Primitive Secrets (Storm Kayama Mysteries)

Now, the unthinkable has happened. Miles has been found dead in his office. Storm begins to notice things that don't make sense. She decides to find out what really happened. As she gets closer to the truth, her own life is threatened.

Deborah Turrell Atkinson has crafted a superb novel, set beautifully in the middle of the mystery and myth of Hawaii. Ancient superstitions and modern realities wage a battle for justice in an exciting story that will keep readers guessing until the end.

I highly recommend PRIMITIVE SECRETS and look forward to more from this talented author.


Interesting Hawaii elements--very slow start   January 26, 2003
booksforabuck (Dallas)
1 out of 2 found this review helpful

Fresh from passing her bar exam, lawyer Storm Kayama is dealt a shock when her foster father and mentor is found dead in his office. While the other partners seem happy to keep her busy, Storm senses that something is not right. When she starts to investigate, her foster father's secretary is killed and someone tries to run storm off the highway. With the help of what appears to be a Hawaiian god, Storm survives, but she is more determined than ever to find the truth.

Author Deborah Turrell Atkinson writes convincingly of a Hawaii that ballances between its ancient traditions and the glitz of modern life. The HMO patient suffering from cancer and receiving both modern and traditional treatments is both important and symbolic of the broader issues that Storm, and many Hawaiians face in their daily lives.

PRIMITIVE SECRETS starts slow, really involving the reader only in the second half of the novel. I had a hard time identifying with Storm and her behavior and reactions. Although incompetent police work is standard in the mystery genre, it is difficult to believe that the Hawaiian police would be as negligent as portrayed by Atkinson. Fortunately, Atkinson turns up the suspense in the second half of the book, drawing the reader to a strong conclusion.


Primitive Secrets, an Exciting Journey for the Reader   December 3, 2002
Michael (California)
2 out of 2 found this review helpful

'Primitive Secrets' was a treat. The characters were real, and I liked them immensely.(Let's face it, if you don't like the characters, you don't care what happens to them.)

The plot moved fast, and had several interesting layers, so it kept me turning pages. There were several very exciting sequences, like a car chase on a rainy,winding rural road at night, and some very funny events, which I won't divulge.

One of the things that sets this book apart was that Atkinson took me to Hawaii. I felt that I knew Hawaii's people, past and present. I became part of an exotic cultural mix of customs and beliefs, and traveled to places tourists don't get to go.

If you like Tony Hillerman's mysteries set among the Navajos in Arizona, or Dana Stabenow's mysteries set in Alaska, you'll love 'Primitive Secrets'!


Hawaiian murder mystery   November 9, 2002
Michelle (Oahu, HI USA)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful

If you've been in the mood for a Hawaiian vacation but couldn't afford the airfare, Primitive Secrets is the perfect escape. Not only do you get the experience of visiting Hawaii, but a suspenseful murder mystery is thrown in too. As if this wasn't enough, there's also a romance brewing.

Ms. Atkinson is an excellent writer who has created a very engaging amateur detective in Storm Kayama, an attorney who is just beginning her practice in her uncle's law firm. When she finds her uncle dead at his desk, the adventure begins.

Sights, smells and tastes of Honolulu are skillfully woven together with the homeopathic remedies and folklore of the Big Island to give this story dimension and flavor.

A great read.