Spotlight on @LeslieKarst #giveaway

 

The Making of Molten Death

 

Today’s my day to shine in the Kitchen spotlight, which is terrific timing, since I have a brand new mystery novel, Molten Death, debuting next week on April 2. And to help celebrate, I’m giving away a copy of the new book to one lucky commenter!

 

 

Molten Death, book one in the Orchid Isle mystery series, is set on the Big Island of Hawai‘i, where I’ve lived half time for the past sixteen years, and the book has been a long time in the making. I first came up with the idea for the story after I was taken aback on my first visit to Hawai‘i by how very different the Big Island was from what I’d imagined it to be from all the Hollywood movies and glossy tourist brochures I’d seen over the years.

“Will we sip Mai Tais on white sand beaches under azure skies with puffs of trade wind clouds above? Will the strains of ukuleles and sweet falsetto voices float to us from a nearby tiki bar, brightly festooned with fish nets, flower leis, and replicas of the mo‘ai of Rapa Nui?”

I admit: that’s pretty much what I expected to find when I first visited the state back in 1990, and it’s also what Valerie Corbin, the protagonist of Molten Death, is expecting when she and her wife Kristen arrive on the Big Island for what Valerie hopes will be a fun and relaxing vacation.

But it is not to be. What she finds instead is the very real, down-to-earth town of Hilo, where rain is as common as sunshine, and where you’re more likely to find a chicken coop or basketball hoop in someone’s yard than a tiki.

And then there’s that corpse being covered over with hot, flowing lava that Valerie encounters in chapter one of the book. Not the best start to your typical tropical holiday.

When I set out to write a cozy mystery set on the “Orchid Isle,” my biggest desire—in addition to crafting an engaging mystery story, of course—was to give readers a picture of what the place is truly like—not for tourists, but for the locals who reside here: a beautiful mix of Hawaiian, Japanese, haole (i.e., those of European descent), Filipino, Portuguese, Chinese, and many other cultures.

There’s snow on the Big Island, too!

And I wanted to show just how varied, captivating, and awesome—in the literal sense of inspiring true awe—the island is. So Molten Death brings you (not surprisingly, given the book’s title) volcanoes and hot, flowing lava. Pretty darn awesome, that.

lava flowing into the sea

But there are also black sand beaches, sea turtles, tropical jungles, and outrigger canoe races in the book.

As well as hula, and eye-popping ginger, heliconia, and plumeria. 

 

And of course there’s plenty of delicious food! Hawaiian style plate lunches, sesame-shoyu poke, loco moco, avocado salad, smoky kālua pork with papaya chutney—and yes, molten lava cake. (Don’t worry; the book does have recipes!)

Korean chicken and Kalbi ribs plate lunch

I think I must has succeeded in my quest, as I recently received a review of Molten Death from the trade review, Booklist, calling the book “part murder mystery, part vividly evocative, colorful sketch of Hawaii and its history, geography, tradition, culture, food, language, and people,” and concluding that “[a]rmchair travelers and mystery aficionados alike will find it entertaining.”

So for all you armchair travelers and mystery aficionados out there, I hope you’ll consider taking a trip to the magnificent Big Island of Hawai‘i via my new book, Molten Death! (Buy link here.)

Mahalo!

Readers: What’s the most enjoyable or exciting place you’ve ever visited via armchair traveling? What made it so enjoyable or exciting for you? One lucky commenter will win a copy of Molten Death! (Please leave your email address in the comment; US residents only.)

🌴 🔥 🍍

 

 

Releases April 2!

MOLTEN DEATH

Orchid Isle Mystery, book 1

available for pre-order here!

 

An “entertaining cozy series launch.... Karst rewards armchair travelers without ignoring the thorny politics of Hawaiian tourism, and firmly grounds the core mystery in Valerie’s emotional struggles. Readers will be hungry for the sequel.”

Publishers Weekly

 

This first book in my brand-new Orchid Isle mystery series features retired caterer Valerie Corbin and her wife Kristen who, on a trip to the Big Island of Hawai‘i, swap surfing lessons for sleuthing sessions when a hike to an active lava flow turns deadly. 

 

Praise for MOLTEN DEATH:

“a compelling read that will enlighten, engage, and entertain, leaving readers longing for their next trip to the Orchid Isle.”

--New York Times bestselling author Jenn McKinlay

“a terrific debut to a series that will go on my must read list!”

--USA Today bestselling author Deborah Crombie