Latest Books Honolulu Cold Homicide (Hawaii CI Book 3) by R. Barri Flowers

When a new case carries echoes of his sister’s cold case murder, Detective Sergeant Lance Warner is visited by another ghost from the past. Caroline Yashima isn’t only the CJD specialist assigned to work alongside him, she’s also the ex he regrets walking away from. He’s not sure if he can expect a second chance—or just a chance for closure. But when Caroline becomes a target, Lance knows that he doesn’t want to live without her.

“Flowers delivers the goods. An exotic setting, winning characters, and realistic procedural details make Murder in Maui a sure hit with crime-fiction readers.” — Bill Crider, Edgar winner and bestselling author

“Flowers may be a new voice in modern mystery writing, but he is already one of its best voices.” — Statesman Journal

“Infidelity and murder in paradise lead to a one-of-a-kind case for PI Skye McKenzie Delaney, and an enjoyable ride for the reader. Definitely put this one on your list.” — John Lutz, Edgar winner and bestselling author on Murder in Honolulu

“Murder in Honolulu is a gripping tale of crime and investigation, set in a vivid, gritty island underworld. It is filled with excitement, a sense of place, and memorable characters. Highly recommended!” — Douglas Preston, New York Times bestselling author

“Murder in Maui is terrific. Gripping writing, wonderfully rounded characters you really care about, and vivid locations—this novel is a real and rare treat.” — Peter James, international bestselling author

“R. Barri Flowers writes with the passion and knowledge of someone who truly knows his craft. A steamy, non-stop thrill-ride through the seamy underbelly of Hawaii.” — Allison Leotta, former federal prosecutor and author on Murder in Maui

“A police procedural with a complex plot, told from multiple viewpoints. The reader gets the added benefit of a virtual vacation on Maui.” — Laurie Hanan, Hawaii mystery author on Murder on Kaanapali Beach

R. Barry Flowers recently spent some time with The Big Thrill discussing his latest thriller, HONOLULU COLD HOMICIDE.

Which took shape first: plot, character, or setting?

The tropical setting of Honolulu, Oahu was front and center in creating the plot and characters in fitting with the wonderful landscape of Hawaii and its endless possibilities for crime fiction.

R. Barri Flowers

What attracts you to this book’s genre?

I love crime thrillers and romantic suspense in that both can offer a thrill a minute, while also showing the softer side of the protagonists in finding romance in the midst of danger around every corner.

What was the biggest challenge this book presented? What about the biggest opportunity?

Making sure that it kept pace with the first two books in the Intrigue miniseries, Hawaii CI, including The Big Island Killer and Captured on Kauai. Happily, I feel as though I succeeded beyond my expectations.

The biggest opportunity was to be able to add another meaningful contribution to my collection of Hawaii fiction, which again, hit the mark.

Was there anything new you discovered or that surprised you as you wrote this book?

That there are endless places and spaces in Honolulu that gives a writer much to work with in carving out a riveting thriller or gripping novel of romantic suspense.

What authors or books have influenced your career as a writer, and why?

Barbara Taylor Bradford, Dashiell Hammett, Daphne du Maurier, Thomas Hardy, Helene Hanff, Sidney Sheldon, Danielle Steel, Mickey Spillane, Robert Ludlum, Jackie Collins, Judith Krantz, John Steinbeck, Jacqueline Susann, Colleen McCullough, Thomas Thompson, and the list goes on, for what they brought to their respective genres.

Books that left their mark on me include 84, Charing Cross Road, The Other Side of Midnight, Far from the Madding Crowd, Celebrity, The Maltese Falcon, A Woman of Substance, Valley of the Dolls, East Of Eden, The Christmas Shoes, The Thorn Birds, and many more.

As the only male author currently writing for the Harlequin Intrigue series and the first in decades, do you find it more challenging to write romantic suspense than its female authors?

No genre is gender-specific as it relates to one’s ability to master. Or, in other words, if you understand human nature and the dynamics of male-female conflicts and resolving these in a credible way while weaving a great crime story in romantic suspense fiction, then of course men are equally as capable as women in delivering a gripping and satisfying tale for readers to enjoy.

R. Barri Flowers is an award-winning criminologist and bestselling author of more than one hundred and fifty books, including spinetingling crime, suspense, mystery, and legal thriller fiction, entertaining young adult mysteries, riveting true crime books, and heartwarming romances. He has also written a number of short stories and articles over a long writing career, including guest posts on Mystery Readers Journal, Write for Harlequin, and Killer Nashville Blog.

Barri is the editor of the acclaimed true crime anthology, Masters of True Crime: Chilling Stories of Murder and the Macabre, and co-editor of the mystery anthologies Murder Past, Murder Present and Murder Here, Murder There. His mystery short story “The Wrong End of a Gun” was published in Seattle Noir. The author’s true crime bestseller The Sex Slave Murders was “selected as one of Suspense Magazine’s Best Books.

As a proud graduate of Michigan State University, Barri is the recipient of the prestigious Wall of Fame Award from its renowned School of Criminal Justice, among other accolades. As a highly sought-after expert on serial killers, violent criminality, victims, and offenders, the author has appeared on popular television crime investigative documentary series such as the Biography Channel’s Crime Stories, Investigation Discovery’s Wicked Attraction, and Oxygen’s Snapped: Killer Couples.

To learn more about the author, please visit his website.