Mahu Review in Metroline

Hartford, CT USA - Sat. Oct. 29. 2005

Mahu by Neil S. Plakcy
Reviewed by Kristan Higgins

Late October 2005

Homicide detective Kimo Kanapa'aka’s life is taking a nasty swerve. He’s a mixed race Hawaiian surfer cop in a world reeking of corruption and machismo, and he may be a witness to a murder he failed to prevent. The murder took place at a gay bar where Kimo was cruising, and Kimo is still firmly in the closet.

To make matters worse, Kimo’s honorary godfather is somehow involved. A close friend and fellow cop is taking bribes, and the victim’s son and his boyfriend are putting the moves on Kimo. While Kimo comes to terms with his homosexuality, he also tries to hide his involvement at the scene and simultaneously solve the murder.

Neil S. Plakcy has created a rich world of culture clash, tropical beauty and erotic undercurrents. He’s also written a top-notch crime story, intricate, ripe with detail and unpredictable turns. We are immersed in Hawaiian culture as perhaps we’ve never seen it. Nothing is spared Mr. Plakcy’s vivid eye and graceful description. Subjects as diverse as tourism, racism, prejudice, homosexuality, corruption, and even food are tackled with relentless scrutiny.

Underlying the complex criminal investigation, one thing rings true: Kimo is fiercely devoted to the job, despite his own mistakes. Protective of the people he serves, intelligent and quick, Kimo nonetheless tries to gloss over his own role at the murder scene. As he slowly acknowledges his homosexuality, he wrestles with family expectations, cultural condemnation and discrimination on the job.

At times, Mr. Plakcy’s bright eye at times teeters at the edge of excess. His descriptions of male beauty and desire lose their shine when repeated too often, and the endless bouts of self-examination Kimo endures get a bit old. For example, toward the end of the book, Kimo goes undercover, hoping to secure a confession out of a prime suspect. As he works, his attention wanders. “I wondered if I’d be doing this for real soon…cruising these bars, looking for a little fun? Would I duplicate the same pattern I’d had with women, meeting and mating at random intervals…” One wonders if the suspect notices Kimo’s flagging attention as sharply as the reader does.

It’s when Mr. Plakcy is less introspective that his simple, clear-eyed prose really glitters. As he comforts a boy whose father has died, Kimo reminisces about the innocence of his own childhood.“There was a cool breeze so close to the water, and I remembered what it was like to be a kid, just smelling the fresh-cut grass, listening to the birds, hearing the thump of a basketball on a driveway down the street.”

For the most part, Mr. Plakcy’s sensual and straightforward style invigorates a hugely diverse cast and variety of beautiful settings. A good ear for dialogue and dialect alike, taut plot and believably flawed characters make Mahu an exciting, intricate read.

Mahu is currently available in bookstores everywhere.