An engaging coming-of-age tale fused with a murder mystery.
A high school graduate’s impetuous beach vacation takes a turn toward homicide in Walsh’s novel.
Ever since Malia Naeole’s mother died about a year ago, the teen’s father has been overprotective. He demands she go to a local Honolulu college instead of her desired Berkeley. “The mainland’s not safe,” he warns her. So Malia, planning an escape of sorts, heads to Kalalau Beach, the same place where her mother conceived her. She really wants to be away for only a couple of weeks, but she’s quickly befriended by a group of campers staying under “sun-bleached tarps” and in aged tents on the sandy shore. As her summer vacay extends, two men continually fascinate Malia: New Zealander Tiki, who seemingly rejects her romantic advances, and Jordan Higgins, a Seattle video game designer on Kalalau for research. The campers consider themselves ohana, or family, but that doesn’t prevent animosity from sparking fights—or even murder. When someone dies, cops round up the campers, convinced that Malia in particular knows more than she’s saying. Malia may have to prove her innocence and come to terms with the possibility that she’d gotten close to a killer. Walsh builds an engrossing mystery. Malia controls much of the narrative, which she relays to Detective Park. Details, from characters’ backstories to the murder itself, gradually come to light for both the detective and readers. Nevertheless, it’s the teenager’s storyline that gives the novel its focus. There’s minimal suspense; characters aren’t in peril very often, but the plot accelerates leading up to the homicide. Walsh’s depiction of the Hawaiian locale—“As they chatted, the sun dropped into the ocean….The clouds that shone moments earlier in sunset hues turned ashen”—augments this absorbing tale.
An engaging coming-of-age tale fused with a murder mystery.Pub Date: Nov. 16, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-73274-678-7
Page Count: 404
Publisher: Snoke Valley Books
Review Posted Online: Oct. 5, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2021
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
A superior entry in the night-on-the-nightmare-ward genre.
A medical student is assigned an overnight shift to observe a Long Island hospital’s psychiatric ward and help with emergencies. You’d never guess what happens next.
Amy Brenner isn’t even interested in psychiatry, the one medical specialty she’s never considered for her own career. Nor is she interested any more in Cameron Berger, the classmate who ended their relationship so that he could spend more time studying, and she’s not pleased to learn that he’s switched his rotation with another student so he can spend some of the next 13 hours persuading Amy to rekindle their romance. Predictably, Cam will be the least of Amy’s troubles. Apart from Dr. Richard Beck and nurse Ramona Dutton, everyone else on Ward D is much more dangerous, from elderly Mary Cummings, whose knitting needles aren’t plastic but sharpened steel, to William Schoenfeld, who’s stopped taking the medications that were supposed to silence the voices telling him to kill people, to Damon Sawyer, who’s confined in Seclusion One and can’t possibly escape, unless a power outage neutralizes the locks. Most threatening of all is Jade Carpenter, whose close friendship with Amy ended eight years ago when Amy turned her in for what ended up being only one of a whole series of thrill crimes. McFadden measures out the complications, revelations, and betrayals with such an expert hand that readers anxiously trying to figure out whom Amy can trust as her goal shifts from ticking off a toilsome requirement to surviving the night may well end up wondering whom they can trust themselves. And isn’t provoking that kind of paranoia what medical thrillers are all about?
A superior entry in the night-on-the-nightmare-ward genre.Pub Date: March 4, 2025
ISBN: 9781464227271
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Poisoned Pen
Review Posted Online: Dec. 13, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
A thrilling, immersive tale that shows that some bargains demand more than just a crown.
A reluctant princess is thrust into deadly political intrigue in Perry’s sweeping, high-stakes romantasy.
Odessa is the overlooked and underestimated princess of Quentis, whose life takes an unexpected turn when a deal is struck between her father and the formidable Turan warriors force her into an arranged marriage with their enigmatic prince, Zavier Wolfe. Intended as a mere formality to secure trade routes and military alliances, the betrothal spirals into something far more dangerous when ancient magic, a ruthless Guardian, and a looming war threaten to upend everything she knows. Finally emerging from the shadow of her seemingly perfect half sister, Mae, Odessa must navigate court politics, monstrous creatures, and her own uncertain place in a world where survival often depends on strategy rather than strength. As tensions rise, she finds herself entangled with the dangerous, enigmatic Guardian—a man whose silver eyes hold secrets of their own. Perry’s worldbuilding is lush and immersive, crafting a kingdom rife with old magic, deadly beasts, and political machinations that add depth. The pacing is relentless, carrying Odessa from one life-altering event to another as she grapples with duty, defiance, and a destiny she never chose. Her internal conflict is compelling, torn between the expectations placed upon her and the fierce independence that threatens to make her an outcast in her own kingdom. Romance simmers as Odessa struggles to reconcile her obligations with her growing attraction to the Guardian, whose past is as shadowed as his reputation. Mae is introduced as Odessa’s political foil, and although her presence drives much of Odessa’s internal drama—being constantly overshadowed or underestimated—she’s mostly seen through Odessa’s perspective. Her motivations, ambitions, and political maneuverings might have benefited from deeper exploration to give more nuance to the power dynamics. However, Perry’s evocative prose and intricate plotting make for a gripping tale. Readers looking for a slow-burn romantasy with rich political intrigue and a protagonist forced to create her own fate will find much to enjoy.
A thrilling, immersive tale that shows that some bargains demand more than just a crown.Pub Date: May 6, 2025
ISBN: 9781649378514
Page Count: 528
Publisher: Entangled: Red Tower Books
Review Posted Online: March 26, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2025
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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