Ghosts of Waikiki - by Jennifer K Morita

About the Book

"After the newspaper she works for folds and the freelance assignments no longer pay the bills, Maya Wong reluctantly returns to her native Hawaii to ghostwrite controversial land developer Parker Hamilton's biography. But when the Hamilton patriarch is found dead under suspicious circumstances, Maya is unwittingly drawn into the investigation. ... All too soon, Maya is dodging assailants and digging for clues while juggling girls' nights out with her old BFFs and weekly family dinners. Convinced the police are after the wrong man, Maya is determined to stop the killer before it's too late"--

Book Synopsis

2025 LEFTY AWARD WINNER FOR BEST DEBUT MYSTERY NOVEL!

In this atmospheric debut mystery, an out-of-work journalist and the homicide detective who broke her heart must cipher out a murder before the clock runs out, perfect for fans of Naomi Hirahara and Jane Pek.

After the newspaper she works for folds and the freelance assignments no longer pay the bills, Maya Wong reluctantly returns to her native Hawaiʻi to ghostwrite controversial land developer Parker Hamilton's biography. But when the Hamilton patriarch is found dead under suspicious circumstances, Maya is unwittingly drawn into the investigation.

Maya's family and friends aren't happy about her work for Hamilton. And now, with her ex, Detective Koa Yamada, on the case, she's forced to contend with the very person she was determined to avoid.

All too soon, Maya is dodging assailants and digging for clues while juggling girls' nights out with her old BFFs and weekly family dinners. Convinced the police are after the wrong man, Maya is determined to stop the killer before it's too late.

Exploring timely issues in Hawaiʻi, including locals getting priced out of paradise, Ghosts of Waikīkī is an engrossing mystery in the vein of The Verifiers.

Review Quotes

Praise for Ghosts of Waikiki

2025 AGATHA AWARD NOMINEE!
2025 ANTHONY AWARD NOMINEE FOR BEST FIRST NOVEL!
2025 MACAVITY AWARD NOMINEE FOR BEST FIRST MYSTERY!
AMAZON EDITORS PICK FOR DECEMBER BEST MYSTERIES, THRILLER AND SUSPENSE!

"Morita's breezy whodunit captures the flavor of her tropical setting and nicely balances the relatable dilemmas of Maya's personal life with her sleuthing."
--Kirkus Reviews

"Morita and Robideau create a mystery that feels meant for audio."
--Library Journal, audiobook starred review

"Morita skillfully evokes the Hawaiian setting, transporting readers to Waikīkī, with its white sand beaches and deep blue seas, long-lasting legacy of colonization and tricky relationship with tourism. As it melds the multifaceted context of an incredible place with a fast-paced whodunit."
--Shelf Awareness

"Filled with accurate island settings and local traditions and customs. This author's next return to the Islands just can't come soon enough."
--Kings River Life

"I'm the ideal reader of Jennifer K. Morita's debut mystery! I can relate to the plight of her Asian American amateur sleuth, Maya Wong, who is pushed out of her profession because of the contraction of the newspaper industry. Her return to her hometown of Honolulu leads to a new gig as a ghostwriter for a Hawai'i-based titan--only to soon find herself in the center of a murder investigation. I laughed and clapped at the carefully chosen references to contemporary O'ahu touchstones of eateries and locations. Ghosts of Waikīkī captures the vibrancy of the islands in a way rarely seen in genre fiction."
--Naomi Hirahara, Edgar Award-winning author of the Mas Arai mystery series and the Mary Higgins Clark Award-winning Clark and Division

"Jennifer K. Morita's debut novel, Ghosts of Waikīkī hooked me from the first page. It's a mystery with plenty of twists, turns, danger, dead ends--and heart. In rich detail, Morita gives an inside look at the people, customs, issues, and struggles of those living in paradise. I hope this is the first in a Maya Wong series."
--D. M. Rowell, author of the Mary Higgins Clark nominee Never Name the Dead and Silent Are the Dead

"Ghosts of Waikīkī is an absorbing story filled with likable characters, an immersive setting, and all the elements of a satisfyingly good mystery read. I loved it!"
--Cheryl Head, author of the Anthony Award nominee and Lambda Literary Award finalist Charlie Mack Motown Mystery series

"Ghosts of Waikiki is simply terrific! Jennifer Morita weaves together a fascinating plot, an authentically seductive Hawai'i setting, and a thoroughly engaging amateur sleuth, a young woman who can't help herself -- she persists! And thank goodness she does. Morita is a stellar talent as a mystery writer and storyteller, and she knows Hawai'i like the back of her hand. Let's hope she places her irresistible sleuth in many more suspenseful tales of murder and detection in that complicated paradise!"
--Eric Redman, author of the Kawika Wong mysteries

About the Author

Jennifer K. Morita is a former reporter for the Sacramento Bee and is a writer for University Communications at Sacramento State. Morita is a fourth-generation Asian American who lived in Hawaii as a child. She is an active member of Mystery Writers of America and the current president of her local chapter of Sisters in Crime. She was a finalist for the 2022 Eleanor Taylor Bland Crime Fiction Writers of Color Award. Ghosts of Waikīkī is her first novel.