Primitive Secrets: A Storm Kayama Mystery

by Deborah Turrell Atkinson

Book Overview

One beautiful Hawaiian morning Storm Kayama walks into her lucrative Honolulu law office to find her adopted uncle, Miles Hamasaki, at his desk, stiff and cold. Years before, Miles had fulfilled a promise to Storm's father to raise Storm with his own family. But now questions emerge about Hamasaki's death and her adopted family, and Storm's suspicions rise. Heading to the Big Island for a weekend away from escalating pressures, Storm narrowly escapes...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1590580176
• ISBN13: 9781590580172
• Release Date: September 2002
• Publisher: Poisoned Pen Press
• Length: 365 Pages
• Weight: 1.32 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 5.5" x 8.5"

Customer Reviews

Highly Recommended!

Storm Kayama is turning her rebellious past into a promising future. She's working hard to get her law degree while clerking for her adoptive father, lawyer Miles Hamasaki, on the island of Honolulu. Miles was her real father's best friend. When Storm's father died, Miles welcomed her into his home and his heart. Now, the unthinkable has happened. Miles has been found dead in his office. Storm begins to notice things that don't make sense. She decides to find out what really happened. As she gets closer to the truth, her own life is threatened. Deborah Turrell Atkinson has crafted a superb novel, set beautifully in the middle of the mystery and myth of Hawaii. Ancient superstitions and modern realities wage a battle for justice in an exciting story that will keep readers guessing until the end. I highly recommend PRIMITIVE SECRETS and look forward to more from this talented author.

Primitive Secrets, an Exciting Journey for the Reader

'Primitive Secrets' was a treat. The characters were real, and I liked them immensely.(Let's face it, if you don't like the characters, you don't care what happens to them.) The plot moved fast, and had several interesting layers, so it kept me turning pages. There were several very exciting sequences, like a car chase on a rainy,winding rural road at night, and some very funny events, which I won't divulge.One of the things that sets this book apart was that Atkinson took me to Hawaii. I felt that I knew Hawaii's people, past and present. I became part of an exotic cultural mix of customs and beliefs, and traveled to places tourists don't get to go.If you like Tony Hillerman's mysteries set among the Navajos in Arizona, or Dana Stabenow's mysteries set in Alaska, you'll love 'Primitive Secrets'!

Hawaiian murder mystery

If you've been in the mood for a Hawaiian vacation but couldn't afford the airfare, Primitive Secrets is the perfect escape. Not only do you get the experience of visiting Hawaii, but a suspenseful murder mystery is thrown in too. As if this wasn't enough, there's also a romance brewing. Ms. Atkinson is an excellent writer who has created a very engaging amateur detective in Storm Kayama, an attorney who is just beginning her practice in her uncle's law firm. When she finds her uncle dead at his desk, the adventure begins. Sights, smells and tastes of Honolulu are skillfully woven together with the homeopathic remedies and folklore of the Big Island to give this story dimension and flavor. A great read.

Primitive Secrets

Who killed Miles Hamasaki, and why? When Storm Kamaya, a young law clerk with a troubled past, sets out on the trail to discover the truth behind the death of her beloved uncle, the reader joins hands with Storm to experience every breathtaking twist and turn down the dark alleys of Honolulu and through the cane fields of the Big Island. Atkinson draws us in like a spider beckoning a fly with her evocative descriptions of the Hawaiian islands and ancient Hawaiian legends, as Storm, along with the reader, discovers a web of betrayal spun by those she trusts most. Lovers of mysteries will be captivated by this tale of the darker side of paradise, and will surely want to follow Storm Kamaya down the road through another adventure in Hawaii. We should all hope that Primitive Secrets is only the first of Storm's stories, with many more to come.

A Fantastic First Mystery

Arriving early for a meeting with her boss and adoptive father Miles Hamasaki, Honolulu law clerk Storm Kayama finds him slumped over his desk, dead. She seeks comfort after this tragedy by going to her boyfriend's apartment, where she finds him in the shower. Not alone. Things are not been going well.As Storm works at the office trying to catch up with the work Miles left behind she soon finds herself the victim of a series of attacks and burglaries all aimed at the files he left behind. She also begins to discover that her coworkers and even her adoptive family seem to be hiding secrets about their relationships with Miles.Storm investigates Miles' leftover cases, ranging from an HMO lawsuit to investment propositions from his family. She is aided by the attractive attorney Ian Hamlin and her Hawaiian healer aunt. As she comes closer and closer to the truth Storm finds herself distrusting those she has trusted most and reliving some of her childhood pains.This is a wonderfully atmospheric mystery that accurately reflects the flavors and sites of O'ahu and the Big Island. The foods, the people, and the changing land all ring true and I could easily identify the places Atkinson describes. She also creates a witty, smart, and likeable character in Storm, a part-Japanese, part-Hawaiian, 30-something woman. The humor, scenery, Hawaiian folklore, and fast-moving plot all combine to make a must-read mystery. I can't wait for Atkinson's nextnovel.