Saving Paradise…..
I would like to thank Mike Bond and Mandevilla Press for the opportunity to read and review Saving Paradise.
MY REVIEW
A tropical island location and murder, I can hardly wait for my journey to begin.
The opening page brought to mind the beauty and wonder of Oahu, Hawaii.
Surfing zero. Dead body one.
Sylvia, literally, bumped into Pono Hawkins, as he hit the surf. But she wasn’t breathing any more.
I love everything about the guy. He’s rough around the edges, loves critters…and the ladies…he served in Afghanistan and even did time in prison, but he is not the bad guy.
Love he’s got a surfing dachshund. Imagine heading off to the beach, two boards strapped to the top of the car, head hanging out of the window, the dog’s head not his, just two ‘guys’ going surfing.
I can visualize that now. Come on. Close your eyes, smell the salty air, hear the crash of the waves and see Mojo, riding the waves, with his tongue hanging out and his tail wagging a mile a minute. Mojo even liked to have a drink and a puff or two of Maui Wowie.
I loved the story about Prima, the cat, moving in and taking over.
The trouble began when he decided it was up to him to find Sylvia’s killer himself.
The danger mounts but he can’t figure where it’s coming from. Neither can I, but I do have a list of suspects. My head is spinning as I try to keep pace with him. I am confused with all the misinformation and setup going on.
Mojo…well, I sure didn’t see that coming. and I’m more pissed than ever.
Who to trust? Is everything a lie and everyone a liar? When he talks about vets, marijuana and the government, it makes me angry. We don’t take good enough care of the people who lay their lives on the line for us and we do own them a good life…no matter the cost.
The war talk made me angry but that’s for another day. We are here to solve the murders and expose corruption.
Big government, big business, greed and disregard for natural resources. Could it be the end of Paradise? How can you fight billions of dollars with nothing? How much is someones life worth? I get angry when corrupt government, big business and the greedy people involved think that money is worth more than someone’s life and our environment.
I liked the glimpse of Hawaiian history, the characters and the storyline. The story seemed a little rushed and fell a little flat, but Mike Bond did keep the mystery going and who doesn’t want to visit a tropical island and do a little surfing.
This isn’t my first Mike Bond read and it won’t be my last.
Hang loose.
I voluntarily reviewed a copy of Saving Paradise by Mike Bond.
4 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
When a beautiful journalist drowns mysteriously off Waikiki, Hawaii, Special Forces veteran Pono Hawkins, now a well-known surfer and international correspondent for surfing magazines, soon gets embroiled in trying to find out why she died. What he quickly learns makes him a target for murder or life in prison as a cabal of powerful corporations, foreign killers and crooked politicians places the blame on him. Haunted by memories of Afghanistan, and determined to protect the Hawaii he loves from dirty politics tied to huge destructive energy developments, Pono turns to Special Forces buddies and his own covert skills to fight his deadly enemies, trying to both save himself and find her killers. Alive with the sights, sounds and history of Hawaii, Saving Paradise is also a deeply rich portrait of what Pono calls the seamy side of paradise, and an exciting thriller of politics, lies and remorseless murder.
ABOUT MIKE BOND
MIKE BOND has been called the “master of the existential thriller” by the BBC and “one of the 21st century’s most exciting authors” by the Washington Times. He is a bestselling novelist, environmental activist, international energy expert, war and human rights correspondent and award-winning poet who has lived and worked in many remote and dangerous parts of the world. His critically acclaimed novels depict the innate hunger of the human heart for what is good, the intense joys of love, the terror and fury of battle, the sinister vagaries of international politics and multinational corporations, and the beauty of the vanishing natural world.
