


Books in series

#1
A Wave of Murder
2018
After a quick look by the coroner, the police get involved and label it as a murder. As island mayor, surgeon, and expectant mother, Melanie Kato has other things on her mind than death. But as they say, curiosity kills the cat, and she joins the three-ring circus when the investigation begins. Complicating her life as mayor is the discovery that ancient Hawaiian artifacts have been stolen from the local museum, irreplaceable treasures with haunted histories. Police resources are already stretched thin, and when Melanie sifts through clues and contends with devious characters, she only makes things worse. Mired right in the middle of both investigations, Melanie’s spare time disappears as she struggles to find peace on her beloved island, while resolving two compelling mysteries, welcoming a new baby, and trying to keep her family in one piece.

#2
A Hole in One Murder
2018
A sunny day in tropical paradise doesn't last long when a dead body turns up on the golf course. When Mayor Melanie Kato digs to find the truth, she only makes a mess of things. When the mother of two young kids tries to step back from the police investigation that starts, she gets involved even more. With one last scoop of dirt in search of clues, the truth is finally told, making it personal for Melanie. But it might be too little and too late when threats come from every direction. To win a match bigger than a round of golf, she must measure every word and deed carefully, not just her own, but from everyone involved.

#3
A Moonlit Murder
2019
Never trust a Teddy Bear. A vacationing couple is found dead in a rowboat at the beach, along with a mysterious little teddy bear. When the police get involved, they discover Maui Mayor Melanie Kato isn't far from the crime. But when they cut open the bear, they find more evidence than what Melanie can explain. Her life is already overflowing with in-laws, a funky new nanny, and a busy hospital practice. Toss in an inquisitive four-year-old daughter and a baby that needs more attention than Melanie can give him, and something has to give.

#4
A Spa Full of Murder
2019
A day of relaxation turns deadly in the tropical paradise of Maui!As 'Mayor Melanie' juggles her chaotic life, a dead body is discovered at her friend's spa, propelling her into yet another mystery. When her best friend becomes the prime suspect in the murder investigation, Melanie's world is turned upside down. And when her family becomes the target of a dangerous threat, Melanie takes matters into her own hands. With determination and a little help from her friends, she sets out to unravel the truth and bring justice to her community.

#5
A Down to Earth Murder
2019
Peace and quiet on this tropical isle? Not when the mayor is in town!Maui mayor and surgeon Melanie Kato goes to the neighboring island of Lana'i so she can fill in for a vacationing surgeon, taking her young family along. What starts out as a peaceful adventure quickly turns dramatic when trouble drops into her life in the middle of the night. Getting a closer look at who has delivered her latest headache, she gets a surprise that won't soon leave her mind.As soon as the police get involved, her dramatic arrival on the island turns into a soap opera, with more twists and turns than she can handle. Something isn't right in the misty skies over Lana'i, and not everyone is playing fair. But by the time she figures out who the dirtiest characters are, she's sky-high with trouble—and plunging back to Earth again could be deadly!

#6
A Haunted Murder
2019
Spooky Hawaiian Halloween!Melanie Kato takes her young family to Molokai for Halloween and a fun getaway weekend, but a storm of trouble is headed in their direction.Trick or Treat just happens to fall on the akua full moon, the one night nightmarchers emerge from their graves in search of lost souls. When they come marching for the traditional Hawaiian house in which Melanie and the kids are staying, trouble begins, and they discover how authentic the place really is. When the storm crashes into the house, it brings ghastly beasts and soulless ghosts with it. But when their only friends at the house turn on them, kidnapping part of the family and holding them for a frightful ransom, Melanie calls in a few spirit favors of her own.Will she and her family be doomed to walk Molokai on every full moon forever, or will faith, bravery, and magic save their lives?

#7
A Plan for Murder
Case of the Kihei Killer
2019
One heroine...too many villains...not enough justice
Melanie Kato has Christmas week off from work and the kids, and all she wants to do is surf the winter swell on her home island of Maui. But trouble comes calling when her house burns to the ground and she has a good idea who did it. Unable to let it go, she backburners everything until she finds the culprit in a seedy bar having one laugh too many.
But will the police get there in time to help her apprehend Hawaii's Public Enemy Number One?

#8
A Misfortunate Murder
A Mother Being Hunted
2019
When gunshots break the calm of a Saturday morning, Melanie ducks for cover.
But not for long.
Enemies old and new team up when coming after Melanie Kato. It isn't enough that they burned down her house and trashed her reputation. This time, they've come for blood, and they aren't stopping until they get it. It just happens to fall on one of her most stressful weeks ever, with giving up the keys to City Hall to a man she has sworn to despise, getting her mind ready for a huge surf contest, building a new house, and saving lives at the hospital. When gunfire erupts too close to her kids, it's time to take control of her family life back from the Secret Service, the police department, and from her soon-to-be ex-husband.
But when Melanie puts her foot down, it's on the accelerator on the trouble in her life.

#10
A Game of Murder
2019
Threats against the Kato family emerge from every corner of the chess board in this mystery!Melanie Kato thinks she's finally kicked the last of the bad guys off her island, but not quite yet. When threats of kidnap and worse plague her family, federal agents from far and wide mount an invasion—not just of Maui, but of Melanie's life. Old friends are no longer trustworthy, and the only people she can rely on have gone into hiding.
When trouble finally hits the fan full-force, all she has going for her are her wits and fists, and those might not be enough this time!