Those familiar with the TV series Hawaii Five-0 will find many similarities in the setting of this novel. In fact, at first you will even think that it may have been written to serve as inspiration for a new season of the TV show. In reality, things then get a little complicated, also because the investigation of a murder discovered by pure chance is intertwined with the risk of discovering what the hero of the story had done in the past - when he was a young man full of pain and anger -. Eventually, as it should be, all the chickens come home to roost and our hero discovers the murderer and loses what he considered a close friend. Although not spectacular and with a few passages a little dragged out, it is nevertheless an enjoyable entertainer.

This is the fourth installment in the Chief Detective Koa Kane series, but it can easily be read as a standalone. Not having read any of the previous books in the series, I had no trouble following the story. The series takes place in Hawaii, and the setting is richly detailed and fascinating. Thanks to an earthquake, the ground shifts and a recently-buried body comes to light in an abandoned cemetery. The story is part police procedural, part suspense novel: Detective Koa Kane conducts a professional investigation, while living in fear that he will be exposed as a murderer for a crime he committed 30 years ago. We are forced to think about what we would consider a just outcome. The pace flags occasionally, but the setting is appealing, and the story is twisty and suspenseful.

Thanks to Netgalley and Oceanview Publishing for a digital advance review copy.

Treachery Times Two is a modern murder/corruption procedural set in Hawaii and the fourth book in the Koa Kāne series by Robert McCaw. Released 4th January 2022 by Oceanview, it's 352 pages and available in audio and ebook formats.

This is a procedural with a well established ensemble cast and the added contrast of what should be an idyllic paradise setting with the investigation into the murder and mutilation of an unidentified woman who is discovered in an abandoned graveyard after a volcanic earthquake. The titular protagonist has a conflicted and flawed past himself along with being forced to navigate problems with his immediate family (his brother's incarcerated). There are some scenes which might be too graphic for some readers. It's a modern procedural and some of the descriptions are gritty.

The writing is competent but struck me as choppy and abrupt in some places. It reads more like a military thriller (a la Tom Clancy) than a police procedural for a small town police force. I also had a few difficulties with the liberal use of the Hawaiian language throughout the book. It added verisimilitude, but where it wasn't explained in context, it left me a bit confused.

I suspect that my issues with the book were due more to my preconceptions than the author's stylistic intentions (i.e., my fault). I went into the book expecting Hawaii Five-0 and got Jack Reacher. Definitely readable, and enjoyable, just not what I was expecting. Four stars.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

In case Koa Kane is new to you, here's the Cliff Notes version of his life story: straight A student; University of Hawaii football star; babe magnet, Army Special Forces; cop to youngest detective to chief of detectives; lives with a hot woman (in a state littered with hot women); catches the bad guys of the Big Island's highest profile cases. We should all be so lucky.

But he's also a murderer. As a teenager, his dad worked for a brutal sugar plantation owner who was merciless toward his employees. After one particularly thorough beating of his father, Koa tracked the sugar baron to his cabin hideaway far into the jungle, attacked, and killed the man. Then staged the scene to look like a suicide and left the body to the wild boars and other jungle critters. Couple weeks later, some hikers stumbled on the remote scene and the coroner ruled it a suicide. Case closed. Keeping that secret buried is almost a daily task for Koa.

So much for the backstory. One of the island's volcanoes awakens. And with the ash and lava come localized earthquakes. One particular tremor rocks a nearby cemetery. Amid the fallen tombstones, the quake also unearths a shallow grave with the body of a recently deceased woman.

First job is to ID the corpse. Next, start backtracking the life of Tiger Baldwin. She worked for the island-based defense contractor X-CO. A highly secretive outfit that specializes in communication coding and security. The tech is the brainchild of a man named Wingate. Koa is told she was a secretary. But further digging reveals that Baldwin was also an adjunct faculty at the local branch of the U of Hawaii in the computer science program. Taught seminars in encryption. And her bank records suggest her income was considerably more than a secretary might earn.

X-CO records show that Baldwin abruptly resigned a few weeks ago to attend to urgent personal issues on the mainland. And that she'd emailed Snelling, the head of X-CO security, to clear out her apartment for storage and to sell her car. About this time, a DOD lawyer, accompanied by a few FBI agents, show up to look into some irregularities in how X-CO acts on its defense contracts. The lead agent and Koa immediately eye each other less as colleagues and more as adversaries - sort of like a couple of junkyard dogs separated by chain link fencing.

And to make things worse, the senior senator from Hawaii has taken a shine to the grandson of the sugar baron Koa killed 30+ years ago. Seems that the grandson can't abide with the history behind his grandfather's suicide and has come to do his own investigation.

The X-CO investigation swings back and forth between two or three potential saboteurs before the DOD lawyer finally reveals that they are less concerned about contract issues and more about a potential traitor who has been receiving damaging code for the X-CO product while also funneling top secret tech to the Chinese.

McCaw addresses two overarching issues and how two characters manage each issue. One issue has to do with our flaws. Koa has that murder and the traitor sold out his country. The other issue addresses an inbred fear of being exposed - how we hide our past. To the traitor, guilt is a foreign emotion; any and all actions are easily rationalized. To Koa, his guilt rests quietly on his shoulder only to spring to the forefront when secrets might be revealed.

This is the 4th Koa Kane Mystery and I think I've read them all. McCaw is an attorney who draws on his own experiences with upholding the law to weave a complex, convoluted and entirely believable investigation for the reader to follow. Not to mention, it comes from Oceanview Publishing that is quickly becoming my 2nd favorite publisher.

Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced reader copy. Just released, but should now be available now for electronic or print purchase. The four books are standalones. Reading them in order helps, but isn't necessary.

Koa Kane is a detective in Hawaii. . . and he has a murder on his hands. AI coding and program development is also involved. So many hands stirring the pot! The setting is not one I've immersed my reading self in lately, so it was immediately amazing - who doesn't like going to Hawaii? The series is new to me, so the front loading of all the characters was not to be missed, and got a little weighty, but by 30% in, I was absolutely hooked.

Koa is a flawed hero, my favorite kind, and it was a pleasure to walk through this compelling mystery with him. I'm wanting to read more about him, and luckily there are 3 books prior to this one. I didn't suffer for not having read them, so this totally stands alone on its own. My only wish is that I want audio copies - there aren't audiobooks available at libraries or Scribd. Only pay-for-me copies at Audible. **Heavy Sigh**

Do you need a new mystery, and are you missing that annual vacation to Hawaii? Spend a few days with Koa. You'll feel better.

A Sincere thank you to Robert McCaw, Oceanview Publishing and NetGalley for an ARC to read and review. #TreacheryTimesTwo #NetGalley

Treachery Times Two is the fourth book in the Koa Kane series. Author Robert McCaw has crafted another winning murder mystery novel. Although all four of the novels could be stand-alone books, to enjoy the character development, I advise a new reader to start with the first Koa Kane novel, Death of a Messenger.

Having risen through the ranks to become the Chief Detective of police on the big island of Hawaii, Kane must battle with a police chief who is too eager to please the politicians around him like the governor and state’s Senators. Kane and the chief often are in conflict over priorities. Kane has a beautiful life partner, Nalani, who works in a different branch of law enforcement, the National Park Service.

The story starts with a volcanic eruption that breaks open a forgotten graveyard, revealing the recently murdered and mutilated body of a woman. The body is eventually identified as Tiger Baldwin who was initially identified as a secretary at X-CO, a military contractor which is doing some highly classified weapons research on the big island. However, her high salary seems to make it unlikely she could only have been a secretary. It was soon discovered that in addition to her job with X-CO, she was also teaching computer coding at the University of Hawaii. Because of the classified weapons project which was having developmental problems, perhaps from sabotage, the FBI was involved, so there a territorial conflict over the solving of this case. Adding to the story, Koa’s troubled personal history becomes an issue. As a 19 yearold, his father was murdered by a sugar baron, and Kane sought his revenge.

One of the great aspects of this series is McCaw’s descriptive language with regard to the back country on the islands. In this book, he described that Kane’s murder of Anthony Hazzard had occurred on a remote, nearly impossible to reach cliff side location, and he had not been back there in the 30 years since the murder. Now, fearing discovering of his own crime, Kane was forced to go back to the crime scene. McCaw’s descriptions certainly made me want to go there sometime soon. Additionally, the author works in the history of the islands, the language, and the contemporary sovereignty movement.

There are a lot of characters in this story, and McCaw does a marvelous job bringing the main plot of solving Baldwin’s murder, the threat of disclosure of Kane’s past, and several other subplots to a satisfying conclusion. If you are a lover of murder mysteries, put this author and this series on your reading queue.

I was very much in the mood for a compelling page turner and I got one with Robert McCaw’s TREACHERY TIMES TWO. It’s one of those novels that grabs your attention early on and doesn’t let go until the very last page.

When an earthquake on Hawaii’s Big Island uproots the body of a young Jane Doe who was surreptitiously buried at a local cemetery Detective Koa Kane is on the case. Discovery of the woman’s identity leads Kane on a chase that fans of everything from police procedurals to suspense/thrillers to murder and espionage tales will love.

Rather than go into describing the story in depth and ruining your reading pleasure just let me say that McCaw presents a compelling protagonist and a deliciously captivating and complex mystery with more twists and turns than a roller coaster. Try it, you’ll like it!

I found the story interesting to read mainly because of all the history and information regarding Hawai and the interaction with the Americans. The story is sometimes slow-paced (to my taste) but it suits the Hawaiian lifestyle and as it is based on the storytelling done by Detective Koa it's a suitable rhythm. Treachery Times Two has a good plot, is well written and entertaining.

Discovering the identity of a female corpse…family…friends…peril…murder…the detective in this story has his job cut out for him…will he solve the mystery? Read and discover…this book was sent to me by Netgalley for review electronically. The story moves somewhat slowly at times.

Robert McCaw can tell a story! The pace of this book never lagged, despite the challenge of weaving two mysteries, occurring 30 years apart, into a cohesive narrative. Koa Kane is chief detective at Hilo, on the Big Island of Hawaii. A fresh corpse buried in an ancient cemetery is unearthed in an earthquake triggered by a volcanic eruption. Identifying the corpse is the first hurdle, but not the biggest: turns out the woman had a top-secret clearance and worked on classified artificial-intelligence projects for a defense contractor.

But Kane must simultaneously deal with the re-opening of a cold case from his youth which poses a personal threat. To the steadily-growing suspense, McCaw adds a masterful hand with local detail, and well-developed, fully-fleshed characters for most of the figures in the story.

Which leads to the first major flaw that bugged me throughout the book. Kane's girlfriend Nalani is one of the most idealized and objectified characters I've come across. "In four short years, she had become his soulmate and an unending source of wonderment. With a coy look or a well-timed tease, she could send his heart racing."

Nalani is described repeatedly as "the love of his life"; their relationship as "magical." The couple had "met three years earlier and he'd been captivated by her smile." Nalani came across as an endlessly supportive cardboard cutout with no complexity whatever.

Also, there are conflicting references to the length of their relationship, with several mentions of three years, as above, and several of four years.

I acknowledge I was reading an uncorrected proof, but I'm accustomed to finding simple typos (often many of them), not glaring continuity glitches and a fairly steady stream of lapses in word choice, like: as the minutes past; garbage shoots; "a death that will weigh on their conscious," and "it made for a damming case."

It's disappointing -- the author is clearly talented and he deserves a lot better editing. Thanks to NetGalley and Oceanview Publishing for an advance readers copy.

This is the second book I've read in this four-book (so far) series featuring Hilo, Hawaii's Chief Detective Koa Kane, and like that other one, I enjoyed it very much. I'll admit it takes a little more effort to read these because I'm almost totally unfamiliar with our 50th state, its customs and, perhaps most important, those people names that often contain multiple apostrophes. But that's not necessarily a bad thing; to me, it means the books are of almost as much importance as a learning opportunity as for entertainment.

This one has two storylines, primary of which is the accidental discovery of a woman's body in an old cemetery that's been partially unearthed in a volcanic eruption. Problem is, the body isn't from an old burial; clearly, it's a recent murder, and whoever did the deed went to some lengths to conceal her identity. As he begins to look into the case, though, Kane's past comes back to haunt him in a big way; suddenly, he's forced to confront the possibility that the murder he committed 30 years ago will come to light. If it does, it's almost certain to ruin his career and, he thinks, his relationship with the woman he loves.

Investigation of the woman's body leads to a local defense contractor working on a highly classified project under the direction of an Elon Musk-type billionaire (is it just me, or are Musk clones showing up way too often in mystery/thrillers these days)? Anyway, it soon becomes clear that corporate powers-that-be haven't been totally honest in their explanation of the dead woman's job, prompting Kane and his crew to dig a little deeper. As it turns out, she played a much greater role at the company than the company is willing to admit - leading to questions as to which side which person is on.

Amid all this, Kane has to deal with the grandson of the man he murdered all those years ago - a death that was at the time ruled a suicide. The grandson, an attorney, claims the investigation back then was shoddy (which, pretty much, it was), and he's looking for the truth about his beloved grandfather (who was, by all other accounts, a rather nasty fellow). When somebody takes a potshot at Kane, the question becomes, who took it and to which case does it relate? From that point on, the action heats up considerably, as do Kane's angst and hand-wringing over his years-ago actions. But the woman's death isn't much easier to solve - at least not without some pretty tense moments. All told, it's another attention-holding adventure, and I once again thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review a copy.

In his latest Koa Kāne mystery, the fourth book in the series, Treachery Times Two (Oceanview Publishing), author Robert McCaw takes his hero on a riveting action-packed thrill ride in this multifaceted police procedural.

The novel starts off with a bang as Hawaii experiences some seismic activity due to an active volcano on the island, which unearths graves in an isolated cemetery. However, when Kao and his team arrive to investigate the situation, they come across the fresh, mutilated corpse of a woman who, it seems, is not a local. The victim in question has been shot multiple times, but it’s not clear if it happened before or after her death, and her fingertips are missing, leaving her identity somewhat of a mystery. The search for the identity of this Jane Doe quickly unfolds into an espionage adventure that is reminiscent of something out of a spy novel. Paradise turns into a nightmarish playground for Kao and his team as they follow up leads and find a complex mystery at the heart of the crime. The FBI eventually also becomes involved, which quickly turns a simple police procedural into a clever, twisty thriller.

GOVERNMENT COVER-UPS ARE THE LEAST OF KAO’S WORRIES

Kao is battling his own demons as his past transgressions are dredged up and his morality is put to the test. Filled with guilt and regret over killing a man 30 years earlier and unsure if he can let someone else take the fall for his actions, Kao is left with an internal struggle that will ultimately see him contemplating suicide.

Treachery Times Two may be the fourth novel in the series, but the book can be read as a standalone, which I personally liked a lot. Considering I haven’t read any of the previous novels yet, and I’ve never read a police procedural set in Hawaii, I didn’t feel lost at all. What’s more, I loved the author’s writing voice! The vivid descriptions and imagery placed me, the reader, right in the thick of things with the complex storyline, while also teaching me a lot about Hawaiian culture and the people who live there. And if that wasn’t enough, I became invested in the relatable characters’ lives. Will Kao come clean about his misdeeds all those years ago and lose everything he’s worked so hard for, or will he let someone else take the blame?

WRAPPED UP NICELY WITH A BIG BOW ON TOP

Treachery Times Two is a nail-biting, edge-of-your-seat novel that will have you turning the pages faster and faster to find out what happens next. This book is perfect for readers who love a good mystery or thriller, but also for those who love their police procedurals intelligent, full of twists, but wrapped up nicely by the end of the book. I am eagerly awaiting the fifth installment in the series.

“Deceit. Koa focused on the word. A traitor was the ultimate deceiver. If he lied about his loyalty, he could lie about anything and everything. Everything about a traitor— every word he’d ever uttered— was suspect.”

On Hawaii Island, a volcanic earthquake disrupts an abandoned cemetery, unearthing the body of a woman mutilated by her killer. The search for her identity leads Hilo Hawaii’s Chief Detective Koa Kāne to a defense contractor, only to become entangled in an FBI espionage investigation of Deimos, a powerful secret military weapon.

At the same time, Koa—a cop who 30 years earlier killed his father’s nemesis and covered up the murder—faces exposure by the dead man’s grandson. Koa is forced to investigate his own homicide which threatens to unravel his cover-up.

Unlike most crime thrillers, this stands out for the protagonist’s conflict with himself. On one hand, as Chief Detective, Koa Kāne is tracking down a mysterious killer, while on the other he is covering up a thirty-year-old homicide he committed.

Robert McCaw builds suspense in this multi-layered plot by keeping the tension taut and adding the thrill of exploring an unforgiving landscape in the search for the killer. His characters, as flawed as they are, present a moral struggle so complex, it is impossible to choose sides.

Don’t let the fact that this is the fourth in a series deter you for it can well be read as a standalone. More importantly, at the end it will have piqued your curiosity enough to want to read the first three as well.

A rare find, I’d call this a culturally enriched thriller for the picturesque descriptions of Hawaii, its people, their history and traditions. That it comes with a nail-biting mystery is a double bonus.

This ARC courtesy of NetGalley and Oceanview Publishing.

An earthquake on Hawaii Island disrupts a cemetery, unearthing the body of a woman mutilated by her killer to conceal her identity. Chief Detective Koa Kane Investigates, finding ties to powerful people and getting entangled in an FBI espionage investigation. While he doesn't know their agenda, his own past rears its ugly head. Koa is forced to investigate his own homicide, and step by step, his cover-up unravels until another man is falsely accused. Can Koa stand by and let an innocent man pay for his crime?

This is the fourth Koa Kane mystery novel. The same murder he continually felt guilty about in prior books now takes precedence. The dual investigations leave Koa at odds with himself and his career. It doesn't figure right away; the dead body is found first, and he and his team work to identify her and why she was killed. Eventually, the grandson of the man Koa killed arrives, opening up the old case and investigation. His guilt rears up, adding to his stress, as the dead woman was more highly placed than others at her workplace said she was. Bringing in FBI agents and the Department of Defense as well as the political pressures in his department are difficult to manage. Koa snaps at others, can't discuss it with his girlfriend, and is continually anxious.

Koa had taken his past shame and transformed his life to make up for it. He takes this seriously, and even with all the lives he could save and the truths he unearthed in that journey, still feels that he can never make up for the murder he committed as a teen. This is at odds with the politicians and the men of power who will harm others without a shred of guilt. He tries to honor his heritage as a Hawaiian as well, which I appreciate; we get glimpses into the culture of the past and the history of the islands as well as its ramifications in the present day. We do find out exactly what happened by the end of this book, and it will bring further ramifications in future novels of the series.

Santa Blows The Case Open. I know what you're thinking. You're thinking (accurately) that Santa is never once mentioned in this police procedural/ mystery set in Hawaii and showing off many elements of its land and people not often seen by non-Islanders. But I swear the connection is there, at least for me - you see, there is one particular clue that blows at least part of this case wide open. It tells Koa, our hero, that all is not as it seems - and an *eerily* similar situation, wherein x happens (though not the exact particulars and certainly not in a murder investigation), is how I learned that Santa wasn't real nearly 30 years ago. So that was cool for me personally, and shows that just that thing *can* actually lead to life changing real-world events. Overall truly an excellent book of its type, one that shows a great layering of plot and characterizations in order to show just how complex we all are - even when we look like we're not. Very much recommended.

An engaging police procedural in an exotic Hawaiian setting, Treachery Times Two by Robert McCaw was read as a standalone book. Although there were brief mentions of the previous three cases, there was no impact on this story of Hilo, Hawaii’s Chief Detective and his investigation team. An unidentified female body is discovered at a volcano and begins an unusual case involving local politics, the manufacture of secret military weapons and the possible revelation of Koa’s historic criminal action. With nicely built tension, many a twist and interesting characters make for an enjoyable three-and-a-half star read rating. There is also much local information woven in, making the Koa Kane Hawaiian Mystery Series worth reading in its entirety. With thanks to Oceanview Publishing and the author, for an uncorrected advanced review copy for review purposes. As always, the opinions herein are totally my own and are made without fear or favour.

This was a quick and easy mystery that I thoroughly enjoyed. Several twists and turns that kept me guessing. This is the 4th book in a series and I have not read the previous books, but have added them to my wish list! As a Hawaii Resident, I love finding enjoyable books set in the Aloha State, especially when they do a good job of representing actual places and real life in Hawaii. I'm not sure if McCaw is a Hawaii Resident, but I would guess he is based on his accuracy. This is greatly appreciated. Highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good mystery / detective series. It's not necessary to have read the other books to enjoy this one or follow the plot.

Thank you to NetGalley and Oceanview Publishing for the early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

What a fantastic addition to the series. As the title suggests, Koa is betrayed twice - Treachery Times Two, indeed! Excellent storytelling, perfectly-portrayed characters, magnificent setting and, not one but two mysteries to keep one guessing till the end.
Treachery Times Two is my first best read of 2022! Highly recommended to all mystery lovers.

Koa Kane Mystery book #4

The story in a few words:

It all starts when the mutilate body of a woman is unearthed in an abandoned cemetery after a volcanic earthquake disrupts Hawaii Island. Chief Detective Koa Kane if called to the scene, his investigation leads him into the world of politically connected defense contractor, a secret military weapon and deep into an FBI espionage investigation. While facing multiple obstacles from his Chief of Police in his case, Koa’s thirty-three old secret resurfaces, a murder he committed and covered up. Now, the grandson of the dead man wants the case to be reopened.

My thoughts:

This latest can be enjoyed as a standalone but I assure you if you start here your interest will be piqued and you will be eager to read the prequels.

The story explores two themes: human flaws and the human compulsion to hide our misdeeds. We will find Koa and Keahi stand as two opposing bookend in this story.

This book has the perfect mix of culture and suspense-filled mystery. ”Treachery Times Two” is a wild ride that feels like you are sleuthing alongside Koa. It is easy to be immersed into the Hawaiian culture, language, traditions, scenery and smell of this beautiful place, Mr. McCaw does amazing work bringing all this to life with vivid imagery.

While the initial case still to be resolved Koa faces his nemesis.....can he get away with murder committed thirty some years back. His internal struggle is touching I was rooting for him to get away with his crime. I didn’t want to see him on the wrong side of the bars. The author never let up, the tension was so great I wanted to see what came up both with the case and with Koa’s personal dilemma. The story showcases Koa in his rawest, most human form: flawed yet morally strong. Of course by the end, the threads mesh perfectly together. What a satisfying read.

I love this story....so if you like mysteries, especially those with multi-layered plots give this series a go.

I received this book through "NetGalley Read Now" program.

I have read all of the earlier and like them all. This one did not disappoint. It begins with the discovery of an unknown person dur to the eruption of a volcano. The body has little help in identification because the fingertips had been removed. They attempted to learn who it was by facial recognition. Using this logic, a large number of hits were made which meant a lot of footwork. Eventually a discovery was made and it resulted in an unexpected twist.

This individual was employed by a defense contractor and the team had to go through a great deal of hoops to get any information. Along with this crime, Tua had to worry about something that happened many years ago. As they got closer to finding out what was going on, they needed to finally figure out what someone didn't want them to learn.

To discover what the discovery led to, what caused Tua to worry and how all of this came together, then you need to read this book. The ending is unexpected.