In Mahu Fire, the third in this series, Kanapa' aka is trying to cope with fitting into the Honolulu Police Department where he has been transferred and without a police partner. He also is still looking for Mr. Right. His current case starts out with the murder of a homeless man and a dead chicken. Then a fundraiser for a non-profit organization supporting gay marriage is bombed and Kanapa' aka begins to wonder if it is connected to a series of arsons of businesses that have been serving the gay community. Kanapa' aka is assisted in his investigation by an attractive fireman who lights a fire of his own.

Mahu Fire is both a mystery and a romance. The mystery element is strong with interesting characters and a breathtaking ending. The romance fairly sizzles. Plakcy has provided an entertaining mystery along with a gay romance that is contemporary and hot enough for the reader seeking something more than innuendo. It should be noted that sometimes the language or the lovemaking may become shocking, but it is no more graphic than many romances between men and women. What may make these love scenes uncomfortable for some readers is their unfamiliarity with some behaviors within this community. Plakcy handles them well. He knows his readership and gears his work accordingly.

I liked Detective Kanapa' aka and his perspective on life in Hawaii, and I thoroughly enjoyed the mystery. The romance was interesting, though I don't normally review romances. I did feel sometimes that I was intruding a little too much into someone's personal life. That's probably because I was reading a book that wasn't written for me as a middle-aged woman. That said, I would gladly read the next Mahu mystery with Dectective Kanapa' aka.