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Trouble in Paradise #2
Kauai Temptations
alternate cover edition for ASIN B00FW79VEM
Wilson McKenna never wrote a bad check in his life. So how did he end up with $4,000 in returned checks on an island he’s never been to? He knows one thing, make that two, the bank wants their money, and he’s going to Kauai to track down the crook who stole his checks. Before you can say “welcome to the island,” he’s almost arrested for impersonating himself, the woman who trashed his credit turns up dead, and McKenna feels like he’s up to his ‘umi’umi in hot lava.
Too late, McKenna realizes that some temptations can get you killed.
Wilson McKenna never wrote a bad check in his life. So how did he end up with $4,000 in returned checks on an island he’s never been to? He knows one thing, make that two, the bank wants their money, and he’s going to Kauai to track down the crook who stole his checks. Before you can say “welcome to the island,” he’s almost arrested for impersonating himself, the woman who trashed his credit turns up dead, and McKenna feels like he’s up to his ‘umi’umi in hot lava.
Too late, McKenna realizes that some temptations can get you killed.
- GenresMystery
264 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 13, 2013
32 people are currently reading
194 people want to read
About the author
Terry Ambrose
35 books316 followersTerry Ambrose started out skip tracing and collecting money from deadbeats and quickly learned that liars come from all walks of life. He never actually stole a car, but sometimes hired big guys with tow trucks and a penchant for working in the dark when “negotiations” failed.
A resident of Southern California, he loves spending time in Hawaii, especially on the Garden Island of Kauai, where he invents lies for others to read. His years of chasing deadbeats taught him many valuable life lessons including—always keep your car in the garage.
A resident of Southern California, he loves spending time in Hawaii, especially on the Garden Island of Kauai, where he invents lies for others to read. His years of chasing deadbeats taught him many valuable life lessons including—always keep your car in the garage.
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
December 2, 2013
I'm always amazed at Terry Ambrose's ability to combine mystery, suspense and excellent humor in his books. Wilson McKenna wants to find out who stole his identity and, at the same time, turn the whole incident into a lucrative newspaper story. Along the way he has to resist the temptation of hot women, deal with a few murders, face near death himself and unravel a wickedly complicated romantic intrigue.
How can one be serious about murders and life threatening situations when one is laughing all the time? McKenna is such a realistic character with his incredibly funny inner dialogue, his knack for saying exactly the wrong thing at the wrong time and his preoccupation with good looking women. That Wilson McKenna is an older guy with some of the problems of an aging person and not a hot, young buck, makes him a unique and extremely likable hero. The warnings that he receives from his friend, Alexander's, long dead ancestor, brings a touch of the paranormal to this book.
Apart from the main character's humoristic disposition, the author writes his dialogue, as well as scenes that are supposed to be serious, in such a way that one feels like smiling all the time.
The other characters in the story are colorful, well fleshed out and, above all, realistic. Add to this a car with a name and a personality and this book is a highly entertaining read from start to finish.
Despite the humor in “Kauai Temptations”, the suspense is definitely of the edge-of-your-chair, nailbiting variety, especially towards the end of the story. Descriptions of scenery and places on Kauai makes this book come to life as few other mysteries do.
I highly recommend this gripping, hilariously funny page turner and give it a standing ovation and five well deserved stars. (Ellen Fritz)
How can one be serious about murders and life threatening situations when one is laughing all the time? McKenna is such a realistic character with his incredibly funny inner dialogue, his knack for saying exactly the wrong thing at the wrong time and his preoccupation with good looking women. That Wilson McKenna is an older guy with some of the problems of an aging person and not a hot, young buck, makes him a unique and extremely likable hero. The warnings that he receives from his friend, Alexander's, long dead ancestor, brings a touch of the paranormal to this book.
Apart from the main character's humoristic disposition, the author writes his dialogue, as well as scenes that are supposed to be serious, in such a way that one feels like smiling all the time.
The other characters in the story are colorful, well fleshed out and, above all, realistic. Add to this a car with a name and a personality and this book is a highly entertaining read from start to finish.
Despite the humor in “Kauai Temptations”, the suspense is definitely of the edge-of-your-chair, nailbiting variety, especially towards the end of the story. Descriptions of scenery and places on Kauai makes this book come to life as few other mysteries do.
I highly recommend this gripping, hilariously funny page turner and give it a standing ovation and five well deserved stars. (Ellen Fritz)
October 19, 2013
McKenna is back in this humorous mystery to solve another crime. This time it's more personal, because McKenna is the victim. When McKenna's bank calls asking about a slew of bad checks written from his account, he realizes his identity has been stolen. If he leaves it to the cops, his case will likely sit and fester, and never be solved, so McKenna decides to take action and find out for himself who the identity thief is.
His quest for answers lead him to the exotic location of Kauai, an island he's never visited before. Almost as soon as he arrives, the trouble starts, beginning with Buster, an old banger supposed to get him around the island, but only if he treats her nicely. The mystery deepens when he finds the culprit of the theft and learns she is already dead. Contrary to the local police, McKenna isn't convinced it was an accident and refuses to let it go. As he digs in deeper, he finds there is a lot more to it than a simple case of a few stolen checks.
The pace of the story is swift. Kauai Temptations is filled with interesting characters and combines a serious problem faced by many with the even more serious crime of murder. There is plenty of suspense and a wonderful island flavor in the book.
His quest for answers lead him to the exotic location of Kauai, an island he's never visited before. Almost as soon as he arrives, the trouble starts, beginning with Buster, an old banger supposed to get him around the island, but only if he treats her nicely. The mystery deepens when he finds the culprit of the theft and learns she is already dead. Contrary to the local police, McKenna isn't convinced it was an accident and refuses to let it go. As he digs in deeper, he finds there is a lot more to it than a simple case of a few stolen checks.
The pace of the story is swift. Kauai Temptations is filled with interesting characters and combines a serious problem faced by many with the even more serious crime of murder. There is plenty of suspense and a wonderful island flavor in the book.
October 13, 2013
This was my first book with this author and it was simply wonderful. This is a McKenna Mystery and wow I loved this kind of mystery especially the subject it concerned. This is a book that if you love to read mystery this has to be on your to be read list.
August 10, 2023
After reading Photo Finish (book 1), I was ready to see what happened next to apartment manager/freelance writer-- 63 year old Wilson McKenna. When he receives overdraft notices from his bank to the tune of $4,ooo, he travels to Kauai to do some investigating. What starts off as identity theft, morphs into a search for the killer of an identity stealing junkie. One line in the book that I especially liked was, "I think I've also qualified for a Honolulu restroom frequent flyer card." This story had enough twists and turns, surprises, and danger to keep me turning the pages to see what would happen next. This book is well written and I enjoyed it.
January 5, 2024
This is a well-plotted and very engaging mystery. I loved the main character and all of the references to Kauai (sites/culture/customs/language).
I appreciated the fact that the detective is (late) middle-aged. I'm in my late fifties, and this made the main character particularly fun and relatable.
I appreciated the fact that the detective is (late) middle-aged. I'm in my late fifties, and this made the main character particularly fun and relatable.
November 19, 2023
Mckenna
This book was intriguing and amusing. Even though McKenna isn't a police detective, he did an great job of getting to the bottom of the ID theft as well as murder. He also managed to avoid getting himself killed.
This book was intriguing and amusing. Even though McKenna isn't a police detective, he did an great job of getting to the bottom of the ID theft as well as murder. He also managed to avoid getting himself killed.
August 10, 2024
Loved the main character for his impulsive blurts that dig a deeper grave. The surfing scene is laugh-out-loud hilarious. I finished this book after leaving Kauai, and the sense of place is excellent. The plot is secondary to the McKenna character and the setting. I would read others in this series. The author has written other series as well, and I would give those a read.
January 20, 2025
a thrilling read
This was a fun and thrilling story. I liked the characters Most of the characters were charming or terrifying. or some were typically unbelievable that they couldn’t see what was coming.
This was a fun and thrilling story. I liked the characters Most of the characters were charming or terrifying. or some were typically unbelievable that they couldn’t see what was coming.
January 22, 2018
Great read!
Loving this McKenna series! Mr. Ambrose writes from first person perspective very well. Great character development, good knowledge of cultural nuances.
Loving this McKenna series! Mr. Ambrose writes from first person perspective very well. Great character development, good knowledge of cultural nuances.
January 28, 2020
One of his finest mysteries.
October 8, 2014
KAUAI TEMPTATIONS starts when Wilson McKenna in Hawaii finds his account seriously overdrawn. After talking to bank officials it transpires that the lady who previously rang claiming to be from the bank, had asked him for his social security number, to confirm who she was speaking to. McKenna had given the fraudster all she needed. His new chequebook had been stolen from the post and the thieves wrote cheques for large amounts.
More than 400 such cases occur on the tropical islands each year, and identity theft is a fifty billion dollar a year crime. However the bank isn't concerned. After all, McKenna handed out personal data without checking. Now he will have bad debts, bad credit rating, legal consequences. McKenna writes for a local newspaper, and he decides to investigate. "Everyone wants revenge, when something like this happens," his boss tells him, "but it's too dangerous."
I had already got to like the infuriated McKenna. In short order he tells us that he needs a celiac diet, manages apartments, used to work skip tracing in LA, and he feels that his brain has gone rusty with easy living. A young woman has ordered electronic goods on his account at a store. He decides to make personal contact with the crook. Hawaii PD have been chasing the fraudsters and tell him to stay out of it. Then the temporary post office employee who stole the cheques is found dead. I just had to keep reading.
The large characters and description of life on the islands make this a well-rounded crime story in a fun setting. There's some footslogging and an ending full of tension and drama. I recommend that you buy Kerry Ambrose's latest book in the McKenna Mystery series and stay alert for fraudsters.
More than 400 such cases occur on the tropical islands each year, and identity theft is a fifty billion dollar a year crime. However the bank isn't concerned. After all, McKenna handed out personal data without checking. Now he will have bad debts, bad credit rating, legal consequences. McKenna writes for a local newspaper, and he decides to investigate. "Everyone wants revenge, when something like this happens," his boss tells him, "but it's too dangerous."
I had already got to like the infuriated McKenna. In short order he tells us that he needs a celiac diet, manages apartments, used to work skip tracing in LA, and he feels that his brain has gone rusty with easy living. A young woman has ordered electronic goods on his account at a store. He decides to make personal contact with the crook. Hawaii PD have been chasing the fraudsters and tell him to stay out of it. Then the temporary post office employee who stole the cheques is found dead. I just had to keep reading.
The large characters and description of life on the islands make this a well-rounded crime story in a fun setting. There's some footslogging and an ending full of tension and drama. I recommend that you buy Kerry Ambrose's latest book in the McKenna Mystery series and stay alert for fraudsters.
November 15, 2013
Identity theft, frightening. You hear about it in the news, but you never think you will be a victim. What if you were, how would you handle it? The police see it all too often, so they can seem calloused. You on the other hand feel violated and want to get things resolved very quickly. So you begin your own investigation. Uh-oh, more to this than meets the eye, more involved than just you for “One thing”, it’s multiple. Then you find out…Murder too! Wilson McKenna tries to leave everything to the local police. However, he is a journalist so why can’t he at least investigate so he gets his story and identity back at the same time. Win-win right?!
The story moved slowly at first as McKenna is not your usual exciting gumshoe type, yet picked up quickly and moved steadily along with twists and turns keeping you guessing and accusing suspects all along. Of course the police wanted him to stay out of it and go home. Motivated by personal gain McKenna is unable to comply and so the story continues to keep you moving and wondering until the very end. I enjoyed reading this book for a couple of reasons. It is a very interesting way to understand the machinations of identity theft and what happens in investigations. But mostly, the twists in this one made for a very enjoyable and fun pastime. I await the author’s next book!
I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
The story moved slowly at first as McKenna is not your usual exciting gumshoe type, yet picked up quickly and moved steadily along with twists and turns keeping you guessing and accusing suspects all along. Of course the police wanted him to stay out of it and go home. Motivated by personal gain McKenna is unable to comply and so the story continues to keep you moving and wondering until the very end. I enjoyed reading this book for a couple of reasons. It is a very interesting way to understand the machinations of identity theft and what happens in investigations. But mostly, the twists in this one made for a very enjoyable and fun pastime. I await the author’s next book!
I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
February 4, 2016
What if you were a skip tracer writing about a skip tracer who is trying to find out who stole his identity. Piece of cake, right? Then people start getting killed and the local police don’t want you butting in and … I did enjoy revisiting Kauai and wish I had a long dead grandfather like Kimu to warn me about upcoming problems. If only I would listen! I enjoyed this book very much. I especially like the fact that I didn’t need an outline to help keep track of the characters. That helped the story line move smoothly.
If Wilson McKenna had a copy of a Milepost for Hawaii, he might have got around a little easier. On the other hand, if he had been a little more careful with his personal information, he might not have been driving Buster around Kauai. It is obvious that Terry Ambrose knows the Hawaiian Islands and also knows what a skip tracer does. I don't know that a novice like McKenna should have taken on the job though.
I thoroughly enjoyed revisiting Kauai and Spouting Horn and the road that goes around the Island - sort of. I also enjoyed McKenna and his ketchup covered leg as he tried to find out who stole his identity. I highly recommend this book for anyone who enjoys mystery, revenge, travel, and true friends.
If Wilson McKenna had a copy of a Milepost for Hawaii, he might have got around a little easier. On the other hand, if he had been a little more careful with his personal information, he might not have been driving Buster around Kauai. It is obvious that Terry Ambrose knows the Hawaiian Islands and also knows what a skip tracer does. I don't know that a novice like McKenna should have taken on the job though.
I thoroughly enjoyed revisiting Kauai and Spouting Horn and the road that goes around the Island - sort of. I also enjoyed McKenna and his ketchup covered leg as he tried to find out who stole his identity. I highly recommend this book for anyone who enjoys mystery, revenge, travel, and true friends.
October 15, 2013
If you like a good murder mystery, especially one set in paradise (i.e. Hawaii), you're going to really like this one. The plot of Terry Ambrose's new novel, Kauai Temptations, reminded me of a movie I saw not long ago starring Jason Bateman. Bateman's character has his identity stolen, so he decides to go after the thief and bring her (yes, a female) back to make things right at home. Ambrose's protagonist, Wilson McKenna, is faced with the same scenario. However, McKenna's identity thief, also female, is dead when he finally finds her. Written from McKenna's point of view, the story is fast-paced and entertaining. He's brash, opinionated, definitely not the kind of person who's backing down from all out pursuit. Because of that, he gets himself into a real jam, which makes for a pretty thrilling and thoroughly exciting ending. If you like Hawaii, there's an extra bonus here in that the author knows the place, and his descriptions are spot on. You'll feel like you've just had a vacation there when you've finished, albeit one with a certain amount of angst.
October 18, 2013
Wilson McKenna, former skip tracer and sometimes feature writer, has a problem. His identity’s been stolen and his credit is shot.
The cops log the incident, but justice is a pipe-dream in cases like these.
McKenna takes the insult personally and decides to write up the story for a newspaper article. Since his stolen checks were spent on Kauai, he hops a plane from Oahu to stay with a friend’s cousin on the Garden Isle.
With a little digging, he locates the culprit, only she’s dead. The Kauai police view her death as nothing unusual, just another druggie who blew up in a home meth lab. McKenna isn’t convinced it’s so usual.
He follows his nose straight to the heart of the ID theft ring and nearly loses his life in the process.
Another solid effort from mystery author Terry Ambrose. A lot of sleuthing and a lot of island atmosphere. I can’t wait to see what trouble McKenna will get into next time. Aloha.
The cops log the incident, but justice is a pipe-dream in cases like these.
McKenna takes the insult personally and decides to write up the story for a newspaper article. Since his stolen checks were spent on Kauai, he hops a plane from Oahu to stay with a friend’s cousin on the Garden Isle.
With a little digging, he locates the culprit, only she’s dead. The Kauai police view her death as nothing unusual, just another druggie who blew up in a home meth lab. McKenna isn’t convinced it’s so usual.
He follows his nose straight to the heart of the ID theft ring and nearly loses his life in the process.
Another solid effort from mystery author Terry Ambrose. A lot of sleuthing and a lot of island atmosphere. I can’t wait to see what trouble McKenna will get into next time. Aloha.
October 22, 2013
This was the first book I'd read by Terry Ambrose. It took me a little while to get into the story, due to the 'hero'. I didn't really like him. He's a former skip tracer, so I wasn't expecting the cranky slightly whiney curmudgeon. His buddy and his buddy's aunt are great. I even liked the temperamental car the aunt loaned him.
Once the story started moving along, I enjoyed it. Having been to Kauai some years ago, I was looking forward to 're-visiting' the island. I enjoyed the descriptions and would have welcomed more, but the location really wasn't what the story was about. The lead's identity had been stolen and he wanted it back! The story was set up nicely. The clues laid out subtly. Several murders and several red herrings later, the ending arrived with a couple of interesting twists.
Once the story started moving along, I enjoyed it. Having been to Kauai some years ago, I was looking forward to 're-visiting' the island. I enjoyed the descriptions and would have welcomed more, but the location really wasn't what the story was about. The lead's identity had been stolen and he wanted it back! The story was set up nicely. The clues laid out subtly. Several murders and several red herrings later, the ending arrived with a couple of interesting twists.
August 13, 2016
It was great to have McKenna back in this sequel to Photo Finish.
Terry Ambrose has a great storytelling ability and introduces some new characters, including a car named Buster.
Terry kept the main character, Mr. McKenna, front and center as he so deserves and I found myself once again giggling at his thought processing, vocabulary, and his antics.
I particularly loved McKenna thinking someone's facial hair had magical powers..."Maybe they were magic memory hairs--when stroked they'd trigger his photographic memory. Did he need a chant? Something like, "Oh, Magic Hair, put my memory there."" (Good fun)
You will enjoy this book and enjoy traveling with McKenna to the island of Kauai to investigate who stole his identity as he becomes victim to thieves that drain his bank account.
Terry Ambrose has a great storytelling ability and introduces some new characters, including a car named Buster.
Terry kept the main character, Mr. McKenna, front and center as he so deserves and I found myself once again giggling at his thought processing, vocabulary, and his antics.
I particularly loved McKenna thinking someone's facial hair had magical powers..."Maybe they were magic memory hairs--when stroked they'd trigger his photographic memory. Did he need a chant? Something like, "Oh, Magic Hair, put my memory there."" (Good fun)
You will enjoy this book and enjoy traveling with McKenna to the island of Kauai to investigate who stole his identity as he becomes victim to thieves that drain his bank account.
October 16, 2013
This is the second book that I have read by Terry Ambrose. I really loved License to Lie. It is definitely a "can't put down book". Kauai Temptations is equally as wonderful. I feel like I know all the characters and am a little in love with McKenna. This covers stolen identity, which is close to my heart as my son's identity was stolen a few years ago. However, this turns into murder and thankfully that did not occur in our situation. Terry has a great sense of humour which comes out beautifully in his writing. I think that the funniest character has to be CJ. An absolute must read.
Judy van RynKauai Temptations
Judy van RynKauai Temptations
October 22, 2013
Journalist and former skip tracer Wilson McKenna isn’t happy when someone steals his identity and writes checks on his account. Determined to find the culprit, he starts on a trail that leads to murder, passion, and betrayal. Can he stop the ring of identity thieves as well as find a killer? Putting his own life in jeopardy, McKenna risks everything to stay one step ahead of the police and determine who ended a young woman’s life. Justice must be served, and McKenna is the man to see it through. Against a backdrop of lush Hawaiian scenery, McKenna tracks the bad guys while readers revel in the details of life in paradise. But even paradise has its problems, as you’ll see when you hop aboard this twisty ride. Kauai Temptations is a solid mystery with a satisfying conclusion.
June 16, 2014
The title intrigued me enough to tempt me to read this book however it took a while to get me hooked. By chapter three I was curious to see how the story was going to evolve. I enjoyed Kauai Temptations and liked the plot twists along the way though did feel that McKenna jumped to some slightly improbable conclusions at times. I struggled a little to warm to him - his constant need to relieve himself and a propensity to fantasise about Kari, a girl young enough to be his granddaughter also irritated me, though I think these things are pretty typical of men of a certain age. I felt a strong urge to throttle him at times. While I found this book quite enjoyable I think it is probably more likely to appeal to a male audience.
May 6, 2014
What made me decide to read this book was the title. We spent a vacation on Kauai many years ago and I only have great memories of that beutiful island. Ambrose does indeed catch the ambience very well. McKenna is an intriguing character and, on the one hand, I can see myself looking forward to reading other books starring him as the detective. The writng style did impede my enjoyment a bit. The author's attempt to catch the island "dialect" seemed to me to be a bit stilted and there were quite a number of passages that did not flow as well as they should have. That said, I can recommend this book to anyone looking for a fun, light read with wonderful scenery as the backdrop.
October 15, 2013
McKenna is back, and this time he's a victim of identity theft--which totally infuriates him since he knows better. McGenna's not a young stud, but he still enjoys a look at the ladies. He's got dietary issues--no gluten--and typical ailments of the "over 60" set, but nothing stops him when he's determined to figure out who stole his identity, and the author does it all with a sense of humor. And, in addition, you'll get a vicarious trip to the islands as you follow McKenna on his quest. It's a fun book, with a lesson for us all.
October 16, 2013
Wilson McKenna is an unlikely hero, with his quirky personality and self-deprecating mannerisms, who quickly became a friend to root for. The timely topic of identity theft and the mystery hook drew me in right away. McKenna's sense of humor and witty comments had me laughing out loud as he faced one complication after another. The unexpected plot twists kept me guessing until the very satisfying ending. Kauai Temptations is a well-written mystery pleasantly spiced with the unique flavor of island life.
December 6, 2013
5 stars! Because McKenna cracks me up! Here's a guy who thinks if he retires to Hawaii, all his troubles will be over. But paradise, as most of us who've chased it know--ain't necessarily so. McKenna isn't brave, tough or handsome, he's just a guy who doesn't like being taken advantage of. And besides, digging for the truth is part of his job, or was, as a skip-tracer. And McKenna always get the perp. Well written mystery, humorous, and very atmospheric of Hawaii--sigh. Highly recommended.
January 30, 2016
This was great fun! I loved the setting, and while I am not in Kauai, I am currently vacationing in Maui, which is why I picked this as one of my beach reads. The theme of the mystery is identity theft, which unfortunately I can also relate to. The author does a really good job of creating and flushing out interesting characters and uses humor to good effect throughout the book. I will absolutely be reading more in this series.
October 15, 2013
This is the first book I've ever read by this author and I enjoyed it immensely. It started out as a identity theft mystery, then moved on to murder. It kept me guessing until the end and definitely had some humorous parts. I would recommend his book to anyone who loves a good murder mystery. I would definitely love to read more of his books.
April 23, 2017
Setting as Character
Kauai is the main character here, which works for me because I love the island. McKenna seems like a cross between a doofus and a real PI, his inner dialogue leaning heavily toward doofus. I enjoyed the mystery because it was just complicated enough and included well-developed characters. This book had some good editing, too, which I appreciated.
Kauai is the main character here, which works for me because I love the island. McKenna seems like a cross between a doofus and a real PI, his inner dialogue leaning heavily toward doofus. I enjoyed the mystery because it was just complicated enough and included well-developed characters. This book had some good editing, too, which I appreciated.
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews