Death of a Messanger

I had already read the second and third books of this series, Off the Grid and Fire and Vengeance, and this is the first one of the series, Death of a Messenger. Given that I’ve read all three of Robert McCaw’s books about Koa Kane, the Chief of Detectives on the big island of Hawaii, you should guess that I really like his story telling. So, this is a really a review of the entire series as much as it is about his first novel (which I liked as much as the other two). Koa Kane is a marvelous protagonist.

I think there’s a fine line between a good story line in a murder mystery and one that is just too complex. On the other hand, if it’s too simple, then what’s the point of reading about it? For example, I’ve not liked the classic spy novelist John Le Carre because the plot twists, shifting alliances, and cascade of characters are just too much to enjoyably follow. So, McCaw does not take you off the rails in an attempt to impress you with how clever he is. On the other hand, there are multiple suspects that one must sort through, and there are plot unexpected plot twists. McCaw knows how to ride the fine line to create a spellbinding story.

This books open with Koa riding a helicopter to investigate a murder, a body having been found in the saddle between Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa, in the Pohakuloa Training Area, an army reservation. The mutilated and decomposed body was found in a lava tube where lava once flowed. It looked like the killing might have been a ritualistic event. Koa was also struggling with significant neck pain due to a pinched nerve that was soon going to need surgical attention, a procedure that caused Koa great anxiety.

McCaw surrounded Koa with a cast of characters, most importantly his much younger and beautiful girlfriend Nalani who is currently working at the observatory which has the world’s largest optical telescope, but she is hoping to get a job in the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. The possibilities of who could have committed the murder included a group of grave robbers who trafficked in antique treasures, an old drunken helicopter pilot Skeeter Slade, Charlie Harper who was a serial sexual harasser and an insanely jealous husband, Prince Kamehameha who was the descendant of the last royal king of the islands, and Aikue Opua who was a nuisance Hawaiian activist who wanted the islands declared independent of the U.S. Koa must deal with some incompetents including his boss who is politically motivated and the obstetrician who serves as the island’s coroner.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and hope that McCaw is planning more adventures of Koa and Nalani.