The Last Wave: Surfing Detective Crime Stories

by Chip Hughes

THE LAST WAVE returns veteran Surfing Detective Kai Cooke to his earliest cases, eight previously unpublished investigations involving arson, fraud, missing persons, cheating spouses, theft, murder, and more. Kai has recently established his agency above Fujiyama’s Flower Leis in Honolulu’s Chinatown. It’s a time before the tech we take for granted today and the PI relies on insights from surfing to untangle his intricate webs. “Sherlock Holmes had his pipe,” Kai tells us. “I have my surfboard.” These tight, fast-moving tales deliver the vivid island people and places readers have come to expect from the series. As many who have followed his adventures say, “You feel like you’re there.” The last wave is quintessential Surfing Detective you won’t want to miss.

209 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 26, 2025

About the author

Chip 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.