Book Review: Death of a Messenger by Robert McCaw

Last time Robert McCaw introduced me to Koa Kane, I was intrigued. This time round, I enjoyed myself a lot more. Come join me on another trip back to Hawaii!

Goodreads Blurb

Death of a Messenger by Robert McCaw

Someone’s found a body at Pohakuloa, the army’s live-fire training area. Bearing all the marks of ancient ritual sacrifice—the murder is the grisliest of Detective Koa Kane’s career.

The bizarre case draws Koa deep into his own Hawaiian roots. As Koa probes the victim’s past, he must sort through a rich roster of suspects—grave robbers, native activists, thieves, and star gazers.  Koa surmounts a host of obstacles as he pursues the murderer—an incompetent local medical examiner, hostility from haoles (Westerners) and sovereignty advocates, and myriad lies.

Did the victim stumble upon a gang of high-tech archaeological thieves? Or did he learn a secret so shocking it cost him his life and put others, too, in mortal danger? Will Hilo’s most respected native detective catch this fiend in time, or will the killer strike again—with even deadlier consequences?

Review

So, why was it that I enjoyed Death of a Messenger? Because I learned so much! I discovered more about Hawaiian history and culture here than I could have in any history book. The author really delved into local customs and traditions, as well as the stories behind old artifacts. There was a lot of information presented but I didn’t feel overwhelmed and was actually excited for scenes when I would learn a bit more. And it wasn’t just information about Hawaii either. This book also has an astrological theme, which I found great.

But Death of a Messenger is not a history book. It is a story of corruption and a grizzly murder. While the story wasn’t as dark as I usually like my books, the details of the murder itself were enough to keep me intrigued. If you don’t like dark stories, don’t worry; this is more a police procedural story than anything. We learn the outcome of the murder through Kane’s detective work rather than any real connection with the killer. For me personally, that took away from the story a bit. In places, I found things a bit too dragged out and I think the book would have benefitted by cutting 50 pages are so.

Sounds interesting? You can pick up a copy of Death of a Messenger here.

I was sent a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.