In her third adventure, attorney Storm Kayama and her lover, Ian Hamlin, travel to unspoiled Molokai, in the Hawaiian Islands, where they meet up with the couple who raised her after her mother's death. Also on the agenda: Ian is hired by a rich shipping magnate to investigate the kayak company he holds responsible for his son's disappearance, and an old high-school classmate of Storm's, Tanner Williams, has asked her to check up on his son, Luke, a diabetic, to make sure he is receiving proper care from his ex-wife. Soon after Storm arrives, the ex-wife is murdered, and Luke, a witness, disappears. Desperate to find him before the killer does, or he dies from lack of insulin, Storm finds herself in a dangerous chase down a mountain. This fast-paced mystery combines vivid descriptions of the beautiful countryside, fascinating background on Hawaiian lore and legend, and an intriguing glimpse of the engaging Storm's past. --Sue O'Brien Copyright 2007 Booklist

An island paradise harbors a deadly secret from the past. Storm Kayama welcomes the call for help from her old school friend Tanner Williams. It gives her a chance to return to the unspoiled island of Molokai with her lover and law partner Ian Hamlin (The Green Room, 2005, etc.) and spend time with her Uncle Keone and Aunt Maile, who are over from the Big Island to buy horses for the ranch where Keone is foreman. Tanner has mental problems and is divorced from his wife Jenny. He's worried that Jenny's drinking and bitterness may be putting their diabetic son Luke in danger. Hamlin has a brief to investigate the disappearance of Brock Liu, whose wealthy father lost another son on Molokai. While they're out horseback riding, Storm, Hamlin and her aunt and uncle discover Brock's corpse. Then Jenny is murdered and Luke takes off from the hospital where he's being treated for diabetes. The murders clearly have roots in the death of Brock's brother, a mysterious fire, an effort to keep the island untouched and the disappearance of the daughter of another of Storm's old acquaintances. Storm's sleuthing leads to a harrowing experience for her and her family, a possible rift with Hamlin and still more fatalities before the truth comes out. Interesting insight into Hawaii's growth problems and cultural clashes wrapped around a suspenseful mystery. Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Atkinson's lush third Storm Kayama adventure (after 2005's The Green Room) finds the Hawaiian lawyer on the island of Moloka'i with her boyfriend, Ian Hamlin, hoping the trip will provide a much needed respite from their busy legal careers. At the request of high school pal Tanner Williams, Storm visits Tanner's ex-wife, Jenny, to check on their adolescent son, Luke, who's diabetic and having difficulties adjusting to his parents' recent divorce. When Jenny is killed and Tanner and Luke vanish, Storm begins asking questions, but the secretive inhabitants of Moloka'i are reluctant to divulge information to a stranger. Piecing together the complicated relationships of the reticent islanders soon turns deadly, as Storm and Ian realize they're caught in the middle of a clash between old-world sorcery and modern-day revenge. The Moloka'i scenery is as vivid and appealing as the heroine, and authentic language and folklore make this a first-rate tale of greed, lust and retribution. (Aug.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved

A favor for a friend ends up a homicide, with Storm Kayama chasing after a missing boy in Moloka'i, HI, in the third in the series. Atkinson lives in Honolulu. (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.