Overview

World-class beaches, fragrant frangipani, swaying palms, and hula girls. Most folks think of Hawaii as a vacation destination. Mob-style executions, drug smuggling, and vicious gang warfare are seldom part of the postcard image. Yet, Hawaii was once home to not only Aloha spirit, but also a ruthless, homegrown mafia underworld. From 1960 to 1980, Hawaiian gangsters grew rich off a robust trade in drugs, gambling, and prostitution that followed in the wake of Hawaii's tourist boom. Thus, by 1980-the year Charles Marsland was elected Honolulu's top prosecutor-the honeymoon island paradise was also plagued by violence, corruption, and organized crime. The zeal that Marsland brought to his crusade against the Hawaiian underworld was relentless, self-destructive, and very personal. Five years earlier, Marsland's son had been gunned down. His efforts to bring his son's killers to justice-and indeed, eradicate the entire organized criminal element in Hawaii-make for an extraordinary tale that culminates with intense courtroom drama. Hawaii Five-O meets Wiseguy in author Jason Ryan's vigorously reported chronicle of brazen gangsters, brutal murders, and a father's quest for vengeance-all set against an unlikely backdrop of seductive tropical beauty.

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9781982624682

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Ryan's well-researched account expertly weaves historical fact into an engrossing true crime narrative. -- Publishers Weekly Portions of the book are gripping and Marsland's search for justice takes him through a twisted landscape. -- Kirkus Reviews A penetrating look at the darker side of a sunny paradise, the book is sure to be appreciated by those with an interest in true crime or simply those looking for a bit of fast-moving, adventurous nonfiction. -- Charleston Mercury

A penetrating look at the darker side of a sunny paradise, the book is sure to be appreciated by those with an interest in true crime or simply those looking for a bit of fast-moving, adventurous nonfiction. -- Charleston Mercury Portions of the book are gripping and Marsland's search for justice takes him through a twisted landscape. -- Kirkus Reviews Ryan's well-researched account expertly weaves historical fact into an engrossing true crime narrative. -- Publishers Weekly

A penetrating look at the darker side of a sunny paradise, the book is sure to be appreciated by those with an interest in true crime or simply those looking for a bit of fast-moving, adventurous nonfiction. -- Charleston Mercury Ryan's well-researched account expertly weaves historical fact into an engrossing true crime narrative. -- Publishers Weekly Portions of the book are gripping and Marsland's search for justice takes him through a twisted landscape. -- Kirkus Reviews

Author Information

Jason Ryan is the author of Hell-Bent: One Man's Crusade to Crush the Hawaiian Mob, as well as Jackpot: High Times, High Seas, and the Sting That Launched the War on Drugs and Race to Hawaii: The 1927 Dole Air Derby and the Thrilling First Flights That Opened the Pacific. Keith Sellon-Wright is an audiobook narrator and an actor with more than thirty years of experience in Hollywood. His television roles have included Frasier, Seinfeld, The West Wing, Mad Men, Parks and Recreation, Grey's Anatomy, and Scandal. He also serves as a voice of the New York Times, narrating selected articles for their daily audio edition.

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