Leslie Karst, author of Waters of Destruction, an Orchid Isle mystery, is visiting Ascroft, eh? today to introduce us to Hawai‘i Island as he knows it.

Welcome, Leslie. I’ll turn the floor over to you –

An Armchair Aloha!

I received a review from Booklist of the first book in my Orchid Isle mysteries, Molten Death, which called it “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.”

I was pleased, not simply by the favorable review, but also because one of my primary purposes in writing this series has been to do exactly that: introduce readers to my beloved Hawai‘i Island. And in the newest book, Waters of Destruction, that continues to be my intent.

I’ve lived on the “Orchid Isle” half-time for seventeen years and have been visiting since 1990, and over that time I’ve grown to appreciate how very special a place it is for so many different reasons. First, there’s the fact that the Big Island is home to eight of the thirteen total climate zones that exist on earth, from humid/tropical on the lush windward side of the island to polar/tundra atop the frigid slopes of Maunakea. So no matter whatever is your pleasure climate-wise, you’re bound to find it here.

Second, there’s the unique geology of the island. The presence of two active volcanoes (three, if you count Hualālai, which looms over the tourist town of Kailua-Kona and last erupted in 1801—just yesterday, in geologic terms) is, for me, one of the most compelling aspects of living here. It’s an island still being formed—a living, breathing place where fissures open and spill forth steam and hot lava, where new land is continually being created. And if you ever get the chance to actually witness that hot lava, I can guarantee it’ll be an experience you’ll never forget.

Yours truly at the 2022 Mauna Loa eruption

Hawai‘i’s volcanoes have influenced the local culture since the arrival of the intrepid Polynesians who made the long voyage from the South Pacific to the archipelago by outrigger canoe some eight hundred years ago. Not surprisingly, living on an island where at any moment your village could be inundated by molten rock resulted in a society whose dance, chanting, song, and religion have historically been focused on the power behind that awesome force. And even today, residents of the Big Island are extremely respectful of the volcano goddess Pele, with her streaming hair of fire.

There are also, of course, all the attractions one finds in glossy tourist magazines: azure waters flanked by both white- and black-sand beaches; rainforests bursting with eye-popping ginger, heliconia, and orchids; coconut palms swaying in the gentle trade wind breeze; and coral reefs populated by tropical fish in a host of psychedelic colors.

And then there’s the food. Oh, my. Seared ahi tuna with a sesame-furikake crust; smoky, succulent kālua pork with papaya chutney; kalbi beef ribs in a teriyaki glaze; macadamia nut-encrusted mahi-mahi; and of course fresh mangoes, pineapples, papaya, breadfruit, apple bananas, lychee, jackfruit, starfruit, the list goes on and on.

So if you want to take a trip to the Big Island without leaving your living room, you can find all of the above (including recipes!) in Waters of Destruction and Molten Death—along with engaging mysteries that my protagonists, Valerie Corbin and her wife Kristen, undertake to investigate when they swap surfing lessons for sleuthing sessions.

Aloha!

Thank you for sharing this with us, Leslie, and good luck with Waters of Destruction, the latest book in the Orchid Isle mystery series. Readers can learn more about Leslie Karst by visiting the author’s website and his Facebook, Bookbub and Goodreads pages.

The book is available online at the following retailers:

Amazon – B&N

About Leslie Karst: Leslie Karst is the author of the Orchid Isle mysteries Waters of Destruction and Molten Death, of the Lefty Award-nominated Sally Solari mystery series, and of the IBPA Ben Franklin and IPPY award silver medal-winning memoir, Justice is Served: A Tale of Scallops, the Law, and Cooking for RBG. After years waiting tables and singing in a new wave rock band, she decided she was ready for a “real” job and ended up at Stanford Law School, then returned to school to study the culinary arts. Now retired from the law, Leslie splits her time between Hilo, Hawai‘i and Santa Cruz, California, spending her days writing, cooking, cycling, gardening, and observing cocktail hour promptly at five o’clock.