Publisher: Oceanview Publishing

I picked up Death of a Messenger because I needed a book set in Hawaii for one of the reading challenges I'm doing. I was surprised by how much I actually enjoyed it. It's a good mystery and I learned a lot about Hawaiian history and culture. Hawaiian Detective Koa Kane is called to investigate a grisly murder – a mutilated body discovered in a lava tube at an army training area. The victim is difficult to identify and bears disturbing marks indicating an ancient ritual sacrifice. Further investigation uncovers an unknown archaeological site nearby and leads Kane to wonder if the victim had stumbled across a rare historical secret people will kill to protect. The plot is complicated in a good way. There are several convincing suspects including black market dealers, astronomers, and amateur archeologists, in the case, and enough clues and red herrings to keep the reader, and detective, on their toes. The pace was a bit uneven, but...