Robert McCaw’s Koa Kane Hawaiian Mystery series transports you to the beautiful Hawaiian islands, but with a twist. In each of the books terrible crimes happen in these paradise like settings. This duality has kept me on the edge of my seat in previous books and I was excited to learn there was more of the series to read.

Death of a Messenger is the official first book of the series. While this has not originally been treated as the first book, it is the true start to the series. When an anonymous 911 call leads to the finding of a body at the Army’s live-fire training area, Chief Detective Koa Kane finds the body and things get even stranger. The body has the telltale marks of an ancient ritual sacrifice. As he tries to investigate this case he faces a tremendous number of obstacles, which include an incompetent medical examiner, hostility from Westerners and sovereignty advocates, and a constant stream of lies. This case revolves around the idea of trying to determine whether the victim stumbled into a gang of high-tech archaeological thieves or if a secret led him to lose his life and might be putting more people in danger.

This book has been revised and updated since it was originally released which allows Death of a Messenger to fit seamlessly into the series that many have already grown to love. McCaw creates great mysteries that keep you guessing and his work on this book showcases Koa Kane’s start and how he came to be the detective we have seen in Fire and Vengeance and Off the Grid, which I have previously reviewed. If you are looking for a mystery that is full of twists and turns and fully immerses you in the beauty of the islands, with a curious dark edge. You can pre-order your copy of Death of a Messenger today.

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