Primal Instinct

A bone-chilling page-turner, Walker's latest installment in his series starring Dr. Jessica Coran explores the underbelly of paradise incarnate, Hawaii. Coran, a beautiful, tough, dedicated FBI forensic pathologist, has her respite on Maui cut short when she's ordered to assist Honolulu's FBI chief in the investigation of a serial murderer. Walker keeps the tension taut as Coran and chief inspector Jim Parry close in on the Trade Winds Killer-so called by the press because the murders take place only when the trade winds hit the islands. The killer, who tortures and mutilates young, native-born female prostitutes, leaves little trace of his dirty work. Every bit as exciting as the chase is Coran's rigorous examination of the evidence. Her quest for the truth and the killer's identity requires more than the high-tech gadgetry found in modern police labs; it demands years of training and experience. Complicating the investigation is the distrust between the kanakas, or Hawaiians, and the haoles, or whites. The kanakas, who do not necessarily respect the law of the haoles, often take justice into their own hands. If there is a false step in this suspenseful yarn, it is the romance between Coran and Parry: it detracts from the pace and their sexual banter feels forced. (Nov.)