Bet your bones, but never bet your heart.
A wedding on the edge of a Hawaiian volcano sounds risky to Dinah Pelerin, the bride's best friend and maid of honor. The bride, Claude Ann Kemper, has bet her heart that she’s found the right man at last. The groom has gone all in on a real estate deal that he believes will set him and his new wife up for life. But Hawaii is a tinderbox of ancient myths and modern conflicts over who should control the land so cherished by its native people. A group of native Hawaiians claims that the sacred bones of an ancestral king are buried on the land that the groom plans to sell, and one of them has vowed do whatever it takes to stop him.
On top of this, a blackmailer is conspiring to cash in on the groom’s suspicious past, Claude Ann’s ex-husband is stalking her and rigging booby traps, and Pele, the local fire goddess, is rocking the island with a series of earthquakes. It seems as if the stakes can’t get any higher. Then, when somebody shoves a member of the wedding party into a flow of molten lava, all bets are off.
True friendship is never easy, and Dinah and Claude Ann have had their misunderstandings. But when danger threatens, Dinah is determined to protect her friend and repay the loyalty Claude Ann has shown to her, even if she has to walk through fire to do it. If Dinah and Claude Ann are to get out alive, they’ll have to face down an angry goddess and a ruthless killer.
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"Thoroughly enjoyed this book. Wonderful writing, great wit, well drawn characters and a tight plot. Highly recommend anything Jeanne Matthews writes. She's a high quality writer who always entertains."
— Susan (5 out of 5 stars)
“Whispers of the past, witty dialogue, and intriguing plot twists keep the pages turning.”
— M. L. Malcolm, award-winning author of Heart of Lies and Heart of Deception“Effective use of Hawaiian myths, fauna, flora, and volatile geology.”
— Publishers Weekly“Matthews uses the Hawaiian setting well, throwing some island mythology into her already steaming cauldron and making the most of an engaging heroine.”
— Booklist“Matthews fills her narrative with many Hawaiian myths and legends, Hawaiian language and its meanings, as well as detailed descriptions of the island setting. This makes for a true feel of the place and time in this challenging, interesting mystery.”
— Fresh Fiction" She hemorrhages question marks. It's her primary method of moving the plot forward. Hawaii was nice, but not much more. "
— Karen, 11/27/2012" Looking forward to the next in this series. I enjoy the blend of local lore, humor, and mystery. "
— Marie, 10/26/2012" another fun mystery. Liked hearing about the history of Hawaii "
— Donna, 10/2/2012Jeanne Matthews, born and raised in Georgia, graduated from the University of Georgia with a degree in journalism. She has worked as a copywriter, a high school English and drama teacher, and a paralegal. She is the author of several novels in the Dinah Pelerin international mystery series. Like her anthropologist sleuth, she travels around the world learning about other cultures and mythologies, which she incorporates into her novels. She lives in Renton, Washington, with her husband, who is a law professor, and their West Highland terrier, who is a prima donna.
Kate Reading, named an AudioFile Golden Voice, has recorded hundreds of audiobooks across many genres, over a thirty–year plus career and won the prestigious Audie Award for Best Narration. Among other awards, she has been recognized as an AudioFile Magazine Voice of the Century, Narrator of the Year, Best Voice in Science Fiction and Fantasy, and winner of an Publisher’s Weekly’s Listen-Up Award. She records at her home studio, Madison Productions, Inc., in Maryland.