MURDER, LOCAL STYLE
by Leslie Karst
April 13 – May 8, 2026 Virtual Book Tour
Synopsis:
An Orchid Isle Mystery
Retired caterer Valerie Corbin investigates a suspicious poisoning in this Orchid Isle culinary mystery, featuring a feisty queer couple who swap surfing lessons for sleuthing sessions in tropical Hilo, Hawai‘i.
A dinner to die for!
It’s been an eventful transition, but retired caterer Valerie Corbin and her wife Kristen are finally settling into life on the Big Island of Hawai’i. Val’s even joined the neighborhood orchid society to make some new friends. So when she’s asked to step in to cater their latest social event, as the newbie of the group she can’t exactly say no.
But what should have been a straightforward gig is soon a dining disaster when the food from the event poisons and kills the society president. As Val herself becomes a suspect in the murder investigation, she’s determined to uncover the truth. Who would want to kill the mild-mannered president of the orchid society?
Turns out the list is longer than a celebrity chef’s tasting menu. Apparently some of the residents did not “love thy neighbor.” Can she reveal the killer’s identity before they strike again?
This mouthwatering cozy mystery is perfect for fans of Ellen Byron, Jennifer J Chow, Lucy Burdette, and Raquel V Reyes, and includes a selection of delicious Hawaiian recipes to cook at home.
Book Details:
Genre: Traditional Mystery, Snarky Cozy Mystery, Soft-Boiled Mystery Published by: Severn House Publication Date: April 7, 2026 Number of Pages: 240 pages, Hardcover ISBN: 9781448316588 (ISBN10: 1448316588) Series: An Orchid Isle Mystery, Book 3 || Amazon, Goodreads, & Severn House Book Links: Amazon | Kindle | Barnes & Noble | BookShop.org | Goodreads | BookBub | Severn House
Read an excerpt from MURDER, LOCAL STYLE:
From beginning of Chapter One…
Paradise isn’t always what it’s cracked up to be. Sure, Valerie Corbin knew she and her wife Kristen were supremely fortunate to now reside in the quaint, still-stuck-in-the-1970s town of Hilo on the magnificent Big Island of Hawai‘i—home to lush jungles, fiery volcanoes, black sand beaches, and coral reefs teeming with eye-popping tropical fish. But at this moment, all she could focus on was the bull terrier-spaniel mix next door barking so loudly that it almost—though not quite—drowned out the whine of the pneumatic tools its owner was using on a jacked-up truck, the parts of which were currently scattered all across his driveway. Letting loose a few choice words regarding both dog and man, Valerie slammed shut the window above the kitchen sink, then returned to the stove to poke at her potatoes simmering in a pot of water. At the sound of the back door opening, she looked up to see Kristen and her nephew, Sean, come inside from the lānai, Valerie and Kristen’s little white dog, Pua, trotting after them. “We couldn’t take the racket anymore,” said Kristen, tossing her Outside magazine onto the counter. “Does he ever stop?” “Who—Akoni or Larry?” Kristen laughed. “Both, I guess. And yeah, I know the answer: rarely. Especially Akoni, with his constant yowling. Though I gotta say, it seems like Larry’s been working on his vehicles a hell of a lot more of late. And I don’t believe I’ve ever even seen that particular truck before. You think he’s started repairing other people’s vehicles, too?” “Oh, God, I hope not. Though that would explain the increased frequency of the noise.” Valerie switched off the heat under her potatoes, then turned to Kristen. “I wonder if it’s legal to have a car repair business in this neighborhood. Maybe I should ask at tonight’s meeting if anyone knows.” “Or maybe you could just talk to your neighbor about it,” put in Sean, who’d taken a seat at the kitchen table and was busy typing something into his phone. Valerie and Kristen exchanged glances, after which Valerie replied, “Maybe later. But first we should figure out where we stand on the issue.” Sean set down his phone with a shrug. “So what’s this thing you’re going to tonight, anyway?” “It’s the monthly meeting for the neighborhood orchid society,” said Valerie, carrying the pot to the sink and dumping the steaming potatoes into a colander. “Shirley invited me—you know, the woman who lives at that house down the street with all those beautiful orchids in her tree ferns? I was admiring them the other day, and after we got talking, she invited me to come along tonight to see if I might be interested in joining. You wanna join me?” Sean let loose his man bun, held in place by a wooden hair stick, and shook out his dirty-blond locks. “No can do; I’m working tonight at the hospital. It’s my first time in the ER, which should be interesting.” Sean had come from Arkansas to do a three-month stint as a visiting nurse at the Hilo hospital and was now on his second week at the job—and at Valerie and Kristen’s house, where he’d be staying for the duration of his time on-island. “I didn’t know you were into orchids,” he said in a lazy drawl, pulling his hair back from his face and retying the bun. “I wasn’t, not till we first got to Hilo. But they’re so amazing and, I dunno . . . other-worldly.” Star Trek flowers, I call them,” said Kristen, and Valerie nodded. “And they’re so easy to grow here, so I’m thinking it might be fun to try it myself. Plus, it’d be a great way to get to know some of the folks in the neighborhood a little better.” “Like Larry?” asked Sean with a grin. “Ha. I’m not so sure he’s really the orchid type . . .” *** Excerpt from MURDER, LOCAL STYLE by Leslie Karst. Copyright 2026 by Leslie Karst. Reproduced with permission from Leslie Karst. All rights reserved.
My Review:
Okay, I picked this up thinking it could be a Murder She Wrote style mystery like Jessica Fletcher a version where she’s queer and newly relocated to Hawaiʻi, honestly.. it delivered! Our main character Valerie has that nosey neighbour, dog with a bone vibe and you just know she’s going to keep unraveling threads until she solves this mystery.
This is the third book in the series of the Orchid Isle Mystery where Retired caterer Valerie Corbin investigates a suspicious poisoning in this Orchid Isle cozy culinary mystery, featuring a feisty queer couple who swap surfing lessons for sleuthing sessions in tropical Hilo, Hawai‘i. I haven’t gotten a chance to read the first two but I would definitely love to know more about Valerie and Kristen, their back story and moving to Hawai’i however it’s absolutely a standalone that jumps right into the action and mystery.
Be prepared to be transported to the beautiful life on the Big Island. I loved the authors care and appreciation for the local culture. Her love of Hawai’i and food shines through on every page. The story was interesting and included several red herrings, keeping me guessing through out the book. The characters are all loveable in their own way but at some point I was left wondering if every single person in the neighbourhood was capable of murder.. I knew I could rely on Valerie to get to the bottom of this mystery.
One thing that did make me pause was after the poisoning at dinner that Valerie prepares.. everyone is still somehow comfortable with letting Valerie help with and serve them food, she even brings a cake to the widow.. that would be a hard pass for me until someone was found responsible for the poisoning.
If you love mysteries set in close-knit communities, where everyone’s sharing meals, beaches, and secrets… and one of them is quietly a killer, this book is for you.
Where I’d Read This:
On the beach, with some delicious Butter-Shoyu Chicken.. if you dare.
Author Bio:
Leslie Karst is the Agatha, Lefty, and Macavity Award-nominated author of the Orchid Isle Mysteries, the Sally Solari culinary mysteries; and the IBPA Benjamin Franklin and IPPY award silver medal-winning memoir Justice is Served: A Tale of Scallops, the Law, and Cooking for RBG. After years waiting tables and singing in a new wave rock band, she decided she was ready for a “real” job and ended up at Stanford Law School. It was during her career as an attorney that Leslie rediscovered her youthful passion for food and cooking and once more returned to school—this time to earn a degree in culinary arts. Now retired from the law, in addition to writing, Leslie spends her time cooking, cycling, gardening, and observing cocktail hour promptly at five o’clock. She and her wife and their Jack Russell mix split their time between Hilo, Hawai‘i and Santa Cruz, California.
Catch Up With Leslie Karst:
LeslieKarstAuthor.com Chicks on the Case Amazon Author Profile Goodreads BookBub – @ljkarst Instagram – @lesliekarst Threads – @lesliekarst Facebook – @lesliekarstauthor
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Wendy Barrows
I love books that have such a rich setting, one that you can really visualize. This one sounds like that kind of book.