Les Norton's Hawaiian holiday should have been just like in the tourist brochures. Balmy days, blue seas, palm tress swaying in the moonlight. And it would have been if Les had minded his own business. But what are you supposed to do when a cop you know and an old friend are in trouble? Especially at Christmas?

The detective was okay. But Norton's old friend turned out to be the biggest brothel owner in America. Madam to the stars. Through her, Les met Mitzi Moonkiss; he also met the Japanese Yakuza, lesbian geisha girls and every time he put his head out the door some boofhead US Marine was looking for a fight. And these were all the nice people. Somewhere in the middle a crazed serial killer was on the loose with a bayonet. Aloha, Les.

Set in Hawaii, Robert G. Barrett's latest Les Norton novel, Mele Kalikimaka Mr Walker, is his most powerful yet. And only proves once again why he is Australia's most popular comtemporary author.