Dark Paradise

February 23, 2009
Set on Hawaii's Big Island, this fast-moving stand-alone from Waiwaiole (Wiley's Refrain
and two other novels featuring a Pacific Northwest pro poker player) focuses on the battles over who will control the island's lucrative drug trade. In the middle of the muddle is criminal investigator Geronimo Souza, who simply wants to keep the collateral damage to a minimum. The many often reluctant players, only a few of whom stand out, include local distributors like Buddy Kai and Dominic Rosario; established Japanese suppliers Johjima and his ambitious aide, Kitano; and L.A.-based Mexicans, led by Jesus Fernandez, who are trying to gain a foothold. Geronimo's heroic attempts to control the chaos grow increasingly desperate. Violent and profane, this noir exercise draws a devastating picture of drug-induced carnage, though readers should be prepared for plenty of island patois (e.g., “What da kine I fockin' wen tell you fo' watch?”).