Reviews
The stories recounted here were once front-page news and they lose none of their timeliness in the translation into a book. For those who lived through those times, the book is an opportunity to recall the scandals and scoundrels that infested Hawai'i, and for those too young to remember, it is a reminder of why a vigilant press is an essential ingredient to an informed public., [Dooley's] greatest hits were darned impressive, and it'll likely be enough for Sunny Skies, Shady Characters to join the short list of books considered must-reads for those seeking to understand Hawaii., Dooley's a born storyteller. Many reporters are, but the requirements of daily journalism usually leave out the back-story that tells, or amuses, or frightens. The memoir of a career sets the writer free. And Dooley uses that freedom here. [He] also provides every journalism teacher in the state with a first-rate textbook that teaches the hard slog required to do investigative reporting., Sunny Skies, Shady Characters by James Dooley--Hawaii's bravest investigative reporter--recounts the secret history of Hawaii that all of us have been waiting for: a book of shocking revelations, featuring a cast of thieves, heavies, enforcers, and yakuza thugs and sneaks who have so intimidated the islands that the truth of their villainy has been suppressed--until now. At last, we know where the bodies are buried, and who buried them.
