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A Tiki Goddess Mystery #2
Two to Mango
Forget the grass skirts. Some of the Island's top hula dancers are pushing up daisies.
Everyone at Em Johnson's famous North Shore Kauai hang-out, The Tiki Goddess Bar, knows that the bar's irrepressible Hula Maidens take their hula dancing seriously. So when famed hula instructors from a rival dance troop start dropping like over-ripe passion fruit, Em and the Hula Maidens go undercover at the Kukui Nut Festival Hula Competition to uncover the killer. Em is once again up to her okole in danger and mystery, not to mention the seductive challenge of working with hunky detective Roland Sharpe, who moonlights as one of the island's sexiest fire dancers.
The hula is lively, the luau is smoking, the mai tais are delicious, and a killer is looking to get away with murder in paradise.
Everyone at Em Johnson's famous North Shore Kauai hang-out, The Tiki Goddess Bar, knows that the bar's irrepressible Hula Maidens take their hula dancing seriously. So when famed hula instructors from a rival dance troop start dropping like over-ripe passion fruit, Em and the Hula Maidens go undercover at the Kukui Nut Festival Hula Competition to uncover the killer. Em is once again up to her okole in danger and mystery, not to mention the seductive challenge of working with hunky detective Roland Sharpe, who moonlights as one of the island's sexiest fire dancers.
The hula is lively, the luau is smoking, the mai tais are delicious, and a killer is looking to get away with murder in paradise.
240 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2012
57 people are currently reading
237 people want to read
About the author
Jill Marie Landis
76 books250 followersJILL MARIE LANDIS is the bestselling author of nearly thirty novels which have appeared on the NYT bestseller list, USA Today and other national bestseller lists. She has won numerous awards for her heartfelt characters and sweeping emotional historical romances that include SUMMER MOON and MAGNOLIA CREEK and the Irish Angels Series; HEART OF STONE, HEART OF LIES, and HEART OF GLASS. All of her Historical Romances are available in eBook format.
She is currently writing The Tiki Goddess Mysteries series which includes MAI TAI ONE ON, TWO TO MANGO, THREE TO GET LEI'D, TOO HOT FOUR HULA and HAWAII FIVE UH-OH! from Bell Bridge Books.
Toes in the sand and head in the clouds, she is living the dream in Hawaii with her husband, Steve. Jill Marie loves to spend hours at the beach reading or writing and she also loves dancing the hula.
She is currently writing The Tiki Goddess Mysteries series which includes MAI TAI ONE ON, TWO TO MANGO, THREE TO GET LEI'D, TOO HOT FOUR HULA and HAWAII FIVE UH-OH! from Bell Bridge Books.
Toes in the sand and head in the clouds, she is living the dream in Hawaii with her husband, Steve. Jill Marie loves to spend hours at the beach reading or writing and she also loves dancing the hula.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 59 reviews
September 14, 2019
Dollycas’s Thoughts
The Hula Maidens are back and are as hilarious as ever. The senior ladies take their hula dancing very seriously and are afraid that after their latest incident at an old folks home their dancing days may be over. They get a reprieve when Em Johnson’s detective Roland asks for Em’s help. Heads of another local dance group have died suddenly. Roland doesn’t have any proof but he thinks their deaths were not from natural causes. He asks Em to convince the Hula Maidens to enter the Kukui Nut Festival Hula Competition so that she can go undercover and keep her eyes and ears open. He will be there too in his dual roles of law enforcement and fire dancer. Em just can’t say no.
First, I appreciated the author’s refresher on the Hawaiian language and the meaning of the Hawaiian words when they first appear as a comfortable part of the narrative.
Next, Ms. Landis has created the epitome of quirky characters that are what every great cozy mystery series needs. The Hula Maidens are a group of “not-so-talented-over-the-hill dancers”. They have recently lost one member to another group and gained a dancer who hails from Iowa. They dance at events and places for free but their “gigs” are rare because people expect “lovely young Polynesian dancers, not a bunch of wrinkled old haoles (not Native Hawaiian) with underarm bat wings.” In the first book in this series, they convinced Em Johnson to come to Kauai to save her uncle’s Tiki Goddess Bar that was going under mostly because her uncle loans anyone money and never gets repaid. The bar also has a taste testing parrot named David Letterman. Uncle Louie likes to come up with new exotic drink recipes that aren’t revealed to the public without the bird’s okay. And then there is bartender Sophie, who tries to help the maidens with their choreography and hunky fire dancer detective Roland Sharpe. Roland does have feelings for Em and she has feelings for him but they are taking things S . . . L . . . O . . . W.
The author wraps these characters in a puzzling mystery. Who is killing the Kumu? and How? and Why? It is not easily apparent but Em has her suspects. What ensues is a wacky, wild and at times laugh out loud funny journey to find the truth.
I read the first book in this series because I needed to read a book set in Hawaii for a reading challenge. I came back for this one because there are very few authors that can make me laugh so much from the beginning to the end of a story. The bonus is the mystery is fun to follow and solve too.
If you like cozies with a generous dose of humor and larger than life characters, grab this book, flip to the back for Uncle Louie’s Booze Bible, mix yourself a drink or two, and sit back and enjoy Jill Marie Landis’ Two to Mango!
The Hula Maidens are back and are as hilarious as ever. The senior ladies take their hula dancing very seriously and are afraid that after their latest incident at an old folks home their dancing days may be over. They get a reprieve when Em Johnson’s detective Roland asks for Em’s help. Heads of another local dance group have died suddenly. Roland doesn’t have any proof but he thinks their deaths were not from natural causes. He asks Em to convince the Hula Maidens to enter the Kukui Nut Festival Hula Competition so that she can go undercover and keep her eyes and ears open. He will be there too in his dual roles of law enforcement and fire dancer. Em just can’t say no.
First, I appreciated the author’s refresher on the Hawaiian language and the meaning of the Hawaiian words when they first appear as a comfortable part of the narrative.
Next, Ms. Landis has created the epitome of quirky characters that are what every great cozy mystery series needs. The Hula Maidens are a group of “not-so-talented-over-the-hill dancers”. They have recently lost one member to another group and gained a dancer who hails from Iowa. They dance at events and places for free but their “gigs” are rare because people expect “lovely young Polynesian dancers, not a bunch of wrinkled old haoles (not Native Hawaiian) with underarm bat wings.” In the first book in this series, they convinced Em Johnson to come to Kauai to save her uncle’s Tiki Goddess Bar that was going under mostly because her uncle loans anyone money and never gets repaid. The bar also has a taste testing parrot named David Letterman. Uncle Louie likes to come up with new exotic drink recipes that aren’t revealed to the public without the bird’s okay. And then there is bartender Sophie, who tries to help the maidens with their choreography and hunky fire dancer detective Roland Sharpe. Roland does have feelings for Em and she has feelings for him but they are taking things S . . . L . . . O . . . W.
The author wraps these characters in a puzzling mystery. Who is killing the Kumu? and How? and Why? It is not easily apparent but Em has her suspects. What ensues is a wacky, wild and at times laugh out loud funny journey to find the truth.
I read the first book in this series because I needed to read a book set in Hawaii for a reading challenge. I came back for this one because there are very few authors that can make me laugh so much from the beginning to the end of a story. The bonus is the mystery is fun to follow and solve too.
If you like cozies with a generous dose of humor and larger than life characters, grab this book, flip to the back for Uncle Louie’s Booze Bible, mix yourself a drink or two, and sit back and enjoy Jill Marie Landis’ Two to Mango!
December 4, 2012
"I like mangoes." - Kramer, in "The Mango" from Seinfeld
TWO TO MANGO is Jill Marie Landis’ second book from her Tiki Goddess series. The series is set on Kauai – the Garden Isle. The mayhem begins and ends at the Tiki Goddess – a fictional watering hole on the North Shore. The owner, Uncle Louis, is a long time transplant who has won the hearts of the kama’aina (locals) with his delicious drinks inspired by special occasions. His niece, Em Johnson, keeps Uncle Louis out of trouble and the bar in the black. Em attempts to keep the Hula Maidens – an informal hula troupe – out of trouble, too, but that’s when the fun begins!
Em encourages the Hula Maidens to enter the Kukui Nut Festival Hula Competition in the kapuna (elder) division. She convinces them to redeem their poor standing from a previous competition, giving Em the opportunity to snoop for Detective Roland Sharpe when he is not otherwise stripped to his fire dancing costume.
Jill Marie Landis draws upon her kama’aina experience to deliver roaring tribute (and parody) of Kauai’s unique culture. She makes it easy for those who have not visited the Garden Isle to follow allow with the mayhem. Even the Seinfeld foursome would laugh out loud at the hijinks offered by the quirky characters in TWO TO MANGO.
I purchased this book to review as I enjoyed MAI TAI ONE ON. Although TWO TO MANGO is a stand alone story, I believe readers’ le`ale`a (pleasure) would be enhanced by reading the books in order. Both books will remain on my keeper shelf to remind me of Hawaii’s mana (spiritual healing) long after I move back to the mainland.
Recommended read for those who enjoy laugh-out-loud humor, cozy mysteries, and Hawaiian culture.
TWO TO MANGO is Jill Marie Landis’ second book from her Tiki Goddess series. The series is set on Kauai – the Garden Isle. The mayhem begins and ends at the Tiki Goddess – a fictional watering hole on the North Shore. The owner, Uncle Louis, is a long time transplant who has won the hearts of the kama’aina (locals) with his delicious drinks inspired by special occasions. His niece, Em Johnson, keeps Uncle Louis out of trouble and the bar in the black. Em attempts to keep the Hula Maidens – an informal hula troupe – out of trouble, too, but that’s when the fun begins!
Em encourages the Hula Maidens to enter the Kukui Nut Festival Hula Competition in the kapuna (elder) division. She convinces them to redeem their poor standing from a previous competition, giving Em the opportunity to snoop for Detective Roland Sharpe when he is not otherwise stripped to his fire dancing costume.
Jill Marie Landis draws upon her kama’aina experience to deliver roaring tribute (and parody) of Kauai’s unique culture. She makes it easy for those who have not visited the Garden Isle to follow allow with the mayhem. Even the Seinfeld foursome would laugh out loud at the hijinks offered by the quirky characters in TWO TO MANGO.
I purchased this book to review as I enjoyed MAI TAI ONE ON. Although TWO TO MANGO is a stand alone story, I believe readers’ le`ale`a (pleasure) would be enhanced by reading the books in order. Both books will remain on my keeper shelf to remind me of Hawaii’s mana (spiritual healing) long after I move back to the mainland.
Recommended read for those who enjoy laugh-out-loud humor, cozy mysteries, and Hawaiian culture.
February 12, 2020
Two To Mango is the second installment of the Tiki Goddess cozy mystery series by Jill Marie Landis. Filled with humor and the over-the-top shenanigans of the "Hula Maidens", a motley crew of geriatric hula dancers, (they're so bad that they dance for free at the Tiki Goddess Bar - their home away from home) book two is also filled with interesting info about hula culture.
To tell the truth, the arguing and antics of the Hula Maidens is starting to wear a bit thin (especially those of senior sex maniac, Little Estelle and drunken obese exhibitionist, Flora).
I also fear that the introduction of a new neighbor, handsome/helpful/scriptwriter from L. A., Nat Clark, is the start of the dreaded and much over-used "romantic triangle" trope (way too much like the sexy/cop/Mike and steadfast/dentist/Norman "love triangle" in Joanne Fluke's Hannah Swenson cozy mysteries). Roland Sharpe, the sexy/cop/fire knife dancer, should have nothing to worry about - Em Johnson definitely has the "hots" for him! (Oddly enough, I am Team Norman all-the-way for Hannah Swenson!)
I am already reading the third book of the series, Three To Get Lei'd. I certainly hope that the Hula Maidens chill out (yes, definitely talking about you, Kiki!), dry out (here's looking at you, Flora!), or grow the heck up (c'mon Little Estelle - dementia is not cute and not funny!) in this one!
To tell the truth, the arguing and antics of the Hula Maidens is starting to wear a bit thin (especially those of senior sex maniac, Little Estelle and drunken obese exhibitionist, Flora).
I also fear that the introduction of a new neighbor, handsome/helpful/scriptwriter from L. A., Nat Clark, is the start of the dreaded and much over-used "romantic triangle" trope (way too much like the sexy/cop/Mike and steadfast/dentist/Norman "love triangle" in Joanne Fluke's Hannah Swenson cozy mysteries). Roland Sharpe, the sexy/cop/fire knife dancer, should have nothing to worry about - Em Johnson definitely has the "hots" for him! (Oddly enough, I am Team Norman all-the-way for Hannah Swenson!)
I am already reading the third book of the series, Three To Get Lei'd. I certainly hope that the Hula Maidens chill out (yes, definitely talking about you, Kiki!), dry out (here's looking at you, Flora!), or grow the heck up (c'mon Little Estelle - dementia is not cute and not funny!) in this one!
June 1, 2021
I enjoyed this entry in the Tiki Goddess mystery as much as the first one.
A couple of dancers from a local Hula dance troupe have died and Roland Sharpe the local police officer suspects that they may not have died of natural causes. He asks Em Johnson to keep a eye at the next competition.
A couple of dancers from a local Hula dance troupe have died and Roland Sharpe the local police officer suspects that they may not have died of natural causes. He asks Em Johnson to keep a eye at the next competition.
July 23, 2018
The Hula Maidens return for their second adventure in the popular series. This time they are traveling to a Hula competition but someone is poisoning the competition and they are dropping like flies. Can they help hunk police detective and part time hula dancer, Roland, discover the killer before it claims one of their own? This is a very fun lighthearted series about a group of aging hula dancers and the chaos they get into. Fun easy read to kick back and enjoy one of Uncle Louie's crazy cocktails. Aloha
July 24, 2018
I love this series. It's a good beach read and since we just came back from Hawaii, it is wonderful to relive the islands through the book. The characters are a lively bunch especially the hula maidens. The book is light and is an easy read. The mystery part of it is decent. I am looking forward to reading the entire series.
September 5, 2021
Highly entertaining and fun. This series has been a fun one to start and continue. The characters are all a mess, but real. They are also pretty funny and endearing at the same time. I really like learning more about Em too. This was kinda of a weird, but interesting story that has to due with Hulu, hulu completions, and poison. Quite a few twists and turns I wasn't expecting.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 12, 2022
The second cozy in the Kauai based cozy mystery series. The mystery is the background for this extremely entertaining series. The characters are the focal point. This is a funny, light read and it brings a warm feeling to my snowy view outside my window. I am looking forward to reading the next book in the series.
October 12, 2018
Enjoyable
Great mystery. Endearing and well rounded characters. The beauty if Kauai and a bar above the beach. And an awfully lot of fun! Such an enjoyable, and quite a few laughs, mystery.
Great mystery. Endearing and well rounded characters. The beauty if Kauai and a bar above the beach. And an awfully lot of fun! Such an enjoyable, and quite a few laughs, mystery.
August 6, 2017
A cozy murder mystery set on the island of Kuhai... fun.
October 16, 2017
Still cute and fluffy. Has some awareness of cultural appropriation.
May 23, 2019
Not as funny or fun. Meh.
October 20, 2019
More fun shenanigans.
March 8, 2017
Fun and entertaining. Looking forward to reading book 3.
December 28, 2012
Someone is killing Kauai's premier kumu, and the island's various hula halau are wondering if their kumu could be next.
Don't panic. Once you read Jill Marie Landis's "Two to Mango," you'll understand. A halau is a hula school, essentially a troupe or a team, if you will. The kumu is their leader, sort of part-coach, part-CEO.
If you read the first Tiki Goddess Mystery, "Mai Tai One On," you will already know just how sacred hula is to many Hawaiians: "Hula is life." The Tiki Goddess bar has their own in-house halau, The Hula Maidens. In the Kauai hula world, the Hula Maidens stand alone. More accurately, they fall down a lot, run into each other, and generally cause havoc wherever they go. However, they have hearts of gold, strong loyalty, and--most importantly--they dance for free at the Tiki Goddess, just in exchange for having a place to play.
In this installment, they're actually off to a hula contest, trying to avenge their last appearance, where they came in fourth out of four. Em talked them into it. Her real reason for doing so was so that she could keep an eye out for anything untoward--for anything suspicious. Add a former drill sergeant/hula coach, suspicious smoothie makers, a lust-fueled drunken former Rockette on an electric cart, and a crush of vacationing Rhinos, and you have a potent story, with plenty of hilarity and a little paper umbrella.
This is a cool series thus far. The Hula Maidens are feisty and chaotic; Uncle Louie keeps loaning money out of the cash register, and Emily Johnson can't quite sort out her feelings for hunky Kauai Police Department Detective Roland Sharpe. The only certainties are that strange things will happen, but this mismatched de facto family of oddballs will be in the middle of things. They'll stumble through, though. Uncle Louie will perfect a few new cocktails, and everyone will live to hula another day.
Plus, as always: in the Appendix, recipes for tropical adult beverages. What more could you need?
Recommended
Don't panic. Once you read Jill Marie Landis's "Two to Mango," you'll understand. A halau is a hula school, essentially a troupe or a team, if you will. The kumu is their leader, sort of part-coach, part-CEO.
If you read the first Tiki Goddess Mystery, "Mai Tai One On," you will already know just how sacred hula is to many Hawaiians: "Hula is life." The Tiki Goddess bar has their own in-house halau, The Hula Maidens. In the Kauai hula world, the Hula Maidens stand alone. More accurately, they fall down a lot, run into each other, and generally cause havoc wherever they go. However, they have hearts of gold, strong loyalty, and--most importantly--they dance for free at the Tiki Goddess, just in exchange for having a place to play.
In this installment, they're actually off to a hula contest, trying to avenge their last appearance, where they came in fourth out of four. Em talked them into it. Her real reason for doing so was so that she could keep an eye out for anything untoward--for anything suspicious. Add a former drill sergeant/hula coach, suspicious smoothie makers, a lust-fueled drunken former Rockette on an electric cart, and a crush of vacationing Rhinos, and you have a potent story, with plenty of hilarity and a little paper umbrella.
This is a cool series thus far. The Hula Maidens are feisty and chaotic; Uncle Louie keeps loaning money out of the cash register, and Emily Johnson can't quite sort out her feelings for hunky Kauai Police Department Detective Roland Sharpe. The only certainties are that strange things will happen, but this mismatched de facto family of oddballs will be in the middle of things. They'll stumble through, though. Uncle Louie will perfect a few new cocktails, and everyone will live to hula another day.
Plus, as always: in the Appendix, recipes for tropical adult beverages. What more could you need?
Recommended
July 10, 2013
4 STARS
Two to Mango is a funny story, cozy mystery. Most of the characters are over the top. If you like your murder mystery on the funny side then read this series. I have read all three of them now and could not put the books down. Had to know what crazy things the Hula Maidens were up to now.
The Hula Maidens are a group of senior citizens who dance hulu. Not very well youngest 62 to 90. They have big personalities, they dance for free at the Tiki Goddess bar.
Em is now managing the Tiki Goddess Bar to help her Uncle Louie save the bar. She has not been on North shore for two long. the Hula Maidens sent her a plain ticket and said her uncle was losing his mind. Em just got through a divorce. She flirts with Roland.
Roland is a murder detective and on the side dances with fire swords. He is suspicious of two deaths in the same hula group. No evidence just a hunch. He asks Em to get the Hulu Maidens register for a completion and go and listen around see if she over hears anything.
Their is one scene right before the Hulu Maidens go on to perform when Em accuses someone of poisoning another person and she starts to run so Em gets in a fight soon the Maidens join in and a group from Japan are all fighting on stage. I was laughing so hard in that scene.
I hope their is plenty more books with Em and the Hula Maidens. This was a clean read.
Two to Mango is a funny story, cozy mystery. Most of the characters are over the top. If you like your murder mystery on the funny side then read this series. I have read all three of them now and could not put the books down. Had to know what crazy things the Hula Maidens were up to now.
The Hula Maidens are a group of senior citizens who dance hulu. Not very well youngest 62 to 90. They have big personalities, they dance for free at the Tiki Goddess bar.
Em is now managing the Tiki Goddess Bar to help her Uncle Louie save the bar. She has not been on North shore for two long. the Hula Maidens sent her a plain ticket and said her uncle was losing his mind. Em just got through a divorce. She flirts with Roland.
Roland is a murder detective and on the side dances with fire swords. He is suspicious of two deaths in the same hula group. No evidence just a hunch. He asks Em to get the Hulu Maidens register for a completion and go and listen around see if she over hears anything.
Their is one scene right before the Hulu Maidens go on to perform when Em accuses someone of poisoning another person and she starts to run so Em gets in a fight soon the Maidens join in and a group from Japan are all fighting on stage. I was laughing so hard in that scene.
I hope their is plenty more books with Em and the Hula Maidens. This was a clean read.
November 7, 2015
A cozy/beach mystery read that you can finish in less than a day if you wanted to. It's a very light read, what I call fluff, but engaging & put-downable so if you're busy or working on something, you won't feel too bad when you have to put it down & read it another day. I read it for the simple fact Jill Marie Landis' books are relaxing bedtime fare for me. This book doesn't require too many brain cells to keep track of the plot, the characters, the mystery, or the criminal himself, but it will keep you guessing if you don't pay too much attention to the subtle clues. (If you do pay attention, the perp can be "known" about one-third into the book.) This 2nd book in the series picks up a few weeks after the first one. What I loved in this book is that the story now brought the disparate characters in the first book closer together, so that they're like one big family now getting along with each other & sticking up for each other like all families do. And as with the first book, it has alcoholic beverage recipes at the end that are great!
December 21, 2013
TWO TO MANGO takes us into the world of competitive hula dancing, with hilarious and disastrous results. Em Johnson, who manages her Uncle Louis bar, the Tiki Goddess, gets drawn back into detecting after two members of the same Kauai dance troop end up dead. Both deaths appear to be from natural causes, but local detective Roland Sharpe thinks otherwise. He asks Em to take the bar's resident dance troop, the Hula Maidens undercover by entering the the Kukui Nut Festival's hula competition. Problem is, the Maidens came in dead last the last time they entered, so they're not eager to compete again, esp. after Lillian's recent wardrobe malfunction.
Opening line: "Thanks to you and your nipple, Lillian, we'll never dance in this town again."
Very enjoyable and funny mystery. Read on my Kindle.
Opening line: "Thanks to you and your nipple, Lillian, we'll never dance in this town again."
Very enjoyable and funny mystery. Read on my Kindle.
March 23, 2013
As always Jill Marie Landis delivers another entertaining book.
Two to Mango is the latest one.
I love the Hula Maidens and their escapades!
You never know what they will be doing next. Kiki's mind works faster than a speeding bullet.
No matter what the event, Kiki finds a way to get the Hula Maidens involved including a memorial service.
I recommend you grab a tropical beverage (my choice would be a MaiTai) sit back in your favorite lounge chair
and enjoy the latest murder investigation that Em, Kiki, Uncle Louie and the rest of the gang at the Tiki Goddess
manage to get themselves involved in.
Two to Mango is the latest one.
I love the Hula Maidens and their escapades!
You never know what they will be doing next. Kiki's mind works faster than a speeding bullet.
No matter what the event, Kiki finds a way to get the Hula Maidens involved including a memorial service.
I recommend you grab a tropical beverage (my choice would be a MaiTai) sit back in your favorite lounge chair
and enjoy the latest murder investigation that Em, Kiki, Uncle Louie and the rest of the gang at the Tiki Goddess
manage to get themselves involved in.
May 24, 2013
"Two to Mango" is Jill Marie Landis’ second book from her Tiki Goddess series. The series is set on Kauai, Hawaii. Since I was in a funky mood, I decided to read the second book of this cozy mystery series, since I had just finished the first book, and this is a continuation of the series.
As was the first book this is a book filled with quirky characters, especially the Hula Maidens and Uncle Louie and his pet macaw, David Letterman. It was a fast moving story, not a lot of thinking to figure out who was behind the murders. I didn't think it was a good as the first book in the series, "Mai Tai One On," but I enjoyed it enough to award it 4****. This book is part of my Nook Library.
As was the first book this is a book filled with quirky characters, especially the Hula Maidens and Uncle Louie and his pet macaw, David Letterman. It was a fast moving story, not a lot of thinking to figure out who was behind the murders. I didn't think it was a good as the first book in the series, "Mai Tai One On," but I enjoyed it enough to award it 4****. This book is part of my Nook Library.
May 19, 2014
Unless Jill Marie Landis really biffs a story, her books will always get a five star rating from me. There is just something magical about a book written by your kindergarten teachers as an adult. :)
That being said, this was an enjoyable, relaxing installment in the mystery series set in Kauai. Need an escape to a Tiki bar with memorable characters, then pull up an easy chair and relax. I love the characters and the setting. I always crave mai tai's while reading this series ... expected? LOL
That being said, this was an enjoyable, relaxing installment in the mystery series set in Kauai. Need an escape to a Tiki bar with memorable characters, then pull up an easy chair and relax. I love the characters and the setting. I always crave mai tai's while reading this series ... expected? LOL
March 22, 2013
This book was a real disappointment. It is the second in a series, but the first that I have read. The premise is so good: an older group of hula dancers with some quirky members get involved in murder investigations with the manager of a tiki bar in Hawaii. It turned out to be bad slapstick with the "dancers" drinking constantly and not able to actually remember and perform a dance. All of the characters were shallow and there was no personality to the book. No more of this series for me.
August 12, 2012
This is the 2nd book in this series, which is definitely a Janet Evanovich Stephanie Plum knock off...and a bad one at that. I looked to see that I gave the first book, which was 2 stars. This one only 1 star; more dumb than funny. I don't think I will bother with the 3rd book that comes out next year.
June 26, 2012
Snorted and guffawed my way through the Hula Maidens and the Rhino convention as one hula master is struck dead after another. Fistacuffs, rum guzzling and very bad hula run rampant in this light and breezy Hawaiian mystery. Good enough to put some tropics in a rainy day -- or a very long plane ride.
January 16, 2013
I narrated this title. I just love this series. This is book two and there are the same characters, but now with more backstory and history. And in this piece, the Hula Madiens enter a hula competition where, of course, MURDER happens. This is a cozy story set in Hawaii. Perfect for cold weather. The book even inspired me to host an February Luau at home...without the poison of course.
May 2, 2013
Enjoyable second installment of this series, though not as much immediate danger as the first. Still, funny situations and lovable characters abound. I'm not sure why there are so many typos, though; it was pretty ridiculous since it doesn't seem to be self-published and should have had an editor. Nonetheless, I'm looking forward to book 3.
July 3, 2013
This is a fun and funny story set in Kaui at the Tiki Goddess Bar owned by Uncle Louie and his niece Em. The Hula Maidens and the Hawaiian Flaming Knife throwing Detective Roland Sharpe are all terrific characters. There's another mystery to solve. I laughed out loud in this book # 2 in this series. I plan on reading Book #3 next.
July 16, 2013
This was a fun change of pace after the last book. Not a book to be taken seriously nor one that takes itself seriously. Just a fun book with a mystery that you don't know the "who dun it" answer until nearly the end. Yes, there's love interest and some very funny elder hula dancers. A drunk bird tops it all off. As I said, just fun.
February 6, 2013
I adore this wacky mystery series featuring an over-the-hill hula troupe and set in a tiki bar on Kauai's north shore. I've spend many happy days in Princeville and Hanalei, and this series really brings them back.
December 16, 2012
I love this series, this is second in the her tiki goddess series. You'll love Em, Uncle Louie and he crazy. But love able hula maidens., I highly recommend this series, for a good mystery and a lot of laughs at the maidens !
Displaying 1 - 30 of 59 reviews