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Project Namahana
“An enthralling tale of disappearances, deaths, dark secrets, and corporate evil.”
―Douglas Preston, #1 bestselling co-author of the Agent Pendergast series
Nothing stays hidden forever...
Two men, unified by a string of disappearances and deaths, search for answers―and salvation―in the jungles of Kaua‘i. Together, they must navigate the overlapping and complicated lines between a close-knit community and the hated, but economically-necessary corporate farms―and the decades old secrets that bind them.
Project Namahana takes you from Midwestern, glass-walled, corporate offices over the Pacific and across the island of Kaua‘i; from seemingly idyllic beaches and mountainous inland jungles to the face of Mount Namahana; all the while, exploring the question of how corporate executives could be responsible for evil things without, presumably, being evil themselves.
―Douglas Preston, #1 bestselling co-author of the Agent Pendergast series
Nothing stays hidden forever...
Two men, unified by a string of disappearances and deaths, search for answers―and salvation―in the jungles of Kaua‘i. Together, they must navigate the overlapping and complicated lines between a close-knit community and the hated, but economically-necessary corporate farms―and the decades old secrets that bind them.
Project Namahana takes you from Midwestern, glass-walled, corporate offices over the Pacific and across the island of Kaua‘i; from seemingly idyllic beaches and mountainous inland jungles to the face of Mount Namahana; all the while, exploring the question of how corporate executives could be responsible for evil things without, presumably, being evil themselves.
304 pages, Hardcover
First published June 28, 2022
32 people are currently reading
5306 people want to read
About the author
John Teschner
4 books51 followersJohn Teschner was born in Rhode Island and grew up in Petersburg, Virginia. He has worked as a newspaper reporter, professional mover, ropes course instructor, writing teacher, and nonprofit grantwriter. He served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Kenya and rode a bike across the United States. He spent seven years on the island of Kaua‘i with his wife and two boys and now lives in Duluth, Minnesota.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 62 reviews
May 31, 2022
Love the topics this brings up. The story is great, but on pages it was confusing at time. My mind had to work a bit hard to stay on track and not get lost in some areas. All in all a good book.
December 1, 2022
This review can also be found at https://carolesrandomlife.com/
This book was okay for me. I have to admit that it was a bit of a struggle for me at times. I had to try a couple of times to get into the story and even then it was hard to follow and rather confusing at times. I did like the story but it took a little bit of extra concentration on my part to keep everything straight. I am glad that I decided to give this one a try.
On the island of Kaua‘i, there have been some mysterious deaths and Bernt decides to see what he can find out at the request of one of the widows. The deaths appear to be linked to the corporate farm on the island since most of those that have died had ties to the company. We also see things from one man working at the company which made me question everything just a little more. thought that the setting was very well done and liked the fact that there were some pretty big surprises worked into the story.
This was my first experience with Kurt Kanazawa’s narration and I thought that he did a great job with the story. I thought that he did a wonderful job with the character dialects which added to the authenticity of the story. I wouldn’t hesitate to listen to this narrator again in the future.
I think that a lot of readers will like this one more than I did. This was an interesting ecological thriller that kept me guessing even though it had some issues. I would encourage anyone who thinks this book sounds interesting to give it a try.
I received review copies of this book from Forge Books and Macmillan Audio.
Initial Thoughts
This one was a bit of a struggle for me at times. I had to try a couple of times to get into the story and even then it was hard to follow and rather confusing at times. I did like the story but it took a little bit of extra concentration on my part to keep everything straight. I thought that the setting was very well done and liked the fact that there were some pretty big surprises worked into the story. I thought that the narrator did a great job overall.
This book was okay for me. I have to admit that it was a bit of a struggle for me at times. I had to try a couple of times to get into the story and even then it was hard to follow and rather confusing at times. I did like the story but it took a little bit of extra concentration on my part to keep everything straight. I am glad that I decided to give this one a try.
On the island of Kaua‘i, there have been some mysterious deaths and Bernt decides to see what he can find out at the request of one of the widows. The deaths appear to be linked to the corporate farm on the island since most of those that have died had ties to the company. We also see things from one man working at the company which made me question everything just a little more. thought that the setting was very well done and liked the fact that there were some pretty big surprises worked into the story.
This was my first experience with Kurt Kanazawa’s narration and I thought that he did a great job with the story. I thought that he did a wonderful job with the character dialects which added to the authenticity of the story. I wouldn’t hesitate to listen to this narrator again in the future.
I think that a lot of readers will like this one more than I did. This was an interesting ecological thriller that kept me guessing even though it had some issues. I would encourage anyone who thinks this book sounds interesting to give it a try.
I received review copies of this book from Forge Books and Macmillan Audio.
Initial Thoughts
This one was a bit of a struggle for me at times. I had to try a couple of times to get into the story and even then it was hard to follow and rather confusing at times. I did like the story but it took a little bit of extra concentration on my part to keep everything straight. I thought that the setting was very well done and liked the fact that there were some pretty big surprises worked into the story. I thought that the narrator did a great job overall.
June 26, 2022
Thank you, NetGalley, John Teschner, and Forge Books for the opportunity to read this book! It releases on June 28th, 2022.
Project Namahana by John Teschner is a thriller revolving around corporate greed. On the island of Kaua’i, there have been mysterious deaths and disappearances. There are corporate farms on this island and two men, Bernt and Lindstrom, seem to suspect that they are behind the deaths. However, investigating this corporation will not be easy. The locals are scared because the corporation–Benevoment, will stop at nothing to cover their tracks. But if someone doesn’t expose them, more people will die.
The premise of this book is SOOOOO GOOD!! I really, really, wanted to love it. It took a while to get into the story, for me, it was at least 5-6 chapters. I had no idea what was going on for a while but I pushed through. There are some good descriptions of the island, but some of the other descriptions were so unnecessary. They would take me out of the story too because they just didn’t need to be there. The dialogue was very much the same way. It was very stilted with no emotion. Now for the characters… I know their names, but I can’t tell you about them besides what they do in the story. There is no characterization. They are just names on a page.
BUT. As I said the premise of this book is great. The author really shines a light on corporate greed and the dangers that they bring to the environment and to the locals. Because of their wealth, it is easy for them to cover up any mistakes or silence them. Since this book takes place on the Hawaiian island of Kaua’i, it really dives into how these corporations came in and destroyed the land and the people, and the evils of colonization. He did a great job at including the impacts on the locals, as well as their culture. I truly wish this book had better “bones” so to speak because this would have been a phenomenal book otherwise. I would normally rate this 2 stars, but I decided to bump it up because I enjoyed the premise so much.
Project Namahana by John Teschner is a thriller revolving around corporate greed. On the island of Kaua’i, there have been mysterious deaths and disappearances. There are corporate farms on this island and two men, Bernt and Lindstrom, seem to suspect that they are behind the deaths. However, investigating this corporation will not be easy. The locals are scared because the corporation–Benevoment, will stop at nothing to cover their tracks. But if someone doesn’t expose them, more people will die.
The premise of this book is SOOOOO GOOD!! I really, really, wanted to love it. It took a while to get into the story, for me, it was at least 5-6 chapters. I had no idea what was going on for a while but I pushed through. There are some good descriptions of the island, but some of the other descriptions were so unnecessary. They would take me out of the story too because they just didn’t need to be there. The dialogue was very much the same way. It was very stilted with no emotion. Now for the characters… I know their names, but I can’t tell you about them besides what they do in the story. There is no characterization. They are just names on a page.
BUT. As I said the premise of this book is great. The author really shines a light on corporate greed and the dangers that they bring to the environment and to the locals. Because of their wealth, it is easy for them to cover up any mistakes or silence them. Since this book takes place on the Hawaiian island of Kaua’i, it really dives into how these corporations came in and destroyed the land and the people, and the evils of colonization. He did a great job at including the impacts on the locals, as well as their culture. I truly wish this book had better “bones” so to speak because this would have been a phenomenal book otherwise. I would normally rate this 2 stars, but I decided to bump it up because I enjoyed the premise so much.
September 26, 2022
Project Namahana
By John Teschner
I was excited to read an eco thriller and in the setting of my favorite Hawaiian island of Kauai. It was an interesting thriller with some few exciting twists that kept me engaged and turning those pages.
Glad to have read from a new author to me.
By John Teschner
I was excited to read an eco thriller and in the setting of my favorite Hawaiian island of Kauai. It was an interesting thriller with some few exciting twists that kept me engaged and turning those pages.
Glad to have read from a new author to me.
August 8, 2022
This was a fascinating read, and I thought this eco-thriller was well done. It was a struggle to stay focused at times, and while I think the audiobook helped to do so, there were parts where it did seem to drag a bit. A story about corporate greed, there were some twists I did not see coming and that I really liked. Eco-thrillers are not my normal sub-genre to read, but overall I liked the setting, it was dark, which I love, and I am very glad I read this one.
Thank you to Forge Books for the advanced copy to review.
Thank you to Forge Books for the advanced copy to review.
June 30, 2022
I really enjoyed this book! It kept me interested and engaged throughout! One of those "marathon reads" for me.
Great storyline, interesting characters, and I could not stop reading!! Grab this one now! Perfect for a weekend read, with all the thrills and chills of a perfect mystery.
Great storyline, interesting characters, and I could not stop reading!! Grab this one now! Perfect for a weekend read, with all the thrills and chills of a perfect mystery.
July 18, 2022
Enjoyed it. Solid eco-thriller. Fond memories from our recent trip to Kauai.
Thanks to Talk Story Books in Hanapepe for the recommendation.
Thanks to Talk Story Books in Hanapepe for the recommendation.
March 5, 2022
I really enjoyed this book! It took me a few chapters to understand the plot, since it was something I had very little familiarity with before reading this book, but once I had a better idea of what was going on I was hooked. The characters and story was very unique and had good themes throughout. I do wish some of the dialog was more detailed (sometimes I wasn't sure which character was speaking) and I also wish the ending was fleshed out a bit more. Overall, it was a great read.
July 8, 2022
3 1/2 stars rounded up.
I've learned I cannot resist dark and gloomy mystery/thriller covers. Especially if they involve the sea, it's a weakness, I suppose. Naturally, this means that I snatched up John Teschner's Project Namahana.
Is it possible to work in a corporation and not be affected by its greed? What about the horrors those corporations can cause (intentionally or not). Will those scrape by, or will you feel each and every one?
Two men, both corporate employees, are connected – through death. There have been a series of deaths and disappearances on the island they call home. It doesn't take long before the men, Brent and Lindstrom, begin to suspect the role they had to play in these deaths.
Ohhh. I was so curious about Project Namahana. I've seen plenty of corporate/thriller novel combinations, but nothing like this. It's a different take on the plot of greed and corruption, though it has familiar tones here and there.
The whole concept of Project Namahana makes me think of the quote: "The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing." Brent and Lindstrom could have looked away from these deaths – it would have been easier (for them) if they had. Yet they didn't. There's a lesson in that.
Admittedly, while I wanted to like Project Namahana, it took me a little while to get invested in the story. It was probably a few chapters (maybe a bit more) before I felt like I was getting into the story, mainly because it has a bit of a slower start.
On the bright side, I loved the way John Teschner tackled complex situations and concerns, especially those revolving around (as mentioned above) corporate greed and corruption. It's something that we should be discussing more, which feels like the whole point.
Thanks to Forge Books and #NetGalley for making this book available for review. All opinions expressed are my own.
Read more reviews over at Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks
I've learned I cannot resist dark and gloomy mystery/thriller covers. Especially if they involve the sea, it's a weakness, I suppose. Naturally, this means that I snatched up John Teschner's Project Namahana.
Is it possible to work in a corporation and not be affected by its greed? What about the horrors those corporations can cause (intentionally or not). Will those scrape by, or will you feel each and every one?
Two men, both corporate employees, are connected – through death. There have been a series of deaths and disappearances on the island they call home. It doesn't take long before the men, Brent and Lindstrom, begin to suspect the role they had to play in these deaths.
Ohhh. I was so curious about Project Namahana. I've seen plenty of corporate/thriller novel combinations, but nothing like this. It's a different take on the plot of greed and corruption, though it has familiar tones here and there.
The whole concept of Project Namahana makes me think of the quote: "The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing." Brent and Lindstrom could have looked away from these deaths – it would have been easier (for them) if they had. Yet they didn't. There's a lesson in that.
Admittedly, while I wanted to like Project Namahana, it took me a little while to get invested in the story. It was probably a few chapters (maybe a bit more) before I felt like I was getting into the story, mainly because it has a bit of a slower start.
On the bright side, I loved the way John Teschner tackled complex situations and concerns, especially those revolving around (as mentioned above) corporate greed and corruption. It's something that we should be discussing more, which feels like the whole point.
Thanks to Forge Books and #NetGalley for making this book available for review. All opinions expressed are my own.
Read more reviews over at Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks
July 21, 2022
Project Namahana by John Teschner is not for the flippant reader. This slow burn suspense thriller will require engagement. I was swept up into the Kaua'i landscape and culture through the narration skills of Kurt Kanazawa. A solid ⭐⭐⭐⭐ story!
I normally like to go in a story like this blind, but on this one I think it's helpful to know what you are getting into. This is an environmental suspense that involves corporate and individual greed that still manages to give nuance to the very real dilemma farmers all over this county face. If you are looking for a fast and fluffy thriller, this is not that. The characters that give their perspectives struggle to make their morally ambiguous decisions and we hear their defenses and their growth. I enjoyed the depth of this story, and as a farmer's daughter (in a decidedly not tropical locale), I resonated with several aspects.
The Story: this is a very atmospheric mystery that starts strong with the sudden death of 3 boys. Two men find themselves drawn back to this event years later in their very divergent ways only to find they need each other to expose the truth. What they discover threatens jobs, the local economy, and definitely their lives as more and more people end up dead.
I am so glad I listened to the audio of this one. There is a fair amount of Hawaiian phrases and in the audio, pronunciation. I really love listening to correct pronunciation (assuming it is accurate), since I know I won't get it right. Kurt Kanazawa did a fantastic job with all the vocals and I appreciate the fluid narration. I definitely recommend this in audio form.
Thank you to @NetGalley, @forgereads and @macmillan.audio for this Advanced Listening Copy. It is available now!
I normally like to go in a story like this blind, but on this one I think it's helpful to know what you are getting into. This is an environmental suspense that involves corporate and individual greed that still manages to give nuance to the very real dilemma farmers all over this county face. If you are looking for a fast and fluffy thriller, this is not that. The characters that give their perspectives struggle to make their morally ambiguous decisions and we hear their defenses and their growth. I enjoyed the depth of this story, and as a farmer's daughter (in a decidedly not tropical locale), I resonated with several aspects.
The Story: this is a very atmospheric mystery that starts strong with the sudden death of 3 boys. Two men find themselves drawn back to this event years later in their very divergent ways only to find they need each other to expose the truth. What they discover threatens jobs, the local economy, and definitely their lives as more and more people end up dead.
I am so glad I listened to the audio of this one. There is a fair amount of Hawaiian phrases and in the audio, pronunciation. I really love listening to correct pronunciation (assuming it is accurate), since I know I won't get it right. Kurt Kanazawa did a fantastic job with all the vocals and I appreciate the fluid narration. I definitely recommend this in audio form.
Thank you to @NetGalley, @forgereads and @macmillan.audio for this Advanced Listening Copy. It is available now!
June 16, 2022
I struggled with this book a lot. I didn’t particularly care for it at all. The book starts off very confusing and it takes a while for it to make sense. The author decided to write a very descriptive book, but I’m not someone who loves useless description in books. I want action. I found myself very bored while reading, to the point where I had to force myself to read it. Due to this, I was never fully engaged in the storyline. Another downfall for me was the use of the local slang. I don’t mind local dialect in a book, as it gives the book authenticity, but what I would prefer authors to do is to provide a small definition of the slang just one time so that readers that are not familiar with the local dialect doesn’t have to spend the time to look it up, or just glazes those sections. There was one small aspect of the book I did like and that was Lindstrom’s internal struggle. This book has been listed as general fiction/mystery and thriller. I think it’s best described as general fiction.
November 21, 2023
I really enjoyed this, but the addition of a glossary would have made it so much better!! The author uses so many Hawaiian words and slang that I was confused about what many of the characters were saying. I could figure out that "braddah" meant "brother", but that was about the only one that was obvious to me. If I had an easy reference to understand these words I would have gladly used it, but I wasn't going to look up every word on the internet to understand all of the local idioms.
January 17, 2023
How in the world is this the authors first book?
What was this book not better promoted?
Easily in my top 5 books I have read in the last 12 months!
Those who know me will tell you I am as far from being a tree hugging environmentalist as you can get. But the story sounded interesting and it takes place in Kauai.
It offered a valid, balanced argument for and against what the fictitious pesticide company did and why.
The mystery was also outstanding.
It is sad that books that are well written and from first time authors don’t get promoted unless they are also
Woke
Make a particular race feel guilty
Try to moralize
Try to teach the reader something ( it’s fiction it is there to entertain not bore the crap out of the reader.
I can’t wait foe the authors next book!!!
What was this book not better promoted?
Easily in my top 5 books I have read in the last 12 months!
Those who know me will tell you I am as far from being a tree hugging environmentalist as you can get. But the story sounded interesting and it takes place in Kauai.
It offered a valid, balanced argument for and against what the fictitious pesticide company did and why.
The mystery was also outstanding.
It is sad that books that are well written and from first time authors don’t get promoted unless they are also
Woke
Make a particular race feel guilty
Try to moralize
Try to teach the reader something ( it’s fiction it is there to entertain not bore the crap out of the reader.
I can’t wait foe the authors next book!!!
April 26, 2022
A very compelling read. I would recommend it.
April 18, 2022
Corporate greed and manipulation result in a tale about secrets and disappearances, with the island culture of Kaua'i providing an interesting backdrop. I enjoyed this novel both for the compelling story and for its setting. I received my copy as part of the Goodreads Giveaway program.
August 21, 2022
Clever and thoroughly enjoyable book especially since I’ve vacationed on Kauai including the exciting tubing through the sugar irrigation tunnels with Kauai Backcountry Adventures. I listened to the audiobook which was terrific.
abandoned-books
June 28, 2022Happy Pub Day! 6/28/22
I am immensely grateful to Forge Books for my review copy.
I am immensely grateful to Forge Books for my review copy.
May 11, 2022
really enjoyed this book, and glad to have gotten an early copy from the publisher. suspenseful and immersed in island culture.
July 3, 2022
A wonderful debut novel from an author I will be following closely! The attachment the author has for the local culture is palpable, & described so eloquently in the prologue.
July 20, 2022
*received for free from netgalley for honest review* This was overall a pretty good book, kinda slow in a weird way but turned out pretty good, certainly a murder mystery lol
February 23, 2022
I received this book for free as part of a first reads promotion
May 18, 2023
“Project Namahana” by John Teschner. Stars: ⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2 rounded up to ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️. Genre: Eco-Thriller. Location: Kaua’i, Hawaii, and Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA. Time: Present.
“Nothing stays hidden forever.” A secret project 20 years ago went wrong, and it has a half-life of 600 years. Where are the project workers now? Two dead, two missing, two left.
KAUA’I: Beaches, jungles, mountains. Corporate greed, murder, and cover-ups. New home of Micah Bernt, traumatized military veteran who tries to protect others from his deep-seated combat ways.
MINNEAPOLIS: Headquarters of Benevoment Seed Corp. Home of Michael Lindstrom, Benevoment executive who created the plant chemical that may be causing illness and death on Kaua’i; and who still has nightmares about the secret project.
Author Teschner spends the first chapters describing Bernt and Lindstrom and how/why they each end up investigating Benevoment’s Project Namahana. Perhaps his detailed descriptions for each scene could have been edited to help the action move along. The book speeds up as their private investigations intersect on Kaua’i, and they must choose who to trust while staying ahead of the law and corporate big agriculture.
Teschner asks us if it’s possible for corporate executives to be responsible for evil things without being evil themselves. It’s a long book with shifting points of view, very detailed descriptions of combat and weapon use, and many side stories. You think you know what’s going on, but it turns out there are clever plot twists that make you think: “That’s what started it?” and “Wait, what?”
The author lived on Kaua’i for 7 years, and consulted local cultural and military experts to ensure his book accurately represented its subject. It’s 3 1/2 🏝⭐️tropical stars rounded up to 4 stars from me.🌵📚💁🏼♀️” Thank you to Forge Books/Macmillan USA for the advance copy! This book published June 28, 2022
“Nothing stays hidden forever.” A secret project 20 years ago went wrong, and it has a half-life of 600 years. Where are the project workers now? Two dead, two missing, two left.
KAUA’I: Beaches, jungles, mountains. Corporate greed, murder, and cover-ups. New home of Micah Bernt, traumatized military veteran who tries to protect others from his deep-seated combat ways.
MINNEAPOLIS: Headquarters of Benevoment Seed Corp. Home of Michael Lindstrom, Benevoment executive who created the plant chemical that may be causing illness and death on Kaua’i; and who still has nightmares about the secret project.
Author Teschner spends the first chapters describing Bernt and Lindstrom and how/why they each end up investigating Benevoment’s Project Namahana. Perhaps his detailed descriptions for each scene could have been edited to help the action move along. The book speeds up as their private investigations intersect on Kaua’i, and they must choose who to trust while staying ahead of the law and corporate big agriculture.
Teschner asks us if it’s possible for corporate executives to be responsible for evil things without being evil themselves. It’s a long book with shifting points of view, very detailed descriptions of combat and weapon use, and many side stories. You think you know what’s going on, but it turns out there are clever plot twists that make you think: “That’s what started it?” and “Wait, what?”
The author lived on Kaua’i for 7 years, and consulted local cultural and military experts to ensure his book accurately represented its subject. It’s 3 1/2 🏝⭐️tropical stars rounded up to 4 stars from me.🌵📚💁🏼♀️” Thank you to Forge Books/Macmillan USA for the advance copy! This book published June 28, 2022
September 7, 2023
They talk about shareholder value because they need to call it something. But there’s no accountability, not to shareholders, not to anyone. It’s chance. You can do everything right, but if there’s a drought in India and orders drop ten percent, you’ll be blamed. Unless you can get transferred in time for the blame to hit the next guy. And it goes all the way up. No matter what anyone tells you, or what they believe about themselves, all anyone is trying to do is make sure there will always be a chair for him to sit on when the music stops.”--------------------------------------
“To quote Dr. Wilson,” said Professor Higa, “Selfishness beats altruism within groups. Altruistic groups beat selfish groups. Everything else is commentary. Can anyone explain?”Project Namahana is a book about responsibility. Who accepts it. Who ducks it. How it is spread around so thinly that it ceases to have any substance. Are you responsible if you shoot someone? Sure thing, unless they were shooting at you first. Are you responsible if people are killed because of decisions you made? It begins to get tougher. What if you know there was potential for harm? It can be difficult to assign personal blame, particularly when decisions are made by a range of people. See the quote at top.
John Teschner - image from The Big Thrill
Jonah Manokalanipo takes his son and two cousins to a nearby dam for a swim. When he returns for them, after a heavy rain, he finds all three dead. What killed them? Jonah has an idea, and raises a huge fuss.
Micah Bernt is a military veteran, a loner mostly, seriously PTSD’d. He uses this to keep people at a distance, for their safety. He is not completely wrong to do so. Bernt is living on the Hawaiian island of Kauai, working selling outboard motors, renting a small place from a friendly older couple. He finds their comity off-putting, not wanting to get too attached and maybe expose them to his darker side. There is one. He did not get his screaming meanies from spending too much time in a knitting circle. There is plenty of guilt to go along with his unwelcome memories.
Michael Lindstrom is an exec with the Benevoment corporation, producers of GMO seeds and bespoke pesticides. There is a particularly promising project underway on Kauai that could yield major gains in production. But it is not quite ready for prime time, and the upstairs suits are eager to try something else, a different genetic mix, that would be particularly harsh on non-buyers. Lindstrom has been in charge of the older product line since its inception, and wants the company to hang on with it just a bit longer. But when it is implicated in the deaths of several local boys in the Namahana area of Kauai, Lindstrom is sent from the home office in Minnesota to get things sorted. Of course, there are additional complications as there might just be a connection to the several locals who have gone missing or worse.
From the sociologist Robert Jackall I learned corporate managers make directives as vague as possible, forcing those lower down the chain to make ever more concrete decisions. And from Stanley Milgram, I learned it’s human nature to shift our model of morality when following orders, justifying actions we would never do on their own. – from Teschner’s Tor/Forge articleBernt’s landlord, Clifton Moniz, is one of these. The circumstances of his death are seriously hinky. Moniz’s widow, Momilani, knowing that Bernt has some military police background, asks him to look into the death for her. And we are off to races.
Chapters flip back and forth, mostly between Bernt’s local travails and Michael Lindstom’s coming of conscience, as he begins to really feel responsibility for what his company might have done, recognizing that many of the relevant, bad decisions that had been made by the company had been his. He engages not only in an investigation of the problem at Namahana, but in considerable soul-searching.
[the] novel was inspired by a NYT Magazine story of structural violence: for decades, as told by Nathaniel Rich, DuPont factories dumped toxic chemicals in West Virginia streams, abetted by permissive regulators and a corporate bureaucracy that distributed the action of poisoning other human beings into a chain of indirect decisions carried out by hundreds of employees. - from Teschner’s non-fic piece in the Tor/Forge blogBoth Lindstrom and Bernt are on roads that lead to the same place, literally, as well as figuratively. Micah and Michael (maybe the reason for the similarity in names?) are both in great need of redemption, Michael for his managerial sins, Micah for whatever crimes had gotten him discharged from the military with an honorable discharge but maybe not so honorable a final tour.
There is considerable local color, showing a part of Hawaii that is not on the postcards or tourism brochures. Teschner lived on Kauai for seven years, so, while not a native, he knows a bit about the place. This includes not only elements of the local economy, but the relationships among the residents. There is considerable use of local lingo. I read an EPUB, so do not know if the final version includes a glossary. You might have to do some looking-up, but not at a problematic level.
Literally millions of people visit Hawaii every year, but I venture to say that few will find anything familiar in here except for the landscapes. The tourism industry on Hawaii has been so successful, the unique culture of the island itself is almost completely hidden by the stereotypes and the carefully managed visitor experience. - from the Big Thrill interviewTeschner may have presented us with a purely evil Benevoment ag-biz corporation, but his company exec is much more nuanced. We get that he is a well-meaning sort, who sees his work as helping ease world hunger, even if there might be some collateral damage in getting from place A to place B on that road. Micah Bernt is also a good-hearted soul, even if that soul may have acquired some indelible stains. These internal conflicts give the leads some depth. That said, we do not learn enough about Micah Bernt’s challenges while in the military.
Project Namahana looks at systemic, institutional violence foisted on locals by higher-ups in government, the corporatocracy, or both, looks at how personal responsibility fits into that, and fits his two leads with a need for expiation. It is fast-paced and action-packed, with the requisite twists and turns, and even a complicated love interest for Micah. We get to see both the welcoming aloha tradition and the darker side of a brilliant place. It is a fine first novel, showing some serious talent. I expect that the proper reaction to this book is to say Mahalo.
The newest version was the most effective yet, but the tweak in chemistry had made the volatility worse. Morzipronone wouldn’t stay where it was sprayed: a slight breeze carried it miles. It didn’t matter what they put on the label; no application guidelines could prevent drift onto neighboring fields. Any crop that wasn’t genetically modified to resist it would cup and die after just a few exposures.
Review posted – July 22, 2022
Publication dates
----------Hardcover - June 28, 2022
----------Trade paperback - September 5, 2023
I received an eARE of Project Namahana from Tor/Forge of Macmillan in return for a fair review, and some of that wonderful Kona coffee. Thanks, folks, and thanks to NetGalley for facilitating.
This review has been, or soon will be, cross-posted on my site, Coot’s Reviews. Stop by and say Hi!
=============================EXTRA STUFF
Links to the author’s personal, FB, Instagram, Tumblr, and Twitter pages
Profile - from the Big Thrill interview
John Teschner was born in Rhode Island and grew up in southern Virginia. He has worked as a newspaper reporter, professional mover, teacher, and nonprofit grant writer. He served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Kenya and rode a bike across the United States. He spent seven years living on the island of Kaua’i with his wife and two boys, where he helped lead Hui O Mana Ka Pu’uwai outrigger canoe club and became a competitive canoe racer. He now lives in Duluth, Minnesota, where he is learning how to stay upright on cross-country skis. PROJECT NAMAHANA is his first novel.
Interview
-----The Big Thrill - Project Namahana by John Teschner
Items of Interest from the author
----- The Non-Fiction Pieces That Inspired Project Namahana by John Teschner
-----Tor/Forge - excerpt
September 13, 2022
Individual responsibility, corporate greed, evil things or evil people
“Project Namahana” takes readers on an island journey through vivid sensory descriptions. Orange elms glow before the cheerful, wind-chopped lake. Gray, heavy ocean waves slam into sizzling foam against the rocks below. A waxy green leaf is folded beneath a smooth river stone. The sky receded from the close thickness of summer to the remote and brittle dome of autumn.
This is a story about agriculture, not just farming and crops, but also agri-business, agri-politics, agri-science, and the role of GMO. There is more to a great cup of coffee than just beans. The coffee bushes must be nurtured; they must be protected from the ravages of climate and pestilence. However, this protection comes at a price, and economic concerns clash with environmental safeguards. Every rainstorm sends a torrent of petrochemical runoff directly into the streambeds.
The conflict unfolds in several divergent viewpoints -- people whose life experiences are distinctly different. Characters have individual voices with authentic dialogue, and Island vernacular alternates with traditional grammar, thus reflecting the diversity of both business executives and front-line workers. One story houses with metal roofs are starkly different from a second-floor office overlooking a swale of brilliant green turf. The narrative uses these diverse personalities and characters to contrast contemporary economy, political correctness, tradition thinking, and environmental preservation.
“Project Namahana" is a fictional narrative with underlying questions for readers to consider. Are individuals responsible for corporate deeds? Are evil things the result of evil people? Who should be held accountable? What should be the primary consideration in the quest for world-changing products that provide affordable crop solutions? The clash is compiling, and the answers are challenging.
I received a review copy of “Project Namahana” from John Teschner and Forge Books. “Project Namahana” is now available in print, as an e-book, and on audio from independent bookstores, online booksellers, retail stores, public libraries, and anywhere you get your books.
#BookReview # JohnTeschner #GMO #AgriBusiness
“Project Namahana” takes readers on an island journey through vivid sensory descriptions. Orange elms glow before the cheerful, wind-chopped lake. Gray, heavy ocean waves slam into sizzling foam against the rocks below. A waxy green leaf is folded beneath a smooth river stone. The sky receded from the close thickness of summer to the remote and brittle dome of autumn.
This is a story about agriculture, not just farming and crops, but also agri-business, agri-politics, agri-science, and the role of GMO. There is more to a great cup of coffee than just beans. The coffee bushes must be nurtured; they must be protected from the ravages of climate and pestilence. However, this protection comes at a price, and economic concerns clash with environmental safeguards. Every rainstorm sends a torrent of petrochemical runoff directly into the streambeds.
The conflict unfolds in several divergent viewpoints -- people whose life experiences are distinctly different. Characters have individual voices with authentic dialogue, and Island vernacular alternates with traditional grammar, thus reflecting the diversity of both business executives and front-line workers. One story houses with metal roofs are starkly different from a second-floor office overlooking a swale of brilliant green turf. The narrative uses these diverse personalities and characters to contrast contemporary economy, political correctness, tradition thinking, and environmental preservation.
“Project Namahana" is a fictional narrative with underlying questions for readers to consider. Are individuals responsible for corporate deeds? Are evil things the result of evil people? Who should be held accountable? What should be the primary consideration in the quest for world-changing products that provide affordable crop solutions? The clash is compiling, and the answers are challenging.
I received a review copy of “Project Namahana” from John Teschner and Forge Books. “Project Namahana” is now available in print, as an e-book, and on audio from independent bookstores, online booksellers, retail stores, public libraries, and anywhere you get your books.
#BookReview # JohnTeschner #GMO #AgriBusiness
May 26, 2025
This book surprised me. I went into it with admittedly low expectations and found myself actually super interested in the story. I don't often read stories that take place in Hawaii that don't center tourists or vacationers, and I loved learning more about the native Hawaiian culture and the struggles and joys they face. The mystery was also surprisingly compelling and gave me a satisfying ending that I never could have guessed. It definitely had flaws, but the good far outweighed the bad.
In the jungles of Kaua‘i, three native boys are found dead in a stream, and father of one suspects the men who work the industrial agricultural fields know why. Slowly, the men that work the fields near Mount Namahana start turning up dead. Each death could be an accident, but former soldier and new Hawaii resident Micah Bernt suspects otherwise. When the head of the agricultural company, Michael Lindstrom, is flown in to answer for the high death toll of his team, the pair team up to uncover company secrets that might hold the key to the carnage.
I was worried that I would be bored during this book but I wasn't at all. We're dropped in immediately to the death of the children on Kaua'i, and then were introduced to Michael and Micah. I was never quite sure which one was supposed to be the villain, which I really enjoyed. Obviously you're supposed to root for the soldier trying to work with the locals and not the corporate overlord in the Midwest, but Micah really sucked at times and Michael was often sympathetic. I got really sick of Micah's whole "I'm a soldier who loved torturing people too much" mentality, and actually didn't love that he was the main character, but I enjoyed every other character, and found them all to be really nuanced (besides Micah).
The writing was not always great. The dialogue could be hard to attribute to a specific character at times and I struggled to focus on the mystery when the author got lost on random tangents. The main character was my least favorite of all of the characters by a mile. But I did like this a lot more than I thought I would. I loved learning about the natives of Hawaii, and the mystery was actually interesting and smart.
In the jungles of Kaua‘i, three native boys are found dead in a stream, and father of one suspects the men who work the industrial agricultural fields know why. Slowly, the men that work the fields near Mount Namahana start turning up dead. Each death could be an accident, but former soldier and new Hawaii resident Micah Bernt suspects otherwise. When the head of the agricultural company, Michael Lindstrom, is flown in to answer for the high death toll of his team, the pair team up to uncover company secrets that might hold the key to the carnage.
I was worried that I would be bored during this book but I wasn't at all. We're dropped in immediately to the death of the children on Kaua'i, and then were introduced to Michael and Micah. I was never quite sure which one was supposed to be the villain, which I really enjoyed. Obviously you're supposed to root for the soldier trying to work with the locals and not the corporate overlord in the Midwest, but Micah really sucked at times and Michael was often sympathetic. I got really sick of Micah's whole "I'm a soldier who loved torturing people too much" mentality, and actually didn't love that he was the main character, but I enjoyed every other character, and found them all to be really nuanced (besides Micah).
The writing was not always great. The dialogue could be hard to attribute to a specific character at times and I struggled to focus on the mystery when the author got lost on random tangents. The main character was my least favorite of all of the characters by a mile. But I did like this a lot more than I thought I would. I loved learning about the natives of Hawaii, and the mystery was actually interesting and smart.
August 4, 2022
Set on the island of Kaua’i, the fourth largest of the Hawaiian archipelago, this novel starts with the death of three local boys, apparently by drowning. The book is mostly narrated by the two main characters, Micah Bernt, a former military special forces soldier, living on Kaua’i, and Michael Lindstrom, an executive and former lead scientist for the Benevoment Seed Company, living in the Twin Cities.
The book includes a lot of conversation in Hawaiian accents. This makes the narrative especially entertaining to read. Author John Teschner spent seven years living on the island of Kaua’i. So his use of Hawaiian words and phrases is authentic. Further, his descriptions of Hawaiian cultural situations adds a great deal to the novel.
As the novel progresses, other persons either disappear or die under suspicious circumstances and questions are raised about Project Namahana, a Benevoment Seed project on Kaua’i. Mount Namahana is the island’s highest mountain.
The two protagonists try to unravel the mystery of what happened to the three boys and the others. First working separately and later together on the island as the mystery accelerates into an action thriller with the protagonists being pursued by those eager to keep the truth hidden.
As a person who can count the Hawaiian words I know on one hand, I would much appreciate the addition of a glossary of Hawaiian terms to this book. I love the authenticity of having the characters talk like Hawaiians, but would like to be able to look up expressions I have any question about.
Teschner says: “I hope this book entertains, educates and moves my readers, but most of all, I hope it honors that spirit (of the Hawaiian people).” Enjoy!
The book includes a lot of conversation in Hawaiian accents. This makes the narrative especially entertaining to read. Author John Teschner spent seven years living on the island of Kaua’i. So his use of Hawaiian words and phrases is authentic. Further, his descriptions of Hawaiian cultural situations adds a great deal to the novel.
As the novel progresses, other persons either disappear or die under suspicious circumstances and questions are raised about Project Namahana, a Benevoment Seed project on Kaua’i. Mount Namahana is the island’s highest mountain.
The two protagonists try to unravel the mystery of what happened to the three boys and the others. First working separately and later together on the island as the mystery accelerates into an action thriller with the protagonists being pursued by those eager to keep the truth hidden.
As a person who can count the Hawaiian words I know on one hand, I would much appreciate the addition of a glossary of Hawaiian terms to this book. I love the authenticity of having the characters talk like Hawaiians, but would like to be able to look up expressions I have any question about.
Teschner says: “I hope this book entertains, educates and moves my readers, but most of all, I hope it honors that spirit (of the Hawaiian people).” Enjoy!
February 28, 2022
I received a copy of this book for free in a Goodreads giveaway.
This book is a mystery/thriller that takes place in Hawaii, where people start mysteriously dying. Some are connected to farms sprayed with chemicals from a single company, and the mystery isn't really that much of a mystery from early in the book. The story didn't really keep me interested with the various corporate shenanigans; it was basically "the big corporation is evil and hiding the truth" with not much more nuance than that, which is really a simplistic view of big corporations. There's attempts to flesh out various supporting characters, but they never really made that big of an impression on me. There seem to be quite a few that just come and go quickly, and a lot of them seem to exist solely to provide a necessary clue to keep the plot moving. The villains are really underdeveloped, and after painting the big chemical corporation as the bad guy, some individuals on the island seem paltry in comparison. I didn't feel like we even got a proper introduction to a lot of the bad guys before weapons started coming out. A lot of the exploration and action scenes were muddled and unclear, and before long I really just wanted the book to end, which it finally did, but without a very satisfying conclusion. The action ends only shortly before the end of the book, and the fallout from all the chaos isn't really explored much, and the fate of one major character is just mentioned in passing without really any detail. But on the plus side, it's a pretty short book, and the Hawaii setting and culture seemed like they had very authentic details in the book.
This book is a mystery/thriller that takes place in Hawaii, where people start mysteriously dying. Some are connected to farms sprayed with chemicals from a single company, and the mystery isn't really that much of a mystery from early in the book. The story didn't really keep me interested with the various corporate shenanigans; it was basically "the big corporation is evil and hiding the truth" with not much more nuance than that, which is really a simplistic view of big corporations. There's attempts to flesh out various supporting characters, but they never really made that big of an impression on me. There seem to be quite a few that just come and go quickly, and a lot of them seem to exist solely to provide a necessary clue to keep the plot moving. The villains are really underdeveloped, and after painting the big chemical corporation as the bad guy, some individuals on the island seem paltry in comparison. I didn't feel like we even got a proper introduction to a lot of the bad guys before weapons started coming out. A lot of the exploration and action scenes were muddled and unclear, and before long I really just wanted the book to end, which it finally did, but without a very satisfying conclusion. The action ends only shortly before the end of the book, and the fallout from all the chaos isn't really explored much, and the fate of one major character is just mentioned in passing without really any detail. But on the plus side, it's a pretty short book, and the Hawaii setting and culture seemed like they had very authentic details in the book.
June 25, 2022
💭 ᴍʏ ᴛʜᴏᴜɢʜᴛꜱ:
This book wasn’t really for me. Although I was intrigued by the synopsis I couldn’t really get into it. It started off confusing; it took me a while to get a grasp of the storyline. The local dialect being used didn’t help with that either. Normally I would love that as it gives more authenticity to the story. It missed a bit of the thrill I was hoping for. I did like the topic of local struggles and corruption being woven into it. Interesting read but just not for me.
⭐️⭐️
🤓 ʀᴇᴀᴅ ɪꜰ ʏᴏᴜ ʟɪᴋᴇ:
Corporate corruption
Short chapters
Hawaiian Jungles
Local dialect and struggles
ꜱʏɴᴏᴘꜱɪꜱ:
𝘕𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘩𝘪𝘥𝘥𝘦𝘯 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳...
𝘛𝘸𝘰 𝘮𝘦𝘯, 𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘧𝘪𝘦𝘥 𝘣𝘺 𝘢 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘧 𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘥𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘴, 𝘴𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘤𝘩 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘯𝘴𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘫𝘶𝘯𝘨𝘭𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘒𝘢𝘶𝘢‘𝘪. 𝘛𝘰𝘨𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳, 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘮𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘯𝘢𝘷𝘪𝘨𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘭𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘢 𝘤𝘭𝘰𝘴𝘦-𝘬𝘯𝘪𝘵 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘥, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘰𝘮𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺-𝘯𝘦𝘤𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘢𝘳𝘺 𝘤𝘰𝘳𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘧𝘢𝘳𝘮𝘴—𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘭𝘥 𝘴𝘦𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘵𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘣𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮.
𝘗𝘳𝘰𝘫𝘦𝘤𝘵 𝘕𝘢𝘮𝘢𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘢 𝘵𝘢𝘬𝘦𝘴 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘔𝘪𝘥𝘸𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘯, 𝘨𝘭𝘢𝘴𝘴-𝘸𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘥, 𝘤𝘰𝘳𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘰𝘧𝘧𝘪𝘤𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘗𝘢𝘤𝘪𝘧𝘪𝘤 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘤𝘳𝘰𝘴𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘪𝘴𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘒𝘢𝘶𝘢‘𝘪; 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘴𝘦𝘦𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘭𝘺 𝘪𝘥𝘺𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘤 𝘣𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘮𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘰𝘶𝘴 𝘪𝘯𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘫𝘶𝘯𝘨𝘭𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘔𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘵 𝘕𝘢𝘮𝘢𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘢; 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘦, 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘭𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘲𝘶𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘰𝘧 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘤𝘰𝘳𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘦𝘹𝘦𝘤𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘴 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘣𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘱𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘵, 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘶𝘮𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘺, 𝘣𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘷𝘦𝘴.
This book wasn’t really for me. Although I was intrigued by the synopsis I couldn’t really get into it. It started off confusing; it took me a while to get a grasp of the storyline. The local dialect being used didn’t help with that either. Normally I would love that as it gives more authenticity to the story. It missed a bit of the thrill I was hoping for. I did like the topic of local struggles and corruption being woven into it. Interesting read but just not for me.
⭐️⭐️
🤓 ʀᴇᴀᴅ ɪꜰ ʏᴏᴜ ʟɪᴋᴇ:
Corporate corruption
Short chapters
Hawaiian Jungles
Local dialect and struggles
ꜱʏɴᴏᴘꜱɪꜱ:
𝘕𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘩𝘪𝘥𝘥𝘦𝘯 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳...
𝘛𝘸𝘰 𝘮𝘦𝘯, 𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘧𝘪𝘦𝘥 𝘣𝘺 𝘢 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘧 𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘥𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘴, 𝘴𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘤𝘩 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘯𝘴𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘫𝘶𝘯𝘨𝘭𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘒𝘢𝘶𝘢‘𝘪. 𝘛𝘰𝘨𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳, 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘮𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘯𝘢𝘷𝘪𝘨𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘭𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘢 𝘤𝘭𝘰𝘴𝘦-𝘬𝘯𝘪𝘵 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘥, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘰𝘮𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺-𝘯𝘦𝘤𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘢𝘳𝘺 𝘤𝘰𝘳𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘧𝘢𝘳𝘮𝘴—𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘭𝘥 𝘴𝘦𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘵𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘣𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮.
𝘗𝘳𝘰𝘫𝘦𝘤𝘵 𝘕𝘢𝘮𝘢𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘢 𝘵𝘢𝘬𝘦𝘴 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘔𝘪𝘥𝘸𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘯, 𝘨𝘭𝘢𝘴𝘴-𝘸𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘥, 𝘤𝘰𝘳𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘰𝘧𝘧𝘪𝘤𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘗𝘢𝘤𝘪𝘧𝘪𝘤 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘤𝘳𝘰𝘴𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘪𝘴𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘒𝘢𝘶𝘢‘𝘪; 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘴𝘦𝘦𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘭𝘺 𝘪𝘥𝘺𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘤 𝘣𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘮𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘰𝘶𝘴 𝘪𝘯𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘫𝘶𝘯𝘨𝘭𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘔𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘵 𝘕𝘢𝘮𝘢𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘢; 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘦, 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘭𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘲𝘶𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘰𝘧 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘤𝘰𝘳𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘦𝘹𝘦𝘤𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘴 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘣𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘱𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘵, 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘶𝘮𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘺, 𝘣𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘷𝘦𝘴.
June 27, 2022
A two plot mystery that comes together very, very slowly.
The first is set in Hawaii in the coffee fields, where men are dying or disappearing, where people are getting sick from chemicals used to treat the soil and plants.
The second thread is set on the mainland at the chemical company where there's a tug-of-war to decide which chemicals to continue using despite the side-effects.
After a startling first chapter, the book lags and lingers. It takes over 75 pages for the threads to make sense and tie together, sort of. That's a lot of reading to figure out if you care about a book.
I'd say, give this one a miss unless you are really curious. I was and wonder why I stuck with the book. I heard the author speak and was intrigued by the environmental / agro-thriller. But it's really a slowly plotted mystery and a debut novel. I expected more from a journalist who was setting real events and issues into fiction.
Writing flaw: the scenes in Hawaii are written in dialect with lots of Hawaiian thrown it. It's often difficult to figure out what the Hawaiian characters are driving at as the local language is not translated for readers.
Thanks to the BookLoft of German Village (Columbus, OH) http://www.bookloft.com for an ARC to read and review.
The first is set in Hawaii in the coffee fields, where men are dying or disappearing, where people are getting sick from chemicals used to treat the soil and plants.
The second thread is set on the mainland at the chemical company where there's a tug-of-war to decide which chemicals to continue using despite the side-effects.
After a startling first chapter, the book lags and lingers. It takes over 75 pages for the threads to make sense and tie together, sort of. That's a lot of reading to figure out if you care about a book.
I'd say, give this one a miss unless you are really curious. I was and wonder why I stuck with the book. I heard the author speak and was intrigued by the environmental / agro-thriller. But it's really a slowly plotted mystery and a debut novel. I expected more from a journalist who was setting real events and issues into fiction.
Writing flaw: the scenes in Hawaii are written in dialect with lots of Hawaiian thrown it. It's often difficult to figure out what the Hawaiian characters are driving at as the local language is not translated for readers.
Thanks to the BookLoft of German Village (Columbus, OH) http://www.bookloft.com for an ARC to read and review.
January 22, 2023
Started off really really SLOW!! I persevered because I found the subject matter interesting. The summary (synopsis) reads like a wartime trauma novel on the island of Kauai, Hawaii. Thinking this was about WWII or even Viet Nam survivors, I 'dived' in..... What the story is REALLY about is the effects of colonization from Europeans and their eventual owning of the coffee and sugar cane and etc. fields of Hawaii; in this case Kauai. Missionaries that came to Hawaii to christianize the 'heathen' eventually owned the land with their descendants exploiting the true Hawaiians for monetary gain.
The background of the story is also about pesticides used in these fields by big pharma companies and whether or not these chemicals pose a threat to human life.
Several Hawaiian Viet Name vets and also vets from modern war(s) star in this story as well as the 'evil' corporate types from big pharma.
The first half of the book was so slow but I plowed through to get to the faster second half. There are several murders and the end does have a nice twist. LOTS and LOTS of chemical names and laboratory processes. The end was interesting.
The background of the story is also about pesticides used in these fields by big pharma companies and whether or not these chemicals pose a threat to human life.
Several Hawaiian Viet Name vets and also vets from modern war(s) star in this story as well as the 'evil' corporate types from big pharma.
The first half of the book was so slow but I plowed through to get to the faster second half. There are several murders and the end does have a nice twist. LOTS and LOTS of chemical names and laboratory processes. The end was interesting.
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