Kindle Edition Download to your Nook (eBook) Amazon Jeanne Burrows-Johnson - Author Category:  Mystery/Suspense Publisher: Artemesia Publishing Type: Fiction Pages: 308 Copyright: April 2, 2019 ISBN-13: 9781932926620 Price: $4.95 (eBook) THIS WINNER OF the 2019 NEW MEXICO/ARIZONA BOOK AWARDS FOR FICTION, ADVENTURE-DRAMA, is driven by visions, false clues, and hints of hidden treasure in the First Annual Aloha Scavenger Hunt during Chinese New Year. As their joyous pursuit of scavenger clues, Natalie and life partner Ke`oni seek solution of two murders separated by sixty years, and the mystery of the presence of a woman in red. Honolulu journalist Natalie Seachrist and her boyfriend, private investigator Keoni Hewitt are delighted to plunge into a Chinese New Year Aloha Scavenger Hunt. But when she realizes a haunting dream is actually one of her continuing visions of murder, they again volunteer to help Keoni’s former partner, HPD homicide detective John Dias in the investigation of two murders separated by sixty years. Soon Natalie’s expanding visions and the unrelenting discoveries of her feline companion Miss Una link the two deaths to a mysterious woman dressed in red and a false clue hinting at a priceless white jade Kuan Yin statue.       Excerpt Murders of Conveyance Prologue “I met murder on the way.” Percy Bysshe Shelley [1792-1822] I look around at the metal cage surrounding me… Below my sandaled feet are scuffed tiles framing a Chinese logogram. With heavy vibration, the vintage elevator stops. The gate opens by an unseen hand, and I walk out to the black and white scene of a film noir. I face three sash windows,,, the center one being wider than those flanking it. Above them, three clerestory windows form an arch reaching toward the roofline... My view to the world beyond is dimmed by sheer curtains. I look down at a patterned carpet runner on a dark wood floor. I am presented with an immediate choice. Which way shall I turn?... With little hesitation, I move to the right and soon reach the end of the short hallway. I then turn to the left and stop as though halted by a glass panel… I am looking along a dim corridor lined with several numbered doors. Stretched diagonally across the carpeted floor is the still form of a man… I blink and check to see if this tableau is being observed by anyone other than me. No. I am alone. I walk forward slowly until I stand above the man. He is definitely dead… He wears a white suit. Although he is lying on his stomach, I see the collar of an aloha shirt. Two-toned shoes stick out from his pant leg cuffs. Beyond his head, a fedora leans against the base of the wall. A few inches to the left of the man’s shoes, the door to room 312 stands ajar… The opening widens. I look within… A woman rises from inspecting the space below a single bed. Turned away from me, she examines each drawer of the room’s dresser, desk, and nightstand. I suddenly find myself positioned behind her as she opens the door to a closet with dressing room...She is obviously practiced in her work. After going through the pockets of the few hanging garments on the left, she quickly searches each compartment of a suitcase sitting open on a luggage rack to the right… Debating whether she is at the end of her task, she gazes steadily at a large mirror resting against the back wall. The glass is mottled with age and I cannot see her features. She walks to the mirror and pulls it toward her. She looks behind, and then with a disgusted sigh,,, pushes it back in place. …Stepping backward, the woman again looks into the mirror and straightens her tailored skirt and jacket. Other than her dark upswept hair, the only characteristic I note about her is her height, because she is considerably taller than I am. I watch silently as the stately woman strides past me and into the bedroom. I turn to face her retreating figure. Shortly, I hear the elevator clang open and shut.

https://kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/jeanne-burrows-johnson/murders-of-conveyance/
In this third entry of a mystery series, a woman’s latest vision seems to be an unsolved, decades-old murder that links to a present-day homicide.

Freelance journalist Natalie Seachrist is excited about the upcoming First Annual Aloha Scavenger Hunt in Honolulu. It’s not far from her Lanikai home, but this is her first vacation with her boyfriend, Keoni Hewitt, a retired homicide detective. Unfortunately, mere days into the weeklong event, cops discover a body in the hallway of Natalie and Keoni’s hotel. The crime scene resembles Natalie’s recent vision. As it was her first vision in months, she initially dismissed it, believing the black-and-white images were her memory of an old film noir. Despite similarities between the recent murder and Natalie’s vision, the latter was clearly from “an earlier era.” The cop working the present-day case, Lt. John Dias, Keoni’s old partner, has little evidence on the new homicide. But as he’s aware of Natalie’s ability, he encourages her to look into the mysterious murder of yesteryear even if she’s not part of the official probe. Natalie tries connecting the two crimes by identifying the earlier victim as well as the hotel from her vision. And notwithstanding the decades separating the murders, there’s a possibility of a solitary killer. Burrows-Johnson’s (Murder on Mokulua Drive, 2018, etc.) protagonist, as in preceding novels, is an accomplished sleuth. Her visions may spark an investigation, but Natalie’s research skills, stemming from her days in travel journalism, are what lead her to answers. The author’s bountiful details explore Hawaii’s history and culture, as scavenger hunt clues direct Natalie and Keoni to historical landmarks and the inquiry includes Chinatown in Honolulu. Though Burrows-Johnson tends to linger on descriptions of Hawaii’s food and handsome locales, this tactic meshes with Natalie’s investigative approach. The protagonist’s pace, for example, is leisurely but never boring, as she consistently tracks down and pieces together evidence. Nevertheless, though the case reaches a resolution, questions regarding the culprit’s specific motive and method remain.

A whodunit as smart and engrossing as the unlikely gumshoe.

https://www.theusreview.com/reviews/Murders-of-Conveyance-by-Jeanne-Burrows-Johnson.html#.XbqMb5JKhaT
Another startling murder seems to follow Natalie Seachrist and her friends, this time during an inaugural scavenger hunt celebrating the culture and history of Hawai’i. Natalie, her boyfriend and ex-cop Keoni, and their friends from the mainland, Margie and Dan O’Hara, are excited to dive into a fun adventure when a mysterious murder of one of the hunt’s sponsors threatens to cast a pallor over the event. Natalie realizes that a dream she thought was inspired by a classic movie marathon was, in fact, one of her trademark visions—only this time, the victim in her dream appears to have been murdered decades ago, despite similar circumstances. She and the Hawai’i Police must find the killer and solve the urgent mystery as well as a very cold case, all while trying to enjoy what was supposed to be a relaxing week with friends.
Natalie’s career as a leisure journalist and the author’s two decades of life in Hawai’i combine to create an environment that is meticulously sculpted, filled with breathtaking scenery, rich culture, and decadent food. Those that have visited the islands will be teleported back to the scenes in their memories, while those yet to explore them will have their imaginations kindled. Unlike many novels in the mystery genre, Burrows-Johnson's book maintains a balance with Natalie and Keoni in that they dedicate themselves to the case while simultaneously taking care of themselves and each other rather than subsisting on coffee and no sleep. The pace of this story naturally transitions from the scavenger hunt and its locales to the identity of the murderer of the Chinese linguistics professor and gives the reader a grounded perspective before launching them into the action. Fans of a lighter mystery with rich characters and environments will devour this latest Seachrist story.


https://sanfranciscobookreview.com/product/murders-of-conveyance/
Tamara Benson, San Francisco Book Review
4 of 5 stars

There are many reasons to recommend this novel. The descriptions of each destination and the players' race during the scavenger hunt are well done and leave the reader ready to book-travel to see the sights first-hand. The visions add an interesting paranormal twist to what could be just another crime novel. The relationships between the neighbors are wonderful and something that really makes the characters likable. And, of course, any murder mystery that involves a cat is a winner from the start!...All in all, this novel was definitely worth the read, and I look forward to more in the series.

Murders of Conveyance
By Jeanne Burrows-Johnson
Artemesia Publishing LLC, $29.95, 308 pages, Format: Hard
Star Rating: 4 / 5

Murders of Conveyance, the third in the Natalie Seachrist Hawaiian Mystery Series by Jeanne Burrows-Johnson, begins with Natalie and her private investigator boyfriend, Keoni Hewitt, joining friends on the First Annual Aloha Scavenger Hunt, which is set to run all over Honolulu. Previous to setting out for the hunt, Natalie has a dream that is reminiscent of a film noir. In fact, that is all she thinks it is until, shortly after the event begins, there is a murder directly outside her hotel room and the details are startlingly similar to her dream. Concluding that this must be one of her visions, she tells Keoni and they quickly alert his old partner, Lt. John Dias, who has previously worked with her and is willing to use her strange talent in tandem with his own traditional methods of police work.

Though the murder is very similar to her vision, it is clear that it is set in a much earlier time. While Dias works on the current case, Seachrist begins to research the murder that may have occurred in the past, using her well-honed journalist skills. In doing so, she is able to not only connect the hotel to the respective murders but also the murders to each other.

There are many reasons to recommend this novel. The descriptions of each destination and the players' race during the scavenger hunt are well done and leave the reader ready to book-travel to see the sights first-hand. The visions add an interesting paranormal twist to what could be just another crime novel. The relationships between the neighbors are wonderful and something that really makes the characters likable. And, of course, any murder mystery that involves a cat is a winner from the start!

However, as good as the novel is, there are a few issues which, by the third book in the series, I had hoped the author would have sorted out. Many of the chapter endings are cliché and eye-roll-inducing. Also, it is not necessary for us to be told every single time that the characters order coffee or tea exactly what kind they are having. Occasionally, it is fine to just say they are having coffee. Along the same vein, it is abundantly clear that the author researched the menu for every meal that she described; however, overly describing every detail of the menu quickly became annoying.

All in all, this novel was definitely worth the read, and I look forward to more in the series. Perhaps, however, with a few adjustments.
Reviewed by Tamara Benson