Publisher:
Wild Rose Press

Publication Date:
N/A

Copyright Date:
N/A

ISBN:
978-1-5092-4329-7

Binding:
Paperback

U.S. SRP:
17.99

TO CATCH THE SETTING SUN

By Richard I Levine

IR_Star-black
IR Rating:
3.0
For readers who tear through crime thrillers and love sinking their teeth into stories of deranged, violent, pathetic killers and the damaged men and women who chase them, Richard I Levine's TO CATCH THE SETTING SUN will be a solid and enjoyable read.

On the island of Oahu, Honolulu police detective Henry Benjamin’s outsider status and pugnacious approach to his work hasn’t made him many friends. Neither does his habit of barging into crime scenes he suspects are connected to a serial killer targeting native Hawaiian women who are deemed to be traitors to their native culture. Everyone knows that “Dirty Henry”’s wife, Maya, was the first victim, but he hasn’t made much progress and there are whispers that he might actually be the killer—after all, each victim has some sort of connection to Henry. Benjamin unofficially joins forces with another detective working the case, detective Keilani Kalakina. Keilani is as troubled as Henry, and both have secrets they’re guarding. As Henry begins to zero in on a suspect who is much closer than suspected, the killer’s links to both a politically-connected policeman and a secret nativist group dreaming of re-establishing the independent Hawaiian kingdom start to rise to the surface.

Author Richard I Levine has crafted a solid thriller with TO CATCH THE SETTING SUN; obviously a big fan of the TV show “Hawaii Five-O” (which he notes he’s made numerous appearances on as a background actor and even in speaking roles) the story reads very much like an expanded version of the sort of story the show would lean into. Levine brings some terrific local color to his setting, and conveys some of the tensions between the native Hawaiians and the outsiders who will never be accepted as such no matter how long they live there. The story’s solidity is also part of its downfall, as it’s not exactly a fresh take on the story of a deranged, short-tempered serial killer preying on women and seeking revenge, or the hard-drinking, incorruptible detective who nearly sacrifices everything to catch him. Levine does pull off one unexpected twist that surprises (even as it strains credulity a bit), but the reveal occurs so early in the story it loses some of its punch. In fact, the reader pretty much has the full picture of what’s going on pretty early on, leaving the rest of the story to play out as a competent but not terribly surprising recitation of plot points. There’s little doubt as to the outcome of the tense confrontation at the the end of the story—though a very late heel turn by one of the characters, possibly setting up a sequel, does manage to catch you off-guard, in part because it feels a bit rushed.

One area of the story that feels a bit unfinished involves Henry’s lieutenant, Mendoza. The scion of a powerful family and firmly connected to the case, Mendoza is presented as a real threat to Henry in many ways, but slowly fades from importance and the story as if Levine wasn’t sure what to do with him. His fate comes off as a convenient way to tie off a loose end rather than an organic arc for the character.

For readers who tear through crime thrillers and love sinking their teeth into stories of deranged, violent, pathetic killers and the damaged men and women who chase them, Richard I Levine’s TO CATCH THE SETTING SUN will be a solid and enjoyable read.

~Jeff Somers for IndieReader

Publisher:
Wild Rose Press

Publication Date:
N/A

Copyright Date:
N/A

ISBN:
978-1-5092-4329-7

Binding:
Paperback

U.S. SRP:
17.99

TO CATCH THE SETTING SUN

By Richard I Levine

In Richard I Levine’s edgy crime thriller, TO CATCH THE SETTING SUN, the picturesque island of Oahu reels from a series of grisly crimes. Young native Hawaiian women are the targets and they are somehow connected to Detective Henry Benjamin. Layered with backstories, populated with finely drawn characters, and with glimpses of Hawaiian history, this book is utterly gripping and not to be missed.