalling paradise. Well written and easy to read. If you enjoy true crime you will enjoy this book.

pros: great to have more info on this sad story. insight into other side of paradise living. cons: imagine loos' co-writer helped much. otherwise loos has built a solid reputation as one of the most one-sided "investigative" reporters you'll ever read. But then again, newspaper standards in Hawaii are not quite New York Times... let's just say, easy reading for the literary challenged.