Douglas Quinn Book Review of One Big Itch by Sara Williams

One Big Itch

by Sarah Williams

Mystery/Suspense

ArchBooks, 2009

Perfect Bound Magazine, 144 pages

ISBN 1-781595-071972

**** ½ A Very Entertaining Read. Recommended.

Review by Douglas Quinn, Author of Pelican Point, etal

One Big Itch is set in Honolulu and the surrounding countryside of the exotic island of Hawaii. Sarah Williams offers the reader enticing descriptions of Hawaii, its history, culture and the people who brought it into the modern world. In addition, the author provides the reader with maps of the Hawaiian Islands, the island of Hawaii and Honolulu, including street maps noted with the location of places, both fictional and real, as described in the novel. Also, in the back of the book the reader will find a glossary of Hawaiian terms and a brief guide to understanding the language.

Randy Haverhill’s brilliance has led him to the top of his field in Economics, but he has a dark side that has been swept under the table. When he is found shot and stabbed in the doorway of his home, is it the work of a jealous current wife, a disgruntled ex-wife, an academic rival, or is it really his son, Toby, who is actually charged with his father’s murder? Or, has Randy Haverhill’s proclivity for extracurricular activity finally caught up with him?

Enter, John Spyer, ex-Miami-Dade DEA agent who has gone back to his Hawaiian roots as a carefree private investigator who enjoys his vintage Shelby Mustang, a Hula Girl pie from Twice-a-Slice Pizza, an ice cold drambuie and old friendships. When Spyer is hired by Toby’s mother to prove her son’s innocence, Spyer has to weave his way through half-truths, lies and deceits to get to the truth about who killed Randy Haverhill and why.

While the magazine format was cumbersome and awkward to read, I found the author’s writing style sophisticated and smooth, her characters entertaining and fully fleshed out, and the story interesting and well plotted. Overall, a very entertaining read. Recommended.