Kaanapali Beach Paradise (A Maui Novelette, Part 3)

By R. Barri Flowers

From R. Barri Flowers, award-winning writer and bestselling author of the Leila Kahana Maui Mysteries and Eddie Naku Maui Mysteries, comes the third and final installment of the captivating Maui contemporary novelette series, Kaanapali Beach Paradise

Set amidst the lush playground of Maui, Hawaii’s famed Kaanapali Beach Resort, the soap opera style tale of adultery, ambition, dark secrets, love, lust, hate, romance, betrayal, revenge, and murder, revolve around the anticipated grand opening of Kaanapali Palms Hotel, the latest luxury accommodation on this three mile-long ocean front stretch of paradise on the island’s western shore.

Multimillionaire real estate investor and CEO of Kaanapali Palms, Ben Crawford, is not above getting in bed with organized crime to make his dream come true. A widower, his 19-year old daughter, Leigh, means everything to him. Forgotten is the child he abandoned long ago, never imagining this would come back to haunt him.

Leigh Crawford is gorgeous, spoiled, precocious, and primarily looking to have fun at her daddy’s new luxury hotel. After meeting super-hot Hawaiian chauffeur, Masami, things get steamy in a hurry. Will they crash land or could there actually be a future between them?

Yoshiko Pelayo is a stunning Hawaiian journalist, who has taken an undercover job in housekeeping at the Kaanapali Palms, while plotting vengeance against the father she never knew in Ben Crawford, whom she blames for her mother’s death and her own abandonment.

Stewart McGann is a police detective from Portland, Oregon, who retired after getting hurt on the job. He is brought to Maui to head the security at Kaanapali Palms. The offer is made easier by his attraction to housekeeper, Yoshito, even if he senses there is more to her than meets the eye.

Eugene Keebler is a janitor at the Kaanapali Palms and smalltime hood. He sees the grand opening as a golden opportunity to rob the place, with the help of crooked friends.

Kalani and Rosita Okamura own the fabulous Shoreline Lounge in Kaanapali, while hiding secrets of adultery from one another and more.

Genevieve Roswell, an aspiring musician, fled San Francisco after testifying against her drug dealing boyfriend, ending up on Maui. Now her past is about to catch up to her.

Donnie Ortega has a job to do, make sure the one who helped put his homey away gets what is coming to her. And he fully intends to complete the task, whatever it takes.

Kaanapali Beach Paradise, Part 3 in the continuing novelette series, promises to keep readers engaged as lives and loves are turned upside down with intriguing twists at every turn amidst the grandeur of a world-famous Hawaii beach resort.

Bonus material includes a complete mystery suspense short story, “No Going Back,” and excerpts from R. Barri Flowers’ bestselling Hawaiian romantic suspense novel, Kauai Killer, Portland private eye thriller, Alive in the Rose City, and sentimental relationship novel, A Reason to Live.

• Language: English
• Publisher: R. Barri Flowers
• Release date: Dec 1, 2019
• ISBN: 9780463245972

R. Barri Flowers

R. Barri Flowers is the award winning author of romantic suspense, mystery, thriller and crime fiction with thirteen Harlequin titles published to date. Chemistry and conflict between the hero and heroine, attention to detail, and incorporating the very latest advances in criminal investigations, are the cornerstones of his crime and thriller fiction. He enjoys travelling around the country and abroad to scope out intriguing settings for future storylines, books, and miniseries.

Book preview

KAANAPALI BEACH PARADISE

A Maui Novelette, Part 3

By R. Barri Flowers

KAANAPALI BEACH PARADISE (A Maui Novelette) Part 3 is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, business establishments, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

KAANAPALI BEACH PARADISE

A Maui Novelette, Part 3

Copyright 2019 by R. Barri Flowers

All rights reserved.

Cover Image Copyright HLF Photos, 2019

Used with permission from HLF Photos

To the forever love of my life—you have always encouraged me to put my best foot forward as an author, husband, and best friend. Mahalo!

Aloha to those of you who read and enjoyed Kaanapali Beach Paradise Parts 1 and 2. I hope you enjoy this concluding third installment in the novelette series.

And a big dedication to the many fans of my popular Hawaii mystery, thriller, suspense, and romance books as well as young adult fiction, and new readers who have a deep passion and appreciation for the Hawaiian Islands and enjoy a great read with that mesmerizing backdrop in mind. Mahalo!

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OTHER BOOKS BY R. BARRI FLOWERS

FICTION

A Reason to Live

Alive in the Rose City

Before He Kills Again

Dark Streets of Whitechapel

Dead in Kihei

Dead in Pukalani

Dead in the Rose City

Deadly Defense

Fractured Trust

Justice Served

Kaanapali Beach Paradise, Part 1

Kaanapali Beach Paradise, Part 2

Kauai Killer

Killer Connection

Killer in The Woods

Murder in Honolulu

Murder in Maui

Murder of the Hula Dancers

Murder on Kaanapali Beach

Murdered in the Gourmet Kitchen

Murdered in the Man Cave

Night Killers

Persuasive Evidence

Seduced to Kill in Kauai

State’s Evidence

TEEN FICTION

Christmas Wishes: Laura’s Story

Count Dracula’s Teenage Daughter

Danger in Time

Daughter of Count Dracula

Ghost Girl in Shadow Bay

Out for Blood

Summer at Paradise Ranch

Teen Ghost at Dead Lake

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PRAISE FOR R. BARRI FLOWERS

MURDER ON KAANAPALI BEACH is among the best of his tales. This one deserves to be at the top of your must read list.—John Lutz, Edgar winning bestselling mystery author

R. Barri Flowers gives readers a fine procedural along with appealing characters and great local color.—Bill Crider, Edgar winner and bestselling crime writer on MURDER ON KAANAPALI BEACH

A top flight police procedural and a must read for all fans of suspense. The contrast of seamy crime to the beautiful paradise setting adds to the gripping tension.—Joe Moore, bestselling co-author on MURDER ON KAANAPALI BEACH

R. Barri Flowers weaves a riveting crime tale set in Hawaii oozing with authenticity, grit, and drama.—Kim Cresswell, bestselling author on MURDER ON KAANAPALI BEACH

A police procedural with a complex plot, told from multiple viewpoints. The reader gets the added benefit of a virtual vacation on Maui.—Laurie Hanan, mystery author on MURDER ON KAANAPALI BEACH

Flowers delivers the goods. An exotic setting, winning characters, and realistic procedural details make MURDER IN MAUI a sure hit with crime-fiction readers.—Bill Crider, Edgar winner and author

MURDER IN MAUI is a steamy, non-stop thrill-ride through the seamy underbelly of Hawaii.—Allison Leotta, Federal Sex Crimes Prosecutor and author

Vivid details of police procedure one would expect from top criminologist. A gripping novel in what promises to be an outstanding series.—Douglas Preston, New York Times bestselling author on MURDER IN MAUI

Gripping, tightly woven tale you won’t want to put down. Author neatly contrasts the natural beauty of tropical paradise with ugliness of murder and its aftermath.—John Lutz, Edgar winner and bestselling author on MURDER IN MAUI

MURDER IN HONOLULU is an exquisitely rich and masterfully constructed mystery. Flowers now lays fitting claim to the beautiful island paradise as his territory.... A savvy, smooth, and sumptuous read that’s as hot as Waikiki beach sand.—Jon Land, mystery author

Infidelity and murder in paradise lead to a one of a kind case for PI Skye McKenzie Delaney, and an enjoyable ride for the reader. Definitely put this one on your list.—John Lutz, Edgar winner and bestselling author on MURDER IN HONOLULU

Flowers once again has written a page-turner legal thriller that begins with a bang and rapidly moves along to its final page. He has filled the novel with believable characters and situations.—Midwest Book Review on STATE’S EVIDENCE

A clever mystery with many suspects.... Vividly written, this book holds the reader’s attention and speeds along.—Romantic Times on JUSTICE SERVED

A model of crime fiction.... Flowers may be a new voice in modern mystery writing, but he is already one of its best voices.—Statesman Journal on JUSTICE SERVED

An excellent look at the jurisprudence system...will appeal to fans of John Grisham and Linda Fairstein.—Harriet Klausner on PERSUASIVE EVIDENCE

STATE’S EVIDENCE will make the top sellers list because it’s fast-paced, intriguing, satisfying, and I highly recommend it to you.—Romance Reader at Heart

A rocket of a read. Not only a heart-thumping thriller, this is that rare novel that is downright scary.—John Lutz, Edgar winner and bestselling author on BEFORE HE KILLS AGAIN

It gets no better than this! R. Barri Flowers has written another thriller guaranteed to hold onto its readers!—Huntress Reviews on DARK STREETS OF WHITECHAPEL

Selected as one of Suspense Magazine’s Best Books.—John Raab, CEO/Publisher on THE SEX SLAVE MURDERS

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Kaanapali Beach Paradise, Part 3

No Going Back – bonus short story

Kauai Killer – bonus excerpts

Alive in the Rose City – bonus excerpts

A Reason to Live – bonus excerpts

About the Author

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KAANAPALI BEACH PARADISE, PART 3

The Kaanapali Palms Hotel, located on a palm tree laden stretch of the magnificent golden sand of Kaanapali Beach in West Maui, Hawaii, was about to have its long-awaited Grand Opening. The main festivities would take place in the Sunset Palms Ballroom, where Ben Crawford, the fifty-three-year-old CEO and the hotel’s majority stockholder, now stood. He surveyed the setting, which included tables, food, drinks, a stage for live Hawaiian music, and so much more to befit this wondrous occasion of another dream come true. Soon the room would be filled with local dignitaries, media, and staff who were the life’s blood of the hotel and, as such, deserved to partake in its official opening. He fully intended for it to go off without a hitch, ensuring investors that they could count on a good return, and quite literally making it the place to be for visitors to Maui, if not all of Hawaii.

Ben’s thoughts turned to his nineteen-year-old daughter, Leigh. He hadn’t seen her all morning. Where the hell was she anyway? Do I really want to know? he asked himself uneasily. She was certainly the apple of his eye, but could be a handful at times. Maybe he had spoiled her too much. Or maybe he hadn’t spoiled her enough. After all, who else did he have to dote over? With his late wife, Melody Sue, a very pleasant but almost forgotten memory, having been gone for nearly two decades, there hadn’t been anyone to take her place on a serious level.

Before Melody Sue, there had been a Hawaiian waitress named Nahoko Pelayo that he had admittedly developed feelings for while in the Air Force and stationed in Honolulu. But that fizzled nearly as quickly as it started once she got pregnant and refused to terminate the pregnancy. He never knew what became of the kid and had long ago decided he was better off not knowing. He couldn’t—and wouldn’t—take on the responsibility for what was a big mistake, impacting his life and times beyond that. As far as he was concerned, Leigh was the only progeny he wanted or needed.

Ben’s mind wandered back to the present as he spotted his head of security, Stewart McGann, waving him over. The former police detective had once done a job for him, saving Ben a boatload of cash. Luring McGann to Maui from Portland, Oregon, had been a smart move—especially when it was important to make sure guests felt safe and secure at the outset of Kaanapali Beach’s newest luxury accommodation.

"Ready for the