The Fire Thief

Dark Paradise Mystery Series, Book 1

By: Debra Bokur

Narrated by: Emily Woo Zeller

Under a promising morning sky, police captain Walter Alaka'i makes a tragic discovery: the body of a teenage surfer bobbing among the lava rocks of Maui's southeastern shore. It appears to be an ill-fated accident, but closer inspection reveals something far more sinister than the results of a savage wave gone wrong. Now that Alaka'i is looking at a homicide, he solicits the help of his niece, Detective Kali Mahoe.

The granddaughter of one of Hawaii's most respected spiritual leaders, and on the transcendent path to becoming a kahu herself, Kali sees evidence of a strange ritual murder. The suspicion is reinforced by a rash of sightings of a noppera-bo-a faceless and malicious spirit many believe to be more than superstition. When a grisly sacrifice is left on the doorstep of a local, and another body washes ashore, Kali fears that the deadly secret ceremonies on Maui are just beginning.

To uncover a motive and find the killer, Kali leans on her skills at logic and detection. But she must also draw on her own personal history with the uncanny legends of the islands. Now, as the skies above Maui grow darker, and as she balances reason and superstition, Kali can only wonder: Who'll be the next to die? And who-or what-is she even on the trail of?

©2020 Debra Bokur Rawsthorne (P)2020 Tantor

Good story

I struggled a little with the start of the book and the narrators reading, but soon could not stop listening. Overall an entertaining listen.

Many good elements…

Liked the tone and focus of the book. It felt real without being hopeless.

Narration could be improved. Imagine trying to listen to the whispering tones of the reader while driving down I-5.

Nice setting

For me, the setting added to my enjoyment of the story. The mystery was solid as well. I will look for others by this author.

Great feel for the spirit of Hawaii!

An intriguing story wrapped up in native spirituality and local vibes. Takes you to Hawaii and gives you an entirely different insight into customs and life. Can't wait for the next in the series! Highly recommended.

Fantastic Mystery

Very well written. Author kept the story very interesting throughout the book. Love all of the books so far.

Good read!

Hawai'i, law-enforcement, spiritism, cultural-exploration, murder-investigation, suspense*****

Amazing! Degreed cultural anthropologist/spiritual leader of her people/police detective Kali Mahoe works the case of a promising young man who was murdered and also the felonious thefts of solar panels by lore savvy thieves. I loved the imagery of the island lore as well as the personalities of the characters. Some nasty bits but no worse than some other ritualistic remains. Sometimes I'd get lost in the lore and have to go back to catch a thread of the investigation, but then I'm a history geek. There is exceptional due diligence recorded and the evidence is all trial ready. The publisher's blurb is a pretty good hook and I don't do spoilers, but I loved it and look forward to the next one!
I requested and received a free ebook copy from Kensington Books via NetGalley. Thank you!
Bought the audio Feb. 2023

Hummm

“The Fire Theif” by Debra Bokar receives 3 stars from me. It isn’t bad, but in the end I didn’t enjoy it as much as I thought I would going into it.

This was read by Emily Woo Zeller, and I found her reading fine. I’m not overwelmed by her reading but she’s good solid reader. She read most of it in a sort of whisper, which was actually kind of fun for a mystery.

The book and why three stars. I didn’t hate the book but I didn’t find it very mysterious. Don’t get me wrong, I didn’t figure out who the killer was so that’s good. However, I felt that Bokar doesn’t give enough clues to figure it out. Of course, this is more of a police procedural than it is a mystery. However, I always try to figure out who the killer is. I didn’t not like who one of the mainland characters referred to the Hawaiians, or other things which were said about the Hawaiians. It didn’t make much sense to me to have that.

Recommended: I think people read these kinds of novels may enjoy it.

Tony Hillerman goes to Hawaii

Wow! That was fun! I was initially a little apprehensive after reading the other reviews when it came to the actual quality of the reading/sound level of this audiobook, but I must say I thought the narrator was perfect. Her inflection was smooth, male voices worked well, and obviously she cares about her craft. I recently heard a Stephen King story, somebody who I would have figured they could do a lot more with as I imagine tons of people access it, and the monotone was horrific.
Ms Bokur obviously knows her setting, an islander herself perhaps? Her use of native spirituality/history was informative and worked well within the plot, and as a fan of police procedurals, the main protagonist was spot on with a slightly sarcastic wit that got more than a couple, literal LOL’s out of me. I have that anticipatory joy this moment that I had after finishing my first R Crais, L R King, and John D Macdonald novel. That they’ll be more great mysteries by a new(to me) author to enjoy! Aloha!

Great story!

I absolutely loved the real history combined with the fiction. This story makes me want to visit the islands more than ever! Can't wait to listen to more of this series!

Liked the story, audio too quiet

Good story! For some reason, I had difficulty hearing the narrator-I think it was her low voice and the fact that the volume on this recording for some reason wasn’t very loud even when volume was all the way up. Enjoyed the story, and appreciated how chock-full of Hawaiian culture it was.