The Puna Kahuna: A Ben McMillen Hawaiian Mystery [Hardcover]

Mark Brown (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Returning from earlier appearances in Game Face and Yellowfin , Hawaiian police detective Ben McMillen here confronts murder, greed and revenge--for spiritual and worldly wrongs--when the businessmen behind Jackson Hole Geothermal proceed with plans to build a power plant in the Wao Kele O Puna rain forest. The drilling angers many, including Nohea Konanui, Ben's engineer friend, other members of the Pele Defense Fund and Madame Pele, the mythical creator of the islands. A kahuna , a high priest of the ancient beliefs, leaves idols at the construction site to frighten the workers; someone murders a Jackson Hole employee. Ben, an athlete freshly awakening to the environmental and religious aspects of his Hawaiian heritage, finds himself involved in a case that has more twists than the roots of the massive 'ohi'a tree. Brown takes a big chance blending myth and religion with modern-day elements in his suspenseful tale; he succeeds admirably. Tunnels running through the lava base of the rain forest are part of a setting never seen on Hawaii Five-O , and readers, even those who find Ben a little too earnest and too good to believe, will likely relish the surprise of the villain's identity.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 287 pages
• Publisher: Ox Bow Pr (September 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1881987027
• ISBN-13: 978-1881987024
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.3 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,210,653 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars OVERALL SCORE: (C-), December 27, 2003

By 

Pequegnat (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Puna Kahuna: A Ben McMillen Hawaiian Mystery (Hardcover)

Mark Brown captures much of the feel of Hawaii, the sights, sounds, and the feel of the tropical paradise. Unfortunately the plot drags, the characters are stiff and uninteresting. This book also has the most idiotic ending that you can possibly imagine, I won't spoil it, but what would you sentence a serial killer too, I bet it would not be what Mr. Brown comes up with!

While I enjoy the Polynesian/Hawaii culture and history very much [their rich and vibrant history is an essential part of the seduction of Hawaii], Mr. Brown seems to have developed a sycophantic attraction to the indigenous people here.

The worst thing about these books are that, Mr. Brown's (from Michigan) preaches a very pro-indigenous view point in his books, he is extremely one sided in his arguments, he finds only the most laudable traits about the Polynesian people of Hawaii. He misses the fact that they were EXTREAMLY warlike, they practiced the most extreme form of aristocratic class domination, had human sacrifice, and put people to death for VERY minor crimes, and treated women as property.

Mr. Brown does not seem to understand that the "Polynesian people of Hawaii" have nearly died out, many who claim to be "Hawaiian", are mostly something else, but are looking for political power [money] at the expense of the rest of the people living in Hawaii.

A disturbing aspect of these books is that Mr. Brown does not seem know that "Haole" is a racial insult aimed at white people, just as the "N" word is for African Americans, and the "G" word is for Asians!

Leave off on the political preaching and these books would be a much more enjoyable read!

Also his use of Hawaiian terms constantly throughout the book gets a bit much, even for a Kama'aina.

OVERALL SCORE: (C-)
READABILITY: (C+), PLOT: (C-), CHARATERS: (B-), DIALOGUE: (C-), SETTING: (A+), ACTION/COMBAT: (C-), ANTAGONISTS: (B-), ROMANCE: (B-),AGE LEVEL: (PG)

I would recommend,if you want GREAT Hawaii mystery/adventures; Charles Knief's Books "Diamond Head", "Green Flash", "Sand Dollars", and especially "Silversword"!

Mahalo nui loa!