When ASHLEY MORGAN and CANDACE MAGUIRE arrive in Maui,
Hawaii, they have no idea of the danger and chaos that await them. Nurses by
profession, they work together in a busy Chicago hospital, ICU. This vacation
is to be the balm of healing for them to sort out personal problems and enjoy
some relaxation.
Two days after Ashley and Candace arrive on the Island;
they visit the Whalebone Inn in Lahaina and innocently observe a young man and
a young Hawaiian woman arguing. The couple leaves abruptly. Curious, Candy
follows them down to the wharf area with Ashley reluctantly trailing behind.
They lose sight of the couple when a large tour bus blocks their view.
A few days later on a trip to Hana, they see the young
woman's picture in a local newspaper stating, she has been missing for three
days.
From that point on, their world turns upside down after
they realize the significance of what they saw and heard. Their vacation takes
an ominous twist when her body is found washed up on Ma’alaea Bay. When they learn the woman was murdered, they
are propelled into a web of suspense, lies, and deception.
Candy’s inquisitive nature proves to be accurate, but
deadly. Ashley, more reserved, is drawn into the intrigue, as they try to
unravel clues that point to the killer. Some of their choices are foolish and
they realize the mistakes they are making, put them in great danger. Their new
relationships and the circumstances they find themselves in are like the beautiful
bougainvillea flowers of Maui; they have thorny stems that can easily draw
blood. Nothing is as it appears, and as they continue to sleuth, they find
themselves in a net that is closing tighter and tighter. THEY BECOME THE
HUNTED.
Author Bio: Judith Norling Carlson is a registered nurse
who has worked in a variety of nursing positions. Her last twenty years was in
drug research. She has visited Maui, Hawaii, several times and is well
acquainted with the island, especially the towns of Kihei and Lahaina. She
exchanged her technical writing skills for creative writing in a variety of
genres.
She divides her residency between Rhinelander, Wisconsin,
and Spring Hill, Florida, where she lives with her husband Keith, and their dog
Kasey. She has three grown sons.
She has belonged to a writing group for eight years and
puts writing at the top of her fun and creative list of things to do.
keywords: Maui, Hawaii, Nurses, Chance Encounter,
Mystery, Murder, Deception, Amateur Sleuths, Vacation, Drug Cartel