Christian Mystery Novel with Character List: “Hawaiian Wildflower”

Key Takeaways

∙ Hawaiian Wildflower is a gripping mystery novel partially set in the picturesque landscapes of Hawaii.
∙ The book is celebrated for its clean, G-rated content, making it suitable for a wide range of readers.
∙ Main characters are well-developed, adding depth and relatability to the story.
∙ Readers have praised the book for its engaging plot and unexpected twists.
∙ A list of the book’s major characters follows the review. (To jump directly to the list, highlight Character List, then click Ctrl-F to open a search window and click the “down” arrow.)

Personal Note

Ever since I became an audiobook addict (with a decided preference for cozy mysteries), I’ve been keeping lists of characters as I listen. If I don’t, I lose much of the joy of the solving because I lose track of who the characters are. (With an audiobook, of course, there are no pages to flip back through in order to review the character’s names.) I literally got to the end of a book once, heard the name of the guilty party, and asked myself, “Now, who was that?”

What a revolting development! What’s the fun of listening to a mystery if I can’t even remember the names of the suspects? And so, I started making my lists. And in my own books, I create a list and place it at the front of the book.

As a result, I was slow to post the character lists here on my website. After all, the list is right there at the front of the book. On the other hand, I sometimes print out a list because it’s more convenient when I’m away from my computer. So, it finally dawned on me that I might as well provide a similar downloadable list for my books. (They’re not on audio yet, but hopefully, some day…)

My blog about Lilli’s Song is already done with its character list. And now, Hawaiian Wildflower…

Main Characters

The “Hawaiian wildflower” for whom the book is named is Maylea Kanaka. Maylea’s unrivaled beauty has impacted her self-image and won her almost every prize she has ever sought. Leaving the magical island of Oahu, she turns up in flat, dry Lubbock, Texas. And in Lubbock, she is a wildflower, utterly isolated from her natural tropical habitat.

Dillon West, an accountant, is the reason Maylea has come to Lubbock. Dillon is happily married to Nettie, a nutritionist and owner of a fitness center. But he had a teeny, tiny little fling with Maylea two months earlier when he was in Hawaii for a conference. Now, she has arrived in his world to tell him he’s going to be a father, the father of her baby.

Of course, Dillon is already the father of 13-year-old Jeremy. And what he doesn’t know is that Nettie has just learned she is also pregnant. Before she can tell him about their baby, he tells her he needs a divorce.

Suddenly, Nettie doesn’t want Dillon to know about her pregnancy. What if he stays with her out of duty? She doesn’t want him that way. So, she watches him walk out of her life and into the arms of the exotic stranger from Oahu.

Central Conflict

The central conflict in Hawaiian Wildflower is the unraveling of Maylea’s past. She may appear to be a childlike, exquisite doll. But her simple, gorgeous exterior is masking a complicated, not-so-beautiful personality. And until the mask is removed, the mystery will go unsolved.

Fortunately for Nettie, she has a half-sister named Qiana who enjoys a good mystery. Qiana joins up with a lawyer named Ethan Holmes and her nephew Jeremy to explore Maylea’s past. Flying to Hawaii, they have some adventures of their own while they begin to uncover Maylea’s dark secrets. From Hawaii, the trail leads to North Dakota, then Florida, and finally back to Texas.

Keeping It Clean

As much as I love mysteries, I hate the filthy language and lurid scenes that often seem a requirement of the genre. Fortunately, there are plenty of cozy mysteries in the world to keep me entertained. But best of all, are mysteries with a Christian flavor or even a Christian world view. Of these, there are not enough to suit me.

If you feel the same way, check out my blog “Christian Mysteries: Why I Love Them.” Toward the bottom of the blog, you’ll find my list of Christian WhoDunIts, linked to my review of each one. Included in each review is a character list for the book. I mainly try to review books that are on audio since a character list seems most helpful for these. If you know of a Christian mystery novel on Audible that I haven’t reviewed, I would love to know about it. Please name it in a comment below.

Character List for Hawaiian Wildflower

This list of characters is provided for reference while reading the novel. (In some cases, situations change; therefore, the descriptions given apply to the characters at the time they are introduced to the story.)

1. Nettie (Jeanette) Jamison West – owns Spring Up West
2. Qiana Jamison – Nettie’s half-sister, owns Spring Up South
3. Dillon West – accountant, Nettie’s husband
4. Jeremy West – Dillon and Nettie’s 13-year-old son
5. Dr. Phillip Jamison – cardiac surgeon, Nettie and Qiana’s late father
6. Bethany Jamison – Nettie’s mother
7. Shelley Jamison – Qiana’s mother
8. Maylea Kanaka – the Hawaiian wildflower
9. Scot Sanford – a fitness trainer and university student, majoring in computers
10. Trolley (Tra-la-la) – Maylea’s housekeeper
11. Dolly Tatum – works for Nettie, manages Spring Up West
12. Matt Tatum – Dolly’s father, retired engineer from NASA
13. Cecili Wells – works for Qiana, manages Spring Up South
14. Judge Franklin Meyer – Shelley’s employer
15. Anita Patton – Nettie’s divorce lawyer
16. Dan Ebersole – Dillon’s lawyer (wife, Connie Ebersole)
17. Jeremy’s buddies: Kurt Mayfield and Ronny Stamps
18. Lance Bellamy, M.D. – obstetrician
19. Velma Jackson – client of Nettie’s at Qiana’s fitness center (husband, Harold Jackson)
20. Glen Bristol – Dillon’s computer technician (wife, Hayley Bristol)
21. Lubbock police officers:
    Jed Daly – chief investigator on the case
    Farley Gunther
    Allen Latimer – rookie
22. Dr. Irving van Vleet – Lubbock medical examiner
23. Ethan Holmes – criminal lawyer
24. Dillon’s family:
    parents – Dick and Regina (Reggy) West
    sister and brother-in-law – Rilee and Shane Norris
    nieces – Ruth (8) and Lydia (5)
25. Dr. Gregory Rand – owner of vacation home on Oahu
26. Alana – caretaker for Dr. Rand’s Oahu home
27. Dr. Greg Rand, Jr. – son of Dr. Gregory Rand, married to Alana’s daughter Kalea
28. Kimo (Jimmy) and Paulo (Paul) – Alana’s youngest and oldest grandchildren
29. Windsong Towers waitresses:
    the nervous waitress (Puna)
    Kiana – head waitress
    Julie
30. Oahu police officers:
    Nate Zang – detective
    Officer Parker
    Luke Kalama – body guard
31. Kevin Vickery – accountant on Oahu
32. Kidnappers:
    Thor – gravelly voice
    Gruff voice
    Boss – soft, deep voice
33. Kun Yee – owner of Windsong Towers
34. Caleb Hancock – Maylea’s high school sweetheart
35. Annette Hancock – Caleb’s mother
36. Sarah – Trolley’s sister

Here is a downloadable character list for Hawaiian Wildflower:

Click the link to go to amazon.com to purchase Hawaiian Wildflower.

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