Blood Orchids

Not my typical genre.....BUT.....

Just finished reading "Blood Orchids." Stayed up late and got up early to finish. A real page turner, although the crime mystery genre is typically (well, never) my first choice. I was drawn to the book for a variety of reasons and am thinking I just may have been missing something by brushing these off in the past. Or, it could be that Toby Neal exposes a side of mystery writing that is fresh and new and where there are captivating characters I can identify with - at least in my imagination. Lei is the strong woman I would like to be, but she is also vulnerable and wants all the things we all want and need - compassion, love, understanding and forgiveness.This is just a great read that I didn't want to end. Can't wait until May when I get to catch up with Lei again.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

A must-read for fans of Cornwell's Scarpetta series!

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 the discovery of two murdered teenage girls, and Lei manages to get involved in the investigation of a serial rapist who seems to have escalated to murder (even though Lei's a patrol officer). There's enough foreshadowing to keep us interested, and she leaves us clues to the serial rapist's/murderer's identity, but they aren't obvious on the first read. Looking back, I smacked my forehead more than once at not seeing the clues.

I originally wrote down a couple of things I didn't like, but the first one was isolated to the first third to quarter of the book and, in the grand scheme of things, not worth mentioning. The second was the speed of the romance subplot, especially given Lei's traumatic past. Granted, my normal reading fare is genre romance, so I tend to want the love interest to develop as a larger part of the story. Since this isn't a romance, I can't fault Ms. Neal for that aspect, but I still think it progressed too quickly.

Overall, I highly recommend this book to anyone who likes the suspense genre, a unique setting, and a strong (but flawed) female protagonist.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Read the e-version... Had to come back and get the paper version as well!

Toby Neal has done it! ¿Blood Orchids¿ grabs you from the first page and takes you into a fast paced world of murder and mystery. Neal has developed very real characters in a dark side of Hawaii only usually understood by locals and rarely talked about. The main character is Lei Tereria, a complicated Hilo cop with something to prove. Her past had molded her into who she is at the start and you see her challenge her past (and future) through-out the book. Every character in this book is well developed. ¿Keiki¿, Lei¿s Rottweiler, is one of my favorites! This one will keep you guessing until the end. I can¿t wait to read the next book in the Lei Crime Series!

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Ms Neal's heroine Lei Texiera solves a double murder while avoiding a stalker.

Blood Orchids set in Hilo Hawaii shows the reader a dark side of paradise. Detective Lei Texiera of the Hilo police force is a multi faceted heroine who battles her own private demons while using her skills and intuition to provide justice for the victims in this first novel. There are sure to be sequels just as gripping as this one. It will be fun to watch Lei evolve as a police office and as a spunky and smart woman.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

We are all products of our pasts, a combination of long ago chil

We are all products of our pasts, a combination of long ago childhood experiences and what we ate last night. Like an order of deluxe saimin noodles, Blood Orchids, the first book in The Lei Crime Series by Toby Neal is a multi-layered and nuanced murder mystery.

There are two mysteries—the noodles and miso soup of the novel. Lei Texeira is a beat cop in Hilo, Hawaii trying to figure out who’s murdering women and who’s playing a cat and mouse stalking game by leaving notes on her doorstep. There are a lot of possibilities and questions about whether it’s one perp or three and whether the crimes are related.

As the mystery deepens, Lei finds out more about her past and begins to understand how the abuses she triumphed in childhood continue to shape her today. Like thin slices of teri beef these revelations add substance to the soup by allowing the reader to infer more about the characters and their motivations than they know themselves.

There’s a budding romance angle—the chopped green onion—and extended family relationships—the pink and white striped fish cake—but the real seasoning is in Neal’s deft handling of the setting. It’s a difficult thing to write a novel for a wide audience that authentically portrays life in Hawaii and Toby’s nailed it. She balances on the fine high wire of explaining just enough that readers unfamiliar with the culture get it without boring or oversimplifying it in the eyes of islanders. There’s a little Pidgin dialogue in Blood Orchids—Pidgin Light, you could say—enough to add flavor without a lot of work on the part of non-native speakers.

One of the highest compliments I can give is that Toby makes the setting seem normal and natural. Yes, it’s set in Hawaii. Yes, there are beaches, k¿lua pig plate lunches, funerals with remembrance stones, and all respected elders are called aunty and uncle, but none of this is center stage or explained too deeply. It’s all about the characters and the story.

And what a story it is.

Everyone should check out Blood Orchids, A Lei Crime Novel

I would call this novel a murder/mystery with just enough romance. A perfect read!
Lei Texeira is the main character of the story. She has spent half her life in Hawaii and half in California. When her mother overdoses on drugs and her father is sent to jail, she is sent to California to live with her Aunty. She returns to Hawaii as a police officer, where she is put on a serial rapist/killer case and has a stalker to deal with. These cases open memories she has buried from the past forcing her to deal with them
Michael Stevens, the secondary character, is not only Lei’s co-work on the rapist/killer case but also her compelling love interest. With his patience and understanding their story develops wonderfully. There are a great many wonderful and touching scenes between Stevens and Lei.
I loved how Toby Neal kept me guessing. I would catch a clue and think that I knew who the stalker or killer was and then something would happen to make it obvious that I was so wrong. I was kept guessing til almost the end of the book and after all was said and done I had that AH-HA moment where it all made sense.
Toby Neal wrote a great novel. Grabs you from the very beginning and keeps you into it til the very last page. I love a great murder/mystery story, the romance was just an added perk. Everyone should check out Blood Orchids, A Lei Crime Novel. I shall be anxiously awaiting the next novel’s release.

This is the second book I've read that was written by a Hawaiian

This is the second book I've read that was written by a Hawaiian author, and I have to say their style of writing is different. Having a SIL born and raised in Hawaii, I totally get the Island Vibe. The book transitions smoothly and not once was a lost. It is a murder/mystery with a small touch of romance. I couldn't stop reading and when I did it was because my eyes could no longer stay open. The characters are likeable and impressionable, Lei really does seem like she could be a real person. Toby was able to bring to life the islands in a not so glamorous way.

The main character, Lei Texeira, feels like "damaged goods" and is always pushing the envelope. Never wanting to feel the way she did in her past, she recklessly puts herself in danger...all the time. She has something to prove, but not really to others more to herself. She wants to make detective and will do anything she thinks will help her get ahead. Even if it means almost losing her life. While I think she always rushed into things without thinking, which was kind of frustrating, I really like her character. She stood up to face her demons and was very human, she struggled, but in the end was able to overcome them.

The romance in the book isn't overwhelming. I mean it's supposed to be a murder/mystery right? Toby Neal weaves it in there so smoothly and at the right times you hardly notice it at all. I think it was a given though, because as much as Lei has to go through she so deserves it. I think the match was made well and would love to read more stories about them both. I think it would be pretty interesting.

Blood Orchids had me guessing, from beginning to the end. It left me scratching my head and some points when I just knew I have figured everything out. I could sense Toby Neal laughing as she knew I was totally wrong. This was an excellent book that you will surely love. Even if you aren't a huge murder/mystery buff, this book will be sure to please.

A Lilac Wolf and Stuff Review

**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 around who might be the bad guy. Lei is being stalked by the serial killer. Is it her neighbor, her partner (probably not) or one of the 2 detectives on the murder? Might not be any of those either - I'm not telling! LOL

There were a few times the writing was inconsistent. Like a guy with a Hawaiian first name and Smith as a last name. The biggest one for me was when the bartender says the missing girl was in the previous day, then out in the parking lot Lei says she wonders when the girl went missing. Ummmm, I'm guessing sometime after she ordered her food that she never came back for??? Like yesterday afternoon??? Come on Lei, you can do better than that! ;)

This only happens a little, but you know how that can detract from a story.

So while it was very suspenseful, engaging and easy to understand the culture it takes place in, I have to dock a star because of the inconsistencies within.

A refreshing take on the crime genre

SPOILERS AHEAD.

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 someone who obviously suffers from terrible PTSD. The reader never forgets that Lei is a damaged person, as well they should not; it's certain that she never forgets. I rooted for her from start to finish.

Lei isn't the only damaged person in the novel, though. Almost everyone Lei encounters has suffered and Toby Neal pulls few emotional punches when it comes to the portrayal of this damage. There was one moment in particular that I felt was curiously absent of expected emotional description, however, [where Lei admits to Stevens that she was molested as a child]. For such a heavy moment, it seemed the author shied away from digging into the characters' emotional reactions.

I enjoyed the romantic development between Lei and Stevens. I was really happy to see that they didn't just jump into it, flying in the face of police department rules and emotional turmoil. I especially appreciated the fact that they're was mature enough to take their relationship slowly.

The plot was refreshingly atypical. In Blood Orchids, I was honestly stumped about which of the several suspects could be the real killer until the author meant for me to figure it out. This aspect of plot was handled quite well.

My one criticism is that the novel tries to handle too many things at once. The subplots were interesting enough to deserve their own stories and I feel like they were underserved by playing second fiddle to the equally interesting main plot. I hope that the subplots continue to make appearances in the series, because they've got me curious.

All that said, I consider that criticism fairly minor. Despite the crowdedness (that's totally a word because I just made it up) of the last third of the novel, everything made sense and nothing had me gritting my teeth in frustration. The strengths of the novel far outweighed these shaky points. I enjoyed the story, but most of all I enjoyed reading about Lei.

Highly Recommended

This novel kept me glued to my chair, I spent the whole day reading it, only left my chair to forage for christmas leftovers. I have spent sometime in the islands and this brought me right back, I am looking forward to the next addition in March.