About
Mahu Blood begins on Hawai’i Statehood Day in August 2009, about ten months after the action of Mahu Vice. Statehood is a controversial issue in Hawai’i, because many native Hawaiians perceive the United States as an occupying force that overthrew a sovereign monarchy in 1892.
Honolulu homicide detective Kimo Kanapa’aka, hero of the first four books in the series, returns to investigate a series of murders that threaten to throw the Aloha State into turmoil. Kimo and his partner, Ray Donne, are on duty at a rally in downtown Honolulu organized by Kingdom of Hawai’i, one of many competing groups which seek reparations from the US for the loss of land and independence. An elderly woman is shot dead there, only a few feet from where Kimo’s mother and nephews are taking part in the demonstration, and Kimo and Ray take the case.
At the same time, Kimo’s dealing with domestic difficulties, having just moved in with his boyfriend, fire investigator Mike Riccardi, whom he reconciled with in Mahu Vice. Since both are alpha males, the transition to shared living space isn’t easy, especially because Mike’s parents live next door.
As Kimo and Mike struggle to adapt to living together, they begin to forge their own ohana—a Hawaiian term which means family, as well as community. The theme of ohana resonates through both Kimo’s personal life and his investigation of the murder as Kimo and Ray follow clues through a labyrinth of competing groups, uncovering a trail of gambling, money laundering, and mental illness.
The title refers both to the blood spilled in three murders, as well as the blood ties that link native Hawaiians to each other. People come together in many ways here—through native heritage and family ties as well as love and fellowship.
While Mahu Blood continues the hard-edged approach to sexuality of the previous books, the emphasis here is on love and family, so there’s little explicit sex.
Tracking the killers leads Kimo, Mike, and their ohana to a conclusion that should be satisfying for both readers of the series and those who are new to it.
Honolulu homicide detective Kimo Kanapa’aka, hero of the first four books in the series, returns to investigate a series of murders that threaten to throw the Aloha State into turmoil. Kimo and his partner, Ray Donne, are on duty at a rally in downtown Honolulu organized by Kingdom of Hawai’i, one of many competing groups which seek reparations from the US for the loss of land and independence. An elderly woman is shot dead there, only a few feet from where Kimo’s mother and nephews are taking part in the demonstration, and Kimo and Ray take the case.
At the same time, Kimo’s dealing with domestic difficulties, having just moved in with his boyfriend, fire investigator Mike Riccardi, whom he reconciled with in Mahu Vice. Since both are alpha males, the transition to shared living space isn’t easy, especially because Mike’s parents live next door.
As Kimo and Mike struggle to adapt to living together, they begin to forge their own ohana—a Hawaiian term which means family, as well as community. The theme of ohana resonates through both Kimo’s personal life and his investigation of the murder as Kimo and Ray follow clues through a labyrinth of competing groups, uncovering a trail of gambling, money laundering, and mental illness.
The title refers both to the blood spilled in three murders, as well as the blood ties that link native Hawaiians to each other. People come together in many ways here—through native heritage and family ties as well as love and fellowship.
While Mahu Blood continues the hard-edged approach to sexuality of the previous books, the emphasis here is on love and family, so there’s little explicit sex.
Tracking the killers leads Kimo, Mike, and their ohana to a conclusion that should be satisfying for both readers of the series and those who are new to it.
Publication
Samwise Books (2019), Edition: 2, 282 pages