Product Description

An exciting new voice richly and suspensefully evokes modern and ancient Hawaii... When Storm Kayama walks into her lucrative Honolulu law firm one morning, she's shocked--and grieved-- to find her adopted uncle at his desk, stiff and cold. Years before, Miles Hamasaki had fulfilled a promise to Storm's father and brought her to be raised with his own family. But, as questions surround Miles' death and her adopted family begins to close ranks, Storm suspects that he has been murdered. Heading to the Big Island for a weekend escape from escalating pressures, she narrowly escapes a terrible accident. Storm takes refuge in the home of her Aunt Maile, a traditional Hawaiian healer, and Uncle Keone, a paniolo on the huge Parker Ranch. There she encounters a legend from her youth and a family totem, or ‘aumakua, which Aunt Maile promises will protect her. As Storm struggles to heal her own childhood wounds and bring justice to Hamasaki's killer, she also comes to grip with the rifts in her own life and culture. From the winding cane roads of Hamakua to the seedy side of Honolulu's Chinatown, with a deft juxtaposition of a bustling Honolulu against the island's legends and wild beauty, Atkinson reveals a Hawaii that few visitors ever see.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #551107 in Books
• Published on: 2005-10-01
• Released on: 2005-10-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 309 pages

From Publishers Weekly
Deborah Turrell Atkinson smoothly blends contemporary crime and native Hawaiian legend in her second novel, Primitive Secrets. When Storm Kayama discovers her beloved adoptive attorney uncle, Miles Hamasaki, dead at his desk, her search for his killer takes her on a journey into her own painful past that illuminates the larger conflicts in the 50th state's diverse culture.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal
After the apparent heart-attack death of her adoptive father, Hawaiian lawyer Miles Hamasaki, Storm Kayama is first mugged, then robbed, then threatened. Someone desperately wants Hamasaki's briefcase, which, as Storm finds later, contains sensitive material relating to a cancer insurance case. In the end, Storm makes use of Hawaiian resources, including a traditional healer and a ranch hand, to uncover her father's killer. Legal firm insider stuff, a possible romance with a handsome new associate, adoptive family secrets, and unusual settings round out a memorable read. For larger collections.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist
Storm Kayama is shocked when she finds her adopted uncle, Miles Hamasaki, dead at his desk one morning at his Honolulu law firm. After she is mugged in the parking garage and then almost killed en route to her aunt's house on the Big Island, Storm begins to wonder if her uncle was murdered. It appears that someone--a client, a family member, or a friend--believes that Storm, a close confidante of her uncle, knows something that they've already killed once to protect. She begins to investigate in order to defend herself and to avenge her beloved uncle's death. Storm is a strong and appealing character who still struggles with the aftermath of her mother's suicide when she was 12 and her feelings of isolation as it becomes apparent that her adoptive family has kept secrets from her. Vividly described settings--from Honolulu's Chinatown to the spectacular scenery of the Big Island--will entrance readers of this fast-paced debut, which effectively contrasts modern Hawaii with the lore of its past. Sue O'Brien
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Customer Reviews

Highly Recommended!
Storm Kayama is turning her rebellious past into a promising future. She's working hard to get her law degree while clerking for her adoptive father, lawyer Miles Hamasaki, on the island of Honolulu. Miles was her real father's best friend. When Storm's father died, Miles welcomed her into his home and his heart.

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.

Primitive Secrets, an Exciting Journey for the Reader
'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'!

Interesting Hawaii elements--very slow start
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.