An Eternal Lei

A Leilani Santiago Hawai‘i Mystery

By: Naomi Hirahara

Narrated by: Chloe Madriaga

It's the middle of the pandemic and Hawaii has been virtually closed to tourists.

So when Leilani Santiago and her young sisters save a mysterious woman wearing an unusual lei from drowning in Waimea Bay in Kaua‘i, questions abound. Who is she and where did she come from? Leilani suddenly finds herself in the middle of a murder investigation when the lei is traced back to her best friend, the very pregnant Courtney Kahuakai, and her family’s flower business.

While the woman is in a medically-induced coma at a local hospital, Leilani sets out to discover her identity and her connections to the island. She is drawn deeper into the mystery, only to stumble into secrets that prove deadly. When Leilani’s investigation puts her family in danger, her survival and the safety of those dearest to her will depend on her sense of ingenuity and the strength of her island community.

©2022 Naomi Hirahara (P)2022 Audible, Inc.

Great authentic characters, colorful story

Leilani Santiago is a brilliant character, contemporary, authentic. Loved Chloe Madrigal's performance! Truly made all the characters come to life.

Naomi Hirahara's work is unique and satisfying

It took me a while to buy into the Leilani Santiago stories. I was initially put off by the reader, whose understated delivery caught me off-guard. Still, since I went through the same changes with Mas Arai, the 80-year-old gardener who is featured in six of her books, I stuck with it. Once I adjusted, I was glad I did. The laidback reader fit life on humid, slow-moving Kauai, and just as Hirahara created LA and Altadena through the eyes of Mr. Arai, she performed her magic at a shaved-ice stand on Kauai.