Homecoming Homicide Behind the Scenes
Welcome back to Cassandra Sato’s Mysteries where history refuses to stay buried and a certain parrot might be more trouble than he’s worth.
Here’s your Homecoming Homicide behind the scenes look at why this mystery felt like both a long-overdue reunion and a trip back to a place I’ve never truly left.
When this book began to take shape, one line from my own life kept surfacing, demanding my attention:
“You never really leave a place you love. Part of it you take with you, leaving a part of you behind.”
I’ve lived in Nebraska for decades, but Hawai‘i is still stitched into my memory, especially the food, the language, and the friends who became family. Cassandra’s homecoming to O‘ahu gave me the perfect excuse to revisit those places on the page and explore that tug-of-war between where we’re from and where we’ve grown roots.
I kept thinking about 25-year-old me, working in Honolulu, learning Hawaiian signs from Deaf kūpuna (elders), and quietly wondering if I would ever follow my dream of becoming a published author. Now, all these years later, I can honor the memory of those friends, many now gone, and the language they so generously shared with me.
Instead of a straight line from point A to point B, my dreams mostly zigzagged like a long hike without a map, more Frodo and Sam wandering through Mordor with a snack break every hour than a quick stroll to the Shire. Most of the time I couldn’t see very far down the path ahead, but I kept taking the next step, even when it felt small and unsteady. And wow, have those side quests led to amazing stops along the way! Sometimes you just have to surrender, trust, and keep walking.
What Makes This Book Different
This is Cassandra’s most personal mystery yet, and it hits close to home, literally. A century-old cold case with ties to her own family forces her to confront what “home” really means.
The stakes are high, but the cast keeps the journey fun (and occasionally chaotic): a team of college students who are equal parts brilliant and hot mess, determined to crack the case even if it means breaking curfew; a snarky parrot with zero filter and impeccable timing; and best friends who know when to offer a hug, a reality check, or a malasada.
Throw in a handmade quilt hiding a royal secret, museum politics worthy of their own soap opera, and old money secrets colliding with inconvenient new truths, and you’ve got… well, a very busy chaperone juggling danger, loyalty, and her own issues.
Homecoming Homicide is a story about remembering what history tried to forget and finding the courage to tell it anyway even when the truth could cost you everything.
Real-World Inspirations
Like all my stories, I try to tuck in small windows for learning along the way. In this book, Hawaiian Sign Language (HSL) appears in the middle of the sleuthing. HSL is a distinct, endangered language that survives today thanks to people like Deaf educator Linda Lambrecht, whose storytelling and language documentation are a treasure. You can watch some of her storytelling and HSL language videos here on YouTube.
The historical backdrop also draws on Hawaiian history, including the Kuleana Act, the illegal 1893 overthrow of Queen Liliʻuokalani, and the leadership of remarkable wāhine like Queen Kaʻahumanu and activist-publisher Emma Nāwahī.
Your Guide to O‘ahu
Last year, my husband and I returned to O‘ahu and visited many of the spots that inspired scenes in this book. I made Sleuthing Oahu with Cassandra Sato in Apple Maps so you can explore the beaches, parks, and hole-in-the-wall food stops right alongside Cassandra.
Open it on your iPhone and you can:
- Save it to your Apple Maps app
- Use it for your own trip planning
- Virtually wander the same spots Cassandra visits in the book
Whether you’re dreaming of your next Hawaiian vacation or just want to picture the settings more vividly while reading, this is the perfect companion to the story.
Read Chapter One
Want to start reading? I’ve posted Chapter One here so you can get started today.
Yes, there’s a multilayered murder mystery. Yes, Cassandra and her crew will solve it. But more than anything, Homecoming Homicide is a love letter to the places and people who shape us and to the truth that “home” isn’t just a location on a map.
If you like century-old secrets, lovable hot messes, and a parrot who tells it like it is, now’s the perfect time to join Cassandra’s latest case.
Thanks for riding along with me on this great adventure, friends. Here’s to the next chapter, the next side quest, and the next step on the path, even if it takes us through Gondor before we come home to our Shire.
Kelly Brakenhoff is the author of 17 books and a seasoned ASL interpreter. She splits her writing energy between two series: cozy mysteries set on a college campus and children’s books featuring Duke the Deaf Dog.
In 2025, two of her children’s books were selected for the CBC Favorites Award Lists, honored by teachers and librarians nationwide for excellence in children’s literature. Parents, kids, and educators love the Duke the Deaf Dog books and activity guides because they introduce ASL and the Deaf community through engaging stories.
And if you enjoy a smart female sleuth, want to learn more about Deaf culture, or have lived in a place where livestock outnumber people, the Cassandra Sato Mystery series will have you connecting the dots faster than a group project thrown together the night before it’s due.
A proud mom to four adults, head of the dog-snuggling department, and grandma to a growing brood of perfectly behaved grandkids, Kelly and her husband call Nebraska home.