The Lava Witch, by Debra Bokur, is the third in the Dark Paradise Mystery Series, but it reads well as a standalone novel. I like it enough to consider going back and reading #1 and #2. There are enough hints as to the background of Kali Māhoe, a detective with the Maui Police Department. Kali is also a kahu, a spiritual leader in her Hawaiian community, so designated by her grandmother.
Kali has been called to a bizarre crime scene where a young woman has been tortured and killed. Because of her ties to the spiritual aspects of Hawai’i, her methods are somewhat unorthodox, in this case, she is guided by stories in a book written by her grandmother. Kali is also haunted, damaged by the killing of her long-time boyfriend by drug dealers.
I enjoyed the atmosphere and how author Bokur made the glamorous Hawaiian islands dark and forbidding. There were lots of twists and turns in the plot as well.
********************
The Lava Witch (Kensington, May 31, 2022) is available through:
********************
This post contains Amazon Affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I may earn a small amount from qualifying purchases.
