Confession: The only reason I grabbed a Kindle sample of this book was because it was written by a Maui author–not someone I know, but there aren’t all that many of us, and I’d like to be familiar with who’s out there.

Small Island, falls, I think, in the thriller genre. It features a former army officer working as a bartender on Maui’s westside, who reluctantly gets drawn into a personal investigation of illicit goings-on on the island. I started this book feeling pretty skeptical, since one of the prominent characters was described as a former porn star, but the author handled that aspect quite well, and I’m pleased to report this turned out to be an impressively good book.

This isn’t my genre. I really don’t know how Small Island compares to other PI/thrillers, but I enjoyed it. It explores a seedier side of Maui than the one I live in, but the descriptions mostly rang true to me. I thought the writing was smooth and effective and the character portrayals had just the right depth.

So if a book set in modern Maui appeals to you, do give Anthony Pignataro’s Small Island a try.

Posted on: Sunday, November 6th, 2011 at 12:40 pm
Categories: Reading, Recommended Reading.