Death In Paradise

Hawaii Thriller #1

by J.E. Trent

In paradise nothing is simple…

…not even murder.

For Jessica, this time it’s personal.

The knock at the door shook her from a deep sleep. When she saw the cops, Jessica knew why they were there. As a LA Detective, she’d been on the other side of the door plenty of times.

Someone she loved was dead.

Time slowed. Her heart sank. They knew she knew.

Before they could get to the news, her mind raced. Growing up in Hawaii, half of her family in law enforcement and the other half gang members, she’d known the darker side of life.

As the detectives explained why they’d come, Jessica was only partly listening until they said it was her father who’d died…

…in a plane wreck.

And in that moment, the instinct to grieve was gone. He was meticulous in his maintenance. She didn’t believe it was an accident.

Who murdered her father?

Jessica was going home to Hawaii.

You’ll love this gripping thriller with a taste of romance, because of the twists, turns, and complex characters.

Genres: Mystery, Thriller, Fiction, Ebooks, Crime, Contemporary, Mystery Thriller

192 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 19, 2018

About the author

Aloha, I’m J.E. Trent, and I write Hawaii action adventure novels. I lived on the island of Hawaii for twenty-two years. During that time, I’ve met some fascinating characters there that have inspired the stories I write.
Follow me on Bookbub. https://www.bookbub.com/profile/j-e-t...

Reviews

[GW · Rating 1 out of 5]

Death in Paradise

This book is painful to read. Extremely juvenile and filled with extremely improbable scenarios with overly simplistic and convenient solutions. I’m currently 82% of the way through the book and not sure I can force myself to finish it. The word “dumb” comes to mind.

[Mike Brannick · Rating 5 out of 5]

A good story in s beautiful setting. The characters are well developed and interesting. The author lives in Hawaii and uses his knowledge of the area to enhance the experience. It's a good series starter

[Phoebe · Rating 1 out of 5]

I’m not one to not finish a book once I’ve started but I’ve given up at 46%.

Apologies in advance to the author but the writing in this is terrible. It’s basically written for a child, every single insignificant detail is spelled out so there’s so suspense and I felt like my brain was turning to mush reading it. I like the plot idea but I just can’t suffer the way it is written.

When I reached the kissing scene which is described as ‘their lips met and opened to the swirling of their tongues meeting for the first time’

‘After a few minutes of exploring each other’s tongues’

I had to put the book down so I wasn’t sick in my mouth.
This book has 4.5 stars which is why I downloaded it for free.... and I have to say I’m disappointed.

Don’t waste your time downloading I’m sure there are much better books available on kindle for free in my opinion

[Beth Birnbaum · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun, exciting, fast paced, great characters, great story, emotionally true and satisfying, and a tour of Hawaii that was as good as watching an episode of Hawaii Five O.
The first thing I did after reading this book was download and read the next one. All in one day. And then the short story that took place before the series started. Still in one day.
You can say I'm a fan.
My advice, read them all. I intend to.

[Carmen · Rating 1 out of 5]

I really don't understand how some books end up being published...

[Maria E. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wnat a joy to read a book taking place in Hawai'i by someone who actually lived in Hawai'i.

Really enjoyed everything about this book- from island extended family relationships, to lots of local colloquialisms. The characters are well-drawn, and the 3 sisters very likable. Jessica is the friend you wish you had. The plot is interesting, even if foreseeable. All in all a great read.

[Ronpoet · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good Read

I really enjoyed reading this novel since I lived in Hawai'i from 1991 until 1996. Each summer I would take a group of high school students to the Big Island on a religious retreat. The novel captures the flavor of the island and I recommend it. I never give away the plot and all I can say it is a good cozy mystery.

[Becky Shores · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jessica

Liked Sam and Jessica's fast romance, however but the next book Book 2 says Jessica is on TBE mainland. I thought she stayed in Jobs. I did lime the book though. Thanks for a quick mystery book

[Marseydoats · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fast paced and hard to put down. I especially liked the parts with the dolphins.

[Jean · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun to read.

It moved along quickly. I liked the characters. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes some action without too much build up to that action.

[Micky Parise · Rating 2 out of 5]

First time reading J.E Trent and not really impressed with the writing style. Plot and characters and descriptions of Hawaii were good but that writing leaves a lot to be desired.

[Judith E. Pitney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Riveting

Good story with riveting twists and turns and a satisfying ending. Jessica leads the family through heartbreak and happiness. Many interesting people involved on both sides of the law. I’ll read more from this author.

[Judith Mosconi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fast moving mystery. Good characters, nice descriptions.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

very good easy read with a soupson of the real Hawaii.

[Sue · Rating 5 out of 5]

Could not put the book down! I enjoyed the story telling! Looking forward to the other books by this author.

[Stuart Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reminiscent of my days in Hawaii

Brings back many fond memories of my years in Hawaii many years ago. Good action but could use more mystery. Nevertheless, a good read.

[paulette sarelli · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great police thriller

This book kept you engaged until the end. Some of the Hawaiian terminology made it difficult to understand. Good thriller though.

[Martha Cheves · Rating 5 out of 5]

Death in Paradise - Review by Martha A. Cheves



As Jessica walked up the stairs leading to the front door, she could feel his presence. Even though he wasn't there, she felt his spirit, and a warm feeling rushed over her as she walked through the front door. Jessica felt the mana to her core. The house was like he always kept it. Neat, but nothing fancy It was typical Hawaiian style, with rattan wicker furniture and a canoe paddle hanging on the wall in the living room. The decor was an early vacation rental, except for the front door, which had a Mako shark carved into it. Since the mana of the shark was important in Hawaiian culture, her dad figured it was a good omen for the place.



Mike Murphy had taken his plane out only to have it crash in the lava pits. His daughter Jessica went to work for the Los Angeles Police after leaving the islands. The death of her father had her, as well as her two sisters Pua and Jasmine. He was always one for safety and checked his plain from end to end before flying. So, how could this have happened.



After going home to the island Jessica found there were several reasons that may have caused her father's death. The biggest one was a man named Mr. Lau. He was a Chinese billionaire from Macau and he had been buying up property all over Hawaii in the hopes combining his property Ming with Murphy's Aloha Village and creating a gambling casino when gambling became legal in Hawaii. Problem was, Mike Murphy refused to sell.



This book is a fast moving novel that is filled with VERY believable and possible happenings. It digs into corruption of not only the police but those higher up too. The characters are believable due to Trent making them 'human' with problems of everyday life. It also give you some of the history of the islands. I must say that I thoroughly enjoyed this book and am looking forward to reading book 2 in the Sam and Jessica Crime Novels.

[Rosemary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Death in Paradise - a review by Rosemary Kenny

LAPD Lieutenant Jessica Kealoha is the feisty female protagonist in this all-action thriller by the talented J E Trent. She's unexpectedly visited in the small hours of the night by colleagues, who tell her to call her sister Pua in Hawaii. Shockingly Jessica learns of the suspicious death of their father, Mike Murphy and races to support her family - younger sister Jasmine and many other Hawaiian and Japanese relatives, at the Aloha Valley Resort owned by Mike
.
What does Jessica learn in Kona that leads to her retiring from the Force? How did her father die? Was it murder? If so, who was responsible?
What is the hidden agenda of Mr Lau, owner of the Ming Resort? Who is Woo Ching and what does Lau order him to do?
What is Uncle Jin Tanaka's position in Hawaii? Which employee of the Aloha Village saves them from ruin? How does this endanger Jessica further?
What job does Jessica's Uncle Jack do - and how does he save Jessica and Sam? Who is Sam Stewart and what is his relationship to Jessica?

With a plot worthy of a James Bond thriller, Death in Paradise is sure to keep fans of feisty female sleuths and all-action adventures on the edge of their seats and gasping in shock and amazement at the numerous twists and turns, menaces and machinations, agony and ecstasy experienced by the characters within its covers.
Satisfaction is assured in this winner of a novel. Get your copy today and get reading - I guarantee you'll love it as much as I did!

[Brian Campbell · Rating 1 out of 5]

Story OK, execution awful. Nothing creative in text. Maps and glossary helpful. Just one superficial paragraph linked to another. Ideas used to move the plot have been used too much before. I kept reading hoping for an original approach to any part of the story and did not find any. I certainly hope you have something better to do than read this book. I enjoyed the British TV series also titled Death in Paradise and found those characters shown with more depth and realism. Trent’s villains were stereotypical and even if the text did not telegraph their actions in advance, the descriptions of their villainy were short and too weakly written to be interesting. A politician on the take was ho hum and added little to the story. Many of the good guys also popped in for a few paragraphs then disappeared after contributing little.

[Vicky · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first book in this series. It was also my first book to read by this author. I enjoyed this book for several reasons: I love the setting. Who doesn’t love a story that takes place in Hawaii. The main character is a woman who is pretty, intelligent, has secrets, and is strong physically and mentally. Jessica Kealoha is a LAPD detective from Hawaii. She rushes home (Kona) because the phone call she receives said her Dad had just died. Jessica’s Dad lived to fly and took very good care of his airplane. She goes home to bury her father and to find his killer.Jessica has two sisters, one autistic nephew, her Dad’s dog and his beach front hotel. Jessica also meets a very rich entrepreneur, Sam who she becomes attracted to. The book is easy to read and has mystery and intrigue. i can’t wait to read the second book in this series!

[Taylor Tyler · Rating 1 out of 5]

I don’t understand the good reviews. I picked this up after seeing it on Book Bub on sale. The writing is atrocious. Zero character development or emotions. Really? Finding out a main character has breast cancer and they hug and laugh at a stale joke and move on? All emotions and characters are flat and fake. Feels like a 12 year old wrote it with no real grasp on adult feelings or reactions.

[Joan Buell · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this book to be just so-so. It starts out with a plane crash, and the pilot is killed. His daughter is sure it was murder and begins an investigation into the crash. I had difficulty keeping all the characters straight, and found the frequent use of Hawaian pidgin distracting. True there was a glossary at the end but that is not very useful when reading on a Kindle, as you don't know it is there until you finish the book. Everyone is caught up in more murder, violence, kidnapping and revenge. Apparently the explanation for all this is that the Chinese Triads and the Japanese Yakuza are vying for control of the island but there is not enough information given about them to be able to weave it all together. The violence seems trivialized and not very credible. There is one steamy sexually explicit account that seems totally out of place.I will not continue with this series

[Audrey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I got this book free in exchange for an honest review. Jessica is an LAPD detective originally from Hawaii. Her fathers side of the is law enforcement and her mothers side is yakuza. When her dad dies in a plane crash she knows it wasn’t an accident. He was meticulous about his plane. She goes back to discover her family needs her. She retires from the LAPD and returns to Hawaii to discover who murdered her father and help support her sister who has breast cancer and help her other sister run Aloha Village. With a Chinese triad kingpin living next door and trying to take over her family resort Jessica realizes she has a lot of work to do! This book was well written. It has plenty of action drama. I highly recommend this book!

[Angel Phoenix · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked this book, it was a nice short book I could pick up and put down at lunch times at work. I love Hawaii although I've never been so I really loved imagining what the places in book looked like based on the descriptions given and what I know of Hawaii already. It sounded like a beautiful resort to visit despite the dangers that were lurking in the shadows.

This family are definitely stubborn and determined to survive and make sure the right thing is done and justice is served whether that be from the police or The Yakuza.

I really enjoyed getting to know the characters and I intend to follow them further on their journey with the next book in the series Death Orchid.

A recommended read from me.

[Dan · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found this to be a pretty poorly written book with a not very believable plot ("oh, trouble's brewing, lucky there's a billionaire here who can fund all our needs") and poor editing (every so often there's a random phrase in italics for no good reason)... and the author needs to work on character descriptions (describing your half-Japanese heroine as having "exotic looks" is kind of appalling) and characterizations (our heroine at one point is described as being extremely self-reliant, but it only ever comes up in the paragraph where she says she has "no choice" but to accept the billionaire's help - no mention of her self-reliance is made before or after this).

You can pretty safely skip this book.

[Dave · Rating 1 out of 5]

I wanted to like it, but with sentences like, "What they didn't know was he was a master of disguise," and "The family sat down so they could make story..." it was impossible. The writing is trite and uncomplicated. The author tries to use Hawaian words, but not in dialogue...in the narrative. Then feels the need to explain them. As well, the whole focus of the book (you know, the problem that happens is chapter 1 to make it a thriller) gets so lost that the author literally put 2 paragraphs in the Appendix to "solve" the mystery. There was no development of that character...just an "OH yeah, X did Y" and "Nobody liked X." I downloaded the book for free, and I know why it was offered for free.

[Neera Kapahi · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Death in Paradise,” was a delightful and easy read. The book held my interest throughout even though there really was no real mystery.

The story is set in Hawai‘i and revolves around Jessica, an LAPD detective. Her father suddenly dies in a plane crash and everyone suspects foul play. All fingers point to a certain person who wants to buy her fathers property in Hawai‘i.

I enjoyed reading about the Hawaiian way of life, Jessica’s relationship with her family, the character of Sam and of course the setting - Hawai‘i.

Even though the book lacked depth I am giving it a high rating because it was an enjoyable read.

[Jay Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Fascinating Thriller

The Japanese Yakuzi and the Chinese Triads dispute over Hawaii, and Jessica and her family are caught up in the struggle. Jessica hooks up with Sam when she is called back to the island after her father dies in a suspicious accident. The story uses just enough Hawaiian language to make it interesting. The characters are somewhat stereotypical but the main characters are realistic and human. The level of suspense rises and falls through the story, keeping the reader engrossed.

[Bernice · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the story and, having ohana living in Hawaii, had no trouble with the pidgin or dialect. What I did have trouble with is the continual use of the word "towards." There is NO S in toward. I found that very distracting. And when Jessica received a flower, she put it behind her left ear; however, she was unattached at that time so it should go behind her right ear. Little things like that, and using who instead of whom, etc., should have been caught by the editor. Otherwise, it was an interesting story and I would have given it four stars.