Tag: Robert McCaw

Book review: ‘Retribution’ by Robert McCaw

‘Retribution’ is the new novel by Robert McCaw and the fifth in the Koa Kāne Hawaiian Mystery Series. Photo: Amazon.

Robert McCaw grew up in a military family, traveling the world. He is a graduate of Georgetown University, served as a U.S. Army lieutenant, and earned a law degree from the University of Virginia. Having lived on the Big Island of Hawaii, McCaw’ s writing is imbued by his more than 20-year love affair with this Pacific paradise. In his new novel “Retribution,” the fifth in his Koa Kāne Hawaiian Mystery Series, Chief Detective Koa Kāne wonders if he might be the real target as people around him come under attack. Other books in the series include “Death of a Messenger,” “Off the Grid,” “Fire and Vengeance,” and “Treachery Times Two.” (Amazon, 2023)

“Retribution” – the story begins as an unknown Muslim man climbs off a Philippine freighter unto a speed boat with one goal in mind: to avenge his brother’s killing. Meanwhile, in the back alley of a bar on the Hawaii Island, a young man is found stabbed to death. When Hilo Chief Detective Koa Kāne begins investigating the crime, the murder weapon is conveniently recovered only a few feet away from the body. Crime scene technicians find fingerprints on the knife and they are a perfect match for Kāne’s younger brother, Ikaika. Even though his brother has a history of getting in trouble with the law, he has turned his life around, so Kāne is certain he is being framed for this crime. He is warned to stay out of the investigation, but of course he is determined to clear his brother’s name. During the investigation, another crime sends shockwaves through the Hilo police force. A sniper tries to take out Makanui, Kāne’s closest colleague. As Kāne tries to figure out whether these crimes are connected, the sinister force continues the killing spree, threatening him and his loved ones at every turn. Could Kāne be the real target? If so, who is behind this trail of retribution? With his own secret criminal past, he confronts an all-out offensive against those closest to him and his police force to which he has devoted his life. As the bodies pile up, Kāne finds himself the ultimate target of a ruthless adversary and must risk it all to survive.

Someone out there is determined to get to Detective Koa Kāne and is killing everyone connected to him. Not only is he still haunted by a secret he has kept all these years, he is constantly worrying about the safety of those around him but determined to catch a killer who seems to be one step ahead of him. On top of it all, he also needs to clear his brother’s name, and that further increases the conflict he feels between his police responsibilities and family loyalty. Since there are a couple of storylines, it can become challenging to follow along from time to time. The action is non-stop but perfectly balanced by the beauty of the Hawaiian location, which ironically enough, sometimes makes the investigation harder because some of the locations are remote and hard to access. With deeply developed and relatable characters, the story is mostly dialogue driven and flows from page to page until the suspenseful climatic ending. The highlight is Chapter 59 where the killer’s identity is revealed. As with his previous books, the author uses relevant Hawaiian terms and language, and even though he explains them as he goes along, it occasionally slows down the pacing, but it is worth it and readers are rewarded with a thrilling murder mystery filled with one plot twist after another. “Retribution” is another remarkable murder mystery by Robert McCaw and is recommended for fans of Michael Connelly who enjoy action thrillers revolving around terrorists and terrorist organizations. The good thing about this excellent mystery series is that each novel stands on its own and can be read in any order.

“The cave exploded with the roar of the gunshot, and the sound reverberated off the cave walls. Makanui’s bullet hit its mark and exited through the back of Cruz’s skull, leaving a golf-ball-sized hole and splattering Cruz’s brains into the lava tube behind him. His gun and hard hat went flying, plunging the cave into blackness.”

*The author received a copy of this book for an honest review. The views and opinions expressed here belong solely to her.

Rating: 4 out of 5.

New book release: ‘Retribution’ by Robert McCaw

‘Retribution,’ the fifth book in the Koa Kane Hawaiian Mystery series, will be out June 6, 2023. Photo: Amazon

Robert McCaw grew up in a military family, traveling the world. He is a graduate of Georgetown University, served as a U.S. Army lieutenant, and earned a law degree from the University of Virginia. Having lived on the Big Island of Hawaii, McCaw’ s writing is imbued by his more than 20-year love affair with this Pacific paradise. In his new book “Retribution,” the fifth in the Koa Kane Hawaiian Mystery Series, Chief Detective Koa Kane wonders is he might be the real target as people around him come under attack. It will be released June 6, 2023. Book review coming soon. (Amazon, 2023)

“Retribution”
In the back alley of a bar on Hawaii Island, a young man is found stabbed to death. When Hilo Chief Detective Koa Kane begins investigating the crime, the murder weapon is recovered only a few feet away from the body. Crime scene technicians find fingerprints on the knife and they are a perfect match for Koa’s younger brother, Ikaika.

As the brothers scramble to prove Ikaika’ s innocence, another crime sends shockwaves through the Hilo police force. A sniper tries to take out Makanui, Koa’ s closest colleague. As Koa tries to figure out whether these crimes are linked, the sinister force continues their killing spree, threatening Koa and his loved ones at every turn.

Could Koa be the real target? If so, who is behind this trail of retribution? With his own secret criminal past, Koa confronts an all-out offensive against those closest to him and his police force to which he has devoted his life. As the bodies pile up, Koa finds himself the ultimate target of a ruthless adversary and must risk it all to survive.

While all the novels in the Koa Kane Hawaiian Mystery Series stand on their own and can be read in any order, the publication sequence is:

“Death of a Messenger”
“Off the Grid”
“Fire and Vengeance”
“Treachery Times Two”
“Retribution”

1686056839

  days

  hours  minutes  seconds

until

‘Retribution’ release date

Book review: ‘Treachery Times Two’ by Robert McCaw

‘Treachery Times Two’ is the new mystery novel by Robert McCaw. Photo: google

Robert McCaw is an author who grew up in a military family traveling the world. He is a graduate of Georgetown University, served as a U.S. Army lieutenant, and earned a law degree from the University of Virginia. He was a partner in a major international law firm in Washington, D.C. and New York City, representing major Wall Street clients in complex civil and criminal cases. Having lived on the Big Island of Hawaii, McCaw fills his writing of the Islands with his more than 20-year love affair with this Pacific paradise. His new book “Treachery Times Two” is book four in McCaw’s Koa Kāne Hawaiian Mystery Series and follows “Death of a Messenger,” “Fire and Vengeance,” and “Off the Grid.” This new mystery novel involves secret military weapons, saboteurs, a volcanic eruption—and a probe of Chief Detective Koa Kāne’s criminal past.

“Treachery Times Two” – The action begins with a vivid description of a volcanic earthquake as “Pele, masquerading as a glassy-haired old woman,” destroys an abandoned cemetery and unearths a mystery that will shake up Hilo Hawaii’s Chief Detective Koa Kāne’s life as he knows it. The destruction brings forth the body of a woman mutilated by her killer to conceal her identity. While trying to solve this mystery, he finds himself at odds with a mysterious defense contractor with a politically connected board of directors. Defying his chief of police, Koa becomes entangled in an FBI espionage investigation of Deimos, a powerful secret military weapon. To top it off, Koa—a cop who thirty years earlier killed his father’s nemesis and covered up the murder—now faces exposure by the dead man’s grandson who mysteriously comes into town demanding answers. Koa is forced to investigate his own homicide, and step by step, his cover-up unravels until another man is falsely accused. His character is tested as he debates whether to stand by and let an innocent man pay for his crime or come clean and risk losing it all. 

Detective Koa Kāne is on the trail of another killer who thought the crime would be covered up by volcanic lava. Not only does he need to find out who killed the mysterious woman, he is constantly looking over his shoulder and dreading the day when his past crime will be revealed. It follows him constantly: “The investigation which had consumed his waking hours had now invaded his sleep.” Every time he closes a case, he visits Anthony Hazzard’s tombstone. As with the previous books, “Treachery Times Two” features highly developed, complex, and relatable characters, as well as Hawaiian terms, language, and history. Sometimes these Hawaiian terms and names slow down the pacing of the story, but it is worth it and readers are rewarded with a thrilling murder mystery filled with one plot twist after another. The author’s love of Hawaii is evident in his writing by his use of beautiful poetic language, especially when describing volcanic activity, as when the lava was “spreading thin, glassy particles of Pele’s hair like strands of cotton candy.” Koa Kāne is a deeply flawed character, comparable to Jack Reacher and Jason Bourne. He is running from his past while trying to be the best detective he can be all the while people he thought he knew disappoint him but he still struggles on. The highlight is Chapter 9, which has eye-opening historical background on Hawai’i including how in 1893, the Committee of Safety, a group of western businessmen, with the backing of US Marines, staged a coup d’état against the reigning monarch and five years later, the United States annexed the islands. The plot twists keep the reader guessing until the shocking end. “Treachery Times Two” is another remarkable murder mystery by Robert McCaw and is recommended for fans of Michael Connelly who also appreciate a historical lesson or two. The good thing about this excellent mystery series is that each novel stands on its own and can be read in any order.

*The author received a copy of this book for an honest review. The views and opinions expressed here belong solely to her.

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Book review: ‘Death of a Messenger’ by Robert McCaw

‘Death of a Messenger’ is Robert McCaw’s new Koa Kane Hawaiian Mystery novel. Photo: amazon

Robert McCaw is an author who grew up in a military family traveling the world. He is a graduate of Georgetown University, served as a U.S. Army lieutenant, and earned a law degree from the University of Virginia. He was a partner in a major international law firm in Washington, D.C. and New York City, representing major Wall Street clients in complex civil and criminal cases. Having lived on the Big Island of Hawaii, McCaw fills his writing of the Islands with his more than 20-year love affair with this Pacific paradise. His new book “Death of a Messenger,” is a prequel and follows “Fire and Vengeance” and “Off the Grid” in McCaw’s Koa Kane Hawaiian Mystery Series. In this new mystery, after an anonymous 911 caller reports a body at Pōhakuloa, the Army’s live-fire training area, Hilo Chief Detective Koa Kāne, a cop with his own secret criminal past, finds a mutilated corpse bearing all the hallmarks of ancient ritual sacrifice.

“Death of a Messenger” begins as Detective Koa Kāne is aboard an Army helicopter heading towards a crime scene that will haunt him throughout his investigation. Not only does he have another murder to solve, but he is also constantly troubled by a pinched nerve in his neck and no matter where he goes, he has sporadic jolts of pain that only add to his misery. Regardless, he is excited at the prospect of another mystery to solve and this one occurs in an Army live training area between two of the five volcanoes that form the Big Island of Hawaii. There, he finds a mutilated corpse just inside a lava tube and it has all the signs of a ritualistic killing. It might also be an archeological site because the site contains a stone tool, an old fire ring, and some stone chips so Kāne consults with a local archeology expert, Jimmy Hikorea. He is off-putting and rude, but he knows his material and keeps Kāne on his toes and proves to be useful in the investigation. Solving this murder will not be easy due to constant obstacles in Kāne’s way including an incompetent medical examiner, hostility from both Westerners and Hawaiian sovereignty advocates, and one lie after another. The victim turns out to be Keneke Nakano, an astronomer who worked at the local observatory and his death is linked to grave robbing and antiquities theft.

Detective Koa Kāne is back in full force in this prequel to the Koa Kāne Hawaiian Mystery series. Even though it is Robert McCaw’s newest novel, it is considered a prequel but still a stand-alone novel, like the rest of the series. This highly riveting police procedural mystery has everything: relatable characters, Hawaiian terms and language, all explained, as well as interesting history that involves the murder case. It is easy to read and though the action starts out slow, it picks up, especially at the end when Kāne is pursing the suspects. The author’s love of Hawaii is evident in his writing and through beautiful poetic language, shares that love with his readers: “The giant eyes peered deep into space and backward in time to a younger and more violent universe.” Koa Kāne is a deeply flawed character. He has physical pains and is fighting his own personal demons because he is still being haunted by the fact that he got away with killing a man. Others see him as a brilliant Detective who solves crimes, but in his mind, this case is only a small redemption. According to him, “he had much left to do before, if ever, he deserved to be hanohano [honorable].” The plot twists keep the reader guessing until the shocking end. Hopefully, there will be more Koa Kāne mysteries to come. “Death of a Messenger,” a noteworthy murder mystery that showcases both the beauty and dark side of Hawaii, is recommended for fans of the genre who also appreciate learning about Hawaii’s history and archaeology.

“Later, the two of them walked out of the observatory into perhaps the most stunning sunset in Koa’s memory. Far off to the west, trails of vaporous mist played eerily over the deeply shadowed valley where night had already fallen between the Hawaiian mountains….Hues of red, orange, yellow, and pink glorified the darkening sky. No edges separated the colors. A continuum of subtle shades simply slid softly together in the ever-shifting light of the dying day.”

*The author received a copy of this book for an honest review. The views and opinions expressed here belong solely to her.

 

Book review: ‘Fire and Vengeance’ by Robert McCaw

fireandvengeance
The e-version of ‘Fire and Vengeance’ is now available. Photo: google

Robert McCaw is an American author who graduated from Georgetown University and served as a lieutenant in the US Army before earning his law degree from the University of Virginia.  He was a partner in a major international law firm with offices in Washington, DC and New York City and maintained a home on the Big Island of Hawai’i.  This allows him to bring a unique authenticity to his Koa Kāne Hawaiian mystery novels in both his law enforcement expertise and his ability to portray the richness of Hawai’i’s history, culture and people. His Koa Kāne Hawaiian Mystery Series includes “Death of a Messenger” and “Off the Grid.” In “Fire and Vengeance,” the third book in the series, police Detective Koa Kāne new case revolves around an elementary school that was placed atop a volcanic vent, which has now exploded. The ebook was released on Tuesday May 26.

The story begins with a brief description of past disasters that have befallen the Big Island of Hawai’i and the surrounding areas: “Ferocious gusts felled century-old trees….Torrential rains pounded the mountains, filling gulches, and gathering into flash floods…..” The latest catastrophe is taking place at the KonaWili School on Hualālai Mountain and the victims this time are children and teachers. As it turns out, the school was built atop a volcanic vent and with the police chief currently in California due to a medical emergency, Chief Detective Koa Kāne is now the senior officer at the horrendous scene. When the school’s contractor and architect are murdered, Koa becomes even more determined to find out the truth. To make matters worse, his estranged brother Ikaika, who is in jail, collapses from a previously undiagnosed brain tumor. This condition might explain his past anti-social behavior and could get him early parole. The investigation into the school explosion uncovers a conspiracy years in the making and it might affect Ikaika’s future when Koa has to decide between justice for the victims and his brother’s freedom.

Robert McCaw is back in full force with his third Koa Kāne Hawaiian Mystery novel. “Fire and Vengeance” starts off strong with the shocking details of the aftermath of the school explosion and with Koa collapsing after rescuing one of the children. Since the mystery involves greed and power grabs decades in the making, the characters are well-developed. The language is easy to folloow and understand and when he uses Hawaiian terms, the author explains them: “He owed it to his mother…to his family…to his ancestors….and to himself as the hiapo, the oldest Kāne male.” It is a fascinating read, with the action flowing effortlessly through the pages, aided in part by down to earth dialogue. The investigation is  sidelined because of family drama that is predictably solved, but it gives the story an added touch of humanity. “Fire and Vengeance” is recommended for fans of mystery/crime novels with a flawed leading man whose past continues to haunt him even while he solves difficult crimes. Learning about Hawai’i’s culture and its people is an added bonus. This page turner is the perfect summer read – pack it in your beach bag.

*The author received a copy of this book for an honest review. The views and opinions expressed here belong solely to her.

Book review: ‘Off the Grid’ by Robert McCaw

offthegrid
Robert McCaw’s second book in the Koa Kane Hawaiian mystery series, ‘Off the Grid’ will be available starting July 2. Courtesy photo, used with permission. 

Robert McCaw is an American author who graduated from Georgetown University and served as a lieutenant in the US Army before earning his law degree from the University of Virginia. He was a partner in a major international law firm with offices in Washington, DC and New York City and maintained a home on the Big Island of Hawai’i. This allows him to bring a unique authenticity to his Koa Kāne Hawaiian mystery novels in both his law enforcement expertise and his ability to portray the richness of Hawai’i’s history, culture and people. “Death of a Messenger” is the first book in the series and the second, “Off the Grid” is due out on Tuesday July 2. In “Off the Grid” Hilo police Detective Koa Kāne investigates two deaths that at first seem unrelated but when he discovers how they are linked, the crimes could rewrite history or cost him his career.

Chapter One of “Off the Grid” begins on a poetic note “The plume of smoky steam rising like a sulfur cloud from a volcanic vent told Hilo Chief Detective Koa Kāne he’d been called to a nasty scene” but ends with a staged accident that left a woman dead. That leads him to the second murder of the day: the tortured remains of an unfortunate soul left to burn in the path of an advancing lava flow. He soon discovers that the two murders are related when they turn out to be a reclusive couple living off the grid. They are mysterious fugitives, so naturally the CIA, the Chinese government and the Defense Intelligence agency try to impede all attempts to get to the truth of who wanted this couple dead. Despite growing political pressure, Koa digs further only to find himself drawn into a web of international intrigue. His investigation uncovers a government conspiracy that culminates in the arrest of Nāinoa Nihoa, the Hawai’i state representative running for governor, for murder in the deaths of the couple.

Robert McCaw brings the beauty of Hawai’i to the average reader and softens an otherwise grisly tale of murder and conspiracy. Espionage, treason and murder makes for a fascinating read and the action flows effortlessly through the pages. The language is easy to read and understand including the law enforcement and military lingo. An interesting detail is that the protagonist, Hilo Detective Chief Koa Kāne has a secret: as a young man, he killed a sugar mill manager to exact revenge on behalf of his father. He still feels guilt and remorse, yet he has not told anyone, including his girlfriend, and it affects his crime solving decisions. How long will it take for the secret to catch up to him? Stay tuned. “Off the Grid” is an intriguing crime mystery novel with enough plot twists to keep the reader turning pages until its jaw dropping ending. It is recommended for fans of mystery/crime novels with a flawed leading man who would not mind learning a thing or two about Hawai’i’s culture and its people. A definite must-read.

*The author received a copy of this book for an honest review. The views and opinions expressed here belong solely to her.