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Surfing Detective Mystery #2
Wipeout!
“Delivering babies is not in my standard contract,” says Kai Cooke to his very pregnant client, Summer McDahl. Summer has hired the Surfing Detective with an unusual request: to prove her husband is dead. Corky McDahl wiped out on Christmas Eve in heavy surf at Waimea Bay and vanished. Now it’s February, Summer’s baby is soon due, and the P.I. finds himself on a twisted treasure hunt spanning three Hawaiian islands.
Did Corky pull off the most daring skip-trace ever? The answer turns out to be more complicated than the question would suggest, involving the islands’ big-wave riding and drug trafficking scenes, not to mention the competing claims of Corky’s two “widows.” Is Corky McDahl dead or alive? Though the “Surfing Detective” seems the last to know, his client gains a great deal more than her money paid for.
Did Corky pull off the most daring skip-trace ever? The answer turns out to be more complicated than the question would suggest, involving the islands’ big-wave riding and drug trafficking scenes, not to mention the competing claims of Corky’s two “widows.” Is Corky McDahl dead or alive? Though the “Surfing Detective” seems the last to know, his client gains a great deal more than her money paid for.
204 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 31, 2007
116 people are currently reading
402 people want to read
About the author
Chip Hughes
23 books26 followersChip Hughes learned to surf in San Diego in the late 1960s. He earned a Ph.D. in English at Indiana University in 1981 and taught American literature, film, writing, and popular fiction for nearly three decades at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa. His
non-fiction publications include two books on John Steinbeck and numerous essays and reviews.
An active member of the Private Eye Writers of America, Chip launched the Surfing Detective mystery series in 2004 with Murder on Moloka‘i. Since 2011 the series has been published exclusively by Slate Ridge Press.
When not working on the series, Chip enjoys walking and running with his wife and companion of thirty-five years, surfing with his buddy, practicing the piano, getting together with Porsche club friends, and hanging out with his golden retriever. He tries to live "green" with recycling, solar panels, and an electric car. He generally eats vegetarian. Chip and his wife split their time between homes in Hawai‘i and upstate New York.
non-fiction publications include two books on John Steinbeck and numerous essays and reviews.
An active member of the Private Eye Writers of America, Chip launched the Surfing Detective mystery series in 2004 with Murder on Moloka‘i. Since 2011 the series has been published exclusively by Slate Ridge Press.
When not working on the series, Chip enjoys walking and running with his wife and companion of thirty-five years, surfing with his buddy, practicing the piano, getting together with Porsche club friends, and hanging out with his golden retriever. He tries to live "green" with recycling, solar panels, and an electric car. He generally eats vegetarian. Chip and his wife split their time between homes in Hawai‘i and upstate New York.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews
July 29, 2015
Predictable
Good read, but was somewhat predictable. I found the use of Hawaiian terms or slang somewhat distracting. It was still entertaining.
Good read, but was somewhat predictable. I found the use of Hawaiian terms or slang somewhat distracting. It was still entertaining.
October 8, 2015
If you are obsessed with surfing, or wish to learn some Hawaiian, you may like this book. However, if you want a good action-packed mystery, or like quality writing, don't bother. Here's an exerpt:
"I seen dat board, brah", little Puka said. "Here at Waimea?" "Naw - where wuz it?" Puka thought for a minute. "Ehukai...? Sunset...?" "You remembah da guy - blon', green eyes...?" Nah, but da board - yeah. Sunset, da guy wuz surfing Sunset." Alika turned to the other two. "You know da guy?" "Nah," they both said. "But," bear-like Mapuna adjusted his giant frame on his slim board. "My frien' Ham tol' me he surf Waimea when da haole guy ate it."
And the dialogue goes on like that for several pages, like some Hawaiian Tarzan conversation, while the reader thinks "Wha...?", and the next chapter is even worse!
If you read my review and still want to read this book, I am a failure at book reviews, and I apologize to you if you end up spending money on this. Luckily, I got it free...whew!
"I seen dat board, brah", little Puka said. "Here at Waimea?" "Naw - where wuz it?" Puka thought for a minute. "Ehukai...? Sunset...?" "You remembah da guy - blon', green eyes...?" Nah, but da board - yeah. Sunset, da guy wuz surfing Sunset." Alika turned to the other two. "You know da guy?" "Nah," they both said. "But," bear-like Mapuna adjusted his giant frame on his slim board. "My frien' Ham tol' me he surf Waimea when da haole guy ate it."
And the dialogue goes on like that for several pages, like some Hawaiian Tarzan conversation, while the reader thinks "Wha...?", and the next chapter is even worse!
If you read my review and still want to read this book, I am a failure at book reviews, and I apologize to you if you end up spending money on this. Luckily, I got it free...whew!
July 6, 2010
One of the things that I did before this recent trip to Hawaii was search Amazon for "Hawaii" + "mystery" because I wanted to take along a book that had some Island flavor. I was surprised at the low number of matches -- there was a smattering of Charlie Chan books and a few young reader selections, but really there weren't many.
Then I spied "Wipeout" by Chip Hughes, part of his "surfing detective" series. Surfing detective? Yeah brah, sign me up.
So, I was a little surprised when the book was delivered -- it was tiny. Smaller than an old-school paperback and still only coming in at 200pp. Still, I was looking for a light mystery with local flair, and that's what I got.
Kai Cooke (the surfing detective) takes up the case of the search for a missing longboard surfer that disappeared and presumably drowned surfing the monster waves of Oahu's famous North Shore. There are shady characters and surfer characters and chases around the islands for clues. Kai's case is also tumbled around with his own personal life problems.
This is not a serious read by any stretch of the imagination, but it was fun. It was like an episode of "Magnum PI", you know if Magnum was a poor surf-dude instead of a rich playboy. Definitely a fun beach-read -- or in this case -- lanai read.
Then I spied "Wipeout" by Chip Hughes, part of his "surfing detective" series. Surfing detective? Yeah brah, sign me up.
So, I was a little surprised when the book was delivered -- it was tiny. Smaller than an old-school paperback and still only coming in at 200pp. Still, I was looking for a light mystery with local flair, and that's what I got.
Kai Cooke (the surfing detective) takes up the case of the search for a missing longboard surfer that disappeared and presumably drowned surfing the monster waves of Oahu's famous North Shore. There are shady characters and surfer characters and chases around the islands for clues. Kai's case is also tumbled around with his own personal life problems.
This is not a serious read by any stretch of the imagination, but it was fun. It was like an episode of "Magnum PI", you know if Magnum was a poor surf-dude instead of a rich playboy. Definitely a fun beach-read -- or in this case -- lanai read.
December 17, 2019
Two stars for exceptional descriptions of the environment, conditions, sights & sounds of large surf, and the author’s descriptions of the diversity of personalities, feelings, competitiveness, dangers and exhilaration of the select men & women who rides these waves. I found nothing else in this audiobook of value.
October 15, 2015
Captivating
Excellent read, very few explicit sex details. Did leave me hanging about Samantha and Corky and how Mr. Sun was so quickly arrested. Will read more of the author's books when or if they come down in price.
Excellent read, very few explicit sex details. Did leave me hanging about Samantha and Corky and how Mr. Sun was so quickly arrested. Will read more of the author's books when or if they come down in price.
December 3, 2014
A very fun read!
September 22, 2015
Solid sequel
Great sequel, Kai is a cool character. Very good story telling and book 2 seemed to be a little smoother than book 1.
Great sequel, Kai is a cool character. Very good story telling and book 2 seemed to be a little smoother than book 1.
March 1, 2020
I wanted to like this book but for some reason I just couldn't. I think it was because I didn't really like the main character, he seemed shallow. The setting was nice and I usually like books set in Hawaii because with all the tv programs set there It is easy to picture but the author kept using the Hawaiian names that ment nothing to me, I also had to really concentrate because he would start talking Hawaiian and I had to work out what they were saying (short abbreviated words). The mystery side was interesting and I did listen to the whole book to find out what happens but not sure if I would give another one of these books ago. Sorry.
Kai is the surfing detective and he is hired by a heavily pregnant woman to find her husband. He wiped out after riding the biggest ride of his life but with no dead body the life insurance company won't pay out. Can Kai find any answers? Looking into his life before his death Kai finds out that Corky wasn't acting normally and so starts an investigation that lead him on the trail of a stolen car, missing drugs and a second wife.
The narrator was okay but I didn't really like all the sound effects of the waves and at some points it nearly drowns out the narrator.
Kai is the surfing detective and he is hired by a heavily pregnant woman to find her husband. He wiped out after riding the biggest ride of his life but with no dead body the life insurance company won't pay out. Can Kai find any answers? Looking into his life before his death Kai finds out that Corky wasn't acting normally and so starts an investigation that lead him on the trail of a stolen car, missing drugs and a second wife.
The narrator was okay but I didn't really like all the sound effects of the waves and at some points it nearly drowns out the narrator.
April 18, 2020
Surfing, Hawaiian slang, and a PI
The Hawaiian slang can be quite distracting and hard to follow at times. The story is about a surfer who goes missing while riding a big wave. All the Surfers, who were there at the time, believe that Corky wiped out and is dead.
The story centers around a private investigator who's hired to prove Corky did die so that his wife can get the life insurance. If you're a surfer or you're from Hawaii then you might enjoy reading this mystery.
The Hawaiian slang can be quite distracting and hard to follow at times. The story is about a surfer who goes missing while riding a big wave. All the Surfers, who were there at the time, believe that Corky wiped out and is dead.
The story centers around a private investigator who's hired to prove Corky did die so that his wife can get the life insurance. If you're a surfer or you're from Hawaii then you might enjoy reading this mystery.
September 8, 2017
The detective who is surfing is surely one of the most interesting combinations about crime, where the plot is well written, the characters have a nice scheme and the most enjoyable part is the pidgin dialogues just like Hawaiians. The landscapes of Hawaii, the dark sides of the exotic "Paradise" and its people remind me the same feelings, that happens in Greece, the Mediterranean Paradise. Very nice story, hope to read more of this author's next books.
March 5, 2020
Corky wanted to make a name for himself surfing, taking out a large insurance policy and leaving a very pregnant wife at home. He also had other interests , expensive car, money, was he a missing surfer, or a disappearance, too many red flags. That was on Christmas Eve, just after sundown he wiped out, so not much light. Interesting case, you learn about wipe out means, and looking for clues, good enjoyable read.
August 1, 2019
The surfing detective is hired to prove a surfer did indeed die in a wipeout, by his heavily pregnant wife. Once he starts investigating, a simple case turns into a mystery involving drugs and a dangerous king pin. Nice book, but was lacking something in the final round up.
January 9, 2020
Of you want a geography lesson...
Then read this book. Whilst the story was intriguing there were too many constant references to where they were, where they were going, etc. Still, it was nice reading about the big waves.
Then read this book. Whilst the story was intriguing there were too many constant references to where they were, where they were going, etc. Still, it was nice reading about the big waves.
June 6, 2017
Good
this book is one that takes this p.I. all over the Hawaiian islands and the is not a murder but much more.
this book is one that takes this p.I. all over the Hawaiian islands and the is not a murder but much more.
July 7, 2017
Wipe out
This was a confusing story If I knew surfing jargon it would have helped. The characters were not very developed.
This was a confusing story If I knew surfing jargon it would have helped. The characters were not very developed.
March 1, 2017
This book definitely falls into the light reading category. Breezy and full of atmosphere, I found it fun if not exactly deep. It doesn't hurt that I grew up in a surfing area either.
June 14, 2014
Just take your time - wave comes. Let the other guys go, catch another one. - Duke Kahanamoku
WIPEOUT continues the sleuthing adventures of Kai Cooke, the Surfing Detective. A very pregnant client visits his office in Chinatown, Oahu, asking for Kai's help to find her missing husband, presumed dead after a a wipeout at Waimea Beach. The surfer's disappearance doesn't add up ... and neither does the wife's interest in finding him. Kai's investigation leads him to Oahu's North Shore, Maui's cowboy town, and Lanai's Shipwreck Beach. Tides come and tides go ... and Kai rides the waves to find the answer.
Hughes delivers another cozy mystery set in the Hawaiian Islands. He captures the exotic landscape that attracts tourists ... and the ugly underbelly of criminal activity that plagues paradise. This quick read will appeal to fans of Hawaiian life and surfing lingo.
I purchased a print copy of WIPEOUT for my reading pleasure.
WIPEOUT continues the sleuthing adventures of Kai Cooke, the Surfing Detective. A very pregnant client visits his office in Chinatown, Oahu, asking for Kai's help to find her missing husband, presumed dead after a a wipeout at Waimea Beach. The surfer's disappearance doesn't add up ... and neither does the wife's interest in finding him. Kai's investigation leads him to Oahu's North Shore, Maui's cowboy town, and Lanai's Shipwreck Beach. Tides come and tides go ... and Kai rides the waves to find the answer.
Hughes delivers another cozy mystery set in the Hawaiian Islands. He captures the exotic landscape that attracts tourists ... and the ugly underbelly of criminal activity that plagues paradise. This quick read will appeal to fans of Hawaiian life and surfing lingo.
I purchased a print copy of WIPEOUT for my reading pleasure.
October 13, 2010
I liked this book a lot. It was a lightweight mystery but better than most Hawaiian mysteries out there. I picked this up at Native Books in Ward Center. I hope Hughes writes more of his "Surfing Detective" novels. They are certainly a slice of Hawaiian life and it helps that the author actually lives there, lending authenticity to even mundane details.
Kai Cooke is a convincing hero...I'd like to see more books and perhaps a little more development to his stories.
Kai Cooke is a convincing hero...I'd like to see more books and perhaps a little more development to his stories.
October 6, 2015
I enjoyed this story quite a bit. The descriptions of surfing and the local Hawaiian dialect is what drew me to it. And not knowing anything about either, they seemed well done to me. However, after finishing, I do not like the main character. As the story progressed, I liked him less and less. There were a couple parts where his actions physically turned my stomach. I would like to check out more by this author, but definitely not this character.
March 18, 2016
Not as good as the first one I read. The language and culture are fun, the surfing details are interesting. The plot was rather boring; not a lot of tension or reason to care. I don't like how Jack is so quick to jump into bed with comparative strangers when he's in supposedly serious relationships. There were quite a few proofreading mistakes in this one, too. It felt like the author rushed to get the book out.
October 22, 2015
This was an excellent book. I love Hawaii so that drew me to the book. It is a good mystery, well written and it makes you feel like you are there with them. I enjoyed the book enough to get the other two in the series and am starting the first one now. I have been to Hawaii so could easily envision the story. This is number 2 in his series of the Surfing Detective. Very good read!
March 10, 2016
Good story, great locale.
Chip Hughes consistently delivers both a good story and great settings. I've never been to Hawaii, but his descriptions match those of my friends who have. Kai might not be the best detective around, but his instincts and perseverance carry him through. I enjoy this very laid back series and look forward to reading more about Kai.
Chip Hughes consistently delivers both a good story and great settings. I've never been to Hawaii, but his descriptions match those of my friends who have. Kai might not be the best detective around, but his instincts and perseverance carry him through. I enjoy this very laid back series and look forward to reading more about Kai.
April 3, 2011
This is part of a series although any of the books could be stand alone. It has a realistic ring, pace and an engaging main character. If you want to read mysteries set in Hawaii and enjoy surfing, watching or participating, this might be the series for you.
July 22, 2011
This is a surprisingly good surfing/detective novel. Surfer fakes his death on a big day at Waimea to avoid drug dealers. Or does he? His wife wants to know so she can collect on his life insurance. Waves are ridden. Short trips are taken from Oahu to outer islands.
October 7, 2015
Surfing around the Hawaiian islands.
Didn't really dig this one. Maybe if you are into the sport it would be more interesting but I don't even know what they're talking about when the different types of waves are mentioned.
Didn't really dig this one. Maybe if you are into the sport it would be more interesting but I don't even know what they're talking about when the different types of waves are mentioned.
October 18, 2015
I. Did not like the Hawaiian language. Took to long to read . And I always finish what I start .
Maybe the next book will be more interesting.....the ending was what I had expected looking forward to my good read claire
Maybe the next book will be more interesting.....the ending was what I had expected looking forward to my good read claire
November 22, 2015
Not For Me
I found Wipe out boring. The characters had no depth. The story was convoluted. I guess maybe detective stories, especially "surfer detective" stories are just not interesting to me.
I found Wipe out boring. The characters had no depth. The story was convoluted. I guess maybe detective stories, especially "surfer detective" stories are just not interesting to me.
July 10, 2010
Read this on the plane home from Hawaii (thin, light, easy to carry). Steve said it best - like an episode of Magnum PI. Nuff said.
October 1, 2013
What an enjoyable book! I grew up with Magnum PI and this book brought back some nostalgic memories... A flowing story, although the end was a little abrupt. Worth the read.
July 25, 2014
Very evocative of Hawaii. Good writing and atmosphere.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews