The Wayward Wahine

Danny Boyd

by Carter Brown

She was one hundred percent impure Hawaiian - from her long and lustrous black hair to her small delicate fee, which moved as her whole body moved, in a passionate, pagan rhythm. With a sensuous gesture, she stepped out of her grass skirt and into Danny Boyd's love life. On the sunny shores of beautiful Hawaii, private eye Danny Boyd goes hunting for a wealthy tycoon's missing wife. The trail starts out cold with a dead blonde, warms up with some buried treasure, and sizzles when Danny comes into close contact with a wahine who is wayward, wanton, and oh so willing to be dangerous.

Genres: Pulp

Paperback

First published January 1, 1960

About the author

Carter Brown was the pseudonym of Alan Geoffrey Yates (1923-1985), who was born in London and educated in Essex.

He married Denise Mackellar and worked as a sound engineer for Gaumont-British films before moving to Australia and taking up work in public relations.

In 1953 he became a full-time writer and produced nearly 200 novels between then and his retirement in 1981.

He also wrote as Tex Conrad and Caroline Farr.

His series heroes were Larry Baker, Danny Boyd, Paul Donavan, Rick Holman, Andy Kane, Randy Roberts, Mavis Siedlitz and Al Wheeler.

Reviews

[Patrick Hayes · Rating 5 out of 5]

121 pages from 1960 that I read like gangbusters.

Private eye Danny Boyd, who is hired to do anything for his clients, even if it means going beyond legal limits, is sent to by a tycoon to Hawaii to find his missing wife, who ran off with the captain of his private yacht. In four pages there's a dead body discovered, a clue leading to see a "genuine" Wahine dance in the Old Hawaiian fashion, and vengeful boyfriends, crime lords, and the too smart local constable. All of these characters and killings revolve around an incredible event occurring on December 7.

I love the tough guy Boyd, who isn't perfect, getting taken down occasionally and being wrong about his theories. The women are either innocent and abused or street savvy and wanting a piece of the pie. The action is raw, thrilling, and shocking. These criminals are horrible and riveting. The ending was outstanding.

This is the second book I've read by Carter Brown and I'm eager to find more of his books. Pulp perfection.

[Steven · Rating 3 out of 5]

In this the third of 28 books featuring private investigator Danny Boyd, the action and the double-crosses drive the narrative at a fast pace and Boyd is resourceful enough to survive car chases, gun battles, and a burning yacht. Not as much pointless banter compared to other Carter Brown books I've read as Boyd actually does some investigating, but let's not kid ourselves that he's actually solving anything, as one by one the conspirators confess their roles. Not a spectacular crime/noir, but there's still plenty of activity and the story moves relentlessly forward without too much annoying dialog to bog it down.

[David Kowalski · Rating 3 out of 5]

My first Carter Brown book. I bought this a while back and was saving this up for a trip to Hawaii. Managed to read it on my first few days here.

There’s something pleasant about reading a book set in Hawaii in the 60s, in 2024. The same yet so different.

The plot is racing, the humor is surprisingly entertaining. Not terribly sexist, though obviously that is very subjective. Very much of its time. I would certainly read Carter Brown again. I give this a 3 1/2 stars. The perfect light read for a trip.