One of the best ways to learn about a person is by asking questions, so let’s get to know Valerie.

What is your full name?
Valerie Corbin. My grandparents—from whom I derive the surname—were from Marseilles, and “corbin” means “little crow” in old French. Which I suppose is appropriate, given the collective noun for that corvid species (a “murder”) and what I’ve been up to for the past year or so.

How old are you?
I just turned sixty last year, but I still feel about twenty years younger. Other than the achy back when I climb out of bed every morning….

What is your profession?
I’m a retired caterer for the film and TV industry back in Los Angeles, where I lived until about a year ago when I moved to Hawai‘i. I’m now technically retired (every day is Saturday!), but have started working two nights a week as a bartender at the Speckled Gecko, an eclectic restaurant down on the Bayfront in Hilo, as a way to meet people in my new hometown and to keep me out of trouble. (Too bad that last bit hasn’t really happened.)

If you have a significant other, what is their name and profession?
My wife is Kristen Nilsen, a retired union carpenter who now spends her days helping others—in particular, women—with construction projects and, when not doing that, surfing or canoe paddling out in Hilo Bay.

Do you have any children?
Not unless you count our rescue pooch Pua, a small, white, “poi dog” (mixed breed) we adopted after moving-on island.

Who is your best friend?
Well, Kristen is certainly my best friend—the person I can talk to about pretty much anything and who “gets” me more than anyone else in the world.

But if spouses don’t count, then I’d have to say our pals here in Hilo, Isaac and Sachiko. Isaac would call himself a surfer whose day gig is as a high school biology teacher. (Kristen first met Isaac out surfing.) And Sachiko, Isaac’s romantic partner, runs the front of the house at the Speckled Gecko, where I now tend bar.

Do you have cats, dogs, or other pets?
Yes, our “daughter,” Pua. (See answer above.) Not to mention all the geckos who inhabit our home, both indoors and out.

What town do you live in?
I live in Hilo, Hawai ‘i, on the windward side of the magnificent Big Island, aka “the Orchid Isle.” It’s a marvelous place in which to reside, as visitors tend to be scared away by all the rain (though truth be told, most of it falls at night), so it feels “real,” not like a tourist town. And Hilo is host to a wide variety of art and cultural activities (including the world-famous Merrie Monarch hula festival), as well as a university, so we’re never at a loss for things to do.

What type of dwelling do you own or rent?
Kristen and I bought a 1930s “plantation-style” home in a quiet neighborhood when we moved here, with single-wall wood construction and a metal roof, upon which you can hear the rain patter at night as you drift off to sleep. Lovely.

Do you have any hobbies?
Other than helping solve murders? Ha! But not sure if you’d call that a hobby—it’s more of a massive favor for folks, that I keep getting myself sucked into.

As for actual hobbies, I’d have to say cooking, creating innovative and tasty cocktails for the Gecko, exploring my new home town and island, paddling occasionally with Kristen and her buddies, and working in the garden. Though that is often more of a chore than a fun hobby, since living in the tropics means you’re constantly pulling weeds and hacking back the jungle that wants to spring up overnight in your yard.

If you were to write a memoir, what would you call it?
I think I’d call it From Pâte à Choux to Gumshoe. (Note that pâte à choux—pastry dough—is pronounced paht-ah-shoe.)

Amateur or professional sleuth and whom do you work with?
“Accidental” sleuth, I’d say. Because it was never my ambition to spend my days risking my life trying to solve murders; I just seem to have fallen into it. And thank goodness Kristen is there to help out when needed—though it took her a while to come to terms with my new-found vocation.

MURDER, LOCAL STYLE
Series: An Orchid Isle Mystery, Book 3
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Release: April 2026
Format: Print, Digital
Purchase Link

Retired caterer Valerie Corbin investigates a suspicious poisoning in this Orchid Isle cozy culinary mystery, featuring a feisty queer couple who swap surfing lessons for sleuthing sessions in tropical Hilo, Hawai‘i.

A dinner to die for!

It’s been an eventful transition, but retired caterer Valerie Corbin and her wife Kristen are finally settling into life on the Big Island of Hawai’i. Val’s even joined the neighborhood orchid society to make some new friends. So when she’s asked to step in to cater their latest social event, as the newbie of the group she can’t exactly say no.

But what should have been a straightforward gig is soon a dining disaster when the food from the event poisons and kills the society president. As Val herself becomes a suspect in the murder investigation, she’s determined to uncover the truth. Who would want to kill the mild-mannered president of the orchid society?

Turns out the list is longer than a celebrity chef’s tasting menu. Apparently some of the residents did not “love thy neighbor.” Can she reveal the killer’s identity before they strike again?

About the author
Leslie Karst is the Agatha, Lefty, and Macavity Award-nominated author of the Orchid Isle Mysteries, the Sally Solari mysteries, and the memoir, Justice is Served: A Tale of Scallops, the Law, and Cooking for RBG. When not writing, you’ll find her cooking, cycling, gardening, and observing cocktail hour promptly at five o’clock. Leslie and her wife and their Jack Russell mix split their time between Hilo, Hawai‘i and Santa Cruz, California.