ARC Review: Bones of Hilo by Eric Redman

Bones of Hilo
Author: Eric Redman
Publication: Crooked Lane Books (June 8, 2021)

Description: From Hawaii's Big Island to the wilds of Washington's North Cascades, a novice detective uncovers a hoard of ancient secrets at the heart of a grisly murder.

A young, inexperienced detective from the wet, working-class side of Hawaii's Big Island, Kawika Wong faces an uphill battle to gain the respect of his more seasoned colleagues. And he has the chance of a lifetime when Ralph Fortunato, the Mainland developer of an unpopular resort on the island's tourist side, is found murdered on a luxury golf course, an ancient Hawaiian spear driven through his heart.

With the other detectives desperately trying to solve another string of grisly killings, Captain Terry Tanaka has no choice but to send Kawika to investigate. As Kawika joins forces with his father and girlfriend to help read the signs and make sense of the ritualistic murder scene, they uncover a cache of secrets reaching far back to the Island's ancient past. And the journalist who found the body has her own theories about Fortunato's demise--but do they line up with the evidence?

On a perilous journey that stretches from the Big Island to Washington State and back, Kawika finds danger at every turn. But he still has much to learn about Hawaii, and about the rugged terrain of the North Cascades. And he'd better learn it fast, because his instincts may not be enough to catch a killer who's closing in even faster.

My Thoughts: A strong grasp of the Hawaiian language and cultural history would be a plus for anyone who reads this mystery. Detective Kawika Wong was born in Hawaii but was raised in Seattle after his parents divorced. He did spent summers with his father in Hawaii but built his career in Seattle. That is, he built it until he was overzealous and fired by the police force there.

Kawika got a job with the police force in Hilo partly because his boss is a friend of his father who becomes his mentor. When a developer is found murdered on the fifteenth tee at a golf course on a popular resort, Kawika is given the case in part because the other case occupying the force has to do with drug dealers throwing people off a cliff for the sharks to feed on them. 

The developer is Ralph Fortunato who had a previous failed career as a developer in Washington State. He was killed with an authentic historic spear which was left in his body. The body was discovered by Patience Quinn who is a journalist who is trying to get over her recent divorce. They soon learn that there fathers were friends and they had played together as children. Now they are beginning a romantic relationship which wouldn't be a problem except for the fact the Kawika already had a girlfriend who is getting her Ph.D. and plans to write her thesis in Hawaiian. She has a goal of restoring some decimated landscape. She is also Kawika's expert on all things Hawaiian as is his father. 

There are lots of suspects including pro-Hawaiian groups that are angry that Fortunato destroyed a historic site in his quest to develop the land he bought. There are also concerns about his business practices. His second in command is also coming to realize that Fortunato may not be on the up and up and has been busy hatching plots of his own. 

Between Kawika's juggling two different women and trying to find his place in two different cultures, he manages to explore and uncover all sorts of secrets on his way to solving the murder. I was a little disappointed about the resolution of the mystery though. 

Favorite Quote: 

"And for the other taps and bugs and cell phone monitoring, you had no court order at all, did you?"

***** smiled. "Let's put it this way," he said. "We were like little boys who went up to the blackboard to spell the word 'banana' and didn't know when to stop."

I received this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.