Sluuurup, sluuuuurp, sluuuuuurp.

Oh, excuse me. My bad. I didn’t mean to eat right in front of you like this. And make all sorts of noise, too.

It’s hot today on Kaua‘i. Our shave ice place is in Waimea, on the south side of the island. I know that they call us the Garden Isle; it’s supposed to be all lush and green, but on this side of the island, it’s a bit drier. We’re known for Waimea Canyon, the Grand Canyon of Hawai‘i, but it’s much smaller than its namesake on the Mainland. That doesn’t mean it’s not spectacular here, though. Waterfalls and streams cut through reddish layered cliffs and fruit trees shade walking trails. And the smell of kahili ginger is everywhere. Don’t tell me you can smell ginger in the Grand Canyon.

I’ve been away for a while. I went to Seattle for college and I wish I could say that I graduated. If I said that, it would be bulai, a lie. Panic attacks got the best of me. My younger sister, Emily, Santiago Sister Number Two, claims that it was all the rain and grayness in Seattle that caused my anxiety. To tell you the truth, I think that I’m more of a Seattle type person. The sun here on Kaua‘i, especially in Waimea, drives me a little lolo.

I came for my mother, who has multiple sclerosis. I was so scared when I heard about her diagnosis. She’s actually doing well on her meds, but does get tired a lot. That’s why I’m sitting here at Santiago Shave Ice, running the store, so to speak. Who’s that in the corner by the old-school cash register? Oh, my Baachan, who is closer to ninety than eighty years old. She’s pretending to be sleeping, but she’s listening to every word. So be careful what you say because she may use any personal information against you. At least she does with me.

The storefronts next to us are all operated by close friends. My best friend, Court Lee, creates the most fragrant and gorgeous leis at her family’s flower shop. Court’s fiancé, Kelly Kahuakai, manages the surf shop, Killer Wave, which actually owned by my father. D-man, a retired lifeguard, will open up his bar, whose main counter is a surfboard, later in the day.

My father is coming into town with his mentee, superstar Orange County surfer Luke Hightower. I’m getting knots in my stomach just thinking about their arrival. My father and I don’t see eye to eye about practically anything. I have a bad feeling about tomorrow and even the rest of their stay here in Kaua‘i. My father has been in some trouble with the law here—well, to be honest, I have, too. Our distant relative, Dennis Toma, is the deputy police chief here and he would love to put both of us behind bars. That’s not going to happen, though, right? This is Hawai‘i. It’s paradise. So sit down and I’ll make you some shave ice. How about some lilikoi with snow cap on top?

You can read more about Leilani in Iced In Paradise, the first book in the NEW “Leilani Santiago Hawai’i” cozy mystery series, released September 3, 2019.

Leilani Santiago is back in her birthplace, the Hawaiian island of Kaua’i, to help keep afloat the family business, a shave ice shack. When she goes to work one morning, she stumbles across a dead body, a young pro surfer who was being coached by her estranged father. As her father soon becomes the No. 1 murder suspect, Leilani must find the real killer and somehow safeguard her ill mother, little sisters, and grandmother while also preserving a long-distance relationship with her boyfriend in Seattle.

Purchase Link
# # # # # # # # # # #

About the author
Naomi Hirahara is the Edgar Award-winning author of two mystery series set in Los Angeles. Her Mas Arai series, which features a Hiroshima survivor and gardener, has been translated into Japanese, Korean and French. The seventh and final Mas Arai mystery, Hiroshima Boy, has been nominated for an Edgar, Macavity and Anthony Awards. Her Officer Ellie Rush bicycle cop series won a T. Jefferson Parker mystery award. A former newspaper editor and curator of historical exhibitions, she has also published noir short stories, middle-grade fiction and nonfiction books, including Life After Manzanar. Set to be launched in September 2019, her new mystery, Iced In Paradise, will follow the adventures of Leilani Santiago, who operates her family’s shave ice business in Kaua‘i. Naomi received her bachelor’s degree in international relations from Stanford University.

To learn more about Naomi, visit her website at naomihirahara.com.

All comments are welcomed.