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A review by oregon_colette
Iced in Paradise: A Leilani Santiago Hawai'i Mystery by Naomi Hirahara
4.0
Iced in Paradise is told from the perspective of Leilani Santiago. In her 20s, Leilani has left Seattle to return to her hometown of Waimea, on the island of Kauai. Her mother has been diagnosed with MS, and she has come to help her family run their shave ice business. One morning, Leilani arrives at work to find a young pro-surfer has been murdered in their shop. Soon, her father is the number one suspect, and Leilani sets out to find the true killer.
Iced in Paradise is a “cozy” mystery that is fairly light on the “mystery” part. It is an easy read, with a likeable young hero. As Leilani sets out to solve the mystery, you’ll get immersed into her family’s life, learn a little about land rights in Hawaii, and get introduced to an interesting cast of characters which will undoubtedly follow Leilani through a series of upcoming mysteries.
A word of caution, the characters in this book speak Pidgin English, with Japanese and Hawaiian mixed in. The author seamlessly added the definitions of some of the words into her descriptions and included a limited glossary in the back. I found the dialog enjoyable and it made the characters seemed more authentic; however, having known several young people from Hawaii, I am also slightly familiar with Pidgin.
I picked up my copy of Iced in Paradise at Talk Story Bookstore in Hanapepe, on the island of Kauai, and read the book while sitting on the beach. It was the perfect combination. But I think the story would also be enjoyable without the beach.
Iced in Paradise is a “cozy” mystery that is fairly light on the “mystery” part. It is an easy read, with a likeable young hero. As Leilani sets out to solve the mystery, you’ll get immersed into her family’s life, learn a little about land rights in Hawaii, and get introduced to an interesting cast of characters which will undoubtedly follow Leilani through a series of upcoming mysteries.
A word of caution, the characters in this book speak Pidgin English, with Japanese and Hawaiian mixed in. The author seamlessly added the definitions of some of the words into her descriptions and included a limited glossary in the back. I found the dialog enjoyable and it made the characters seemed more authentic; however, having known several young people from Hawaii, I am also slightly familiar with Pidgin.
I picked up my copy of Iced in Paradise at Talk Story Bookstore in Hanapepe, on the island of Kauai, and read the book while sitting on the beach. It was the perfect combination. But I think the story would also be enjoyable without the beach.