I’ve yet to read an Elizabeth Hand book that I didn’t enjoy, and Hokuloa Road was no exception. The novel follows Maine handyman Grady as he accepts a caretaker position on a fictional Hawaiian island. Quickly he realizes that all is not as it seems, and when a girl he knows goes missing, he’s determined to find out the truth about her disappearance.

Like many of Hand’s books, Hokuloa Road deftly mixes genres. It’s a thriller with a touch of the supernatural in the form of Hawaiian folklore. It’s also a novel that grapples with Hawaii’s human trafficking problem and touches on the ecological damage years of colonialism and tourism have done to the islands. While I felt there was a plot point that wasn’t totally resolved, I still enjoyed the book—I just wish the ending had been a little less abrupt. If you’re in the mood for an atmospheric slow burn, I heartily recommend this novel.

Thanks to the publisher and to NetGalley for an early copy of this book.

Slow burn mystery with supernatural and cultural Hawaiian elements. I liked the atmospheric descriptions of Hawaii and the wildlife and found the main character to be likable.

It was far fetched but that is often the fun in fiction.
This thriller brings new meaning to beach read. It’s the perfect mystery to flip through this summer.

3.5/5 stars

Compelling tale of a man from Maine who spontaneously takes a caretaker job for a mysterious millionaire in Hawaii. He encounters a frightening guardian spirit and solves a mystery. Decent-but-not-great.

I read this novel as an e-ARC from NetGalley and enjoyed it. This is my honest review.

If readers have only been to highly populated resort areas of Oahu or Maui, they might think that the descriptions of lava fields, remote rocky coastlines, and foggy rainforests are based on some place other than an island (unidentified in this novel) in the Hawaiian chain. However, having lived there part time for over a decade, I know the descriptions are basically true and that is part of what held my interest -as I also tried to guess which bars and locations inspired the author's descriptions. However, even readers who lack a personal tie to the setting will still be able to enjoy the book. The chapters are very short- sometimes a single paragraph-so the daunting number of pages (854) is misleading. Yet as the book progressed, the passages in which former Maine resident Grady questions his actions, motivations, and frightening nightmares felt repetitive passages. They could have been condensed; they did not seem to heighten the tension or make me care more about Grady's plight. So how did Grady end up in Hawaii?

After protagonist Grady witnesses the death of a friend in his Maine EMT job, he just wants a total change of pace but feels slightly lost since it's the start of the Covid lockdown. So when his older brother sends him a screenshot from an online "List" website, Grady blindly applies for a caretaker job in Hawaii. He knows nothing about the Hawai'ian islands other than some contractor's stereotypical description of a paradise in which you go barefoot, eat coconuts, and surf in this tropical heaven. Everything is immediately suspicious. Billionaire Wesley Minton, a resident of this unnamed island and a purported conservationist, hires Grady immediately in a brief Zoom interview. And novice traveler Grady is on a plane for the second time in his life to work his way across the mainland continent and then the Pacific Ocean.

The part I liked best was the honest sentence about the disease and potential destruction from Captain Cook and his crew, and the fitting outcome for Cook who returned after being specifically un-invited.. Cook did not discover these islands, and the native people knew bad news and a potential wanna-be ruler when they saw one. (Hawaii was its own country with its own language, system of government, and money. The book includes a few Hawai'ian language vocabulary words thrown in (and repeated) for good measure, references to tropical species of plant and birds, some info about invasive species of gecko, plants, and diseases, and one supernatural legend. There are knowledgeable and likeable LGBTQ characters (a married couple) who help Grady navigate being an outsider in the islands and survive socially as well as bodily. Other vacationing characters help to provide fitting warnings about going to exotic destinations and thinking it is safe to party more than one might even at home; paradise has dangers. There are some good points made about conservation and over-development.

Now for some possible spoiler alerts. The inclusion of a Hawai'ian legend about a murderous wolf-dog was a weak link for me. The exorcism type of behavior from a young blonde man known as Scotty was weird; it led nowhere. Maybe that was the whole point - make the reader think this was a supernatural monster story. Evil humans are the scariest monsters, and so a potential good thriller turned out to bemore of a 3.5 star read for me, rounded up to 4. This book is scheduled for publication in mid July. Read it and see what you think!

I fell in love with this book. It gives you time to settle into the place and really feel it. The sights the sounds. The characters are very well written and their driving factors. I could myself pulled into the story and the mystery. Loved it.

Good book. Different from what I normally read, but a good read. Grady was a good character. The twists and turns of the plot keep you constantly guessing. Really couldn't tell how it was going to end until the final chapter. The author did a wonderful job describing the surroundings. I could visualize myself on those roads and lava paths and hear the birds chirping.

This is a creepy, unsetting, atmospheric slow burn of a story. A down-on-his-luck late 20's Maine carpenter is offered a caretaker job on a remote Hawaiian island by a billionaire. This remote, insular setting is magnified by the fact that it is a few months into the Covid lockdowns. People have been going missing and the carpenter is drawn in when one of the women he met on his flight to Hawaii is the latest. There is a lot of tension between tourists and natives, rich and poor, respect for ancient traditions and adherence to modern day values. There is just the right amount of supernatural elements at play. Engrossing.

Thank you to Mulholland books for a free review copy via NetGalley.

I have never read an Elizabeth Hand book I have not enjoyed. Hokuloa Road does not break that streak.

During the more restrictive lockdown phase of the pandemic, Grady takes a job as caretaker for an isolated property belonging to a billionaire on a small island in Hawai'i. Grady arrives from Maine a stranger to Hawai'i and as he settles in to his caretaker role begins to interact with more than the pleasant suface around him.

That this story takes place during the pandemic, when there are few tourists and that impact is felt by the community, Hokuloa Road offers a very different impression of Hawai'i than is usually seen. Elizabeth Hand's interweaving of folklore, the environment, and different strata of society makes this is great read that I highly recommend.

I have been reading a lot of lighter books over the past couple years and I found Hokuloa Road a slow burn. the first half of the book immerses the reader in the enviromnet and the characters while slowly revealing the scope of missing people from the local community. The second half (which I read this morning) moved much more quickly.

I've never met an Elizabeth Hand book I didn't like. With Hokuloa Road, Hand delivers something a bit different, while also holding onto the distinctive storytelling she always delivers.

As the Covid pandemic continues to flourish, down-on-his-luck Grady leaves Maine to accept a job in Hawai'i as caretaker for the house of a wealthy but mysterious stranger. Out of his depth in an environment he doesn't understand, Grady discovers tensions and dangers he didn't anticipate--between native people and ignorant visitors, between rich and poor, between the corrupt and those trying to do what's right, between civilization and the ancient power of nature itself. When Grady learns about a string of disappearances, it sends him deeper into a web of mysteries more complex than he can imagine.

Hokuloa Road moves with a slower pace than some of Hand's other books. Quarantine and pandemic restrictions create a sort of locked-room mystery across the entire island where Grady is staying. A world on lockdown lends the story a senses of deep isolation, even in an environment teeming with life. Hand's thrillers are always more than just a mystery to be solved. As Grady starts asking questions, Hand brings together themes of wealth, belonging, inequality, and respect for ancient land and traditions. The people of Hawai'i do not like the tourists that disrespect their home, but there are also stories of supernatural protectors in the islands' wilderness. And the more Grady sees things he cannot explain, the more he wonders where the stories might actually be true.

Hokuloa Road offers a striking thematic examination of the world we live in and the tensions inherent in modern civilization. This thematic work is wrapped up in a thrilling mystery tinged with horror where the lines between the real and the supernatural begin to blend and the answers the characters seek lie in unexpected places.

This was a very intriguing read. The story was creepy!! The backdrop being Hawaii is what drew me to this book in the first place. This did not disappoint!!! Looking forward to more from this author.

What an unusual read! This is mostly a thriller, but contains elements of supernatural that give it an edge. I loved the setting of Hokuloa Road, on a remote tip of a Hawaiian island. As someone who has never been to Hawaii, the rich description of the area and its culture, folklore, language, flora and fauna painted a tangible picture for me that greatly enhanced the story. This is a plus for me, as I really enjoy the atmosphere of books that I read. The plot of this story is slow to build, but well worth hanging on. I enjoyed the characters and found them well drawn and believable. This book had me glued to the story and I could not put it down.

Thank you to NetGalley and Mulholland Books for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Are you ready for a slow and creepy burn?
Join Grady Kendall as he decides to take a caretaker job for an eccentric millionaire on in Hawai'i. From the start, Grady is surprised by the lush surroundings, the beautiful flora and fauna and the long list of tourist and citizens that seemed to have just ...disappeared.

A chance meeting on the plane means that Grady is familiar with the latest missing person and he is not about to believe the offhand explanations given by the islanders. As he begins his own investigations, he uncovers more and more things that do not make sense. If you long for a creepy slow burn, to read more about the wild beauty of Hawai'i, or just love crime books #HokuloaRoad is for you!
#Mulhoolandbooks

Drawn in by the cover, hooked by the readability, and staying for creeping dread, I am now an Elizabeth Hand fan.

Hokuloa Road is a good story, quickly told, with slowly building tension. I love how myths and the supernatural colour the story, and how Grady - the new caretaker for a wealthy landowner on Hawaiʻi - experiences parts of the island and connects with people there.

I wasn't sure I would like the ending, as I approached it, but it ended well, answering most questions while leaving a sense of mystery and wonder. A good read.

A guy takes a chance on a job in Hawaii and finds himself in an unsettling situation involving some interesting Hawaiian spirits. #Onesentencesummary

This was a quick and effortless read. I loved the integration of local Hawaiian folklore and idea of the story. However for me the plot and character development just felt a little underwhelming. I wasn't completely sold on who/what the antagonist was at the end.

I liked the short chapters and writing though and will probably give this author another read.

Appreciate that I was given the chance to read this for free from Mulholland Books via Netgalley.

Thoughts during reading - creepy, atmospheric, low key tension while reading , slow burn (until after halfway mark).

Thoughts after reading - I really, really enjoyed this, from the first chapter and straight through until the end. Grady, the novel’s protagonist, is likable and empathetic. You’re for him the entire way, and I read this one within two days, because I was so into the storyline.

I’m definitely planning on checking out the author’s previous work.

Grady has a chance to shake up his life as a caretaker/handyman in Maine. He applies for a job in Hawaii, and gets it. Not sure he really wants to shake it up that much, he flies out nervously, meeting a woman on the airplane who he would like to see as soon as they are finished with their pandemic quarantine period. His boss turns out to be a wealthy and eccentric man who has rare birds in a aviary and endangered but very dangerous sea urchins in a tank. He's rarely at his luxurious house, but spends weeks at a remote site.

When the quarantine period is over, Grady gets to know a previous caretaker and her family and learns people have been disappearing from the island. One of them is the girl who he met on the plane. He also discovers a hidden sea cave where indigenous people have left petroglyphs carved into the rock, and where someone has defaced the site by jackhammering out one of the symbols, The land has some sort of traditional power that Grady is catching glimpses of, including the figure of a dog that stands on its hind legs and has a strange face.

I love this author's work, which kept me going even when I began to think I was reading a horror narrative (and I really don't like that genre). The pacing was uneven, dragging a bit in the first half before picking up pace as Grady picks up his courage and embarks on finding the missing girl - and finding out what has happened to so many missing people. In the end I found it an intriguing story, even with the creepy horror bits. I would like to read the author's acknowledgements since the use of Hawaiian words and mythology was pretty fascinating.

I read this book without remembering who the author was, but *knew* it was an Elizabeth Hand book as the story progressively and subtly got stranger and odder and ever more interesting. I love her writing, and this is an excellent addition to her works.

This book was described as similar to White Lotus. I absolutely agree it’s a white lotus type vibe. As in a cast of extremely interesting characters who is motivations are difficult to understand that but are nonetheless captivating. I highly enjoyed it.