Distant Echoes

I just finished reading Distant Echoes Aloha Reef Series, Book 1 by Colleen Coble.
In the land of aloha and paradise, dark secrets lurk just below the surface.
When a tragic accident downs a tourist boat off the coast of Hawaii, dolphin researcher Kaia Oana is one of the first in the water, risking her own life to try and save others. She’s enlisted to help the U.S. Navy find out what really happened – utilizing her specially trained dolphins to help
Kaia and Lieutenant Commander Jesse Matthews team up in the investigation – but as they edge closer to the truth about the incident, their own lives are threatened. Will a spirit of grace and forgiveness prevail or will it be overshadowed by the distant echoes of past pain and the imminent danger from a cold-blooded killer?
Set on the breathtaking Hawaiian island of Kauai, this novel provides an intoxicating mix of romance and suspense with the rhythms of island life.
I got hooked on this book very easily.  The use of some of the Hawaiian language did throw me a little until I realized there was a glossary of Hawaiian terms in the back of the book that also helped with how to pronounce them.  The characters were very well developed and easy to relate to.  I loved Nani the dolphin that Kaia had raised and the thought of being able to communicate with her.  There were several twists that I didn't see coming which is always nice.  I'm looking forward to reading the rest of the series.