I apprecitate the publisher allowing me to read this book. I found this a really interesting read and the characters are quite engaging. it kept me reading until the end. I highly recommend.

I struggled with this book and I think the real problem is I haven't read the first book. I was intrigued by the book being set in Hawaii and it is really well written. There were some twists, but in the end I don't feel like I was wowed.

The Bone Field is a very well written mystery. An edge of your seat page turner. Suspense fans will not be disappointed. I recommend this book.

The Bone Field by Debra Bokur is the second book in the police procedural Dark Paradise Mystery series. While this mystery series has character development that carries over from book to book for those wanting to follow the entire series the cases involved are solved within so they could be read as a standalone if choosing to do so.

The first book of the Dark Paradise Mystery series introduced readers to Detective Kali Māhoe who is a detective in Maui. Kali is also is also a kahu which is a spiritual leader in her Hawaiian community so her methods can be a bit out of the ordinary but Kali is always determined to close her cases and find her killer.

This time around Kali is called into a case when a refrigerator containing skeletal remains is unearthed in a deep trench on Lana’i Island. While the remains seem to be decades old the manor in which they were buried makes this a curious case and Kalie immediately dives into the investigation following the clues around the islands.

I have read both of the books in this series with the first draw for me being the setting of Hawaii. As someone who likes to virtually travel through my reading I couldn’t resist and found that the darker side of the islands was still just as engaging. This second book seems to get even better for me as a reader now that I’ve gotten to know the protagonist and surrounding characters. I’m really becoming a fan of Kali’s unique personality and style and tagging alone while she solves these darker crimes in paradise. After finishing this one I’d definitely be interested in more from this series.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

A very good mystery, set in Hawaii. The plot is believable, the main characters relatable and well fleshed out. I enjoyed the setting, the short forays into the history of Hawaii, and the action.
I understand that this is the second book in the series. I wish I would have read the first one prior to this one, but it doesn't really affect the reading much. I will be going back to read the first book, and look forward to reading more in the series.
And although the book stands well based on the plot and characters, how could you possibly go wrong in setting it in the paradise of Hawaii. I just cannot wait until we can travel there again!

I really enjoyed this one! It pushed the boundaries of what a cozy is but it did it in a really good way. I hadn't read the first one in the series but it really wasn't necessary at all to enjoy this one. I really liked the main character. She has a lot of depth and clearly some pretty serious issues to sort through but I think that added a lot to the character. The secondary characters are also pretty great, particularly the people that Kali works with is. I loved the mystery for the most part though I find cults make me angry so I didn't love all of that but that is a personal thing. Overall it was a great read and I look forward to reading more in the series!

I was drawn to this series because of the setting and I wasn't disappointed. Kali is a young Hawaiian police officer who teams up with her uncle Walter for another very strange case along with some very pedestrian police work. This time their puzzling investigation involves a strange cult. When tourists discover a fridge containing a headless skeleton - the head has been replaced with a carved pineapple, Kali and her team have their work cut out for them. Strange hardly covers this case.
When I started reading this, the second in the series, I put it on pause so I could get a copy of the first in the series so I could really get to know the character of Kali. She is not only a police officer but has a degree in cultural anthropology and is the next in line of a family of spiritualists. Add that to a great mystery full of local history and folklore, well I was reading well past my bedtime. There is a nice balance between her history and the present and the pace is perfect as is the touch of humor. This second entry was just as entertaining. Each can be read as a stand alone. I definitely want to save a space for any future books in this series.
My thanks to the publisher Kensington and to NetGalley for giving me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

The best way to travel is by book, right? Enter: The Fire Thief and The Bone Field, the Dark Paradise Mystery books from Debra Bokur, set in Hawaii.

Both books are police mysteries that uproot life in the beautiful islands. Bokur weaves together the mysteries with cultural references, food, and Hawaiian tradition as well as the the police vs public, journalism drama, and crime that you'd expect from the genre.

I enjoyed both books. I found this second mystery twistier than the first and enjoyed the continuation of the character's lives. The writing was a bit tedious and over-descriptive, but otherwise, they're neat mysteries if you want to escape to Hawaii.

Thank you NetGalley and Kensington book for a copy for me to review.

This is the 2nd book in the mystery series " Dark Paradise". I have read the first in series and found this to be a compelling interesting mystery series. Thank you to the publisher and to Net Galley for the opportunity. My review opinions are my own. This can be read as a stand alone. This next in series has a intriguing set of mysteries and circumstances .

In this next in series Kali Māhoe and her team on on their island in Hawaii investigating murders around a cult . This makes their job difficult as no one in the cult is forthcoming with information. The bodies, skeletons and apparent hauntings are increasing and her team must solve these mysterious happenings before they are in danger themselves.

A very fun read with many clues abound and red herrings to keep you guessing. A enjoyable read with the perfect elements of a good thriller.

I had no idea that this was book 2 in a series, but I didn't have any problems following what was happening. I really liked this book so I will be reading the first book hopefully soon.
I loved the setting of Hawaii, and the mystery was really well done. While using a metal detector a couple of tourists uncover a long dead body, with no head. As Kali and her partner Walter begin their investigation more bodies are found, all linked by an object found on each of the victims.

As more bodies are uncovered they have to work even harder to figure out how they are all connected to each other, who would have wanted to kill them, and how does this weird commune/cult fit into it all?

I have never read any thing by this author before but I will definitely be in the future.

I went back and forth about this one quite a bit but I'm going to give this an even ⭐⭐⭐.5

The Bone Field is an adult thriller based around a series of odd and mysterious cult murders set on the island of Hawaii. Bokur starts the book off by thanking her friend for helping with the cultural aspects, which I appreciated, but I would still like to see native Hawaiians bring their take on accuracy and tropes here.

Still, the setting was vivid and engaging, it was just the characters I had a hard time with. When it comes to thrillers I'm wanting more of that sense of urgency, that twist in your gut that makes you crave more. Here, we sort of meandered around a body with our lead, Kali Māhoe, and her team in a way that felt a little stilted for me.

Now, I'm a sucker for cult stories as long as they're done well. As the plot itself unfolded, things definitely picked up. Though this is technically the second book in a series, it read alone well enough. There is intrigue in the mish-mosh that came with the angry podcaster, the haunted legends, and the disturbing imagery that followed the cult and its members. This was truly creepy in some aspects and even though the ending still left a lot to be explained (I'm not sure if another book is forthcoming that will) I definitely still came out of this entertained.

My thanks to Netgalley and the Publisher for gifting me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

The Bone Field by Debra Bokur was an advanced reader copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Hawaiian Cultural Expert and Maui Detective Kali Mahoe is working at a crime scene on Lana'i Island. In a trench there is an old refrigerator, and inside it is a skeleton dressed in overalls. Instead of a skull, there is a large wooden pineapple. A wooden hala Kahiki in Hawaiian. The pineapple farms were closing in 1997. People began to disappear or die of cancer.
I found this story gripping right from the beginning. An old pineapple field full of skeletons. There is a lot of interesting cultural information in the story. I have already requested the first book.

The Bone Field was a good mystery that hooked the reader from the beginning.
Two tourists manage to find an old refrigerator that was buried on an abandoned pineapple plantation with a headless skeleton in it. In place of the head was an ornate wooden pineapple, and sown in the pocket of the degraded clothing on the skeleton was a talisman..
Who is this? When did this happen? Why were they killed and disposed in such way? Are there more bodies to find? Are the killer(s) still on the Hawaiian Island and still killing? The more questions asked, the more clues found, the more danger lurks to find them!

Solid mystery. Strong characters. Good pace. Great Hawaiian history and background. However, for me, the ending, left answered questions.
Warning: NOT for those sensitive to cult - religious cult.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Bone Field by Debra Bokur was an interesting combination of mystery and history of the Hawaiian island and culture. Any book where one learns something new is a plus and this one was a winner.

This is the second book in the Dark Paradise Mystery series, but the first I have read. I will be going back and reading the first book! I love how Debra has incorporated the native beliefs and ways into the book and characters. In many ways, it reminds me of the Hillerman books of the Southwest, and I can see this series stretching out over decades like it! Kali is an unique character- she has suffered, survived and kept to her beliefs. She is fiercly independent and in this story that can be a bad thing. All of the characters are intesresting, and Debra gives you enough backstory that you get a feeling for them and how they relate to each other. Add in a mystery that takes you back and forth, and keeps you turning pages, and you have a wonderful mystery for Spring!

A fast read with a solid mystery set in the paradise of Hawaii! Interesting mix of Hawaiian culture and lore with life on the islands intertwined with a great cast of characters and a good mystery. Would like to see Kali loosen up a bit as far as getting on with life after loss - maybe in the next book!

religious-cultism, Hawai'i, law-enforcement, procedural, murder, murder-investigation, cultural-heritage, cultural-exploration, suspense, family-dynamics, friendship*****

This is not an unbiased review because I enjoyed the first one so much and eagerly awaited this one.
You don't need to read the other book first, but you'll probably want to read it afterward.
Amazing! Degreed cultural anthropologist/spiritual leader of her people/police detective Kali Mahoe and her team work the case of a skeleton buried on a former pineapple plantation and come up with more of the same and some other really disturbing things. The publisher's blurb is a really good hook, so no need to repeat it. I loved the imagery of the island lore as well as the personalities of the characters. Sometimes I'd get lost in the lore and have to go back to catch a thread of the investigation, but then I'm a history geek. The due diligence is frustrating and there are problems at home for Kali which all add up to some exceptionally realistic characters.
I requested and received a free temporary ebook copy from Kensington Books via NetGalley. Thank you!
Because of the ethnic nature of the story I would like to get the audio rather than fuddle with correct pronunciations.

Kali Mahoe, a detective with the Maui Police Department and also a Hawaiian Cultural Expert, is called in to investigate a headless body found in buried in a fridge on an abandoned pineapple plantation. This leads to more bodies, secrets, use of chemicals that are harmful, cults, commune, and the search for illegal rooster fights. The story is a page turner, I love learning about the Hawaiian culture, history, people. I have not read the first book and it was no problem reading it on its own, but I am putting book 1 on my “to read” pile.
Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for letting me read this book for my opinion.

Kali Māhoe, Hawaiian cultural expert and detective with the Maui Police Department, has been called to a bizarre crime scene. In the recesses of a deep trench on Lanai Island, a derelict refrigerator has been unearthed. Entombed inside are the skeletal remains of someone buried decades ago. Identification is a challenge. The body is headless, the skull replaced with a chilling adornment: a large, pineapple!

This was a really good book! I enjoyed everything about it!
The characters Kali she was my favorite. I story is what I enjoyed most! Felt like I was there and that goes to the writing! Amazing!!!!!