Thunder in the Tropics

When ASHLEY MORGAN and CANDACE MAGUIRE arrive in Maui, Hawaii, they have no idea of the danger and chaos that await them. Nurses by profession, they work together in a busy Chicago hospital, ICU. This vacation is to be the balm of healing for them to sort out personal problems and enjoy some relaxation. Two days after Ashley and Candace arrive on the Island; they visit the Whalebone Inn in Lahaina and innocently observe a young man and a young Hawaiian woman arguing. The couple leaves abruptly. Curious, Candy follows them down to the wharf area with Ashley reluctantly trailing behind. They lose sight of the couple when a large tour bus blocks their view. A few days later on a trip to Hana, they see the young woman's picture in a local newspaper stating, she has been missing for three days. From that point on, their world turns upside down after they realize the significance of what they saw and heard. Their vacation takes an ominous twist when her body is found washed up on Ma’alaea Bay. When they learn the woman was murdered, they are propelled into a web of suspense, lies, and deception. Candy’s inquisitive nature proves to be accurate, but deadly. Ashley, more reserved, is drawn into the intrigue, as they try to unravel clues that point to the killer. Some of their choices are foolish and they realize the mistakes they are making, put them in great danger. Their new relationships and the circumstances they find themselves in are like the beautiful bougainvillea flowers of Maui; they have thorny stems that can easily draw blood. Nothing is as it appears, and as they continue to sleuth, they find themselves in a net that is closing tighter and tighter. THEY BECOME THE HUNTED. Author Bio: Judith Norling Carlson is a registered nurse who has worked in a variety of nursing positions. Her last twenty years was in drug research. She has visited Maui, Hawaii, several times and is well acquainted with the island, especially the towns of Kihei and Lahaina. She exchanged her technical writing skills for creative writing in a variety of genres. She divides her residency between Rhinelander, Wisconsin, and Spring Hill, Florida, where she lives with her husband Keith, and their dog Kasey. She has three grown sons. She has belonged to a writing group for eight years and puts writing at the top of her fun and creative list of things to do. keywords: Maui, Hawaii, Nurses, Chance Encounter, Mystery, Murder, Deception, Amateur Sleuths, Vacation, Drug Cartel