An Ice Cold Paradise

Holland's uneven debut, the first in a series, introduces ex-con turned PI Harry Pines. A larger-than-life figure, Pines has benefited from a series of lucky breaks after his release from prison, including winning enough money at the horse track to buy a house in the town of Kailua on Oahu. Valerie Sabatino, a gorgeous and fabulously wealthy attorney, asks Pines for help tracking down her missing nephew, Danny MacGillicuddy, whose father was Pines's former cellmate. MacGillicuddy, a soldier stationed on the island, has gone AWOL under circumstances that make his aunt fear the worst. After this intriguing set-up, Pines gets on the trail of some violent Mormon fundamentalists but soon finds himself in stock situations involving fire fights and hostage-taking. An abrupt ending reminiscent of Diamonds Are Forever may leave some readers scratching their heads. Still, Holland's prose is good enough to suggest he can deliver more nuanced characters and a less predictable plot in the sequel.