Ghosts of Waikiki

Struggling journalist Maya Wong returns home to jump-start her career only to be roped into the investigation of her boss’s murder in Morita’s overfamiliar debut. After the California newspaper Maya writes for folds and she’s unable to make ends meet as a freelancer, she begrudgingly heads back to the Hawaiian islands to ghostwrite a history of the land-developing Hamilton family, who played a major role in colonizing the islands during the 19th and 20th centuries. Work on the project is set back when octogenarian Charles Hamilton II is found floating face down in the family pool—a death initially considered an accidental drowning, despite Charles’s habit of swimming 50 laps a day. When the authorities get involved, the lead investigator from the Honolulu PD turns out to be Koa Yamada, one of Maya’s former boyfriends. As Maya’s inquiries into Charles’s death ramp up, so does Koa’s concern for her, especially after she’s robbed and assaulted by an unseen assailant who seems invested in preventing her from completing the book. The setup is intriguing enough, but Morita opts for clichés at every turn, failing to pack many surprises into the formulaic thriller plot. Readers should expect the expected. Agent: Lori Galvin, Aevitas Creative Management. (Nov.)