Book Review: The Bone Field by Debra Bokur

 Disclosure / Disclaimer: I received this ebook free of charge, from Kensington Books  via #netgalley, for review purposes on this blog. No compensation, monetary or in kind, has been received or implied for this post. Nor was I told how to post about it, all opinions are my own

Celebrated travel writer Debra Bokur reveals the dark side of paradise while exploring the nuanced culture and captivating beauty of Hawaii in The Bone Field, the second installment in her acclaimed series featuring Maui detective and Hawaiian cultural expert Kali Māhoe.

Synopsis:

A series of strange cold-case ritual murders leads Maui detective Kali Māhoe on a trail of legendary vengeful spirits and more human monsters in paradise.

Kali Māhoe, Hawaiian cultural expert and detective with the Maui Police Department, has been called to a bizarre crime scene. In the recesses of a deep trench on Lanai Island, a derelict refrigerator has been unearthed. Entombed inside are the skeletal remains of someone buried decades ago. Identification is a challenge. The body is headless, the skull replaced with a chilling adornment: a large, ornately carved wooden pineapple.

The old field soon yields more long-buried secrets, and Kali is led along an increasingly winding path that brings to light an unlikely suspect, an illegal cock-fighting organization, and a strange symbol connected to a long-disbanded religious cult. Her task is to dispel the dark shadows lingering over the Palawai Basin plains, and to solve a puzzle that no one wants exposed by the bright, hot tropical light.

To discover the answer, Kali will be drawn deeper in the mysteries of the island's ancient legends--stories that tell of an enraged rooster god and man-eating monsters. For Kali, a detective of sound logic and reason, it's not easy to consider the unknown for explanations for what appears to be a series of illogical links in a twisting chain of deadly events. Or safe. Because the dormant pineapple fields of Lanai have yet to give up their darkest and most terrifying secrets.

Review:

This is the second book in the Dark Paradise Mystery series, but the first I have read. I will be going back and reading the first book!  I love how Debra has incorporated the native beliefs and ways into the book and characters. In many ways, it reminds me of the Hillerman books of the Southwest, and I can see this series stretching out over decades like it! Kali is an unique character- she has suffered, survived and kept to her beliefs. She is fiercely independent and in this story that can be a bad thing. All of the characters are interesting, and Debra gives you enough backstory that you get a feeling for them and how they relate to each other. Add in a mystery that takes you back and forth, and keeps you turning pages, and you have a wonderful mystery for Spring!

About the Author:

Debra Bokur  is a journalist, editor, screenwriter, illustrator, and author of the acclaimed Dark Paradise Mystery Series. Her work has appeared in a variety of domestic and international media outlets, including  and . She is the recipient of the 2015 Lowell Thomas Travel Journalism Award. A member of the Society of American Travel Writers since 2002, Debra was part of the original team of travel correspondents at Jetsetter.com. Learn more at DebraBokur.com.