reviews
Feb 22, 2012
Angie
rated it: 
From Lilac Wolf and Stuff
**This book was sent to me by BookSparksPR to review**
I had a hard time getting into this one. The starting scene is intense, but Lei can be up and down and all around at times. This carries through the story but as you get to know her, it starts to make sense. Once I got going, I was sucked in.
The characters are all well written, and you do come to care about Lei. With this being a mystery I want to be happy for her, but I keep my mind arou More...
**This book was sent to me by BookSparksPR to review**
I had a hard time getting into this one. The starting scene is intense, but Lei can be up and down and all around at times. This carries through the story but as you get to know her, it starts to make sense. Once I got going, I was sucked in.
The characters are all well written, and you do come to care about Lei. With this being a mystery I want to be happy for her, but I keep my mind arou More...
Jan 17, 2012
Sonia
rated it: 
In the spirit of excellent murder mystery authors like Wilkie Collins in the Woman in White, Toby Neal weaves a story of deception and murder. Just when you think it is over and the heroine is safe, something else happens that throws the balance off. Just enough to keep you riveted further to the story and the character.
I listened to the book on my Kindle and did not put it down till it was done.
Because of her background as a Mental Health Therapist, Neal delves further into More...
I listened to the book on my Kindle and did not put it down till it was done.
Because of her background as a Mental Health Therapist, Neal delves further into More...
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Jan 24, 2012
Gae-Lynn
rated it:
Prepare to be completely drawn into the beauty and danger of Hawaii with Neal’s captivating BLOOD ORCHIDS. Her characters are multidimensional and her descriptions of Hawaii – the sights, sounds, smells, and tastes – vivid. With ease, Neal weaves several plots through the story and keeps the tension high.
Neal’s background as a counselor must have contributed to the creation of the very believable Lei Texeira, a feisty police officer with a harrowing and hidden past. Texeira has to d More...
Neal’s background as a counselor must have contributed to the creation of the very believable Lei Texeira, a feisty police officer with a harrowing and hidden past. Texeira has to d More...
Dec 17, 2011
Noelle
rated it:
This was a well-written, perfectly-paced book, steeped in Hawaiian culture. Ms. Neal does a good job balancing the paradise aspect of the islands, with the seedy side normally unseen by tourists.
Leilani Texeira has some major demons from her past, which come back to haunt her in the first of this suspense series. In fact, there's concern that she'll be able to do her job because one of her coping mechanisms when dealing with any sort of triggers is dissociation. The book opens with t More...
Leilani Texeira has some major demons from her past, which come back to haunt her in the first of this suspense series. In fact, there's concern that she'll be able to do her job because one of her coping mechanisms when dealing with any sort of triggers is dissociation. The book opens with t More...
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Feb 21, 2012
J.L.
rated it:
Lei Texeira is on patrol with her partner when they discover the bodies of two teenagers. Lei is familiar with one of them from a previous run-in and indentifies with the murdered girl. As the case unfolds, Lei's past comes into play. Someone who knows her early history is stalking her. And as if her life isn't complicated enough, she's about to fall in love and has no idea how to handle the complexities of a relationship.
Lei Texeira is a feisty police officer, with ambitions of maki More...
Lei Texeira is a feisty police officer, with ambitions of maki More...
Feb 07, 2012
Vivien
rated it:
Crime/mystery novels aren't my "preferred genre," if you will, but I read a fair number of them as a teenager and decided to give it a go after reading the summary. I'm glad I did, because it's one of the more enjoyable books I've read in a while.
Lei is an engaging, sympathetic heroine--and it's really not often that I say that. Lei has been through a lot in her life and it's taken an emotional toll on her. I'm thrilled to see such a realistic and thoughtful portrayal of so More...
Lei is an engaging, sympathetic heroine--and it's really not often that I say that. Lei has been through a lot in her life and it's taken an emotional toll on her. I'm thrilled to see such a realistic and thoughtful portrayal of so More...
Jan 12, 2012
Gail
rated it:
Blood Orchids is set on the Big Island of Hawaii with much of the action occurring around the eastern town of Hilo. Lei Teixera, on the police force for three years, has aspirations of moving up from policewoman to police detective. But her past threatens to undermine this goal.
While on patrol checking for vandalism, Lei and her partner find the bodies of two murdered teenage girls in the muddy overgrown area of a park. She wants in on the investigation. When the lead detective says More...
While on patrol checking for vandalism, Lei and her partner find the bodies of two murdered teenage girls in the muddy overgrown area of a park. She wants in on the investigation. When the lead detective says More...
Dec 14, 2011
Becky
rated it:
Toby Neal is a great friend and amazing writer. Blood Orchids is a work of fiction that stays true to the island culture and atmosphere that it takes place in like little else I've read. Neal has done an excellent job in writing a believable and vivid story that will not only show you a piece of Hawai'i but also entertain the hell out of you. I highly recommend it!
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Dec 23, 2011
David
rated it:
"I was hooked with the first line - "Drowning isn't pretty, even in paradise." Beautifully dark opening. I don't usually get through a book this fast, but Toby Neal's fluid narrative voice, and her very likable protagonist, Lei Texeira,kept me turning the pages. If I were still on the job, I'd want to partner with Lei."
Feb 17, 2012
Janene
rated it:
The author won me over right a way with her wonderful imagery, word choice, and bone-chilling premise. Lei is a smart, sympathetic character who really appealed to me.
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