Weekly Reader: Evil Alice and The Borzoi (A Cleo Cooper Mystery) by DK Coutant; Beautiful Island Setting Hides Ugly Secrets and Murder

 

Weekly Reader: Evil Alice and The Borzoi (A Cleo Cooper Mystery) by DK Coutant; Beautiful Island Setting Hides Ugly Secrets and Murder

By Julie Sara Porter

Bookworm Reviews

Spoilers: I have said it before and I will say it again: Setting is a vital part of murder mysteries. Well technically setting is an important part of any book. But with Murder Mysteries, setting can add to the suspense and terror because of the harsh natural element (Indecent Exposure: A Father Hardy Murder Mystery by Jonathan Thomas Stratman), the corrupt socio political system (Under the Volcano: Quito Murder Mysteries by William Graham), as an unusual fantastic or science fiction based setting that comments on the progress and problems that plague us in our world (The Angela Hardwick Science Fiction Mysteries), or serves as an ironic counterpart to the violence because of either the small town atmosphere (Murder in Myrtle Bay by Isobel Blackthorn) or the beautiful nature (The Canary Island Mysteries also by Blackthorn) surrounding it.

DK Coutant's Evil Alice and The Borzoi A Cleo Cooper Mystery is one of those murder mysteries that counters the beautiful natural setting with the brutal violence and criminal activity. This is set in Hilo, Hawaii, the 50th state, known for its tropical climate, gorgeous beaches, scenic locations, and its frequent tourists. However, Hawaii also has a dark side which Coutant is not afraid to explore.

Cross-cultural psychologist, Cleo Cooper is assisting her boyfriend, Ben's marine research class when they discover something that usually isn't part of marine life or isn't supposed to be: a human body. The body is Alice "Ali" Bacunawa, an acquaintance of Cleo and Ben's, and the girlfriend of Ben's research assistant, Kai. Unfortunately, Kai is arrested for Ali's murder and Cleo and Ben are determined to solve the murder and prove that Kai is innocent. After all, they are almost 90% certain that Kai didn't do it.

What steals every moment in this book is the setting and Coutant describes it thoroughly. The day after Ali's body is discovered, Coutant writes "It was raining. It rained a lot here. Last year it rained 275 out of 365 days….Hilo rains were usually gentle and came in the early morning and evening as the trade winds pushed rain clouds up Mauna Kea as the sun rose and down the mountain just after dark. The waterfalls and jungles were worth the price of admission. On the occasional sunny day, Hilo was the most beautiful place on the planet. 

Today was not one of those glittering days."

Yes, Hawaii is present in all of its beauty. There are plenty of moments of outdoor activities like studying marine life, swimming, canoeing, surfing, and catching some rays. The characteristics of many locals are also portrayed such as that many arrive on "Hawaiian Standard Time" (15 to 45 minutes late). They also use pidgin dialect and local colloquialisms for certain terms like "tita" for a strong willed, opinionated, take-no-crap-from-anybody type of woman or "Auntie" which could mean a blood relative or simply an older woman in someone's life who takes a maternal role, like a friend or a teacher. These characteristics help bring not only Hawaii's natural landscape to life but its people as well. 

Being a murder mystery allows this book to open up and acknowledge the dark side of Hawaii, the one that tourists don't want to know about and the tourism and hospitality industries do not want to promote. According to statistics, Hawaii's poverty rate is at 10.9 percent and is one of the states with the highest cost of living.  In 2019, 44,270 crimes were reported in the Aloha State making it the 10th state with the highest crime rate. In fact, Hilo itself has a crime rate that is 70% higher than the average and has 83% more property crime than the entire country. 

All of these numbers give a dark and sinister look at a state that is often recognized for its scenic vacation spots. 

This is what Evil Alice and The Borzoi isn't afraid to show, the dark and light or living in such a place. The killer waves and the drug use. The nature trails and the domestic fights. The fancy hotels and the poor people who work in them. 

Evil Alice and The Borzoi explored the dark side of Hawaii so much that she reveals characters with understandable desires to leave it. That's how Ali is portrayed. She wanted to get out far away from her drug dealing family and hopeless situation. She wanted to go anywhere and by any means and those means may have gotten her killed.

While Cleo has grown to love Hawaii, considering it her home after moving from North Carolina, she also wants to travel to other places. Ben however has bought into the paradise ideal and has no intention to travel or leave Hilo. This is one of many disagreements that the two have had that are simmering under the surface like one of Hawaii's many volcanoes and is about to erupt. It wouldn't be a surprise that as the series continues, Cleo will be single-o.

Evil Alice and The Borzoi shows that inside every paradise, there is pain. It reminds us that for every beautiful postcard or Instagram shot exploring natural beauty, there may be someone suffering a few feet away from it.