Mai Tais and Murder

Gabe Maxfield Mysteries #1

by J.C. Long

Gabe Maxfield never wanted to be a detective or a policeman or anything of the sort. The closest he wanted to come to the law was writing legal briefs and doing research for a big-shot law firm. Nice and safe, and without all the stress. No unanswered questions, just well-defined legal precedents.

When he moves to Hawaii in the wake of a disastrous breakup and betrayal by an ex, a murder investigation is the last thing he expects to get wrapped up in, but he can’t help himself when a dead body, a hunky cop, and his best friend get involved.

So much for sipping Mai Tais on the beach and admiring the well-tanned bodies around him.

Genres: Mystery, M M Romance, Romance, Crime, Mystery Thriller, Contemporary

156 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 12, 2017

Reviews

[Line]

Weird sentences where words are repeated and everything is spelled out, like this:

Saying you weren't stalking someone made it sound like you were stalking someone. I hadn't taken it that way, but when I thought about it, I could see how it would sound stalker-like.

Or weird product placement and everything spelled out again, like this:

I didn't stop unpacking the boxes and filling up my small closet untill my cell phone rang. I dug around on my bed to find it, following the sound. Where was the damn thing? It was an iPhone 6S, and how I could lose something so big...

Didn't really work for me.

[Chris, the Dalek King · Rating 2 out of 5]

After having his ex split with almost all of his money, Gabe Maxfield moves to Hawaii, where his best friend from college lives, with hopes that the islands will give him a fresh start on life. But when his best friend’s business partner is found murdered in their office, and his friend ends up as the number one suspect, Gabe has to throw himself into the mystery to save her. And himself. Because someone clearly thinks that he knows more than he does, and has no compunction about going after him for it.

Ok, first up…I love the setting of this book. It is incredibly well done. The descriptions totally made me want to visit Hawaii (and too be honest that is not something I’ve ever really wanted). Whenever the story started describing the surroundings, the food, or the local people, it really started to shine. So major kudos for that.

On the other hand, though, just about everything else let me down.

There is almost no mystery to this murder mystery. You know how after watching like a gazillion episodes of Law & Order you get really good at picking out the bad guy within like 10 minutes of the start? Yeah, that was pretty much what reading this book was like. We met the character who ends up being the murderer in this story and three words in I knew they’d done it. So that made the rest of the book extremely anticlimactic. The book did try to pull this “the man behind the man behind the mask” thing, but he was such a bad-guy cliche that it added almost nothing to the story.

Also, the cops, the private detective, Gabe…I don’t for one second believe that any of these people were capable of investigating a dog-napping, let alone a murder. Horrible, absolutely horrible policing in this book. The detective, Maka–Gabe’s love interest–is apparently fine with Gabe wandering around crime scenes, keeping key evidence in his possession, and tagging along on suspect interviews. He is also not one for searching the houses of the suspect and/or murder victim…because who needed evidence? Not these cops, I guess, since they basically ended up arresting some chick on the most ridiculously flimsy evidence ever.

I think I should also mention that Gabe was a paralegal before moving to Hawaii. He has zero experience in investigating anything. He’s so bad at ferreting out the truth, he let his ex walk off with most of his money even after he knew that the guy was trying to steal from him. If anyone had to put their trust in this guy finding out whodunit before they were falsely imprisoned…well, let’s just say I hope they like the color orange. At no point in this story did I buy that he could do what he was doing. I greatly dislike “normal person become most-AWESOME-detective-EVER” stories for this very reason. It felt contrived and totally unbelievable.

I don’t know how the author approached constructing this story, but I can say that after reading it that the story felt like the author just didn’t care about writing a good mystery. That all he wanted to do was write about two hot guys fucking in Hawaii. Which, you know, could have been a good story. But this wasn’t. And while I love the native Hawaiian aspects of this story, it wasn’t even the beginnings of enough to save this book. Good mysteries are hard to write, mostly because if you don’t get just the right balance of everything in them, then they can kill a story. Maybe if the other stuff here, like the relationships, had made up for that lackluster mystery, I would be more forgiving. But nearly all of the characters felt flat.

I guess if you go into this not expecting much more than the bare-bones of your typical romance fair, you could enjoy it. Maybe. Just be willing to suspend all disbelief, and probably curiosity as well.


This book was provided free in exchange for a fair and honest review for Love Bytes. Go there to check out other reviews, author interviews, and all those awesome giveaways. Click below.

[Tamika♥RBF MOOD♥]

No rating.


This is bad. This was my first read by this author, and it left a bad taste in my mouth. It literally makes me want to read nothing else my this author. To be fair, whatever in the hell cozy mystery is, is not for mystery/thriller fans. The mystery wasn't the biggest problem. It was the the story itself. I didn't see a purpose and I am extremely mad that I read it. I won't rate it because I'm more mad at myself and feel like it will be unfair.

[Becca · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love all the books written by this author so when I started this series, loving this book was no surprise. It had lots of mystery, intrigue, some close to death moments, and sex with a hot Hawaiian lol. Not that that's important but it sure doesnt hurt. ;) This is a great start to a promising series and I can't wait to dig in to the next books.

[C.L. · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars but rounded up to 5 because it was almost the perfect beach read!

I really liked this book. It was light and the love story was sweet without too much angst which is what made it such a good summer read. Plus, it's set in Hawaii and in my mind, Hawaii is just one big beach. I know this is not true and the author did a good job of setting the scene to prove that without being too heavy handed with the descriptions.

So first we have Gabe who's moved to Hawaii to forget about Trevor, a no good, gold digger who tried to steal Gabe's trust fund. Gabe's still feeling a bit low even with his best friend Grace around. Enter the hot neighbor, Maka, he's a cop. ;)

Okay, going to be vague here because it's a mystery! Someone gets murdered. Someone who didn't murder the dead person gets jailed. Someone who's not a cop does some detective work and almost gets killed, twice. Someone who is a cop is really good in bed. The person who did murder the victim is...I'm not telling but they figure it out in the end. That's all your getting out of me so if you want to know who all the someone's are, go read the book!

Mai Tais and Murder is one of those books I can see myself reaching for to reread when I need something fluffy and sweet. But it's a mystery and there's murder! There are both of those things but author JC Long did a great job of writing a murder mystery that didn't bore me to pieces because he didn't go to great lengths to try to be overly clever with it. To be honest, I figured out who did it pretty quickly but that didn't dampen my enjoyment of the book at all because I was too busy picturing Maka in those red undies...

[J.P. Jackson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I should probably start off by saying - Murder Mysteries aren't usually my "go to" reads.
However, I was pleasantly surprised by how well the story kept me going. I'm not a quick reader, and I don't have a lot of spare time, and this only took me 4 days to eat up!

Speaking of delicious things....Gabe and Maka, wow. Hot and sizzling. It reminded me of my vacation to Oahu, Hawaii, and the waiter that served me drinks at Hula's bar....but that's another story.

Long's writing whisks you away to the Hawaiian tropical paradise and immerses you in the Polynesian culture. Brilliant imagery and lingering creative phrases that grab you and sink you further into the story:

'When Maka walked past me, my eyes couldn't help but follow him, like they'd been caught in his gravity.'

And made me laugh out loud:

'"Gabe, you're going to fall out of your chair." Maka said.
I wondered what he meant until I realized I was dancing in my chair.'

And reminded us of truths:

'A drunk tongue speaks a sober mind, right?'

All in all, a delightful read, and it looks like the beginning of a series I will definitely have to continue to read!

[Sara]

4.5 Hearts

This was so much fun! J.C. Long has totally captured the feel of Hawaii as someone who lives there and not simply a narrative of visiting. I have no idea if Long actually lived on the Sandwich Islands, if he knows someone who lives there or just did amazing fucking research, but as a chick who lived Upcountry on Maui for 2.5 years and worked for a local company, he nailed it.

Gabe Maxfield has left his home, job as a paralegal with a prestigious law firm and stupid ex-boyfriend back in Seattle to start fresh on the advice from his best friend Grace Park. We meet Gabe as he is trying to understand the movers who’ve come to deliver some of his belongings but Gabe can’t understand them because they are speaking pidgin. For quick reference, pidgin is a casual “language” spoken by native Hawaiians and residents who have been there long enough to pick it up. I know from experience, when I first moved to Maui and answered the telephone to someone asking if my brother in law “stay?” I was confused. I didn’t realize he was asking if my brother in law was there. It takes a bit to get used to when it’s spoken but I worked at a local electrical supply company during my time on Maui and was exposed to so much pidgin my question to my co-worker about lunch would be, “Hey, Mavis. You like go the mall, yeah?” Yup. Part of pidgin is also answering your own question.

Another thing Long nailed about living in Hawaii is da grinds, braddah! Good lord. My first taste of hamburger steak and then loco moco was mind blowing. Loco moco became one of my favorite things that to this day I make it for my family for dinner (and breakfast as I first had it at breakfast) but now I make myself a Vegan version of it. I tried a lot of local cuisine while living on the island before becoming Vegan so I can nod along as Gabe tries new food and even when he freaks out seeing his first Kalua pig.

Yeah. The author delivered Hawaii to the reader in an authentic and for me nostalgic way so much that I had to pull out my Keali'i Reichel CD because it had me Wanting Memories.

But enough about me and my feelings about Hawaii.

Gabe is in Honolulu to start over and starting over means moving past his old relationship and a jerk that didn’t deserve him. Thankfully Gabe’s stud of a neighbor, Maka Kekoa is enough to make him forget Trevor ever existed and it’s not just Maka’s stature. Sure, Maka is hot AF but he’s also this guy who gives off great vibes from their meet cute and the two have instant chemistry.

“Gabe Maxfield, you are an idiot.” It was an important enough statement that I needed to hear it said aloud to reinforce exactly how stupid I was.

I adored being in Gabe’s head. He lets us know exactly what is going on and what he’s thinking with honesty. When he goes out for lunch with Grace and makes a gruesome discovery during a quick stop at Grace’s Private Investigations office, we know the score. He’s freaked out but tries to keep a cool head. Gabe never pretends to be something he’s not, even when he’s drunk on okolehalo and attempting to dance hula and take home the kalua pig’s head. He knows he’s not an investigator or even an amateur sleuth. He knows what he’s doing isn’t smart and that he shouldn’t but Gabe is loyal to Grace and will do what he needs to do to help his friend.

So while the stop ended in a murder and the murder ends up getting Grace arrested as a suspect, Gabe comes face to face with the detectives and one who is Maka. Yup, not only are they neighbors but now we have this connection and what is a guy to do when a big strapping Hawaiian detective wants to protected him with his amazing body?

What was I saying? I got lost in Gabe’s dream with Maka on the beach that I knew was going to be a dream but I so wanted it to be real but then I got the real thing and it was so worth it.

Yeah, Maka is hot and Maka is alpha but Maka is also goofy as all get out and really a romantic. I loved that he wants to protect Gabe but also wants to date him and take care of him. The luau was a perfect “date” and learning that Maka can not only surf but he dances hula as well… let’s just say so watch some all-male hula halau’s (Psst this whole routine is good but the moment you hit 2:10 to the end will give you a hint) and you’ll see why this information makes Maka that much sexier. But really, he’s a great guy who has no problem acknowledging his own appeal and makes good use of it with Gabe. Not that he has to work hard with Gabe considering Gabe wants to climb him like the Lahaina Banyan tree.

I like that Gabe and Maka are honest with one another and don’t take advantage of the situation they are in. They treat this like adults, they take steps intimately like adults and though they both talk a good erotic game, they don’t think with their dicks 100% of the time but they are stupidly attracted to one another so…

“You know what they say about thinking with your dick, right?”
“That it’s way more fun than thinking with your head?”

But along with all this, there is a murder mystery going on though it takes a back seat to me compared to the romance. Gabe’s ability to get himself into trouble was actually entertaining for me even though it was life threatening. I have things for those who put themselves in danger the way he did when he knows damn well he is doing it and it scares the shit it out him. It’s a total recipe for disaster but it makes for a great read. Some of his antics remind be a bit of the show Pysch which I happen to adore. It’s the little things he does and his knowledge of the law from being a paralegal that actually make him a great investigator.

“You came here for a new start, right? What better way to start new than in an entirely new career?”

Speaking of him being an investigator… this book is a great set up to the series. Knowing it’s called the Gabe Maxfield Mysteries this was perfect to set Gabe up with Grace with a new career and business between the two of them. The set-up is reminiscent of the Stephanie Plum Series by Janet Evanovich and how we get a brief introduction into how she became a bounty hunter, the folks she works with and the men she is involved with. Though Gabe’s series isn’t as laugh out loud – yet – as the early Plum novels, I have no doubt he and Grace can manage shenanigans and he and Maka can deliver the romance.


I think it’s fair to say I had fun with this book and thoroughly enjoyed myself. I can’t get over the authentic feel of island life the author provided and yeah, the traffic in Honolulu is that bad. I learned my lesson on the Likelike Highway during a morning commute and Aloha shirts are fancy. Trust me on this.

Wow. I am rambling.

So, I can’t wait to read more in the series and this being my fourth book from the author, I dare say we are a good match.

Here’s to Gabe and Maka; may they continue to be hot in bed, at tables eating laulau and ridiculously romantic as the fall in love with one another. Here’s to Grace and Gabe; may their partnership get them into situations that require intelligence, wit, humor and a fast trigger finger for a gun or to call Maka to the rescue. Here’s to Hawaii; Huli pau!

[Samantha]

This book is what I'd consider to be a gay cozy mystery-ish. So if you want super serious, super accurate police procedural - I'd say to stop at go and turn right around. This isn't your book. If you want something cute and fun, please do pass go and enjoy!

[Isabelle Adler · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars

This was a very enjoyable, light summer read. I love cozy mysteries, and this one ticked all the boxes of the genre for me, although I must stress that this is first and foremost a romance.

J.C. Long creates a sense of place with amazing talent. His descriptions of Hawaii and the local people and traditions are as captivating as they are beautiful. He definitely has a knack for transporting the reader into the setting of the, as is evident from his other books as well. I'm glad that this is a series, because I want to see more of Hawaii as it is described here, and see what these characters are up to!
I loved Gabe, the MC. He is adorably grumpy, sometimes clueless, and cares deeply for the people around him (sometimes too much for his own good). His relationship with Maka is absolutely sparkling, and I liked their easy rapport right from the get go. Maka could be a bit overbearing at times, but I guess this stems from his strong protective streak and straightforwardness. I'd love to see how their relationship will be explored in future installments, because the beginning of it was super hot and fun to read.

[Jessie Pinkham · Rating 2 out of 5]

Cons: The killer was as obvious as it gets. Overuse of "mushroom-shaped" to describe a penis. I haven't the slightest idea what Maka sees in Gabe.

On the plus side, I liked the setting and the descriptions of food were interesting without being overly detailed, which can be a tricky balance. Still not going to read more in the series.

[Kyra · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5*

[JR · Rating 5 out of 5]

At the suggestion of his friend Grace, Gabe Maxwell decides to chuck Seattle and move to Hawaii. Little does he know what kind of adventures await, as he become embroiled the murder of his friend's business partner.

This is a perfect summer read. Likable characters, interesting story, and the amazing back drop of Hawaii. Never having been to the state, and knowing relatively little about Hawaii, I enjoyed all the things I learned about it. If you are looking for something light, sexy, and fun, this is for you.

[The Novel Approach · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gabe Maxfield left a disastrous relationship behind in Seattle, and made his way to the island of Oahu. He hasn’t done much in the short time he’s been there; he’s just trying to get his life back together. He worked in Seattle as a paralegal, never felt the need to be more than that, and now he has to think about a new job before his finances run low. He’s been waiting for all his belongings, which were delayed. Then, when the movers finally arrive, they bring in a few boxes before deciding to take a lunch break… Gabe has tried to understand the more relaxed attitude of the island but is baffled by this. A neighbor, Maka Kekoa (who seems a bit stalker-ish), comes over and explains to Gabe what’s going on. Maka lends a helping hand and talks with the movers, who get right back to work. When Maka leaves, the movers tell Gabe that Maka is dangerous and has a bad temper, but Maka has made Gabe feel something that he hasn’t felt in a long time.

Gabe’s best friend, Grace Park, is the reason he moved to Hawaii. She was there to support Gabe when he landed on some hard times. Grace and her business partner, Carrie Lange, own Paradise Investigations, and Grace has encouraged Gabe to come and work with them. After a lunch date, she and Gabe head to the office to drop off some information on a case. But things are not looking at all good when Carrie is found dead.

When the Honolulu police arrive, Gabe is dumbfounded to see Maka Kekoa get out of the car. Maka is a detective and, needless to say, he’s not real thrilled to see Gabe at the crime scene. Gabe is none too happy, either, with the way he and Grace are being questioned. And before he knows it, Grace has been arrested. To help Grace, Gabe goes into investigative mode. When clues start to pile up, it brings danger to Gabe’s doorstep, but thankfully Maka arrives just in the nick of time, and he and Gabe team up—in more ways than one.

Mai Tais and Murder is a character driven story. Gabe is a great guy, a little shy and softhearted, fun, and he has a good head on his shoulders. I liked his enthusiasm when it came to solving the crime; his legal skills kick in and he makes a pretty good sleuth. He jumps in with both feet and doesn’t let Maka’s presence get in his way. Maka is interesting too; he grows on you and turns out to be quite talented, and he also helps familiarize Gabe with island culture. I enjoyed this book immensely, and can’t wait to see what Gabe gets wrapped up in next.

Reviewed by Maryann at The Novel Approach

[Jaymie · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 Stars!

Paralegal Gabe Maxfield moves from Seattle to Hawaii after his ex, Trevor, drains their account and cleans out their apartment. He is immediately pulled into a murder investigation after he and his best friend Grace discover the body of Grace's business partner on the floor of their Private Investigation office. Grace is soon arrested and put in jail leaving Gabe to find out who really killed Carrie and get Grace released. Luckily, he has the help of his neighbor, Detective Maka Kekoa, a man he is quickly falling for.

I'm very happy I had the chance to read this book because, honestly, I loved it. I found it a great combination of murder mystery, romance and humor. Gabe is witty and entertaining as he puts his amateur sleuthing skills to the test while tracking down Carrie's murderer. I loved the way he used his knowledge of the law to help when it came to the investigation, proving his worth to not only Maka but me as a reader as well.

Maka was a fun character to read about, too. I wasn't sure if I was going to like him at first but I quickly realized he was perfect for Gabe. He can be very assertive and almost standoffish at times but he was also funny and sweet with Gabe, as well. I loved that he never hid his feelings for Gabe with anyone in the story. Between the banter and the great chemistry, these two made a great team.

This is my first J.C. Long book and really enjoyed it. I think the story flowed well and it was fun and easy to read. I'm definitely looking forward to reading more about Gabe and Maka and hope this is just the start of a potentially great series. I definitely recommend Mai Tais and Murder.

***Copy provided to Bayou Book Junkie by the author/publisher for my reading pleasure in hopes of an unbiased opinion, a review was not a requirement.***

[blub · Rating 3 out of 5]

Gabe Maxfield is a paralegal is getting over a relationship that ended two months prior. He moves to Ouha, Hawaii to be closer to his friend and start afresh. What he doesn't expect to do is become involved in a murder investigation with his best friend, Grace Park. The two find Grace's coworker, Carrie Lange, dead in their P.I. office.

Maka Kekoa is an Honolulu PD detective and Gabe's neighbor. Maka and Gabe meet the morning that Carrie is found murdered and it's quite a shock to their system when they see each other at the scene of the crime.

When Grace is suddenly arrested for Carrie's murder. Gabe is at first shocked but knows he has to do something to prove his friend's innocence.

The story was interesting in it's own way. It did take a while for me to warm up to it, a little less that half the story (40%). From there it was smooth sailing and I was thoroughly intrigues and invested in finding out who killed Carrie and why.

I was impressed when Gabe dropped the name of the law firm that he used to work for. I wish there was more shock and revelation involved in the story. It was my favorite part of the book. The chemistry between Gabe and Maka was great. I was curious about what threw Maka to Gabe. It wasn't explained at all why he was so taken at first sight with him. I'm hoping the next installment with dwell more of it. I also hope the case with Delgado will be covered.

A free copy was provided to me in exchange for an honest review.

[Didi · Rating 3 out of 5]

I seem to fill the first half of the year reading new to me author's works. What drew me to J.C. Long's Mai Tais and Murder was the blurb, though I admit to not know what to expect as I had zero clue on the author's style. It turned out to be not too bad.

Mai Tais and Murder is a sort of cozy mystery which starred paralegal Gabe Maxfield who moved from Seattle to Hawaii to start a new life. Little did he know said life involved dead bodies and being attacked by deadly masked man. That saying, this is not a heavy procedural mystery with jaded detectives whatsoever. There's a grouchy supporting character, though they served to amuse rather than aggravate me as the reader. The mystery itself was pretty predictable, though the somewhat loose end gave an air of further sequel to expect in the future.

Little background thrown in, I found it easy to like Gabe - symphatize with his series of woes, more like - even if I often thought his gullibility exasperating. The story being narrated by him also gave insight into his thoughts and feeling. However, the telling (from Gabe's POV) made a pretty one-sided feel to the whole enchilada. That, plus the attraction between Gabe and Maka - the HPD detective - seemed too rushed. Still, I liked that the author didn't press the relationship to commitment stage by the end of the story. Then again, as I mentioned earlier, this could be due to the likely prospect of a sequel to Gabe's tale. We'll see. :)


Advanced copy of this book is kindly provided by the author/publisher in exchange for an honest review.

[Lada · Rating 1 out of 5]

2% into the story, I found this, "...and I felt myself begin to harden." And for me, the story went downhill from there. I couldn't click with any of the characters, moreover after I read the MC's backstory. I kept on reading merely to know about the murderer, only to arrive at a rather unsatisfactory conclusion.

To summarize, this was an insta-sex, insta-relationship with lots of sex story with lousy detective work from both the amateur and the police.

[Suze · Rating 3 out of 5]

Main problem was the over description at times, though this seemed to dissipate as the book went on.
The murder element was fine, though the culprit was likely from an early point but the why of the big guys stays a mystery.
Gabe seemed a bit naive and a large bit TSTL! Maka I didnt get a feel for as we got mostly Gabe’s pov. And there were some serious breeches of police procedure!
Overall, OK

[Rafa Brewster]

DNF at 32%