I AM SO EMBARRASSED ... JUST NOW FINDING THIS ONE ON MY KINDLE/AMAZON. WAS NEVER READ SO NO REVIEW COMING AT THIS LATE DATE. MY SINCERE APOLOGIES. BOOK HAS BEEN ARCHIVED.

I thought this would be a murder mystery but it started out with a love triangle between Lexie, Bucky and Pono Hawkins – the main character, with Bucky being charged with murder. So, I guess that qualifies it as a murder mystery but the first couple of chapters described the wind turbines and the noise they caused, the damage the turbines were doing to the environment and the people living by them and the damage and pain they caused to the animals.

Pono did visit Bucky in jail and tried to get his side of the story but after this visit, Pono went to Lexie and Bucky’s home and the story returned to the trouble the wind turbines were causing. As an animal lover, I couldn’t stand to read about this. After several chapters, I just couldn’t read any more about the pain the book described to the animals. I was looking for a murder mystery, not animal cruelty. I can read about people murdering other people but not animals hurting or being hurt. Silly me.

<em>Killing Maine</em> is the second book in the Pono Hawkins series by Mike Bond. I reviewed the first book, <em>Saving Paradise</em>, <a href="http://lookingforagoodbook.com/2017/05/17/saving-paradise-mike-bond/" target="_blank">here</a>. I was a little nervous about going in to this one, given my feelings about the previous novel. Fortunately, I enjoyed this story much more.

Although Pono Hawkins embraces his life in Hawaii, when a fellow Special Forces comrade calls needing help, Pono packs up and hustles to Maine, where sub-zero temperatures will be the warmest reception he gets. Bucky Franklin isn't necessarily a friend - he's the man who sent Pono to military prison - but the Special Forces bond is strong and when he's accused of killing a local politician, Pono comes to help.

What Hawkins finds in Maine ... a state with some of the most corrupt politicians in the country according to the story ... is a wind-turbine industry that is forcing locals out of their homes, causing low property rates, and generating more of a cash flow to the businessmen behind the turbines than actual energy. And stepping in to the fray, finding him suddenly accused of vandalism and murder, is Pono, who'd much rather be back in Hawaii with his dying father.

I enjoyed this book much more than the previous novel. Despite the side story of Pono's dying father, I found this book to have a much better focus and clearer language (though there were still times that the grammar needed some stronger editing). I'm not a big fan of political thrillers and this is certainly more of a political thriller than a mystery. Still, I found it easy to follow Pono and root for him to find success.

There is some romance but it is pretty much a failure from the get-go. The problem here is that Pono isn't set up to be a character that gets involved romantically, so anything along those lines is like canoeing upstream without a paddle. You are going against type, making it more difficult for yourself before you even begin. And then it never feels natural either.

All in all, this was a decent book with a focused story, but 'm not going to be looking for a sequel and my only recommendation is that it's pretty average fare.

Looking for a good book? <em>Killing Maine</em> by Mike Bond is pretty average fare for a political thriller.

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

Thank you for the opportunity to read this book. Unfortunately it just wasn't my cup of tea. And I won't be reviewing it publicly.