Dru’s Short Musing:
Makalani heads to her cousin’s ranch and discovers there’s more there than meets the eye.
In this well-written drama, the author set the stage with a solid multi-plot mystery, where anyone could be a suspect, especially when complex family dynamics rears its ugly head abound with secrets. The mystery was well-defined with enough intrigue and suspense that kept you immersed in all that was happening on the page and the more I read, the more the tension increased and I couldn’t put the book down until I knew who was doing what to whom. The pacing was on par with how well this story was being told and the visually descriptive narrative made the tale come alive with tidbits of Hawaiian cultured sliced throughout that made me feel like I was part of this story rooting for Makalani and her friends. Overall, this was a terrific read and I look forward to more exploits with this crew.
Series: A Ranger Makalani Pahukula Mystery, Book 2
Genre: Traditional Mystery
Release: May 19, 2026
Format: Print, Digital, Audio
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Book Synopsis:
A suspicious death on a Kohala Mountain ranch draws ranger Makalani Pahukula into a tangled family tree in an emotional and suspenseful adventure by the bestselling author of the Lily Wong series.
Makalani Pahukula, interpretive ranger for Pu‘ukoholā Heiau National Historic Site, craves some rejuvenating hard work on Hawai‘i Island. When cousin-in-law Rosie offers Makalani a chance to help at the Hiapo family ranch, it’s the perfect opportunity. But something else weighs on Rosie’s mind. Her father recently died in a gruesome accident—trapped and cornered in a pit by an aggressive bull.
The wrong place at the wrong time? Rosie suspects something more sinister.
Not long into her work, Makalani’s suspicions rise too. The Hiapos aren’t as close as Makalani thought. All family members—the grandfather, the widow, the adversarial brothers co-running the ranch, the sister who wants anything but a paniolo life for her son, and the cowgirl who becomes Makalani’s friend—are hiding secrets from one another. And from Makalani.
When more dangerous accidents occur, Makalani has no choice but to follow the clues that lead her into the dark history of Hiapo Ranch and draw out the culprit before someone else dies.
FTC Full Disclosure – I received a digital ARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley.