Unexpected Good Mystery
This is the first Detective Kimo Kanapa?aka murder mystery novel I?ve read, and I?m pleased to say I liked it. It wasn?t what I?d expected, but it was still good. It has a sort of teen/young adult/coming of age feel to it combined with mature themes. In ?Mahu? Kimo not only struggles to solve the case of the murdered Tommy Pang, a man suspected of tong activity, but also with coming out to his family, to the force, and to his friends. Kimo panics and makes some regrettable mistakes in his investigation. Publicly forced out of the closet by the media he has fears to overcome that will be easy for some to relate to. First, he is scared of facing the truth about himself. Second, he strives to get to a level where he is comfortable enough with himself and his sexuality. Finally, he still hasn?t given himself permission to be who he is. Surfing is the only thing that clears his head of all his troubles; a case that has no leads, his lovable parents, and being gay and out.
Because of the homophobic force and because of the error he made in this murder case, he is suspended from the force and returns home to escape the hounding media at his door. A break in the case doesn?t come until Terri?s husband is shot in his own home traumatizing their son, and made to look like a suicide.
The book began with Kimo undercover and he?ll have to go undercover again in order to get a confession from the murderer. The confession will prove that his friend did not commit suicide, and it?ll also hopefully get Kimo back on the police force. However, the danger there is with going under cover is will he survive when things don?t go according to plan?
