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A review by kimdavishb
Molten Death by Leslie Karst
5.0
MOLTEN DEATH is the first book in the brand-new Orchid Isle Mystery series by Leslie Karst. Set against the lush backdrop of Hawaii and the terrifying ferocity of an active volcano, the author brings the setting to life through her vivid descriptive voice. You can feel the heat of the lava flow, smell the tropical flowers, taste the fresh papaya, and see the glorious beauty of the crashing waves. I also love that the protagonist, Valerie Corbin, and her wife, Kristen, are retirement-age women. It brings a maturity to the storyline and (I hate to admit it) more relatable to my age group. They’re both inquisitive, active, and full of life instead of the stereotypical ‘sitting in a rocking chair knitting’ at their age. Ms. Karst also captures the Hawaiian culture and politics. It’s obvious she’s done her research and, from her author’s note and “about” at the back of the book, lives part-time in Hilo, Hawaii, which gives her an insider’s view of the residents. I appreciated the Hawaiian and Pidgin (a mixture of Hawaiian, English, Japanese, Chinese, Portuguese, and Filipino) words and phrases provided, although she expertly crafts her sentences so that the meaning is perfectly clear while reading the story, without slowing down the pace.
The plotline is clever: how can you prove a murder happened when only the protagonist saw a foot and a leg devoured by flowing lava? And any clues left behind by the perpetrator are non-existent because of the destructive lava as well. Most people, including her wife, don’t believe Valerie when she claims she saw a body. Yet her tenacity, despite only being a visitor to the island, has her digging up information and uncovering secrets that people would rather remain hidden. There were clues to follow and a few suspects to keep me guessing. The story kept me engrossed, and I had a hard time putting the book down when other obligations called. By the conclusion of the book, I was ready to book a vacation to the islands and ready to read the next in the series!
There are also several tempting Hawaiian recipes included at the back of the book for the home cook to try out.
I was provided with an advance copy. All thought and opinions are my own.
The plotline is clever: how can you prove a murder happened when only the protagonist saw a foot and a leg devoured by flowing lava? And any clues left behind by the perpetrator are non-existent because of the destructive lava as well. Most people, including her wife, don’t believe Valerie when she claims she saw a body. Yet her tenacity, despite only being a visitor to the island, has her digging up information and uncovering secrets that people would rather remain hidden. There were clues to follow and a few suspects to keep me guessing. The story kept me engrossed, and I had a hard time putting the book down when other obligations called. By the conclusion of the book, I was ready to book a vacation to the islands and ready to read the next in the series!
There are also several tempting Hawaiian recipes included at the back of the book for the home cook to try out.
I was provided with an advance copy. All thought and opinions are my own.