About the Books
BONES OF PARADISE
Book #1 in A Big Island Mystery Series
A spunky intelligent protagonist, a clever plot, a sunny, funny, upbeat novel. Looking forward to seeing more of Mimi Charles." - Aaron Elkins, Edgar Award winning author of the Gideon Oliver series.
Even in paradise, people do die. And it's the job of forensic anthropologist Mimi Charles to analyze the bodies that aren't found right away - skeletons, mostly. Mimi and her colleagues at the Medical Examiner's office are a tightly-knit team that relishes solving the mysteries presented by each case. But outside of the office, their lives in the sweet little town of Hilo, Hawaii, flow in a gentle island rhythm. None of them is prepared for the disappearance of one of their own, right from the building where they work (or the parking lot outside, anyway). Soon a series of notes begin to arrive, supposedly from the missing person. Even though the FBI shows up to join the local police in the search for clues, Mimi and her friends can't resist doing a little "digging" of their own. Suddenly, there's a very pesky TV reporter calling Mimi at home and peeking out at her from behind potted plants. And then John, the Death Investigator who works with Mimi, begins to act strangely. Despite the distractions, Mimi starts to piece together odd, seemingly unrelated bits of information in the race to find her missing friend, and she most sincerely hopes that she's not too late . . .
BONES OF BANYAN DRIVE
Book #2 in Big Island Mystery Series
Such a terrific book! I really, truly loved it. Very clever, well-crafted, fast-paced, and fun. My favorite book in a long time!
– Eric Redman, best-selling author and contributor to Rolling Stone Magazine
Forensic anthropologist Mimi Charles is jolted awake by a call telling her a tree on Hilo's historic Banyan Drive has fallen, and a human cranium has been spotted dangling in its roots. In the face of bureaucratic indifference, and with zero training as a detective, Mimi is determined to find the identity of the cranium's long-deceased owner.
THE TREES OF BANYAN DRIVE
This informative fun-to-read guide takes the reader on a tour of the fifty trees of Banyan Drive in Hilo, Hawaii. Each tree is accompanied by a story of the amazing person who planted it. Princesses, movie stars, famous athletes, explorers, presidents, and more - they lived in an era when Hilo, and the world, was on the brink of monumental change. The book includes a map and short history of the Waiakea Peninsula, including Liliuokalani Park and Gardens, Coconut Island (Moku'ola), Reed's Bay, the Hilo Breakwater, and Kanakea, the Ice Pond.
ANNA: WHO GAVE HER HEART TO HAWAII
Jane Hoff is a contributing editor/author of David Penhallow-Scott's posthumous biography of his mother, Anna, a "Living Treasure" of Kauai. Anna's family evolved from early missionaries and sea-faring captains into Hawaii's power-brokers; fortunes were made and lost, marriages were built and dissolved. Relationships with Hawaiian royalty weave in and out of the story, as well as a who's who of the state's political, financial, and social figures.
PORTRAITS OF HAWAII'S ROYALTY: PAINTINGS & BIOGRAPHIES OF TWENTY-ONE HAWAIIAN ALI`I
Jane Hoff is a contributing editor to Frederick Baker's catalogue of twenty-one oil portraits of various members of the Hawaiian monarchy and lineage. Each portrait is accompanied by a brief account of the subject's life and place in Hawaii's history. From Kamehameha I to Prince Jonah Kuhio Kalanianaole, the Hawaiian Kingdom's most important members come to life through the beautiful full-page paintings.
Named by BookAuthority as number 19 in their 22 Best Royalty Biography Books of All Time.