YEN FOR MURDER

World-traveling journalist Natalie Seachrist, nearly retired and writing a local food/drink/entertainment column, is enjoying living in an inherited family cottage in her native Hawaii with boyfriend Ke’oni, a former homicide detective–turned–security consultant. Then, as is typical for her, Natalie has intriguing visions—this time, about the killing of a female minister in a Buddhist temple as its Buddha statue is stolen. Fortuitously, Ke’oni spots a Buddha statue, strikingly similar to the one Natalie envisioned, in an auction catalog. They inform Ke’oni’s former partner and conduct undercover surveillance at the auction, which is disrupted when a Japanese linguist and local temple member alerts the auctioneer—who’s a member of the Kiyohara family, the same family selling the statue—about the statue’s origins, halting its sale. Natalie and cohorts continue to investigate, attending another sale on Kiyohara estate grounds, re-examining case/coroner files, and, of course, tapping into Natalie’s ongoing interior visions and external observations in effort to solve the crime. Arizona-based author Burrows-Johnson lived in Hawaii for two decades, and her love for the state infuses this sensory- and fact-filled narrative, providing readers enjoyment and education regarding the Hawaiian lifestyle, history, and culture. Natalie and Ke’oni confer about the case while lying in their outdoor beachside spa, for example, and Natalie’s research relays fascinating info about Buddhism sects, how and why the Japanese came to Hawaii, etc. Natalie’s detailing of meals, although mouthwatering, is, however, a bit digressive. Still, this is perhaps fitting for this book’s overall cozy mystery vibe, showcasing a charming lead and her various pleasures alongside her and community members working together to figure out what exactly jarred this idyllic world.