Award-Winning Hawaiian Crime Novelist Toby Neal
Renee began the #ThrowbackThursday meme on her blog, “It’s Book Talk“ to share some of her old favorites as well as sharing books published over a year ago. Hopefully, you’ll find either a story or author that interests you and you’ll check them out. And, if you’d like to join the fun, you’re welcome to use Renee’s pic from her website. Just provide the link back to her please).
This week I am highlighting Toby Neal, another terrific, prolific author who wrote so many of the wonderful books that I got free from BookBub, several of which I reviewed on Goodreads. I wrote a #throwbackthursday on August 21, 2017 regarding the Lei Crime series which posted a review for Torch Ginger and also included info regarding Blood Orchids, the first in the series.
I started reading the Lei Crime series back in 2014 (before I posted many reviews with Goodreads) with Book 1, Blood Orchids, and have loved them all. Lei Texeira is a damaged but strong female protagonist. I’ve followed her journey in the Maui (Hawaii) Police Department as she’s climbed through the ranks. Along the way, she met Michael Stevens, also with the MPD. Their relationship was explosive, but they were obviously meant to be a couple.
Introduced in the Lei crime thrillers was Sophie Ang, Fed ITT and I followed her along as well with Wired Rogue a spin-off of the Lei Crime novels. I’ve enjoyed this series as well and watched the characters grow. Each book brings new surprises and fascinating tidbits about our fiftieth state.
The last one I reviewed was Dark Lava, Lei Crime Novel Book 7. I’ll repeat the book blurb here, but if you haven’t already discovered Toby Neal’s books, you owe it to yourself to look into these series. Atmospheric, well-plotted, addictive, and heavy on deeply fascinating characters. Start with Blood Orchids. Recommended for all who enjoy mysteries, thrillers and suspense, women sleuths, and police procedurals.
They check all the boxes. Trust me.
Book Blurb:
Paradise is threatened by a fight for sacred artifacts.
She just wants to disarm the IED.
Newly assigned to the bomb squad, Detective Lei Texeira struggles with skills that may be dangerously out of reach, even as a heinous crime strikes close to home and catches her husband in the crossfire.
The woman is his. And if he can’t have her, she’ll have to die.
An investigation into heiau desecrations must take a back seat to the emergence of an enemy who leaves shrouds as a calling card, targeting those closest to Lei and Stevens.
“Neal is a powerful writer, and her prose is often effortless and elegant.” Kirkus Reviews
Grab this fast-paced mystery with a twist of romance, and take a trip to Hawaii with the series that’s sold more than a million copies!
About the Author: ***Kirkus Reviews calls Neal’s writing, “persistently riveting. Masterly.”***
Award-winning, USA Today bestselling social worker turned author Toby Neal grew up on the island of Kauai in Hawaii. Neal is a mental health therapist, a career that has informed the depth and complexity of the characters in her stories.
Readers rave: “We love Toby’s fast-paced, character-driven stories set in wonderful places. Nobody can read just one!”
Enjoy a badass female cop? Neal’s Paradise Crime Mysteries, starring multicultural detective Lei Texeira, explore the crimes and issues of Hawaii from the bottom of the ocean to the top of volcanoes.
Spinoff Paradise Crime Thrillers, with Lei’s friend Sophie, features a tech sleuth with a mean left hook and an ongoing vigilante justice manhunt.
Neal’s also written the romance thriller Scorch Series (with Emily Kimelman) and her own Somewhere Series romances under Toby Jane.
Toby’s memoir, Freckled: a Memoir of Growing Up Wild in Hawaii, has been widely praised. Kirkus calls Freckled, “an affecting and riveting chronicle…in a Hawaii long lost.” She writes memoir under TW Neal.
You can get TWO FREE award-winning, full-length Toby Neal books by signing up for her email newsletter! http://tobyneal.net/TNNews
SERIES ORDER:
Paradise Crime Mysteries (with Lei)
Blood Orchids
Torch Ginger
Black Jasmine
Broken Ferns
Twisted Vine
Shattered Palms
Dark Lava
Fire Beach
Rip Tides
Bone Hook
Red Rain
Bitter Feast
Razor Rocks
Paradise Crime Thrillers (with Sophie)
Wired In
Wired Rogue
Wired Hard
Wired Dark
Wired Dawn
Wired Justice
Wired Secret
Wired Fear
Wired Courage
Wired Truth
More Throwback Thursday Blogs
Renee at Its Book Talk
Jill at Jill’s Book Cafe
Rebecca at The Book Whisperer
Lynne at Fictionophile
Sam at Clues and Reviews
Holly B at Dressedtoread
Deanna at DeesRadReads and Reviews
Amanda at Literary Weaponry
Annie at The Misstery
Mischenko at Read Rant Rock and Roll
Laurie at Cozy Nook Books
Ann Marie at LItWitWineDine
Susan at Susan Loves Books
Cathy at What Cathy Read Next
Cathy at Between the Lines
Amy at Novel Gossip
Diana at A Haven for Booklovers
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