Dinah Pelerin is again serving as maid of honor for her best friend Claude Ann, whose second marriage will take place in Hawaii. The groom is involved in a big real estate deal on the Big Island that has angered some Native Hawaiians who believe the locale to be sacred. But that's not all Dinah and Claude Ann have to deal with.
Someone is stalking members of the wedding party, a blackmailer is threatening to expose nefarious deeds and the island is trembling under the wrath of fire goddess Pele. Things take an even more sinister turn when a member of the groom's family is found murdered. An overabundance of suspects leads to rampant speculation on Dinah's part as to who the murderer is, why it happened and if he (or she) will strike again. Her sleuthing not only uncovers secrets of the past, but endangers her life. Is the truth worth it, in the end?
Matthews fills her narrative with many Hawaiian myths and legends, Hawaiian language and its meanings, as well as detailed descriptions of the island setting. This makes for a true feel of the place and time in this challenging, interesting mystery.
A wedding on the lip of a Hawaiian volcano sounds risky to
Dinah Pelerin, the brideβs best friend and maid of honor.
The bride, Claude Ann Kemper, has bet her heart that sheβs
found the right man at last. The groom has gone all in on a
real estate deal he believes will set him and his new wife
up for life. A group of Native Hawaiians claims that the
sacred bones of an ancestral king are buried on the land
the groom plans to sell and one of them has vowed to do
whatever it takes to stop him. Claude Annβs ex-husband is
stalking her and rigging booby-traps. A blackmailer is
conspiring to cash in on the groomβs suspicious past. And
Pele, the local fire goddess, is rocking the island with a
series of earthquakes. It seems as if the stakes canβt get
any higher. And then somebody shoves a member of the
wedding into a flow of molten lava and all bets are off.
True friendship is never easy and Dinah and Claude Ann have
had their misunderstandings. But when danger threatens,
Dinah is determined to protect her friend and repay the
loyalty Claude Ann has shown to her if she has to walk
through fire to do it. Hawaii is a hotbed of ancient myths
and modern conflicts over who should control the land so
cherished by its native people. If Dinah and Claude Ann are
to get out alive, theyβll have to face down an angry
goddess and a ruthless killer.
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