Guardians of the Drums
About this ebook
A detective’s fight for Hawaii’s soul—where stolen treasures and vanishing history ignite a battle for survival.
A stolen treasure. A vanishing history. A detective who refuses to surrender.
Detective Leilani Kealoha knows Honolulu’s soul—the rain-slick streets, tangled politics, and sacred traditions. When the Bishop Museum’s most revered artifact, an eighteenth-century feathered cloak tied to King Kamehameha, is stolen, her pursuit becomes more than a case. It’s a fight to protect Hawaii’s identity from being erased.
Leilani’s investigation uncovers a suave mainland billionaire and a covert auction circuit trafficking stolen heritage to offshore buyers. As she follows a trail of cloned badges, varnished fingerprints, and whispered deals aboard luxury yachts, she exposes a global network laundering history for profit. With forensic grit, local wisdom, and the halau’s elders at her side, she races to recover the island’s treasures before they vanish forever.
This gripping Honolulu crime thriller blends forensic detail, cultural depth, and atmospheric suspense. It asks the haunting question: Who owns history—and how far will the powerful go to rewrite it?
Perfect for readers who love:
• Crime thrillers set in Hawaii
• Detective novels with cultural depth and historical resonance
• Suspenseful stories about stolen artifacts and heritage protection
• Atmospheric mysteries blending forensic detail and emotional impact
Don’t miss this unforgettable journey into the heart of Honolulu’s secrets. Buy now and uncover the truth before history disappears.
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About the author
Chuck Morgan is a Colorado‑based crime and thriller author whose work blends procedural authenticity, emotional depth, and high‑stakes suspense. A graduate of Seton Hall University and Regis College, he spent thirty‑five years as a construction project manager before turning his focus to writing full‑time. An avid outdoorsman, Eagle Scout, and licensed private pilot, he draws inspiration from a lifetime of camping, hiking, mountain biking, and fly‑fishing across the American West.
In addition to his acclaimed crime fiction, Chuck wrote Her Name Was Jane, a deeply personal memoir chronicling his late wife’s nine‑year battle with breast cancer. He is the father of three, grandfather of four, and dog‑dad to a Siberian Husky. He resides in Lone Tree, Colorado.
Chuck is the creator of multiple thriller series, including:
The Buck Taylor Crime Series (Colorado Bureau of Investigation)
Crime Interrupted • Crime Delayed • Crime Unsolved • Crime Exposed • Crime Denied • Crime Conspiracy • Crime Unknown • Crime Exploded • Crime Spree • Crime Family • Crime Scene • Crime Victims • Crime Unraveled • Cold Justice
The Delia Cahill Assassin Series
The Assassin’s Heart • Edge of Betrayal
The Leilani Kealoha Hawaiian Thriller Series
Murder in Paradise • The Eye of the Navigator • The Last Spiral
The Mike Branik Series
Preserve, Protect, and Defend
His novels are known for their vivid settings, layered investigations, and compelling characters, earning him a loyal readership across the crime, mystery, and thriller genres.
