Mostly Murders

Book 1 in the An Orchid Isle Mystery series.

So you come to Hawai’i, a place you’ve never even been before and know nothing about, and now you’re going to single-handedly solve the great mystery of some supposed body in the lava.

Valerie and Kristen had planned a vacation to Hawaii to celebrate Valerie’s sixtieth birthday and Kristen’s retirement, and to give Valerie a chance to recover from the shock of the sudden loss of her brother in an accident.

But on an early morning trip to see live lava, Valerie spots a body right before it is swallowed up by the lava. Now Valerie has to navigate Hawaiian culture, the pressure of a rocky relationship with Kristen who worries about Valerie’s grief, and the difficulty of trying to solve a murder when you don’t even know who the victim is.

Molten Death is a cozy mystery including serious themes like Valerie and Kristen’s strained relationship and conflicts between locals, tourism, sustainability and industry. The setting is gorgeous and the novel is brimming with lots of local flavour, not only from the sumptuous food and beautiful descriptions of the surrounding nature, but also from the many snippets of local lore and the inclusion of Hawaiian and Pidgin English words and phrases.

If you’re looking for a cozy but serious murder mystery with LGBTQ+ representation, an immersive, exotic and distinct setting, delicious food descriptions and included recipes, and a bright and active senior citizen amateur sleuth, give this one a go.

Cozy Mystery