(Forge Books, soft cover, ISBN 0-312-87601-7)
A debt-plagued surfer runs a personals ad. The women he meets prove ever more troublesome . . . then one turns up dead on the beach, plunging him into an escalating adventure that takes him from Waikiki to the fiery slopes of Mauna Loa volcano in search of a murderer, an extinct bird, and a powerful Hawaiin shrine.
It's another record year for the Aloha State: six million visitors. Surf's up, the palms are rustling, the tourists toasting, and postcards still end with, "wish you were here." But all's not well in hula land.
Two men hike into the Big Island's Kilauea crater, home of the volcano goddess Pele. One returns.
A notable archaeologist makes the find of a lifetime, celebrates with bad company, and dies before revealing his discovery to the world.
Bernie Bergen, a risk-titillated deal-maker, defrauds a revered foundation, parlays his coup into launching the golf resort of the decade: Paradise Valley. Bernie stakes his fortune and fate on the venture's timely progress, but rumors of the late archaeologist's discovery cast a pall on his business plan. Bernie consults a no-nonsense fixer.
Honolulu's hottest televangelist, the Reverend Jaycie Pitts, gets carried away reading Bible stories to one of his Cheerleaders for Jesus, and finds himself mercilessly blackmailed by the girl's unsympathetic mother. It's leave town or raise big bucks fast for Reverend Jaycie. The Reverend seeks salvation from money-man Bernie.
Blundering into this web of disruption is Star Hollie, a cash hungry surfer, in dangerous debt to the infamous loan shark, Mako. It's been a bad month for Star, whose relationship with "naughty but nice" exotic dancer Cindy is fraying as thin as the lingerie she sports for her clientele. It's about to get worse.
Star runs a personals ad, "Ladies, meet Mr. Lucky," with devious intent and unanticipated results. Among the ad's respondents are the producer for the Reverend Pitts' TV show, who sets Star up as Sinner of the Week, and flirtatious Melissa, hot young widow of the late archaeologist.
Melissa stirs not only Star's hormones, but his heart. In an unaccountable burst of honesty, Star drives his would-be lover to tears and into the streets of Waikiki. The next day the newspapers report her suicide.
Suicide? The widow's sister, Caddy MacConnell, a geologist, arrives in Honolulu to accuse Star of murder. But the two soon join forces, find evidence of foul deeds and the archaeologist's improbable discovery. They encounter rogue roach exterminators, a human kite, a dognapping, a speargunned swimmer, the feather of an extinct bird, and a trail leading to an ancient fertility site few believed existed.
Star, the vengeful sister, a bird-watching magazine publisher, a resourceful kahuna-priestess, the unrepentant financier, a pair of Appalachian Vikings, the blackmailed televangelist, and a mission-above-all security chief are ultimately thrown together on the Big Island slopes of Mauna Loa volcano, dodging Pele's fire as they fight for their lives and the soul of the Pali-uli wilderness, an earthly paradise.
