#1502. Retribution by Robert McCaw

Retribution by Robert McCaw is the fifth book in a series about Koa Kane, the chief detective in Hilo, Hawaii. I’ve read them all, and you’re about to read a rave for this author. Retribution is the best and most sophisticated thriller of this series. While he started out with good stories and great characters in the earlier books, it is clear to this reviewer that McCaw just keeps getting better at his craft. While the novels could be stand alone, I’m glad I read them in order for the sake of following the character development of Kane and Nalani who is Kane’s young romantic partner who works as a Park Ranger in Volcanoes National Park.

 

In Retribution, there are a series of murders and attempted murders which seem to be unconnected. First there’s the murder of a young man. He’s killed with a knife which has the fingerprints of Kane’s younger brother, Ikaika. Then a sniper attempts to killed Makanui, Kane’s closest colleague. The attempt only failed because Makanui was wearing a bullet proof vest. There’s a second attempt on her life which also fails. More crimes continue and the overriding question becomes if and how these crimes are linked to Kane. Meanwhile, there is a great cast of bad guys. There’s corruption in the office of the mayor of Hilo and corruption in the police department itself. On the one hand his superiors seem to want Kane fired from his job, but on the other hand he’s needed because of his remarkable history of solving complicated crimes. Filipino terrorists have come to Hawaii with an intent to murder and torture Kane.

 

One of the other positives about McCaw’s work is his descriptions of native Hawaiian culture and the way they’ve been treated by their conquerors. As the result of reading these books, I have a better understanding of the ancient culture and a much better grasp of the geography of the beautiful islands. Bravo for McCaw, and I hope that he continues to write about these characters.

 

Remember, pay attention to the publisher. Another winner from Oceanview Publishing. 

 

WCD