A review by rdhk
Molten Death by Leslie Karst

adventurous mysterious slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

the most compelling parts of this novel were: 1. the discovery of a dead body by way of a slowly melting foot in a pool of lava (!), 2. the choice to center an older lesbian couple rather than a more traditional hero or heroine, and 3. the hawaiian setting, which was sketched respectfully and with due regard to indigenous beliefs, practices, and colloquialisms. everything else - the writing, the plotting, the characterization - was bland and almost amateurish. in the vein of a chai that hasn't been steeped long enough, the book goes down easy but the reader retain little. i'd recommend this for night-time insomnia company (hi, it's me) but that's about it.