Showing results by author "Kay Hadashi" in All Categories

From the Big Island to Kauai, the far side of Maui to the bustling streets of Honolulu, experience paradise in all its glory...and darkness. This collection of 10 stories brings out the beauty of the islands, the passion of the tropics, and, yes, murder. Join 10 writers who love the islands and want you to savor the tropics while benefiting literacy in Hawaii.

Get ready for a sizzling murder mystery that takes place in the tropical paradise of Waikiki. On the hottest day of the year, Honolulu Police Detective Caitlyn Nakamura is called to the scene of a brutal murder in a one-of-a-kind supercar. With very few clues to go on, Caitlyn must put her detective skills into overdrive to crack the case. As she digs deeper, she discovers that the victim's connections reach far and wide, with friends and enemies all over Waikiki. Just as Caitlyn starts to make progress, the heat wave breaks and so do the alibis. With suspects eliminating themselves, it ...

June Kato's burgeoning career as LA's top neurosurgeon gets turned upside down when she finds a dead body in her garden. Calling the cops brings accusations of murder and June ends up at the top of their suspect list. When a second victim is discovered too close to home, June is on the run--not from the culprit but to put an end to the madness before anyone else is slaughtered. Will June become the next victim as she goes on a thrill ride through the streets of LA when she comes face to face with the murderer?

Welcome to the Island of Rhodes, Petrina Pappas! Petrina is the newest member of Rhodes' police department, and for as young as she is, she has already attained the rank of Investigative Sergeant. That ruffles the feathers of a few of her new workmates and she suffers some good-hearted hazing while jumping into action on her first day. Her real problems are the scooter that is assigned to her has seen better days, as has her apartment in Old Town. But with a cup of coffee in one hand and a map in the other, she races from searching the narrow lanes of Old Town for a missing princess, to a ...

Trouble starts too early on a Monday morning in Waikiki when three 'floaters' are found at a popular beach. Before police detective Caitlyn Nakamura can even begin investigating the triple murder, she gets a call about a child missing from a school field trip at the zoo. While she waits for positive ID on the three stiffs at the beach, the news hits close to home when she learns the missing kid is a family friend. The race is on to find the girl, and Caitlyn quickly assembles a team of trusted colleagues to help with the search. A lifelong friendship is tested, and a kid's life is at stake....

A ticking bomb is looming on Hawaii's horizon. A secret team of private spies, police detectives, defectors, malcontents, and a disgruntled politician do their best to prevent disaster. If they can't succeed at finding a simple solution to a complex problem, a thousand years will pass before anyone ever sets foot on Hawaiian soil again. Everyone will die, homes will fall, forests will burn, water will be dirtied forever. All that will remain will be lava stained by the fallout of some very poor decisions. Can deceit, desperation, and hard work reverse fortunes? Or will there be a dust bowl ...

Follow Melanie Kato's journey into the trials and tribulations of military life. When Melanie enlists in the Air Force, she discovers talents she never knew she had and soon finds herself thrust into the high-stakes world of Search and Rescue. With her innate toughness and resiliency, she must learn to keep a level head while facing some of the toughest obstacles of her life. As Melanie battles intense physical and emotional challenges, her unwavering faith in her ability to serve others will inspire readers to push through their own adversities.

Ex-cop Gina Santoro lands in more trouble than ever when murder strikes Hawaii. Gina gladly plays tour guide when her family comes to Hawaii for a once in a lifetime visit. But when murders plague Honolulu's beautiful Waikiki, trouble gets too close for comfort. When family blood starts to flow, Gina is forced into making a life-altering decision. Catch this 'till death do us part' suspenseful murder mystery that crosses lines drawn in Waikiki beach sand.

June Kato has had better weeks. LA's brightest neurosurgeon reluctantly agrees to help a friend in the police department with an undercover sting at a yakuza nightclub. Things go wrong in a hurry when June uncovers the truth about the business. Young women are being trafficked from Asia, forced into the dark trade of late night entertainment by the local crime boss. But before she can get back to the safety of daylight, she finds herself only minutes from her own death. Faced with a literal deadline, will June use brains or brawn to fight her way to survival?

Welcome to Icicle Lodge, where not everyone survives their visit. A wealthy gentleman, his one-armed butler, eight guests, and a cat are trapped in a ski lodge buried beneath an avalanche. One of them will be brutally murdered behind a locked door in the middle of the night. On the suspect list are a socialist and his girlfriend, the worst actor in LA, the French ambassador's daughter, and of course the butler. But at the top of the list is a brain surgeon. This edition includes the short story, Palace Intrigue.

The nation's future teeters in the balance, and only one woman has the power to save it. When the President-elect is kidnapped, he needs critical medical intervention when he is recovered. For that, the government turns to Dr. June Kato. After she reluctantly agrees to help, they assemble a secret surgical team around her. When June digs for information, she uncovers a plot that could doom American politics for generations. But first she must uncover the dark secrets that are being hidden from America, while dealing with powerful enemies, even before she can raise her scalpel. With the help...

June Kato has it all - a successful career, a supportive family, good friends and a comfortable home. But her mysterious admirer turns out to have a deadly obsession with her. The gifts he sends her are welcomed at first, but when the trinkets turn weirdly personal, she begins to worry. When June wakes from a knock to the head, her worst fear has come true. Knowing a ticking clock of madness is ruling the day, she must use all of her wits and strength to escape the gruesome grasp of her captor.

June Kato lands in the middle of a murder investigation while on vacation in Hawaii. The peaceful Big Island turns deadly when June witnesses a brutal murder in an isolated cove. When she reluctantly gives her witness statement, it sounds more like a confession to the police. It isn't long before she discovers she had more enemies than friends at the local police department. With her life on the line and nowhere to turn for help, June must use her investigative skills to prove her innocence and uncover the truth behind the shocking crime. While danger lurks around every corner, she must ...

Welcome to Greece, June Kato! Watch your back! June Kato is no stranger to trouble, but when she joins a diplomatic delegation headed to an important summit meeting on the sunny Greek isle of Rhodes, she quickly finds herself in the middle of a chaotic web of bodyguards, body doubles, and rioters. Then the real trouble hits the proverbial fan when a member of the delegation gets shot. With her new lover Jack Melendez being guarded by the Secret Service, June must do whatever it takes to survive on the sunny island and make her way back to safety in Los Angeles. With a heart-pounding mix of ...

Follow Melanie Kato on the adventure of a lifetime as she navigates the biggest decision of her young life: what to do with her future. Growing up on the beautiful island of Maui, Melanie has always been a hardworking and determined teenager. With graduation approaching and numerous options at her fingertips, Melanie is determined to carve her own path instead of relying on handouts. As the clock ticks closer to graduation, Melanie's family and friends eagerly await her decision. But when she drops a bombshell on her mother, everything changes. Set against the stunning backdrop of Maui, "...

There are better things to do in Hawaii on a sunny day than go on a free skydiving trip. Just ask Gina Santoro while she parachutes into a murder mystery she'll never forget! Whether it was horrible accident, death by misadventure, or an act of murder, Gina gets a bird's eye view when a man falls past her, only to perform a world-class belly flop in the ocean from 5000 feet. While police detectives posture, and FBI agents chase their tails, Gina and her sister take the investigation by the horns. Following leads from one end of Honolulu to the other, they discover how complicated a teenaged...

A prowler is on the loose and he has a gun. June Kato has little patience for administrators, especially when they start meddling in people's lives. When the top man at her hospital starts making a mess of her life, she pays attention. But when people start dying, she takes action. Then she discovers police work is harder than it looks, and not nearly as safe as being a surgeon. Bullets fly, brakes screech, and someone dies. June begs the police to listen before someone else dies, but they ignore her. Then things get worse.

When June Kato visits Tokyo, it's with sightseeing in mind. Little does she realize that she is in for a lot more than temples and gardens. Taking one last stab at her past modeling career, June helps her sister open a new fashion company in Japan by doing some posing. Neighborhood crime bosses don't like the idea of foreigners moving into their turf, and quickly take matters into their own hands. When June finds the body of a troublesome coworker in an alley, she takes it as a message from one family to another. Everybody denies knowing anything about the death of the man, but there are ...

Rookie Police Officer Gina Santoro has a tough night while on patrol on Christmas Eve, one she'll never forget. Her holiday eve takes a dirty turn at her lifelong parish church, and when she sees the aftermath of an impulse move, she holsters her sidearm for the last time. After pondering her future in law enforcement, she makes a career change that takes her from Cleveland's Little Italy all the way to Hawaii. Now working in landscape management, she finds her new home in a lush tropical forest a little too rustic. She also finds a dead body on her front porch. Tag along with Gina as she ...