The US Review of Books
"She then steps across the corpse she seems to regard as being of no consequence."
Another startling murder seems to follow Natalie Seachrist and her friends, this time during an inaugural scavenger hunt celebrating the culture and history of Hawai'i. Natalie, her boyfriend and ex-cop Keoni, and their friends from the mainland, Margie and Dan O'Hara, are excited to dive into a fun adventure when a mysterious murder of one of the hunt's sponsors threatens to cast a pallor over the event. Natalie realizes that a dream she thought was inspired by a classic movie marathon was, in fact, one of her trademark visions -- only this time, the victim in her dream appears to have been murdered decades ago, despite similar circumstances. She and the Hawai'i Police must find the killer and solve the urgent mystery as well as a very cold case, all while trying to enjoy what was supposed to be a relaxing week with friends.
Natalie's career as a leisure journalist and the author's two decades of life in Hawai'i combine to create an environment that is meticulously sculpted, filled with breathtaking scenery, rich culture, and decadent food. Those that have visited the islands will be teleported back to the scenes in their memories, while those yet to explore them will have their imaginations kindled. Unlike many novels in the mystery genre, Burrows-Johnson's book maintains a balance with Natalie and Keoni in that they dedicate themselves to the case while simultaneously taking care of themselves and each other rather than subsisting on coffee and no sleep. The pace of this story naturally transitions from the scavenger hunt and its locales to the identity of the murderer of the Chinese linguistics professor and gives the reader a grounded perspective before launching them into the action. Fans of a lighter mystery with rich characters and environments will devour this latest Seachrist story.
Kirkus Review
In this third entry of a mystery series, a woman's latest vision seems to be an unsolved, decades-old murder that links to a present-day homicide.
Freelance journalist Natalie Seachrist is excited about the upcoming First Annual Aloha Scavenger Hunt in Honolulu. It's not far from her Lanikai home, but this is her first vacation with her boyfriend, Keoni Hewitt, a retired homicide detective. Unfortunately, mere days into the weeklong event, cops discover a body in the hallway of Natalie and Keoni's hotel. The crime scene resembles Natalie's recent vision. As it was her first vision in months, she initially dismissed it, believing the black-and-white images were her memory of an old film noir. Despite similarities between the recent murder and Natalie's vision, the latter was clearly from an earlier era. The cop working the present-day case, Lt. John Dias, Keoni's old partner, has little evidence on the new homicide. But as he's aware of Natalie's ability, he encourages her to look into the mysterious murder of yesteryear even if she's not part of the official probe. Natalie tries connecting the two crimes by identifying the earlier victim as well as the hotel from her vision. And notwithstanding the decades separating the murders, there's a possibility of a solitary killer. Burrows-Johnson's (Murder on Mokulua Drive, 2018, etc.) protagonist, as in preceding novels, is an accomplished sleuth. Her visions may spark an investigation, but Natalie's research skills, stemming from her days in travel journalism, are what lead her to answers. The author's bountiful details explore Hawaii's history and culture, as scavenger hunt clues direct Natalie and Keoni to historical landmarks and the inquiry includes Chinatown in Honolulu. Though Burrows-Johnson tends to linger on descriptions of Hawaii's food and handsome locales, this tactic meshes with Natalie's investigative approach. The protagonist's pace, for example, is leisurely but never boring, as she consistently tracks down and pieces together evidence. Nevertheless, though the case reaches a resolution, questions regarding the culprit's specific motive and method remain.
A whodunit as smart and engrossing as the unlikely gumshoe.
San Francisco Book Review
There are many reasons to recommend this novel. The descriptions of each destination and the players' race during the scavenger hunt are well done and leave the reader ready to book travel plans to see the sights first-hand. The visions add an interesting paranormal twist to what could be just another crime novel. The relationships between the neighbors are wonderful and something that really makes the characters likable. And, of course, any murder mystery that involves a cat is a winner from the start!
