A suspicious death on a Kohala Mountain ranch draws ranger Makalani Pahukula into a tangled family tree in an emotional and suspenseful adventure by the bestselling author of the Lily Wong series. Makalani Pahukula, interpretive ranger for Pu‘ukoholā Heiau National Historic Site, craves some rejuvenating hard work on Hawai‘i Island. When cousin-in-law Rosie offers Makalani a chance to help at the Hiapo family ranch, it’s the perfect opportunity. But something else weighs on Rosie’s mind. Her father recently died in a gruesome accident—trapped and cornered in a pit by an aggressive bull. The wrong place at the wrong time? Rosie suspects something more sinister. Not long into her work, Makalani’s suspicions rise too. The Hiapos aren’t as close as Makalani thought. Everyone in the family—the grandfather, the widow, the adversarial brothers co-running the ranch, the sister who wants anything but a paniolo life for her son, and the cowgirl who becomes Makalani’s friend—are hiding secrets from one another. And from Makalani. When more dangerous accidents occur, Makalani has no choice but to follow the clues that lead her into the dark history of Hiapo Ranch and draw out the culprit before someone else dies.
Author
Tori Eldridge is the national bestselling author of the Lily Wong mystery thriller series—THE NINJA DAUGHTER, THE NINJA’S BLADE, and THE NINJA BETRAYED—nominated for the Anthony, Lefty, and Macavity Awards and winner of Suspense Magazine's Crimson Scribe Award for Best Book of 2021. Her shorter works appear in the inaugural reboot of WEIRD TALES magazine and other horror, dystopian, and literary anthologies. Her short story, “Missing on Kaua‘i” appears in the 2022 Mystery Writers of America anthology, CRIME HITS HOME. Her horror screenplay THE GIFT, which inspired DANCE AMONG THE FLAMES, earned a semi-finalist spot for the Academy Nicholl Fellowship. Before writing, Tori performed as an actress, singer, dancer on Broadway, television, and film, and earned a 5th degree black belt in To-Shin Do ninja martial arts. She is of Hawaiian, Chinese, Norwegian descent and was born and raised in Honolulu where she graduated from Punahou School with classmate Barack Obama. Tori’s deep interest in world culture and religions has prompted her to visit nine countries, including Brazil. Find her online at ToriEldridge.com Facebook @ToriEldridgeAuthor Instagram @writer.tori Twitter @ToriEldridge Bookbub @ToriEldridge Aloha and thanks for visiting!
