Back in town after years away, an out of work journalist, Maya Wong, takes a job in her hometown in Waikiki, Hawaiʻi, to ghostwrite Parker Hamilton's biography. The day Maya meets the Parker, a successful land developer, she meets two other men, Parker's father Charles, and a young man about her age who is wandering about the grounds of the Hamilton estate but is not seen again.

Parker's father dies suddenly under suspicious circumstances, and police are on the case soon. The homicide detective in charge of the case, Koa Yamada, is the man Maya was involved with before she left for the mainland.

As Maya eases back into life on the island and into her family's and friends' lives, she quickly discovers that none of them are happy about her new job working for someone whose family has been integral in destroying part of the original inhabitants' legacy, whether from seizing power many years earlier, or in buying up land, and gentrifying neighbourhoods.

Maya also learns that there have been a series of robberies along the beach that she likes to run on.

When Maya learns that the police are after the young man she met on the estate, she is convinced he had nothing to do with the murder because of things that she observed, and through successive conversations she has with the family. She begins digging into matters, earning herself her former boyfriend's annoyance, and the violent attention of robbers. She also learns more about the Hamiltons, and about the effects gentrification is having on the locals, who are being priced out of good locations for their businesses and homes. Maya does end up figuring out what is really going on, and in the process strips the shine off the Hamiltons.

Even though the mystery had a lot of moving parts, it took a secondary place to my interest in Maya and her reintegration into her old life in Waikiki. Seeing the changes wrought by tourism and unchecked land development has altered the look and feel of the island, and the livelihoods of those who have been there for generations.

I also liked the tough conversations Maya has with her friends and family about her long disappearance from home, as well as the tense relationship she has with former romantic partner Koa. There is plenty of interesting detail here to continue to work through if Jennifer K. Morita decides to continue Maya adventures. I would read them if she did, as I enjoyed this solid story with a "research and looking for clues" approach to solve a mystery with much money and influence at stake.

I switched back and forth between the prose and the audio. Voice actor Jennifer Robideau uses a variety of tones and inflections to inhabit all the characters. Her work as Maya was a pleasure to listen to, from Maya's reluctance and ambivalence at the novel's opening, but which gradually transforms into something more adamant when she determines to find out what happened at the estate, especially as she learns how close to home the Hamilton plans reach in Waikiki. Robideau also brings a verve to Maya's best friend Lani that I really enjoyed.

Thank you to Netgalley, Crooked Lane Books and Spotify Audiobooks for these ARCs in exchange for my review.

After the closing of a struggling newspaper in San Francisco, reporter Maya Wong has to return home to Oahu despite not having been back since she left to attend graduate school in California. Now living in a “condotel” in Waikiki, Maya has taken on a well-paying ghostwriting job for the wealthy developer Parker Hamilton. The scion intends to publish a biography documenting his family’s “legacy” to Hawaii, a controversial one that will definitely be one-sided and focus on the Hamiltons’ developments of Native lands. Maya needs the job and the money, but she wonders just what she may have gotten into when Parker’s 83-year-old father drowns not long after meeting him on the Hamilton estate. This has the unfortunate result of bringing Koa Yamada back into her life, as the lead Honolulu Police Homicide Detective was once the boy whose heart she broke when she fled the islands so many years ago. Maya’s friends and family are more than enthusiastic about reuniting the couple, but his protectiveness and her interest in a Hamilton family attorney have her wanting to run in the opposite direction. An attempted mugging, break-in of her room, and the suspicion over Charles Hamilton II’s death make this impossible though, so instead she finds herself in the middle of an investigation while learning more about the complicated, politically-ambitious, Hamilton family.

Whenever I read a novel set on my home island of Oahu, I am both excited and anxious. As much as I love seeing the focus shine on Hawaii, too often authors miss the mark on details and completely throw me out of the story. That never happens in this debut novel though, as Jennifer Morita’s experiences and upraising here successfully depicts Island life and completely submerges readers into this world. Shoes are always left outside of the house and parties are outside, start late, and are filled with potluck items such as teriyaki chicken, macaroni salad, rice, and butter mochi. Not to mention of course, the delicious malasadas from Leonard’s Bakery, pastries from Deelite bakery, or the ubiquitous snack of Spam musubi. Maya herself is a compelling character, diverted from her intended life path and adjusting to being back with her family and Island home. She also has yet to decide whether staying on Oahu is something she can emotionally and financially handle, something that is very relatable to those who have grown up on what is the most populated but still very insular Island where everyone does seem to know and be in everyone else’s business. Her bi-racial family is overly involved but always loving, with her beloved Popo just hoping that her granddaughter will meet a nice Chinese boy. Very timely topics critical to the Islands, such as the insane housing prices that make it impossible for locals to buy homes, controversial shopping developments, and the “helpfulness” of colonial families, are all introduced naturally and handled empathetically. I absolutely loved this novel, which is filled with accurate island settings and local traditions and customs. This author’s next return to the Islands just can’t come soon enough.

Ghosts of Waikiki is a clever and propulsive mystery based in a gorgeous setting in Hawaii. This story did an excellent job incorporating cultural dynamics, class differences, and understanding a multicultural world, all in the enjoyable setting of the sleuth mystery genre.

I enjoyed following this story from the eyes of the female main character, especially with her curiosity and flaws. She was a well rounded character who had depth and relatability. It is clear that Jennifer K. Morita put a ton of work into her character, all the supporting characters, and the plot.

If you love a story based in Hawaii, and/or a sleuth mystery, this book is for you! It will also appeal to thriller readers as it has a bit of edge.

Thank you NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for this advanced readers copy.

Of note: I also purchased the audiobook through Libro.FM which was produced by Spotify Audiobooks. The narrator did a fantastic job bringing the story to life. I listened at 1.5x speed (my normal audiobook listening speed is 1.75-2x speed, but needed to slow this one down a bit).

A return to the tropical island wonder of her birth was never going to be paradise, but a dead body in the pool during her first day of work is the start of a deadly mystery that a journalist must solve before she’s the next victim. Jennifer K Morita is a debut author and I was eager to try her book when I spotted the title and then read the blurb.

Ghosts of Waikiki opens with Maya Wong returned to Hawaii after leaving to pursue her journalism career. Her San Francisco paper folded, her rent went up, and she is hired out of the blue to do a ghostwriter job for a wealthy Hawaiian businessman who wants to write the family history. She no sooner meets Parker Hamilton, his wife, son, and father, than Charles Hamilton is discovered floating face down in his pool. Maya’s investigative journalism instincts kick in and she notices little things that make the killer start to notice her. Meanwhile, she’s faced with resettling in her hometown and having to do the investigation partnered with her ex, the police detective on the case, she really hoped to never encounter when she came home.

Ghosts of Waikiki had all the cultural color and vivid Hawaiian island life I was hoping for as the backdrop to a mystery. I liked that the author gave it a blend of nostalgic, but clear-eyed reality view of the commercialized tour-laden life there and how the wealthy have changed things and not for the better of many of the non-wealthy locals. The investigation was interesting and I had my suspicions for which I was partly right. Maya is a good representation of someone who left and returned and is trying to figure out her life. I felt the crackling energy between her and Koa Yamada, who is the police detective that reluctantly gets her help on the case. They also get a chance to make peace with their past.

I didn’t completely settle into the author’s writing style or Maya, but I could still appreciate much about the plot, characters, and even the fun, local dialogue showing the author knows Hawaii as an insider. I’m not sure if this is a standalone story, but I wouldn’t mind if it became a series. Those who appreciate the surrounding setting and a personal story for the main character as much as a murder mystery should definitely consider this one for their stack.

Atmospheric mystery fans, this one is for you (me included). Fascinating characters and the complexities of race and colonization in Hawaii, a solid murder mystery and of course a setting that contrasts its beauty with the darkness. I'll be watching for more from this author.

Ghosts of Waikiki by Jennifer K. Morita is an intriguing debut mystery.
The storyline was great and I flew through this book in one sitting. Kept me turning the pages late into the night.
The author's gripping plot that immediately grabbed my attention and kept me engaged throughout.

Fascinating look at Maya Wong’s return to Hawaii and her new job as a biographer, which is cut short when one of the subjects is murdered. I enjoyed exploring Oahu with her as she reconnected with family and friends all the while investigating who was behind the murder of her new boss. Morita does a great job of making Maya seem like both a newcomer and a native at the same time, delving into the ways that outsiders are treated at times. Not too heavy, great for a beach read or a rainy afternoon.

Maya Wong has returned to her native Hawaii from a decade living and working in California, having taken a job ghostwriting the biography of Parker Hamilton, a wealthy land developer. She is happy to reconnect with her childhood friends but tries to avoid her ex. The latter becomes difficult, however, since he is a homicide detective and her first day on the job, meeting with Parker at his estate, ends with a dead body in the pool. Maya finds herself in the middle of the investigation and can't help herself from wanting to follow some of the leads on her own, even if it may be putting her in danger. Maya is a likeable protagonist, and the reader gets to discover Hawaiian culture as she reconnects with her own heritage. While I did figure out the mystery before the reveal, that didn't detract from my enjoyment of this well written story. I hope we get to see more of Maya!

Maya gets more than she bargained for when she agreed to ghost write a book for Parker Hamilton- she finds herself in the middle of a murder investigation and under threat herself. Charles, father of Parker, is found floating in the pool. There are a number of people who didn't like the real estate developer but who among them is a killer? And it's not a good thing at first that Maya's ex Koa is now a detective. I liked this for the atmospherics and the topical issues that come into play. Thanks to the publisher for the ARC. Maya's a good character I'd like to see again.

As someone from Hawaii who now lives on the mainland I’m not really sure how to rate this book. So much of it was nostalgic to me and I really loved how Jennifer wove local Hawaiian culture into the book. For that reason I had a hard time separating my love of Hawaii from this book.

This is a good first novel and a decent mystery. I wouldn’t say it was a complete page turner but it had enough to keep me interested. I would say that I didn’t feel that the main character Maya was fully rounded character and I didn’t connect with her at all. She was pleasant but not riveting. I would say the same about all the characters. I didn’t feel any depth from them, there were just there.

I didn’t guess who the murderer was which is a great sign because I’ve read A LOT of thrillers/mysteries.

All in all I would say this was an enjoyable novel and this author definitely shows promise and I would pick up her next novel.

Thank you NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for this ARC in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

I love books set in the Hawaii and, after checking picture of Waikiki, I thought it would have been great to be there.
There's a good sense of place in this novel, an intriguing plot, interesting and fleshed out characters.
It's a solid mystery that kept me turning pages and guessing.
I hope to read soon another book by this author
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Ghosts of Waikiki caught my eye after spending almost 6 years on Oahu. Reading all of the local terms brought me to reminisce about poi malasadas and different luaus. It was fun to read for me or anyone else knowledgeable about the local words but I'm not sure someone without knowledge would understand lanai, pau, or other words.

Maya goes back to Hawaii, from California, to write a book about a wealthy, influential family. Throughout her time shadowing, there are 2 deaths that end up being murders. Her ex, Koa, a police detective is charged with finding the killer.

I would recommend this book to anyone willing to Google a few words.

#GhostsofWaikiki #NetGalley

Thank you NetGalley, author and crooked Lane books for my ARC of Ghosts of Waikiki

This was my first book by this author
It’s very captivating. I am a real sucker for anything set in a tropical beach themed setting. Hawaii peaked my curiosity. Believable characters, action packed crime story with lots of twists. It was an interesting setting we were off the beaten track in Hawaii, learned a lot about the state's history, I learned a lot of interesting things about Hawaii. I liked the author's writing style. There was a lot of action, local spirit in a dream setting, and a lot of emotions. It was about friends, family, and of love. Enjoyed every moment of this book.

Thank you, Crooked Lane Books for the copy of Ghosts of Waikiki by Jennifer K. Morita. If you like a cute cozy mystery, this might be right up your alley! I loved how it was set in Hawai’i and the food sounded delicious. There were lots of allusions to life in Hawai’i that gave good insight into Hawaiian life.
The murder happened early in the book and there was so much going on it kind of took a backseat to the other events going on. I’m used to thrillers so this was a little time for me, but it was still an engaging read. 3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

In this Hawaiian-set mystery, Maya Wong, a former journalist, takes on a ghostwriting gig for a wealthy family. But when a family member is murdered, her investigative instincts kick in, and she keeps crossing paths with her ex, now a homicide detective.

The book does a great job capturing Hawaii’s beauty, and the mystery keeps things engaging, even if I guessed the killer early. Maya is a solid lead, though some of her decisions felt out of character. Overall, it’s a well-written, enjoyable read with a good mix of mystery, setting, and a bit of romance. Worth checking out!

After more than a decade living & working in California, thirty-something newspaper reporter Maya Wong returns to her native O'ahu to work as a ghostwriter for the prominent Hamilton family's biography. But when the family patriarch is found dead in the swimming pool during her first meeting at the mansion with Parker Hamilton, Maya's reporter instincts kick in & she's determined to find the truth. Detective Koa Yamada, is the lead investigator & Maya's ex-boyfriend. He constantly tries to get Maya to stop digging for clues but her dogged curiosity keeps her on the trail despite several personal attacks & break-ins at her apartment.

The interactions between Maya and her parents, sister and long-time friends, and the Hawaiian cultural and food references makes Waikiki an appealing location for this debut mystery.

I received a digital ARC from Netgalley and Crooked Lane Books. All opinions are my own.

This mystery is set in Hawaii, where Maya, the protagonist, returns after living in California for a time. She has an ex on the island, who has now become a homicide detective. She takes a job working for a rich, established island family, and the job quickly becomes complicated when someone dies almost immediately.

This was a good mystery, but it was fairly easy to figure out who had committed the murder. I feel like the story could have been fleshed out a bit more. I liked the protagonist, but some of her actions seemed a bit naive for her character, such as going into her apartment, which had obviously been broken into. The ending wrapped everything up nicely though, which I enjoyed. There really are no triggers to be aware of; it’s a clean mystery. Overall, a very good first novel.

"It was a long, thrilling tale, and don’t ask me how I managed to stay patient while waiting to discover the identity of the killer. I was tempted to skip to the last page, but I restrained myself."

The novel tells the gripping story of Maya Wong, a former journalist turned writer, who is experiencing a difficult period in her career. Suddenly, an exciting opportunity arises, and like a drowning person grabbing a lifeline, she accepts. Maya takes on the role of ghostwriter for a book about a land developer family and travels to Hawaii, where the family resides. Coincidentally, Hawaii is also her hometown, which appears unchanged despite the passage of time. As Maya becomes entangled in the family's affairs, a prominent family member dies, and although she hasn't reported in years, her investigative instincts resurface. She also reconnects with her ex, and despite having no intention of reuniting, the homicide investigation keeps bringing them together.

Will she successfully complete the book, or will she become consumed by events that seem unrelated but are somehow connected to her?

The novel is beautifully written, with events unfolding chronologically and the word choice both precise and accessible. The vivid descriptions allow readers to visualize the stunning Hawaiian scenery. The plot is well-structured, and each character is richly developed. The editing and grammar are impeccable, leaving no room for complaints.

However, the main character occasionally frustrated me. Despite being introduced as clever, brave, and impatient, she sometimes makes foolish decisions. While these actions drive the plot forward, they made her less likable to me. Nevertheless, I recommend this story to anyone seeking a thrilling read with a subtle touch of romance.

Unemployed journalist Maya Wong is lured back to her homeland of Hawaii with the offer of being a ghost writer on the history on the island’s foremost, though controversial, family. Her return after more than a decade in San Francisco is met with excitement by her friends, and about time by her family.

When the patriarch of the Hamilton family is pulled from the home swimming pool and pronounced DOA at the local hospital, events start to spiral, and Maya is soon caught up in the investigation when the death is deemed suspicious.

This is a very niche, cultural novel, perfect if you want to understand the roles and traditions of the state, with lots (and lots!) of references to the culture, food (so much food 😱) and traditions of Hawaii. For me the constant repetition and references were too overwhelming.

An ok debut, though not necessarily one for me.

2.5*

Thank you NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books.

Terrific read set in hawaii the novel is filled with local flavor, ohana and a less than likeable family filled with secrets. As the layers are exposed it is a story if good vs evil and reminds readers of what is truly important