Toby Neal’s Lei Crime series of murder mystery novels are set in the lush, exotic setting of the author’s home state: Hawaii. The first novel in the series is currently free.
Blood Orchids – Lei Crime Series 1 (4.5/5 stars, currently FREE)
Fast-paced crime mystery with a touch of romance, readers call Blood Orchids “un-putdownable”!
Hawaii is palm trees, black sand and blue water—but for policewoman Lei Texeira, there’s a dark side to paradise.
Lei has overcome a scarred past to make a life for herself as a cop in the sleepy Big Island town of Hilo. On a routine patrol she finds two murdered teenagers—one of whom she’d recently busted. With its echoes of her own past, the murdered girl’s harsh life and tragic death affect Lei deeply. She becomes obsessed—even as the killer is drawn to Lei’s intensity, feeding off her vulnerabilities and toying with her sanity.
Despite her obsession with the case and fear that she’s being stalked, Lei finds herself falling in love for the first time. Steaming volcanoes, black sand beaches and shrouded fern forests are the backdrop to Lei’s quest for answers—and the stalker is closer than she can imagine, as threads of the past tangle in her future. Lei is determined to find the killer—but he knows where to find her first.
“Sometimes in crime fiction you stumble across a character who lives on beyond the book’s end by virtue of their psychological complexity, and the richness with which the author has drawn them. Will Graham, Jack Reacher, Alex Cross, and now they have a worthy female counterpart in Lei Teixera. Blood Orchids is that rarity among debut novels, in that it satisfies on every level. A powerful new talent is on the scene, whole-heartedly recommended.”
-Drew Cross, former police officer and author of BiteMarks
Torch Ginger – Lei Crime Series 2 (4.5/5 stars, currently priced at $4.99)
The island of Kaua`i is remote jungle, golden beaches and ancient culture—but transients are disappearing in paradise, and only Detective Lei Texeira notices.
Lei transfers to the island of Kaua`i, where she uncovers a pattern of disappearances that may be related to a bizarre cult—or is it just one madman at work? In Lei’s world, everyone is guilty until proven innocent.
In the midst of the biggest case sleepy Kaua`i has ever seen, Lei must also untangle the mysteries of her heart and discover who she loves.
“If J.D. Robb’s In Death series went on location with Kaui Hart Hemmings’ The Descendants, you’d have Toby Neal’s Torch Ginger.”
Black Jasmine – Lei Crime Series 3 (4.5/5 stars, currently priced at $4.99)
The island of Maui is turquoise ocean, stunning vistas, and whalesong—but organized crime has a hidden hold, and Detective Lei Texeira tracks evil that hides behind a beautiful face.
When a nameless teenage girl dies in an apparent vehicular suicide, Lei can’t rest until she finds out what really happened.
She blazes through all the wealth and poverty of Maui island society in her quest for justice, rousing a deadly foe—even as she faces the personal demons of commitment and revenge that threaten the only real love she’s ever known.
“Toby Neal’s stories have a relentless, charged energy that heats up every page.”
– Holly Robinson, author of Sleeping Tigers
Broken Ferns – Lei Crime Series 4 (4.5/5 stars, currently priced at $4.99)
The island of Oahu is warm breezes, skyscrapers and green mountains—but a daring young thief is out to make a statement, and Special Agent Lei Texeira’s new career is already on the line.
Lei Texeira has made a difficult transition from detective on Maui to the FBI on Oahu—and her first big case as an agent draws national media attention. With her typical jump-first, look-later style, she pursues her quarry from Oahu to the outer islands, rousing old conflicts and new heartbreak.
“Crisp, well-written and full of local color – Broken Ferns is another page-turner from Toby Neal.”
– Greta Van der Rol, author of Morgan’s Choice
Twisted Vine – Lei Crime Series 5 (4.5/5 stars, currently priced at $4.99)
The island of Oahu is skyscrapers and rainforests, beaches and boutiques—but Special Agent Lei Texeira is drawn into a shadow world connected by death and the Internet.
Mysterious suicides draw Lei and her team, including tech specialist Sophie Ang, to hunt a criminal who plays with the thin gray line between right and wrong.
Lei stirs up a hornet’s nest on the investigation as her past reaches out in a twisted vine of old loves, new technologies and dark vendettas.
“Toby Neal scores a royal flush in this fifth of an unmissable crime series for mystery fans!”
– J.C. Martin, author of Oracle
Unsound – A Lei Crime Companion Novel (4.5/5 stars, currently priced at $4.99)
Only a volcano can cure some things.
Dr. Caprice Wilson, police psychologist, has spent her life unraveling the mysteries of the human mind—–only to find herself in a deep crisis.
Caprice prescribes herself a walkabout and goes hiking on Maui, but the solitary retreat she has in mind does not go as planned. Caprice faces an enemy she never knew she had and wrestles with questions of hope, identity, loss, and the nature of psychopathy in a cat-and-mouse game with survival at stake.
**CONTAINS BONUS CONTENT PHOTO SCENES FROM SETTINGS IN THE BOOK**
“A strong, savvy dissection of how two people’s lives are intertwined by violence, psychology and grief.”
– KIRKUS REVIEWS
“Toby Neal weaves a spell-binding suspense that pulls you in with breathtaking scenery, flawed characters, and brilliantly twisted psychology.”
– Gae-Lynn Woods, author of the Cass Elliott Crime Series
Stolen in Paradise – A Lei Crime Companion Novel (4.5/5 stars, currently priced at $4.99)
One Betta fish, two dead biologists, three trysts, four suspects and thirty-five pairs of shoes add up to complicated days in paradise for Special Agent Marcella Scott.
Marcella gets into sand way over her Manolos investigating the death of a prominent scientist washed up on a Waikiki beach with a bullet hole between the eyes.
BioGreen, a genetically-engineered algae that could solve the world fuel crisis, has been stolen from the development lab—a hotbed of intrigue where everyone on the project has something to hide.
Marcella also has a secret vice, more dangerous than expensive shoes—–and it leads her into arms that are too close for comfort.
“Toby Neal’s usual breathless suspense plus Agent Marcella Scott’s sexiness feed this reader’s addiction!”
– Noelle Pierce, author of upcoming Constellation Series
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