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8th out of 44 books
—
32 voters
Maui Widow Waltz (Islands of Aloha Mystery #1)
by
JoAnn Bassett (Goodreads Author)
Even ‘death do us part’ couldn’t halt her march down the aisle…
Cash-strapped Maui wedding planner Pali Moon can’t believe her luck when a prospective bride flashing a five-carat dazzler pops into her shop, “Let’s Get Maui’d,” to request a glitzy beachside wedding. But then Pali learns the lavish wedding must take place on Valentine’s Day—only nine days away. Oh, and one ot...more
Cash-strapped Maui wedding planner Pali Moon can’t believe her luck when a prospective bride flashing a five-carat dazzler pops into her shop, “Let’s Get Maui’d,” to request a glitzy beachside wedding. But then Pali learns the lavish wedding must take place on Valentine’s Day—only nine days away. Oh, and one ot...more
Paperback, 338 pages
Published
August 2nd 2011
by Createspace
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May 15, 2013
Nancy
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Anyone who likes mystery series
Recommended to Nancy by:
Bookbub
I purchased this book for my Kindle because it was a $0.99 special. It was very readable - I went right to the next one after finishing it. I love mysteries that are part of a series. The positives of the book - the allure and mystique of the Hawaiian Islands, the wonderfully described settings, the relationships between the characters; the not-so-positive sides - I cannot get a real grasp of the characters. I keep expecting Pali Moon to be a sort of Kinsey Millhone, but Pali isn't as scrappy. A...more
Maui Widow Waltz: by JoAnne Bassett
Kindle $2.99 Link: http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_nos...
The opening line of this witty, humorous mystery by JoAnne Bassett was a great line and right up my alley: "People marry for two reasons: love or money."
And it gets better from there. Pali Moon has problems enough as a struggling wedding planner. Her company "Let's Get Maui'd," is about to lose its location, she's about to get evicted from her house and naturally it's been raining for weeks, and there'...more
Kindle $2.99 Link: http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_nos...
The opening line of this witty, humorous mystery by JoAnne Bassett was a great line and right up my alley: "People marry for two reasons: love or money."
And it gets better from there. Pali Moon has problems enough as a struggling wedding planner. Her company "Let's Get Maui'd," is about to lose its location, she's about to get evicted from her house and naturally it's been raining for weeks, and there'...more
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I received a free Kindle copy of "Maui Widow Walz(Islands of Aloha Mystery Series) by JoAnn Bassett, in exchange for an honest review.
This was a great cozy mystery story, and great launch for a new series! There were lots of lots of twists and turns in the story, and I kept reading on to see who_dun_it.
What Wedding Planner would organize a proxy marriage for a demanding bride and a missing and presumed dead groom?
Pali Moon was a wedding planner and the owner of "Let's Get Maui'd", set in the sta...more
This was a great cozy mystery story, and great launch for a new series! There were lots of lots of twists and turns in the story, and I kept reading on to see who_dun_it.
What Wedding Planner would organize a proxy marriage for a demanding bride and a missing and presumed dead groom?
Pali Moon was a wedding planner and the owner of "Let's Get Maui'd", set in the sta...more
I was very pleasantly surprised by this book. I should explain that I've lived most of my life in Maui and over the years read more than a few books where authors used the Islands as a colorful backdrop for less than stellar stories ... too often creating their own version of Island life in the process. I did feel there was a little too much Hawaiian language and local pidgin included, but to be fair I realize that was her effort to create a sense of place for the reader. This story is not only...more
Besides a book cover drawing me in to read a book, I look at the location the book was set. If the location is in a place I have lived or been to, then I will read the book and this one set in Hawaii drew me in because my daughter was born there on Ohau. While I lived there, the job I had afforded me a trip to Maui though I didn't get to see much of the island, so this book gave me more of an insight to Maui.
Anyway, this book is a great mystery with great likeable characters, and the light use o...more
Anyway, this book is a great mystery with great likeable characters, and the light use o...more
This was a quick read for me. I liked the characters and enjoyed the Hawaiian setting. The mystery part was okay, but the part with her building being bought out (and her home going into foreclosure) could have been left out with not much loss. In fact,(it resolved very quickly at the end when it was not necessary to provide Pali with incentive to take on "the bride from hell."
The repeated references to her full name being embarrassing without actually giving her full name were annoying. I guess...more
The repeated references to her full name being embarrassing without actually giving her full name were annoying. I guess...more
Fast paced, amusing detective story. This is the second Pali Moon mystery that I've read and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Pali is an ex air marshall with a black belt who now happens to be a wedding planner. When a potential client shows up demanding Pali organise a lavish beach wedding for Valentine's Day, it seems that this will be the rescue Pali needs from her precarious financial situation, despite the fact that the groom is missing, presumed dead. What follows is a plot with as many twists and...more
I enjoyed this book that is reminiscent of Janet Evonovich Stephanie Plum novels. A wedding planner, Pali Moon, is barely keeping it together financially when a young woman enters her shop and asks her to plan a wedding for her and her missing fiance´who she is convinced will show up in time for the wedding. She finds herself involved in a mystery complicated by murder. A well written mystery with lots of surprises and laughs. A Kindle subscription book.
I highly recommend Maui Widow Waltz to mystery buffs, chic lit fans, and anyone who enjoys a great story. MWW is delightful from beginning to end. I loved and could identify with the main characters (Pali, Farrah, Steve) immediately, and the villain (Lisa Marie) was among the most despicable ever (although there were actually multiple villains, including Tank). The setting was perfect (I spent my high school years in Hawaii and enjoyed the pidgin English references). The plot moved along and kep...more
This was a really fun read. Loved the Hawaii setting, and the "bride" disgusted me lol.
I have to admit, the main lady, Pali, got the short end of the stick, and I felt horrible for her.
The only thing I disliked was the ending. When you lie to the cops and in front of the judge, and help a criminal, this will get you jail time, and someone got off scott-free. VERY disturbing, to say the least.
That being said, however, I still give the book really high ratings and cannot wait to read the next book...more
I have to admit, the main lady, Pali, got the short end of the stick, and I felt horrible for her.
The only thing I disliked was the ending. When you lie to the cops and in front of the judge, and help a criminal, this will get you jail time, and someone got off scott-free. VERY disturbing, to say the least.
That being said, however, I still give the book really high ratings and cannot wait to read the next book...more
JoAnn is a talented and clever writer. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and finished it within days, couldn't put it down, I had to find out "who done it". I am thrilled that this is the first book of a series, I can't wait to read the next book. Mai Tai Butterfly was great too, I felt as though the characters were my friends and I knew them all personally. I’ve never been to Hawaii, but after reading this book, I would love to visit.
One of the reasons I love cozy mysteries so much is because of the rich settings that take me to a different place. Of course, this requires a skilled writer and JoAnn Bassett is most certainly that. Despite living in the southwest, I could feel an ocean breeze while reading this book, it was that well written. I look forward to the next books in the series and highly recommend this one.
I enjoyed this cozy mystery set in Hawaii. The author captured the feel of the islands and created a charming world. The characters are quirky, but plausible and the plot fun. It doesn't get 5 stars because i felt the ending was a bit rushed, but it held together well, and I'm a hard grader. If you can't get to Maui, try this instead.
I am predisposed toward humorous cozies. I am also predisposed toward Hawaii. This book does not disappoint. I loved Bassett's depiction of the local culture and scenery. Maybe I loved it too much because sometimes I forgot about the mystery part. But Pali Moon is an interesting central character/amateur sleuth. I knocked off a star because I sometimes mixed up her sidekicks, but all of the suspects were fantastic, and sometimes a mystery is only as good as its suspect. Now, every time I see a w...more
I loved every character in this novel, even the one I wanted to punch in the face repeatedly. Love the characters that are set up, the setting, the twists and voice of each character. This is the way a writer should use local slang / language. I will be reading every book by this author that I can get my grubby paws on!
Pali Moon is a wedding arranger on Maui who is having financial problems. Lisa Marie Prescott arrives to request a Valentine's Day wedding with a man who has just disappeared. Lisa Marie is a client from hell, and Pali ends up trying to find a murderer. The plot is somewhat stupid.
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Fun, variety of characters. Good mystery that I never could quite solve on my own. Well written and flows very well. Gives a good feel of the islands. I'll be certain to read more of this series. If I can't go to the islands, this is the next best!!
Nice winter escape to Maui! I enjoyed the characters and the plot. Although it was a murder mystery, it had humor and was well written. I would definitely be interested in reading others in this series!
A good beach read. About a Hawaiian wedding planner working with a psyco bride. Lots of Hawaiian words used throughout the book. Got it from Book Bubs freebies/cheapies for my kindle.
I loved the fun narrator of this book, a down on her luck wedding planner in Maui, and the plot was clever. A great deal of authentic island color-- perfect for relaxing with a mai tai!
This book is frivolity of the best kind. It was just so darned much fun, I kept reading and now have moved on to the second book in the series. The main character, perpetually on the edge of financial ruin, is a wedding planner in Hawaii. Pali Moon (not the name she was born with, she hastens to assure us)ekes out a precarious existence surrounded by a mass of colorful secondary characters. I want so badly for her to succeed, find her own happy ending, and simultaneously want the series to keep...more
A wedding planner in Hawaii must deal with a psycho bride and solve a mystery. This book was entertaining from beginning to end!
Really liked it a lot. Quick read with great details about Hawaii. Makes me want to go back there for a visit.
Not an overly suspenseful mystery, but engaging and a fast read. Excellent beach reading.
A decent mystery with interesting twists. Looking forward to the next one.
Fun read with colorful characters and plenty of twists and turns.
Not compelling
Fun read. I will read more of her books.
fun, light read, especially in Hawaii!
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JoAnn was born and raised in Seattle, but always preferred palm trees to pine trees. She wrote instructional books and videos for a living but dreamed of "making stuff up" once she put the working life behind her. In 1996, she and her husband bought a home on Maui. Best day ever. She loved living on the beach but her husband longed to get back to "normal" so they moved to Arizona. Now JoAnn writes...more
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