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Aloha Lagoon #7

Ukulele Deadly

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From USA Today bestselling author Leslie Langtry comes the next Nani Johnson adventure in paradise...

Ukulele player Nani Johnson is just starting to put the past behind her and settle in on Kauai with her loveable but crazy Mom, her hot new boyfriend, and regular gigs at both the Blue Hawaii Wedding Chapel and the Aloha Lagoon Resort. But unfortunately her island life proves anything but relaxing when a dead man shows up carrying an ID that says he's from Nani's hometown. Now it looks like Nani and her mother are the main suspects.

Things go from bad to bleak in paradise as Nani’s mom starts acting even odder than usual, there’s a mutiny involving snakes at the Blue Hawaii Wedding Chapel, and more bodies inconveniently pop up near Nani. Can Nani stay out of jail long enough to unmask the real killer…or will the police pin it all on her?

211 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 11, 2017

95 people are currently reading
452 people want to read

About the author

Leslie Langtry

97 books722 followers
Leslie Langtry is a USA Today Bestselling Author of the Merry Wrath Mysteries and the Bombay Family of Assassins Greatest Hits series. She lives in the Midwest with her family and is an active Girl Scout volunteer. Her dream is to someday invent calorie free cake.

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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
Profile Image for Sheri.
1,359 reviews135 followers
April 28, 2022
A humorous mystery in which Nani finds herself trying to clear her name while dealing with her kooky mother and hosting her cousin and guest from Kansas. I liked seeing island life that wasn’t resort living. Andy and Binny were an enjoyable addition to the cast of characters and I would enjoy another installment with them. A fun read that had me giggling. I won’t forget Nani’s nicknames!
Profile Image for Missi Martin (Stockwell).
1,129 reviews33 followers
January 9, 2018

Tuesday, 9 January 2018
Ukulele Deadly (Aloha Lagoon Mysteries #7) by Leslie Langtry

Ukulele Deadly (Aloha Lagoon Mysteries #7)
From USA Today bestselling author Leslie Langtry comes the next Nani Johnson adventure in paradise...

Ukulele player Nani Johnson is just starting to put the past behind her and settle in on Kauai with her loveable but crazy Mom, her hot new boyfriend, and regular gigs at both the Blue Hawaii Wedding Chapel and the Aloha Lagoon Resort. But unfortunately her island life proves anything but relaxing when a man carrying ID that says he's from Nani's hometown dies in front of her. Now it looks like Nani and her mother are the main suspects.

Things go from bad to bleak in paradise as Nani’s mom starts acting even odder than usual, there’s a mutiny involving snakes at the Blue Hawaii Wedding Chapel, and more bodies inconveniently pop up near Nani. Can Nani stay out of jail long enough to unmask the real killer…or will the police pin it all on her?

The Aloha Lagoon Mysteries:
Ukulele Murder (book #1)
Murder on the Aloha Express (book #2)
Deadly Wipeout (book #3)
Deadly Bubbles in the Wine (book #4)
Mele Kalikimaka Murder (book #5)
Death of the Big Kahuna (book #6)
Ukulele Deadly (book #7)
Bikinis and Bloodshed (book #8)
Death of the Kona Man (book #9)
Lethal Tide (book #10)

About Aloha Lagoon:
There's trouble in paradise...
Welcome to Aloha Lagoon, one of Hawaii's hidden treasures. A little bit of tropical paradise nestled along the coast of Kauai, this resort town boasts luxurious accommodation, friendly island atmosphere...and only a slightly higher than normal murder rate. While mysterious circumstances may be the norm on our corner of the island, we're certain that our staff and Lagoon natives will make your stay in Aloha Lagoon one you will never forget! (Summary via Goodreads)


Not one ....or even two murders but three !!! And Nani Johnson is found standing over ALL three of them !!! Wow Leslie Langtry sure knows how to bring the heat to the Aloha Lagoon Mystery series !!

Ukulele Deadly by Leslie Langtry is the seventh book in this series and even though I am not reading them in order, I am not missing a thing !!

In Ukulele Deadly you are hanging around with Nani Johnson. She plays the ukulele, teaches lessons, plays at the Aloha Lagoon Resort and the Blue Hawaii Wedding Chapel, hangs out with her boyfriend Nick and trys to keep tabs on her somewhat crazy mother. Her life on the island is not paradise but to her it is pretty nice !! That is until one night she is walking back to her car after picking up dinner from the Loco Moco Cafe and comes across a man lying on the ground behind her car. Within seconds the man dies and Nani seems to be the main suspect. And when they find out the deceased is from her hometown in Kansas, it's almost an open and shut case.

Lucky for Nani she calls her cousin Andy who still lives in Kansas to see if he may know the deceased man whose ID says he is Ed Hopper. Fortunately Andy does know him and he is still alive and is the new police office in town.

Andy and Ed hop on a plane see what is going on and try to find out who the deceased "Ed Hopper" really is. When a singer who works with Nani is the second person killed and again Nani is standing over the body, she decides to look into these deaths. So along with Nick, her friend Binny and her cousin, Nani tries to solve the murders and clear her name.....which isn't easy considering everyone on the island seem to think its cool and she's even been given nicknames and someone is selling t-shirts.....

You cannot help but continue to fall in love with Aloha Lagoon, the island and the residents and workers even if people are dying.... because you know that when you get to the end of one of these books, the murders will be solved and you will have made new friends and your stay at Aloha Lagoon Resort will be extended when you pick up another in this series......
Profile Image for Meg.
611 reviews
October 23, 2017
When I can't be back in Hawaii I love reading stories that put me there. This one fit the bill very well. A good mystery with lead characters that already felt like friends from the first in the series (Ukulele Murder).
Profile Image for Mayda.
3,837 reviews65 followers
July 25, 2018
Nani majored in ukulele, at Juilliard no less, and now spends her days playing it in Hawaii. Life is good, even if her mom is somewhat wacky. Ok, a lot wacky. But then Nani stumbles across a man dying in a parking lot. And another body at her work, almost on stage. And then, well, you get the idea! Unfortunately for Nani, she is the prime suspect and the detective in charge did not graduate at the top of his class. In fact, no help would be better than his help as far as Nani is concerned. In the midst of her troubles, her mom is suddenly not loony, which is really disturbing. There is action galore and humor abounds in this well-written clever cozy.
Profile Image for Diane ~Firefly~.
2,201 reviews86 followers
July 29, 2022
Nani is suspected of murder because the victim died in front of her

What I enjoyed:
* I enjoyed Nani's cousin Andy and her best friend Binny

What could have been better:
* The mom is past kooky and into annoying, she told the police Nani roofied her. Who does that?
* The police are both stupid and incompetent
* Nani took huge risks
* Mary Lou seems like a horrible person and
Profile Image for Hilary (A Wytch's Book Review).
882 reviews
March 6, 2018
Nani is settling down after all the hassle she had in the book Ukulele Murder, she and Nick are happy together and whilst he Mum is still odd (decorating wise!) that seems to be all.  Then Nani comes across a man who dies in front of her, and it isn't natural causes! Oh and apparently he is from the same town in Kansas that Nani and her mother are from. The next thing is the police officer from Felix (where Nani was from) and Nani's cousin Andy have arrived in Hawaii.

Nani and Nick, along with Binny and Andy need to find out what is going on as the death toll mounts.
Profile Image for Sandy Bartles.
1,395 reviews37 followers
July 12, 2019
I really enjoyed this book. The author had me laughing so much! She made me feel as if I was really in Hawaii. And the closeness of the friends made me a little jealous!
890 reviews6 followers
October 29, 2022
Going out to pick up take out for dinner turns out to be the beginning of a very dangerous adventure where people are dropping like flies around Nani. She's being set up again and with the help of Nick, Binny, her cousin Andy and his friend Ed they work hard to discover who is killing people and setting Nani up for the kill. Lots of surprises and unexpected twists and no idea at all who did this until the last few pages with the surprise reveal and who knew armadillos had anything to do with murder? If you like a complex mystery that keeps you guessing, then you are going to love this book. I highly recommend.
Profile Image for Val.
1,385 reviews7 followers
February 9, 2021
Oh dear Lord that was GREAT😁! Nani couldn't turn around without a dead body popping up and she was suspect #1 of course. Mom being "undercover" was just to much for me to handle but if that's what she wants to think more power to her😉. I love this author and try to read anything she writes, for some reason she makes me laugh harder than any other author.
Profile Image for Nancy.
85 reviews2 followers
February 18, 2018
Too many murders?

I enjoyed the book but it almost seemed as if there was too much stuff going in it. How can one person be accused of so many murders and still be running around free? I did enjoy the characters and setting, as always, though.
Profile Image for Deb.
696 reviews1 follower
December 28, 2021
So happy to have Nani back in the story.
Profile Image for kc.
579 reviews1 follower
June 23, 2024
Great cozy. Such a fun read.
Profile Image for Rabid Readers Reviews.
546 reviews25 followers
April 12, 2017
I have not read the 6 preceding novels in the Aloha Lagoon Mysteries. Ukulele Deadly stands well on it’s own as a mystery but there’s a feeling of something lacking for the reader in character development. Nani is a woman with clear history with the police.

There’s a definite sense of Hawaii in Ukulele Deadly by virtue of Nani’s Hawaiiphile mother who is so obsessed with the islands that she’s changed her name and identity. Haliaka (as she’s renamed herself) is the standard issue cozy mystery wacky old lady in Ukulele Deadly. Haliaka’s unique twist is that she’s younger than most of her genre peers and also more of a reality based giggle than a sight gag. She is fully entrenched in Nani’s life and also fully dismissive of anything she plans. Nani’s life is Haliaka’s to manipulate and she revels in the challenge.

Another unique twist is Ukulele Deadly is that Nani is the reticent sleuth while it’s her boyfriend, Nick, that’s raring to do what he can to involve himself in the crime solving business. His giddy happiness at the idea of a mystery is somewhat confounding at first. The thing I liked best about Ukulele Deadly is the strength of the main character. Nani may seem to have given up on a lot of things if you listen to what she’s saying but if you look at what she’s doing she’s a person that allows life happen to her when it suits her but is an active participant in her own existence. She is not the weepy, flaky, falling apart at the drop of a fake eyelash main character we’re accustomed to seeing in the genre. She’s also not the woman so vehemently trying to be a girl power icon that her efforts come off as more superhero making ploy than plot point. The style choice is well edited and if there were errors, this reader missed them.

If you’re looking for an interesting, quick, read and enjoy the stream of consciousness style, pick Ukulele Deadly up today.
Profile Image for Danielle Eisner.
249 reviews24 followers
May 3, 2017
Ukulele player Nani Johnson is just starting to put the past behind her and settle in on Kauai with her loveable but crazy Mom, her hot new boyfriend, and regular gigs at both the Blue Hawaii Wedding Chapel and the Aloha Lagoon Resort. But unfortunately her island life proves anything but relaxing when a man carrying ID that says he's from Nani's hometown dies in front of her. Now it looks like Nani and her mother are the main suspects.

Things go from bad to bleak in paradise as Nani’s mom starts acting even odder than usual, there’s a mutiny involving snakes at the Blue Hawaii Wedding Chapel, and more bodies inconveniently pop up near Nani. Can Nani stay out of jail long enough to unmask the real killer…or will the police pin it all on her?

This is part of the Aloha Lagoon mystery series based of mostly stand alones, but I would recommend at least reading Ukulele Murder before this one because it has the same charcters in both. I am glad I figured it out and read them in the right order.

Nani has the worst luck of anyone ever. Who gets framed for so many murders in such a short time? lol I really like Nani, even with her crazy bad luck lol She's funny and kind of down on herself but I get it since she keeps getting framed for murder.

I love Nanis mom. Omg! She is hilarious. I love all her crazy decorating ideas. I love every time Nani comes home and something else crazy is decorating her house. I'm not sure I could handle her mom because wow she's a lot to handle.

I didn't figure the mystery out. There was so much going on that I had no idea what had happened. I got to find out the truth when it was finally revealed and I was surprised and I enjoyed the thrilling twists and turns.

It's a good cozy mystery and I enjoyed it so much I hope there will be more of Nanis stories to come. She might need her own series Since she's now the infamous Ukulele Undertaker.
Profile Image for Barbara Hackel.
2,808 reviews46 followers
April 29, 2017
This is the second book Leslie Langtry has written about Nani and her crazy mother in Aloha Lagoon. Nani is a Ukulele player extraordinaire who trained at Julliard School of Music. She move to Kauai with her mother from a small town near Wichita, Kansas called Felix. While working at the Aloha Lagoon resort and the Blue Hawaii Wedding chapel as featured musician, she has become somewhat of a murder magnet.

During the course of this book, there are three apparently unrelated murders in the resort and wedding chapel. The only thing in common is they all happened quickly and in close proximity to Nani. Fortunately, even though Detective Ray thinks Nani is a murderer, her friends don't. In fact her cousin and the police officer who's ID was stolen by the first victim come to Kauai to help straighten things out. Her boyfriend Nick and best friend Binney also join in the sleuthing.

Meanwhile in case Nani doesn't have enough on her mind, her mother is having health issues and the wedding chapel is having some severe problems. Spread thin enough to crack, Nani and friends manage to give Detective Ray a good run for the money in detective work. There are twists and turns enough to keep you guessing up to the very end.

Leslie Langtry writes fabulous and funny characters who make you wish they were real people you could meet. Her book are well written with delicious details and laughs when you least expect it. I have never been disappointed by this author and am sure you won't be either! It is a stand alone story, but you might enjoy it even more if you read Ukulele Murder first. Besides, you will double your fun that way!
Profile Image for Shannon Binegar-Foster.
2,793 reviews19 followers
March 27, 2017
I was so glad to read another book about Nani. This series is just so fun. I love all the characters, but the interaction between Nani and her cracks me up. I hope we see more from them in future books. I am excited to see where the next adventure takes us.
I voluntarily reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book..
Profile Image for Em.
140 reviews
August 29, 2017
Being the first book in the Aloha Lagoon series, it certainly delivers. For me, this has been the strongest book in the series -- with a very well structured mystery and very endearing cast of characters. Honestly, I'm beginning to think this series could benefit by culling the number of leading ladies in the series and concentrating on 3-4 of the best - including Nani of Ukelele Deadly.
Profile Image for Krystyna.
5,134 reviews55 followers
June 20, 2018
Would people please stop dying at her feet

Fabulous! So much better than the first book. Popping out for groceries should not involve a man dying at your feet. With more bodies turning up, a double identity question, a mother who suddenly behaves differently, can she sort out the real culprits. A great fun read.
Profile Image for Nancy .
548 reviews22 followers
April 10, 2017
Fun and easy to read mystery with a touch of romance. This is book #7 in the Aloha Lagoon Mysteries series.
Profile Image for Mari Hinton.
416 reviews12 followers
April 23, 2017
Great

They just keep getting better. Leslie Langtry has another hit. This book is part of the Lagoon Mysteries but can be a standalone. Just love this book, it is witty, smart, and mysterious.
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews

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