Death of the Big Kahuna (Aloha Lagoon Mysteries #6)

Carrie Jorgenson follows her boyfriend to Hawaii for love and to escape a less than ideal home environment in Vermont. She moves in with Brad, who is not as delighted as she had hoped with their new living arrangements. Carrie dreams of stardom, but first reality: she needs a job badly. She is interviewed at the Loco Moco Café by its sleazy owner, during which the “Big Kahuna” immediately makes suggestive comments. Keeping the job without any waitressing skills and avoiding the owner is proving to be quite difficult. When the Big Kahuna is murdered, there are too many suspects for the police to even keep track of.  As far as Carrie is concerned, sleuthing might be her true calling - how hard can it be to catch a murderer?  

First the mechanics: the story is well written, the plot moved forward, the setting was idyllic, and the murders that took place and the details were well researched.  However, some of the characters were cartoonish and a bit over the top. Some of the situations were unbelievable, and quite a few secondary characters were clichés: the sad girl with a mother who doesn’t love her, a boyfriend that dumps on her, the perky friend, and the hero, the good looking accountant of the café who protects her. 

Readers are sure to enjoy this playful tale. With its charming heroine and Loco Moco recipes to try at home, this book is bound to please anyone that is looking for an easy, satisfying read on the beach. 

L. Kane