Joseph Cools

The Haole Murders Joseph Cools

The word 'haole' has different meanings, depending on the motives of the person using it. I may simply mean a tourist to Hawaii. It may mean a resident of Hawaii who has no ancestors who can be traced to the original settlers. To the person who has been murdering tourists, 'haole' supposedly is an insulting reference to anyone who does not fit his special definition of a true Hawaiian. Lt. Kino Manolua and his partner Pierce Conrad, on loan from the FBI soon become convinced that the murderer has a more basic motive. The 'Hawaii for Hawaiians' motive appears to be an attempt to hide the real reason for the murders. One thing is evident: the brutal murders of prominent visitors is ruining the economy of an island which depends on tourism for it's main source of income. This novel is the second of novels about murder on the Garden Island. Though it includes a few of the same characters from The Birthday Bash: Murder on Kauai, it does not depend on any familiarity with the first book. Kino, a former police officer from Kauai, has been promoted, and is now a Lieutenant in Honolulu. The police chief on Kauai requests the Oahu police department to loan Kino back to help solve a horrific murder at a popular tourist luau venue. When the pig had been unearthed from the underground imu oven, it was discovered that someone had substituted the pig with a human being. A special message was forced down the throat of the victim. Within the story is an additional description of the changing relationship between the FBI agent and Helen Foster, a beautiful but troubled material witness to the first murder. Their story unfolds as the murders continue. The author leads the reader to some of the most stunning places on the amazing island of Kauai. The story is a gripping account of mayhem in paradise, told with humor and tragedy. All of the places described are actual locations on Kauai, some more accessible than others, but all are real.