Review: Humor & Hawai & a fun mystery
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 04 19, 2012
Livin' Lahaina Loca by JoAnn BassettI first met Pali Moon and her pals in Maui Widow Waltz, liked it so much I eagerly agreed when this second in the series was offered to me for a read-review. Even the author's clever covers make me laugh! (Hint: Every book title is a take-off of song titles and they all relate to Hawaii.)This time, Pali has lost her business lease at her old location above a local market due to a fire (Maui Widow Waltz) and now she's reduced to a tiny office above a smelly restaurant with a back alley entrance. She's still scraping by in a bad economy as a wedding planner, because weddings, no matter the economy, are still happening in Maui. Adding to the fun, there's Steve, Pali's sensible gay roommate, Hatch her hot fireman boyfriend from the last book , and Farrah, a beautiful plus size Hawaiian woman, and best friend any girl could possibly have.Enter Keith and Nicole, two California book-ends with money to burn for their upcoming nuptials. Keith hands out cash like party favors and Nicole is true to form as another incredibly bitchy bride. Then one of the bridesmaids goes missing, and Pali, though worried that her reputation as a wedding planner would really take a hit if word got around she "...was on the grim reaper's speed dial," she also can't ignore the possibility that something bad has happened to the young woman.Someone else obviously doesn't want her ignoring the situation either, because they've left the severed pony-tail of the young woman's hair in the backseat of Pali's car. Then a ransom note shows up on her car window, and oddly, the local police and the wedding couple ignore Pali's assertion that the girl has been kidnapped and may be murdered. They may ignore her, but Pali is determined to find the girl. When the wedding couple decamp Maui without so much as a good-bye, Pali gets an envelope with more than enough cash to pay off her expenses.I got a kick out of the next scene where she races to meet a potential client at the airport, the envelope of cash in her purse, and a drug-sniffing dog and a zealous agent part her from her hard earned, and (hilariously) drug-infested cash.With surprising twists, lots of humor, and rich anecdotal asides of the Hawaiian culture, there's a  really big surprise ending for Pali.This is surely another winner for JoAnn Bassett and her Pail Moon series. And, lucky for everyone, I hear there are plenty more to come.And, it's another priced right e-book at $2.99 on Amazon/KindleHighly recommended.