Makalani Pahukula is a park ranger in Oregon, but she's returned to the Hawaiian island of Kaua‘i to celebrate her grandmother's birthday. But Makalani has been gone for ten years and she's now realizing that she has a deep disconnect with her family, her home, and her 'people'.

She arrives to find a lot of in-fighting among her family, but worse is that two of her cousins are missing. The latter doesn't seem to bother anyone, until Makalani learns that a body was found by some hunters in the Keālia Forest Reserve. Her ranger training has her concerned that something nefarious might be happening in the area and finding her cousins becomes much more urgent.

Makalani must find her cousins, see to their safety, help settle family arguments, and find out what illegal activities are taking place in her beloved Hawaiian home before she heads back to Oregon. But the the island may be calling her home.

I was looking for something new - a new author to read - and I didn't want to pick up in the middle of a series, so when I saw a new series, by a seasoned author (though I've not read anything by Tori Eldridge prior to this), I figured I found a great opportunity.

I loved the concept: a park ranger, Hawaii, family dynamics, and a traditional mystery to be solved. This should have been the beginning of a really great series. But it's not.

First, I fully admit that I struggle to read a book with words (especially names) that I cannot pronounce. I can't just skim over it - I have to stop and try to pronounce it, and this really slows me down. Particularly when I'm trying to get it right.

Set in Hawaii, with native Hawaiians as our central characters, it only makes sense that personal names and place names are Hawaiian. But unless you speak Hawaiian, the pure volume of vowels and apostrophes in the words are daunting.

In addition to the Hawaiian, there are characters who speak an abbreviated, regional dialect, written rather phonetically ("It’s not ’bout da money. Dey called it da Kuleana Act because of our responsibility and sacred duty to care fo’ da land. I lease dis homestead to show mālama and kuleana fo’ dis place and all da ‘āina we lost."). Heap this lingo on top of the unique, Hawaiian words and some readers - like me - will really struggle. This is the kind of book I need to listen to, rather than try to read.

The mystery is a little simple, but it works. We do, however, have to get through a lot of description of places and people, to get to it. It seems to come at inopportune times.

We also have odd moments that appear to be important and then are swept away rather easily. I was quite interested in the exciting moment of two people caught in a major storm, phones not finding a signal, and one unable to move. It's a tense scene and I was really hooked. And then it's over without our seeing the rescue. Makalani rushes to an ER to ask if he's been brought in and the response is "He arrived two hours ago. They moved him out of ER." What was she doing for two hours?

Future books in the series will not make my 'must read' list, but I'd definitely consider listening to an audio book - let someone else work out how to pronounce everything. And the pidgin English will likely sound better than it reads.

Looking for a good book? Kaua'i Storm by Tori Eldridge is the first book in a new mystery series set in Hawaii. Be prepared to read a lot of Hawaiian words and dialect.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.

Strong female lead and an immersive look into another culture. family issues and social issues are explored, all of which will be interesting for my students, who are multi-cultural themselves and can relate. Well written but at times a bit too long and detailed but overall a good read

I was excited to read a book about Kauai since it is my favorite Hawaiian island and learn more about Hawaiian culture, but to someone who is not familiar with the language and all of the Hawaiian customs, I found the book very hard to read. There are a lot of Hawaiian words mixed into the story, as well as cultural references that went straight over my head. Some of the language could be figured out through context, but not all of it, so it was getting increasingly frustrating to constantly have to stop reading to look up words in Google. It really messed up the rhythm of the book for me, unfortunately. I think footnotes might help, or some sort of explanation for a non-Hawaiian reader.

After a decade serving as a national park ranger in Oregon, Makalani Pahukula returns to her native Kaua'i for her Tutu's (Grandmother) 85th birthday. Makalani returns to discover a family in turmoil and two loved cousins have vanished. As tensions continue to rise, a body is discovered in the Kealia Forest Reserve, prompting Makalani to dive into the mystery that has disrupted her family's daily life.

The author does an beautiful job capturing the pure essence of Kaua'i with descriptive lush landscapes and rich cultural heritage the reader can envision. The dialogue drips with authentic Hawaiian language and Pidgin, adding authenticity to the characters. Eldrige does a wonderful job of describing local traditions, folklore, food and more for those who desire an accurate glimpse into Hawaiian life.

Kaua'i Storm provides an interesting plot filled with an authentic representation of Hawaiian culture and language. In addition, the author's ability to intertwine complex characters with relatable struggles propels the reader to keep reading! Vivid descriptions of the lush and untouched Kaua'i landscape begs the reader to take in the sights, the scents and the feelings that only Hawaiian land can provide. The understanding of Hawaiian language and Pidgin may be difficult for some, however, the author provides a glossary for better understanding and study as needed.

Final Rating: 5 stars! I truly enjoyed this novel as it transported me to one of the most beautiful landscapes in the world, The writer's ability to include Hawaiian language, culture and folklore provided an authenticity that is accurate. The characters are complex, yet relatable, with hearts that seek to preserve their native culture with pride. Eldrige provides a noteworthy addition to any reader's mystery collection.

multicultural, multigenerational, multilingual, drama, mystery, family-dynamics, family-expectations, family-drama, family-history, foodie, Hawai'i, new-series, first-in-series, history-and-culture, cultural-differences, cultural-exploration, cultural-heritage, political, island-life, missing-persons, cultural-anthropology, park-ranger, murder, investigations, aboriginal-people, action, indigenous-people, suspense, suspicion, thriller****
An in depth look into the life realities and beauty of living in a land often described as a Paradise. Park Ranger Makalani Pahukula has spent a number of years living and working on the mainland but has come back home for her grandmother's birthday and rediscovers within herself a strong sense of place. Two people of her family have disappeared and a murdered man was found. In spite of the hostility of local law, she becomes involved with Search and Rescue first. The story is fairly convoluted but also engaging as the characters become more and more real. Looking forward to the next in series.
I requested and received a temporary uncorrected egalley proof from Thomas & Mercer via NetGalley. Pub Date May 20, 2025
#KauaiStorm by @writer.tori #RangerMakalaniPahukulaMysteryBk1 #ThomasAndMercer #NetGalley @goodreads @bookbub @librarythingofficial @barnesandnoble **** Review #booksamillion #bookshop_org #bookshop_org_uk #kobo #Waterstones #culturalDifferences #multilingual #NativeIslanders #islanHistory #multicultural #NewSeries #FamilyDrama

This was a well-written drama that I could not put down until the last page was read. The mystery was nicely defined and interspersed with family dynamics which set the tone for how this story was being told. Starting with Makalani’s return to her hometown, family, and friends, I was engaged throughout as the various situations played out which kept me glued to the pages as I had to know how this was going to end. There were a few red herrings that led the tale in different directions all to enhance my reading pleasure. With visually descriptive narrative Kaua’i and its history took center stage and played a pivotal role in this debut series. This was an enjoyable read and I look forward to more adventures with Makalani and her friends.

If you're a fan of mysteries set in exotic locations, Kaua'i Storm is a must-read. It brought to mind the Koa Kane mystery series, as both beautifully capture what it’s like to live on the Hawaiian islands—beyond the postcard-perfect beaches. Paradise comes with its own set of challenges, and this book doesn’t shy away from exploring them.

The story masterfully weaves together the unique aspects of Hawaiian life: delicious food, tight-knit (and sometimes strained) family dynamics, and the daily realities that come with living in such a complex, beautiful place. The character development is well-paced and feels genuine, drawing you into the ohana (family) relationships while keeping the mystery engaging.

Whether you’re a lover of Hawaii or just a fan of well-crafted mysteries, Kaua'i Storm is a book you’ll enjoy and likely recommend to others.

Kaua’i Storm by Tori Eldridge is the first in the new Ranger Makalani Pahukula series. Although she grew up on her family’s Kaua’i homestead, Makalani has spent the past several years in Oregon, feeling like she never fit in either place. She returns home for her grandmother’s 85th birthday celebration to find various issues plaguing her family.

I really enjoyed the sense of place that Eldridge brings to the story; it’s easy to picture the lush and beautiful but potentially dangerous landscape. The strongest part though is the Hawaiian language and Hawaiian Pidgin, used throughout. It not only brings a lot of depth to the story but from the little that I remember having lived there several years ago, it is spot on, and sounds the way that locals actually speak. There is so much cultural tradition packed in, as well, from food, dance, chanting, folklore, etc., which was all completely fascinating to read about.

In addition to the mystery, I was also captivated by the historical and political issues of land rights, land management and development, housing, and poverty that were the basis of the mystery. Those are real issues that are at stake all over Hawaii. It was great to see them unfold from a local point of view while still reading an exciting thriller.

If there was anything that I missed, it was a little more depth in the characters. While Makalani was pretty well fleshed out, many of the others were pretty one note. Since there were a good number of family and friends, and this is already a good sized novel, there really wasn’t much opportunity. Hopefully though, we’ll learn more about them in future installments because I did quite like the family.

I’m definitely looking forward to the next book! Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the digital ARC.

4.5 Stars

I loved that the whole book smells and reads liek Hawaii. It's not just a place for the plot to partake but it's also a character. Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for a chance to read this book.

I really wanted to read an interesting story from a Native Hawaiian. Although the story line is overall good and the heroine is likeable, the novel is too tiresome and fastidious to read. I'm not a native speaker of English, so even the pidgin was a challenge. But I'm really not interested in the native names of Hawaiian flora and fauna or their dishes. I kept going, although there were quite some lengths describing landscape or relatives all over the place. I learned some interesting facts about Hawaii that I could have learned in plain English. It seems it's not the paradise it's made out to be.

Another amazing book from Tori Eldridge, this time, set on Kauai, the place of my heart. What an eye-opening and honest story about the reality of life for locals on Kauai, far from the touristy paradise Kauai is known for. The MC is engaging and relatable and her struggle to be accepted into her ohana can be felt by anyone who has always felt a bit on the outside. At time pulse pounding and at times touching, Kauai'i Storm will wrap you up in the magic and spirit of the real Kauai and her people. Can't wait for the next book!

Huh! Such a different book that I thought it would be. I so love Tori’s Ninja series and I hope to see a whole lot more of Lily Wong, but this is a whole nuther animal. A few months before reading Kaui’i Storm, someone on one of my fave podcasts recommended a book called Ho’oponopono. I had no idea what they even said, but researched and found the book. I started reading with some misgivings as the harder parts to deal with in life are quite uncomfortable. When this came up in the book and the way it was presented in this intense family dynamic made me cry. While reading Kaui’i Storm, I was trying to figure out the genre and somewhere in the book, the term social-cultural anthropology was mentioned and I was “Oh, that’s what this is.” I also realized that I know absolutely nothing about Hawai’i and the social-cultural anthropology as well as the food of the islands which Tori leans on heavily in relating the family ways of life. It’s like a cookbook without the amounts and inspires a whole other way to make some foods in my future. Quite the ride! I enjoyed it so much and look forward to the next in the series.

I love Elridge's Lily Wong series and was apprehensive about a new series. You know how it is when you read a book by a favorite author but the characters are different and you keep waiting for the familar name to appear? | was happily surprised that I didn't have any trouble diving into Kauai Storm and never once expected Lily to appear. Another engaging female protagonist!

Tori Eldridge does a fantastic job in writing this first entry in the Ranger Makalani Pahukula Mystery series. I was invested in the mystery and getting to know the characters in this world. It had that element that I was looking for and was engaged with what was happening. I'm excited to read more in this series and from Tori Eldridge.