Waters of Destruction

An Orchid Isle Mystery #2

by Leslie Karst

Retired caterer Valerie Corbin investigates a suspicious drowning in this Orchid Isle cozy culinary mystery, featuring a feisty queer couple who swap surfing lessons for sleuthing sessions in tropical Hilo, Hawai‘i

After a vacation of a lifetime in Hilo, Hawai‘i, retired caterer Valerie Corbin and her wife Kristen have decided to move permanently to the beautiful – if storm-prone – Big Island. The couple are having fun furnishing their new house, exploring their new neighborhood and playing with their new little dog, Pua. But while they’ve made good friends with local restaurant manager Sachiko and her partner Isaac, they can’t help but feel a little lonely.

So when Sachiko begs Val to fill in for a member of her bar team who’s gone AWOL, Val dusts off her cocktail shaker and happily agrees. It’s a great chance to meet more people – and learn the local gossip.

Such as about Hank, the missing bartender, who vanished after a team-building retreat at a local beauty spot a week ago, and hasn’t been seen since. Until, that is, his body turns up at the bottom of the waterfall, and the police seem very interested in where Sachiko was at the time of his death.

Sachiko couldn’t have killed him . . . could she? Val dives into the murky waters of the case, determined to find out.

This mouth-watering cozy mystery is perfect for fans of Ellen Byron, Jennifer J Chow, Lucy Burdette and Raquel V Reyes, and includes a selection of delicious Hawaiian recipes to cook at home.

Genres: Mystery, LGBT, Cozy Mystery, Contemporary, Adult

213 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 1, 2025

About the author

Leslie Karst is the Agatha, Lefty, and Macavity Award-nominated author of the Orchid Isle Mysteries, the Sally Solari culinary mysteries; and the IBPA Benjamin Franklin and IPPY award silver medal-winning memoir JUSTICE IS SERVED: A TALE OF SCALLOPS, THE LAW, AND COOKING FOR RBG. After years waiting tables and singing in a new wave rock band, she decided she was ready for a “real” job and ended up at Stanford Law School. It was during her career as an attorney that Leslie rediscovered her youthful passion for food and cooking and once more returned to school—this time to earn a degree in culinary arts. Now retired from the law, in addition to writing, Leslie spends her time cooking, cycling, gardening, and observing cocktail hour promptly at five o’clock. She and her wife and their Jack Russell mix split their time between Hilo, Hawai‘i and Santa Cruz, California.

Reviews

[Lori Bonkoski · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the second book in this series set in Hawaii. The setting is amazing, the descriptions make you feel like you are there! A local bartender goes missing and Valerie is filling in. When the missing bartender turns up dead, Val is asked to help figure out what happened. While everyone at the restaurant seems to be a suspect, others could also have done it. Well plotted and a great read. The setting, the characters and the food all combine to make a good read!

[LORI CASWELL · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dollycas’s Thoughts

Valerie Corbin and her wife, Kristen, had such a wonderful vacation in Hilo, Hawai‘i they have moved permanently to the Big Island. They are still getting settled in their new house and meeting their neighbors. They are also enjoying their new puppy, Pua. They have become good friends with Sachiko, a local restaurant manager, and her partner Isaac, but they still want to meet more people and form more friendships. So, while Kristen is helping a woman add a deck to her home, Val agrees to step in to bartend for Sachiko since one of her bartenders has stopped showing up for his shifts.

The missing bartender, Hank, disappeared after a team-building event held at Boiling Pots with breathtaking waterfalls and pools of water. About a week later, his dead body was found at the bottom of a waterfall. Sachiko appears to be the prime suspect for his death. While Val hasn’t known her long, she can’t believe she’s a killer. Maybe her new bartending gig can help her find the real killer.

I was not a fan of Kristen in the first book in this series, Molten Death, because I wanted her to be more supportive of what Val was dealing with. I liked her better in this story. Her relationship with Val was much stronger. They were on the same page with things, so there was less tension. I liked that Val found an outlet she enjoyed working for Sachiko, and in doing so, readers are introduced to a wide variety of characters, several were suspects in Hank’s death.

The mystery was complex, and Ms. Karst dropped hints and clues throughout the whole story. Some things I discounted or didn’t take seriously came into play in the end. Val was one determined woman trying to piece all the clues together and solve the mystery. Kristen did step in to help a time or two. One time was incredibly funny. Val’s persistence did land her in some dire straits, though they confirmed she had pinpointed the right culprit. I appreciated that she worked with her new friend Amy, and that came into play for the takedown.

Ms. Karst uses “spelling and punctuation routinely employed currently in the Hawaiian Islands”, Hawaiian and Pidgin English. With this being the second book in the series, it was easy to slide right into the flow. To be helpful, she includes a glossary at the end of the book. She also includes several tempting recipes at the end of the book.

It has always been a dream of mine to travel to Hawai‘i, and someday I hope to fulfill that dream. Reading books like this one with the fabulous detailed descriptions used to be like mini vacays, now they add items to the list of places and things I want to see for myself.

Waters of Destruction was a very enjoyable getaway. The characters continue to grow, the mystery made me think, and the setting was idyllic. I am excited for this series to continue. I am ready to pack my bags for another trip to Hilo, Hawai‘i.

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. Thank you to the author, Severn House, and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC.

[Tammy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent book. The pacing is fast, but not too fast.
The characters are a lot of fun, and you can tell them all apart, there's no cookie cutter characters. The dialogue was a bit tricky sometimes, because of the Hawaiian slang, but not tricky enough you couldn't figure out what they were saying.
The setting at the restaurant was well described, which is good for someone who likes to visualize what they're reading about.
The clues and red herrings were well placed, because I didn't figure out the killer until the sleuth did. The ending was short, which I like. I don't want a huge, long, drawn out explanation.
A definite must read. Can't wait for the next one.

[Lianne (Old Lady Podcast) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great installment in Leslie Karst's Orchid Isle Mysteries. Leslie knows Hilo, so it makes it very fun to read about a place I know and love.

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley. After visiting Hilo Valerie and Kristen are retiring there. Val offers to help out when a bartender leaves their friend without his help. His body is found a couple of days later. Who can be responsible for this crime. Val continues helping out while Kristen is helping a lady with some building to keep her occupied. Val is trying to kind out who might have done this crime. They take up paddling with some ladies. the story leads us around to who could he or she be that and why?

[Jan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sixty-something Valerie (former caterer) and her wife Kristen (skilled carpenter) have retired from SoCal to Hilo but find the need to continue with being useful and are also interested in new activities. One of those is Valerie fill-in bartending at the local restaurant as the current one seems to have done a runner. Turns out she likes the job and the missing bartender was picked out of the ocean dead several days later. Let the investigating begin (and enjoy the travelogue, too)!
There is a lot of nomenclature and local Pidgin, so I would definitely recommend reading the glossary first, so you don't go down that rabbit hole like I did.
I requested and received a temporary uncorrected ebook file from Severn House via NetGalley. Avail Apr 01, 2025.
#WatersofDestruction by @lesliekarst #OrchidIsleMysteriesBk2 @severnhouseimprint
#cozymystery #murdermystery #NetGalley @goodreads @bookbub @librarythingofficial @barnesandnoble **** Review #booksamillion #bookshop_org #bookshop_org_uk #kobo #Waterstones #crimeFiction #contemporary #Hilo #outriggerRelayRaces #recipes #glossary

[Sandy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a well written mystery and I enjoyed the fact that it was set in Hawaii. It was nice to learn something about a place I’ve never been. Unfortunately I never felt any kind of connection with the main characters.

[Daniel · Rating 4 out of 5]

This review originally published in Looking For a Good Book. Rated 4.0 of 5

Valerie Corbin is a retired caterer and after a beautiful vacation in Hilo Hawai'i with her wife Kristen, the couple have decided to move to the 50th state permanently. Some of the fun in the move is getting to know their new neighborhood and they've become good friends with local restaurant manager, Sachiko, and her partner Isaac.

Knowing of Valerie's experience in the catering business, Sachiko asks if Valerie can fill in at the bar as one of the employees, Hank, has gone missing. Valerie enjoys the opportunity and gets to hear a lot of gossip about the area and the people in it.

When Hank's body is found at the base of a waterfall, the police's attention turns to Sachiko. Valerie can't believe that her new friend killed her own employee, but she's determined to learn the truth - diving right in to investigate where the police didn't think to look.

Not too long ago I read an article about some of the best mysteries to read with a Hawai'i setting. This, along with another book that I reviewed recently, were among that list.

Although I now see that this is the second book in a series, I never got any sense that I was missing anything important to the characters or the story. I suspect that there was more of Valerie and Kristen being visitors and falling in love with the island, but I don't feel like I need to know any of it.

The initial mystery is set up well. As mystery readers we know that Hank is going to be found dead before anyone in the book knows, so we're watching for signs of who might have 'dunnit' and there are some good suspects. I had a good idea of the guilty party (as I suspect author Leslie Karst craftily led me to) but of course was wrong.

The mystery is nicely done, but it's the characters and the setting that shine brightest here. Valerie is nicely fleshed out and comes across so real it's easy to forget that she's a fictional character. It's also easy to be more interested in her life in Hawai'i without solving a murder getting in the way.

What I appreciated the most was that Karst found a nice way to include Hawai'ian words and the Pidgeon dialect, helping us to feel as though we were there, without making it difficult to read. In the other Hawai'ian mystery (referenced above), the book was actually difficult to read as it attempted to be very authentic with the language. As a non-Hawai'ian, that had been extremely challenging and slowed my reading speed down and took me out of the story as I tried to comprehend the words. Here, Karst gives us the sense of the language so that we can enjoy the story.

This is a cozy mystery, which is not typically something I enjoy. But of course there are degrees of 'coziness' and this gets just a tiny bit more intense.

Overall, I found this quite an enjoyable mystery read and I'd be interested in reading more in the series.

Looking for a good book? Waters of Destruction by Leslie Karst is a mystery that takes the reader on a delightful adventure in Hawai'i.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.

[Karen Siddall · Rating 5 out of 5]

An intriguing murder mystery with an atmosphere-rich Hawai’ian setting!

Waters of Destruction is the second book in author Leslie Karst’s excellent and atmosphere-rich Orchid Isle Mystery series featuring two malahinis (newcomers) to Hilo, Hawai’i, retired transplants from Southern California, Valerie Corbin and her wife, Kristen. When one of the bartenders goes AWOL at the restaurant where she works, Sachiko asks Valerie, a former caterer, if she could fill in for a couple of nights until a permanent replacement is hired. But when the missing bartender is found dead, and Sachiko becomes the police’s number one suspect in his murder, Valerie agrees to snoop around among the restaurant staff for clues as to who really killed him.

Valerie and Kristen have made the big move to Hilo, bought a great old home, and are in the delightful process of outfitting the kitchen, locating the perfect pieces of furniture at garage sales, and generally settling into their new life. They are a fun couple with both common and divergent interests, and they are wonderfully adept at coordinating with each other. Since the murder in the previous book, Kristen has come to terms with Valerie’s interest in getting to the bottom of the mysteries, especially to help out their new friends.

The story is full of vibrant descriptions of the island and island life that are so vivid I felt I was seeing things firsthand, and I enjoyed the recipes featured after the story was over. I loved how the author included a glossary of the various Hawai’ian words and phrases that peppered the dialogue throughout the story at the end of the book. However, she did a great job with context or short explanations when a new word came up.

While the eventual victim is missing at the start of the book, it takes a while for his death to be discovered. In the meantime, the author cleverly introduces the staff at the restaurant where he worked and the members at the rowing club where he was competing for the position on the team for an upcoming race, while Valerie carefully prods them for their opinions about the man. Her questions are to the point, but she always strives to be low-key so as not to alarm anyone or keep from appearing too interested in the answers. I enjoyed how she finally came to the right conclusions, and the final face-to-face between her and the murderer was intense but, ultimately, successful. It pays to make friends. I look forward to this couple’s further adventures.

I recommend WATERS OF DESTRUCTION to cozy mystery readers, especially those who would enjoy a Hawai’ian setting or realistic LGBT representation.

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advanced Review Copy from the author through Great Escapes Virtual Book Tours.

[K.A. Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

WATERS OF DESTRUCTION is the second book in the Orchid Isle Mysteries by Leslie Karst. With the gorgeous setting and multi-cultures of the Big Island of Hawai’i as the backdrop, this newest release brings the reader a twisty murder to solve along with colorful characters to keep the story entertaining. Protagonist Valerie and her wife, Kristen, are a retired couple, newly moved to the island. I love that they’re women of a “certain” age, yet grab life with vitality and gusto. They are also extroverts, intent on creating new friends and social circles in their new home. The author accomplishes this by having the pair get involved in local activities, like learning how to paddle outrigger canoes. This also become a plotline in the mystery while, at the same time, I found the descriptions of the sport (and culture) intriguing. The beauty and wildness of the island is also brought to life on the pages and I doubt you can find a more perfect setting for a mystery!

When Valerie’s new friend, Sachiko, asks her to help at a local restaurant, bartending, she finds out it’s because one of the bartenders has disappeared. And when Sachiko is implicated in his murder, Valerie becomes involved in the investigation. I appreciated Kristen is much more supportive of Valerie’s investigating this time, and even tries to help find answers. Their questioning takes them out on the waves of the ocean to the rocky banks of a magnificent waterfall to friendly neighborhood bars. As they delve deeper into the background of the victim, it becomes apparent more than one person had issues with him. The plot moves at a pleasant pace and evokes the charm of island life. As the story unfolds, the clues drop into place and all my questions were answered. I greatly enjoyed my armchair trip to Hawai’i and the chance to hang out with wonderful characters!

Not only are there several (delicious) bonus recipes at the back of the book, but there is also a glossary of Hawaiian and Pidgin words and phrases. Ms. Karst captures the flavor of the island using vernacular to fit the characters, and I appreciated being able to reference the glossary for clarification when needed.

I was provided with an advance copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Carla · Rating 5 out of 5]

Waters of Destruction is the second book in An Orchid Isle Mystery series and I enjoyed this story a lot. Valerie and her wife Kristen, have moved to Hilo from California and are ready to enjoy their retirement. During a get together with Kristen's friend Isaac and his girlfriend Sachiko, she asks Valerie if she would be able to fill in as an emergency bartender until she can hire someone new. Hank, her previous bartender has gone AWOL and not been in for over a week. Valerie agrees, but shortly after starting, Hank's body is found in the Wailuku River. They come to the Gecko to talk to the staff and are particularly interested in an argument Hank and Sachiko had the night before he disappeared. Isaac knows that she would never have hurt anyone, so asks Valerie if she will see what she can find out while at work. She reluctantly agrees, but is worried when he tells her not to let Sachiko know.

Once again Valerie is investigating. She does a great job of asking questions and getting information without appearing to be no more than a nosy person. Besides the investigation, we see Valerie and Kristin settling in to their new home, meeting people, going to the market, cooking and drinking as taking up paddling as a new activity. Kristin is a retired construction carpenter, so to keep busy, she ends up helping a friend of Isaac put a lanai on her house. As busy as they seem to be, Valerie has no problem snooping around on the side. She always has lots of hypothesis, some seeming to be a bit off the wall, but it helps her to put the pieces together. One of her new friends is a police officer, not a detective, but she bounces ideas off of her. I thought I knew who the culprit was, but once again, I was incorrect. I figured out who it was at the same time as Valerie. The final showdown has her in danger, but having a cop as a friend, she had her back. This was an enjoyable story with great characters, a wonderful setting, a well written plot and a mystery that kept me guessing. I will definitely be watching for the next mystery set in Hilo with this fun group of people. Who knows, I might just get to Hilo again and visit all the places mentioned in this book.

[Cindy Crawford · Rating 4 out of 5]

In Waters of Destruction Valerie and her wife Kristin have just moved to Hilo, Hawai'i after vacationing there and solving a murder--covered in the first book of the series, Molten Death, which I haven't yet read. While they are still settling in, one of their new and only friends on the island asks Valerie to help out as a bartender. Sachiko is the manager of a restaurant, and her previous bartender has disappeared. Eager to find something to keep herself busy in her retirement, Valerie agrees. She soon finds herself entangled in another murder mystery when Hank, the missing bartender, turns up murdered and Sachiko is one of the prime suspects.

One of the things I liked about the book is the way Valerie and Kristin make new friends while investigating the murder. Valerie becomes involved with others at the restaurant, and both women join a paddling group to learn more about Hank's potential enemies there. Turns out Hank wasn't a great person, and more than one of his acquaintances had motive to kill him. But as they learn more about Hank, the two women also find themselves gaining new friends and hobbies.

The descriptions of Hilo and surrounding areas are wonderful, and on a gray wintry day just the thing to brighten up my own surrounding area!

While I did like all the new friends Valerie and Kristin were making, it was a little difficult to keep up with so many different characters. And sometimes the hinted at complications or issues with the characters sort of fizzled out--I know a good mystery has to have red herrings, but maybe there were just a few too many here.

Overall this is a great story, one I enjoyed reading. As I mentioned earlier, I had not read the first book in the series before reading this one, which was not a problem at all. Karst did a great job of including quick and unobtrusive details from the first book. I will, however, be reading that first book as soon as I can get my hands on it!

I received a free ARC of this book from NetGalley.

[Margie Bunting · Rating 4 out of 5]

In her second Orchid Isle Mystery, Waters of Destruction, Leslie Karst deftly delivers a plot and characters that have the ring of authenticity regarding Hawai'i's Big Island, where the author and her spouse live for part of each year.

After vacationing on the island, retired spouses Valerie and Kristen have moved to Hilo and into their comfy new home. Looking for opportunities to keep herself busy and to get to know some of their new neighbors, former caterer Valerie agrees to work part-time at the local restaurant. She's filling the slot of one of the bartenders, who has disappeared suddenly after an employee event and is later found drowned. Knowing that Valerie had previously helped solve a murder after a volcano eruption, the restaurant manager asks her to sniff around and see if this was an accident or possibly a murder, and Valerie is happy to comply. At the same time, she and Kristen--the more athletic of the two--are learning the sport of group canoe paddling, and Kristen is helping a new friend build a lanai on her property.

It was interesting getting to know the restaurant employees, as Valerie picks up more and more clues, although nothing--at first--adds up. I appreciated the way the author caught readers up twice on the clues and suspicions Valerie had collected, which made me want to try to figure out the guilty party (although the number of persons of interest and the twisty plot happily prevented me from doing so). I enjoyed being immersed in the culture of Hilo as well, not to mention the food and the special cocktails Valerie created (recipes included at the end of the book). There is even a lengthy glossary of Hawai'ian, pidgin, and local vernacular words and phrases at the end, although I wished I had known it before completing the book. This is a series that has become a must-read for me, and I will definitely be looking for the next in the series.

My review is based on a complimentary pre-release copy of this book.

[boogleloo · Rating 5 out of 5]

5/5 stars: This is the second entry in Karst's Orchid Isle Mystery series, which is a 2SLGBTQIA+ Senior Sleuth Culinary Cozy Mystery that follows a retired caterer who finds herself swapping relaxing with her retired carpenter wife for sleuthing for a killer in tropical Hilo, Hawai'i after a good friend's implicated in a bartender's drowning death. As she dives into the murky waters of the case, she'll uncover plenty of secrets and lies but she'll have to work fast to catch the killer. With plenty of twists and turns, Karst has masterfully crafted a mystery that deftly balances the suspects, clues and red herrings and will leave you pondering the whodunit until the final reveal. Heartfelt and humorous, Karst's writing and character work are stellar; the characters are well-rounded and complex while remaining incredibly likable. It's a joy to catch up with Valerie, her wife Kristen and their friends at the Speckled Gecko and the folks of Orchid Isle. I adore sixty-something's Valerie and Kristen's lovely married life and relationship and their adorable mixed-breed rescue dog, Pua. Additionally, Karst's descriptions of the tropical loveliness of Orchid Isle and Hilo environs are incredibly sumptuous. Oh and you'll for sure want to try out the absolutely yummy recipes included! While you could read this as a stand-alone, you'll gain so much more by reading the series from the beginning; so be sure to pick up book one, Molten Death.

I received this eARC thanks to NetGalley and Severn House in exchange for an honest review. Publishing dates are subject to change.

[Mark Baker · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s been a few months since we last checked in with Valerie and Kristen, and in that time, they’ve completed their move to Hawai’i. While they are trying to settle into their new life, Valerie agrees to help out their friend Sachiko who needs a bartender at the restaurant she manages. The old bartender has disappeared, but when his body turns up, the police start looking at Sachiko as a suspect. Can Valerie figure out what really happened to him?

Since Valerie and Kristen were fighting in the first book, I had trouble buying into their relationship. I’m happy to say they were getting along better here, and I enjoyed spending more time with them. The rest of the characters were great as well, and I hope we see many of them again. The plot appeared to be wandering a bit at the beginning, but everything came into play on the way to the surprising climax. Some of the characters do use Pigeon English, but I didn’t have trouble following their dialog. There is a glossary in the back if you want to learn more as well as five recipes to enjoy after you’ve finished. The setting came to life, and it was the next best thing to getting to visit myself. This is a fun second book for when you want a tropical retreat filled with murder.

NOTE: I received an ARC of this book.

Read my full review at Carstairs Considers.

[April · Rating 4 out of 5]

Spouses Valerie and Kristen have moved to Hilo from the mainland. In an attempt to keep herself busy and to get to know new people, retired caterer Valerie agrees to work part-time at the local restaurant to fill the slot of one of the bartenders, who has disappeared suddenly after an employee event. Hank, the missing employee, is later found drowned. Valerie's friend, the restaurant manager, is a suspect in Hank's death. Valerie decides to find out if Hank was killed and who did it. Valerie's wife Kristen, a retired carpenter, is helping a new friend build a lanai on her property. In addition, both are learning the sport of group canoe paddling. I loved that these women were of an older age and still vibrant, skilled, learners.

It was interesting getting to know the restaurant employees, as Valerie picks up more and more clues. I especially liked the way the author caught readers up twice on the clues and suspicious characters through Valerie's recap. I enjoyed being immersed in the culture and food of Hilo as well. I did find the use of pidgin in some dialogue difficult as my brain is not used to it. Some of the special cocktails Valerie created and some recipes mentioned are included at the end of the book as well as a lengthy glossary of Hawai'ian, pidgin, and local vernacular words and phrases.

[Logan · Rating 1 out of 5]

(I was gifted this ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review courtesy of NetGalley)

I really hate, and try to avoid, giving books a one star rating unless I feel I have no choice, and here we are. Honestly, if this weren’t an ARC I was reviewing, I likely would have chosen to DNF as well. The only pro for me was that the book was casually queer revolving around a sapphic married couple and that they just so happened to be gay, but that wasn’t the point or premise of the story. The issue was that I wasn’t invested in the characters, the mystery or the plot. I felt like I didn’t get to know enough about the characters to care about them and there wasn’t any development about them. I could have forgiven that if the mystery completely took me over and kept me hooked but it took a long time to drop and then it wasn’t enthralling to me. I had to force myself to keep reading and when I pick up a mystery, I want it to be a page turner that has me guessing and re-guessing with almost every page or chapter which this just didn’t do. I was really disappointed and letdown and hate that I was. Curious if the precursor was better and the followup was a bust or if the series just isn’t my cup of tea

[Henriette · Rating 4 out of 5]

Aloha to cozy sleuthing and great cocktails in Hawai
Retiring to Big Island (hence the name of the series: Orchid Isle) is a dream come true for caterer Valerie and former carpenter Kristen. Leaving the bustle of LA they now have to adjust to the relaxed, small-town of Hilo.
Connecting with neighbors and folks in Hilo Valerie is asked to help out at a local restaurant as bartender after their bartender Hank first went missing and then turned up dead: Valerie can’t resist to do a bit of cozy sleuthing and poking around.
What I love about this series is the local atmosphere - I have visited Big Island and Hilo on several occasions and Karst pinpoints life on Hawai‘i, the laid-back life-style and the Pidgeon English spot-on. It’s so vivid that it felt like visiting again - the Avocados on the local market, the drumming rain on the roof, the multicultural folks and the tropical flowers.
I loved the creative cocktails Valerie is coming up with and there is a collection of recipes at the end of the book.
The sleuthing is cozy and moves slowly - all fitting for the backwater setting.

This book can be read as a stand-alone.

I received an ARC via netgalley. The review is left voluntarily

[Rebecca Douglass · Rating 5 out of 5]

This cozy mystery strikes just the right balance of character development, intriguing suspects, good food, and Hawai'ian landscapes and culture. I like the main character, Valerie, with her multiple skills and talents, and while she might not always have been very subtle about her questioning of suspects, she does in the end use some common sense with regard to putting herself in danger. Further, she's good at catching hints from people's words and actions--which is another way of saying I admire Leslie Karst's ability to create characters and situations that are not quite what they seem.

The mystery resolved without me having positively fingered the perp, and there was at least one plausible red herring I wasn't willing to dismiss. The writing is good, and the author's use of Pidgin is pretty well balanced. She includes a glossary at the end of the book for those who weren't sure of the meaning of some of what was said (I might have made use of that if I'd noticed it was there before finishing the book!). Recipes for food and drinks that play a role in the story are included--Valerie mixes some interesting libations!

My Recommendation:
A great vacation read--quality cozy mystery fare in a cool setting. Valerie and her wife Kristen are characters worth following.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Though I’m happy with my little house in the midwest, while reading the compelling WATERS OF DESTRUCTION, I did find myself dreaming of a home in Hawai’i. Drinks on the lanai, shared food (grindz) with friends, that aloha spirit is so tempting. The glossary at the end of the book is even quite interesting, and ‘um (him, it, them) is close to what I have been proposing as a neutral personal pronoun.
. . . but then there’s the matter of a body going over a falls, floating from the Wailuku River (clearly posted as dangerous for swimming). When the police questioning seems to center on their friend Sachiko, Valerie steps in to informally investigate, and agrees to fill in part time as bartender at the Speckled Gecko. She and wife Kristen also join up with a rowing team, partly to help investigate. Kristin also helps a friend build a lanai; their retirement will be anything but dull, for realz.
A hard book to put down, except for family time. TV had to just wait as I reverted to non-stop reading habits of my earlier days.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mystery fans who would like a little arm-chair travel should be sure to pick up this entertaining and fun second entry to a great mystery series. Readers could certainly pick this up having not read book one, however book one is a great introduction to the series, so be sure to check it out as well!

There’s much to enjoy here! First is the setting – it is absolutely beautiful and described so vividly, I felt like I was there. The mystery is twisty and even when I had my eyes on the suspect, I wondered how Valerie was going to prove it. The take-down at the end is intense!

Once again, I also appreciated that Valerie was an older protagonist. She’s strong and thoughtful and lets herself feel her feelings. I would definitely want to be friends with her!

A solidly written second book in a series that I thoroughly enjoyed. I’ll be keeping my eyes open for book three.

(Side note: do not read while hungry…thankfully there are recipes in the back!)

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am a fan of Leslie Karst's books and was curious about her Orchid Isle mystery series. I haven't read Molten Lava yet, but this book worked as a stand alone. "... people drowning in the Wailuku River. You know what that name means, yah? It means "waters of destruction." I loved the setting of Hawaii for this series! Married couple Valerie and Kristen are friends with Sachiko, who manages the front of the house at the Speckled Gecko restaurant. When Hank, one of their bartenders, goes AWOL, Valerie agrees to help out. Then when Hank's body is recovered from the Wailuku River, Valerie goes into sleuth mode. I enjoyed seeing how Valerie put pieces of information together until she was able to discover who murdered Hank. I also liked reading about life in Hawaii and their grammar and language. It was nice having a glossary of terms at the end of the book.

[Peggy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Take the gorgeous Big Island of Hawai’i, add a determined bartender/sleuth and her carpenter wife, mix in a mysterious disappearance, shake well and you have the delightful and delicious mystery novel, Waters of Destruction by Leslie Karst.
The second in her Orchid Isle Mystery series, Waters of Destruction takes readers deep into island life, where Karst’s main characters, Valerie and Kristen, are settling into their new Hilo home after fleeing a hectic life in LA. Like the beautiful-but-dangerous Wailuku River near the couple’s home, however, darkness lurks in their seemingly idyllic life of cocktails on the lanai, dinners with friends, black-sand beaches and outrigger canoe clubs.
Deftly plotted and well-researched, Waters of Destruction will lure you in with its lush descriptions and fascinating cast of characters until the chilling end.

[Michelle Schuler · Rating 4 out of 5]

My first book by Leslie Karst was intriguing.  A married couple, both retired, new to the area. 

It was at times hard to follow because of the language difference, but Karst was kind enough to attach a glossary at the end of the book as well as recipes for some of the food and drinks mentioned.  

The story is told in the POV of one of the characters. This is mainly a suspense, with some interaction with the wife. 

I like how the author paces the story. It seems to end quickly and cleanly. 

I liked the secondary characters, and they were beneficial to the story. 

I will continue to follow this author in the future.

[LittleRead · Rating 4 out of 5]

Val and Kristen have, supposedly, retired to the big island in Hawaii. But soon, Kristin is helping a woman who is rehabbing her home and Val ends up working at a friend’s restaurant. While Val is intent upon helping for the short term, she finds the suspicious that of the person she has replaced intriguing. Did Sachiko murder the man? If not, who did? That’s how Val intends to find out. But as one of her coworkers serving up murder? And his Val next?

This was an absolutely fun read exclamation point I love the setting, I love the character, and I love the mystery. I will definitely be back for more in this series, as it was completely engaging and well written.

[Mac Daly · Rating 5 out of 5]

You'd think moving to Hilo in Hawai'i would be more relaxing than at hectic life in LA. Wrong! Even after encounter one murder (in Molten Death), Valerie and Kristen still decide to make the move to Hilo. They're settling in nicely when Val gets a temporary gig as a bartender at a friend's restaurant. Seems the regular one did a disappearing act. But he hasn't just disappeared, he's deceased.

Reluctantly, or maybe not so reluctantly, Val agrees to investigate, and what ensues is a very enthralling mystery. As a bonus, the descriptions life, canoeing, and food on the Orchid Isle will have you planning your next vacation, or maybe your next move.

[Laura Salas · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted to like this book more than I did. I appreciate seeing more and more cozies with queer main characters where that's not any big deal in the book. I also enjoy the Hawaiian setting. But the mystery doesn't feel all that gripping to me, and it seems like the book is 90% talking. I would perhaps try another book in the series, but I suspect this just isn't my cup of tea.

Review copy provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Hilary · Rating 4 out of 5]

This second installment in the Orchid Isle Mystery series finds Valerie and Kristen having moved to Hawaii permanently for their retirement. Both are looking for ways to find new community and friends. Valerie finds herself bartending at a restaurant and right back in the midst of suspects in a murder. It was fun trying to determine the whodunnit with so many plausible candidates. Great summer read!

[L · Rating 5 out of 5]

Looking forward to book 3

Fun characters & loving getting to see so many of the fantastic places on the big island through the characters' eyes ... hoping at some point they'll go into the lava tubes near Nalehuu

So refreshing when amateur sleuths behave rationally instead of acting like idiots

These characters are good company & remind me of many of my fave real life people

[Elizabeth Dodd · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ms. Karst shows no signs of "sophomore slump" with this story.
Just like the first in the series it grabs you in for the ambiance of Hilo and keeps you goingwith all the mystery and intrigue.
Well done. Here's to book three!