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5.0 out of 5 stars
A Beautiful and Deadly Mystery, February 13, 2009
This review is from: Pleasing the Dead (Storm Kayama Mysteries (Hardcover)) (Hardcover)
Once again Deborah Turrell Atkinson displays her talent for writing mysteries that brilliantly convey both the beauty and dangers of Hawaii. In her fourth outing, attorney Storm Kayama travels to Maui to meet with her new client, former champion windsurfer Lara Farrell. To her surprise, Lara seems reluctant to reveal the details about her business partnership with her fiancé Ryan Tagama. Or more accurately, as Storm soon discovers, the ties with Ryan and his Japanese financier father whose tendrils connect him with shady Japanese businessmen who all display a distinct lack of pinky fingers.
Storm's first sights on Maui are the burned remains of a local restaurant, and that harbinger foreshadows a tragic domestic shooting and additional murder as her own room is repeatedly invaded and she is followed by an ominous SUV. In her own life Storm is dealing with the tentative relationship with her boyfriend Ian Hamlin, who left her for a "break" after Storm's previous investigations left them both scarred and wounded.
Atkinson's mysteries always excel at detailing the sights and flavors of Hawaii that only a local could convey. From the diverse and delicious foods such as poi pancakes and saimin with fish cake to the Hawaiian tradition the "coconut wireless" that makes a small island a small neighborhood, all of these descriptions display traits that are uniquely Hawaiian. More than just a regional mystery, Pleasing the Dead explores the complex relationships between fathers and their children and the long-lasting, tragic, legacies left when those relationships are broken. This latest Storm Kayama mystery is the most harrowing yet, with an exciting battle at sea that the reader won't soon forget. A beautiful, scenic, and fascinating thriller that shouldn't be missed.
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4.0 out of 5 stars
Rich Hawaiian mystery, February 26, 2011
This review is from: Pleasing the Dead (Storm Kayama Mysteries (Hardcover)) (Hardcover)
If you've never been to Hawaii you'll feel like you have after reading Pleasing the Dead. A mystery set in the islands intrigued me from the beginning. As Deborah Turrell Atkinson writes: some nasty predators dwell in paradise, and they aren't all hiding in the azure waters. In such an idyllic setting, who would expect anything could go wrong? The combination of innocence and violence, weakness and power is appealing in Pleasing the Dead, the fourth novel in Atkinson's Storm Kayama series.
The action begins immediately when attorney, Storm Kayama arrives in Kahului to help client, Lara Farrell, set up her new dive shop and someone bombs a restaurant. Things get darker when one of Lara's staff suddenly takes his own life and that of his young daughter. Storm puts herself in danger when she begins to ask questions.
The story takes us into the underworld of organized crime, where the leaders exploit and contaminate everything they touch, including underage women, local businesses, real estate, and politics. They wipe out anyone brave enough to take them on. Enter Storm Kayama.
Smart and savvy, Storm is willing to go where others won't and interfere, risking her already strained relationship and putting her own life in danger in the process.
Atkinson brings the reader to Maui with her. We smell the smoke from the bombed out building, breath the scorched, suffocating air, and feel the eyes of the crime bosses hone in on their victims.
Atkinson excels in her detail and gives us an intimate look at the darker side of the islands. The strong relationships between the main characters and the way they pull together to stand up to their tormentors is refreshing and endearing. The relationships are complex yet completely believable.
At times, it took a little effort to keep a few of the Japanese names straight; some being very similar they almost morphed, requiring the re-read, or several re-reads of some of the pages.
Pleasing The Dead has an intricate plot based in both the past and the present. It is a very good read.
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4.0 out of 5 stars
An inexpensive Hawaiian vacation, February 9, 2011
This review is from: Pleasing the Dead (Storm Kayama Mysteries (Hardcover)) (Hardcover)
Paradise isn't always perfect for attorney Storm Kayama. She has a habit of attracting murder and mayhem, no matter which island she visits. In "Pleasing the Dead," she runs afoul of powerful Japanese mobsters, a temper tantrum-prone client and mysterious relationships that threaten lives all up and down the social strata.
Author Deborah Turrell Atkinson brings the Hawaiian Islands to vibrant life in this latest entry in the Kayama chronicles. Set on Maui, the book takes us behind the tourist scenes and into the small towns and neighborhoods of the island. We meet grocers and contractors as well as the police officers. A number of Hawaiian foods appear throughout the story as well, whetting the reader's appetite. (I'm definitely ready to try the shave ice with hidden ice cream and azuki bean she describes on page 222.)
Kayama is a strong protagonist. Atkinson gives her a distinct personality that is fresh yet familiar at the same time. She could be your chum from high school or your next door neighbor. Her heart is for people, as evidenced by her mission to bring the little girl, Carmen, a favorite stuffed cat that was left behind when the paramedics brought her to the hospital. At the same time, she fiercely stands up to people who mean harm to those who are important to her.
The large cast of fascinating supporting characters requires attention from the reader. Many of the names are of Japanese origin. The typical reader will be able to keep them straight with a minimum of effort. You'll hate some and love others, but you will be intrigued by the interplay between them in this tense story.
The threads of Atkinson's plot weave through the story like tendrils of some exotic vine. Relationships and past histories converge and digress, but the end result is an entrancing story rich with Hawaiian lore and language. There is some rough language (the reason I gave it 4 rather than 5), but a great read.
If the weather has you wishing for a warm vacation, get "Pleasing the Dead." It's a great escape to Hawaii, a lot less expensive than air fare and no security checkpoints to face.
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