Honolulu playwright and writer Victoria Nalani Kneubuhl’s newest is not a script but a mystery novel set in 1930s Honolulu. Murder Casts a Shadow will have you hooked from the first smart, unconventional and intriguing pages.
Here’s a peek:
“PROLOGUE: New Year’s Eve, Honolulu, 1934
“From a bench in the garden, Mina Beckwith watched the clouds racing over the Ko`olau Mountains and the moon rising over Nu`uanu Valley. She took a deep breath and turned her attention to the party inside. Stone arches framed a patio with sets of open french doors leading into the spacious and elegant parlor. From the garden, the arches created small moving vignettes of dancing couples, laughing groups, floating balloons, flying confetti, and moving figures in stylish and fanciful costumes. Beautiful as it looked, Mina couldn’t bring herself to go back in. She’d kept her mask in place all night, avoiding recognition and interaction. It would take more than fancy dress, she thought, to disguise the same old crowd and the same old small talk.”
–From Murder Casts a Shadow by Victoria Nalani Kneubuhl
University of Hawaii Press
Literary Lotus 