THE NOVEL
In the 1970s, deep in the Puna rainforest, Jack, a surfer and small-time grower, develops a new marijuana strain so good it changes the game — and draws attention from the worst kind of people.
When a local crime boss and a Mexican cartel come calling, Jack’s world turns from surf and sun to survival and revenge.
It’s a story where loyalty is tested, paradise burns, and the land itself seems to strike back.
THE STORY
Puna Poison explores the collision between natural beauty and human greed — a tale of love, betrayal, and island justice.
Set against volcanic jungles, pounding surf, and backcountry roads, the novel captures the raw spirit of 1970s Hawai‘i — a time before tourism took hold, when life on the island still belonged to those who respected it.
With the tension of Sicario and the humanity of Narcos, Puna Poison is a tropical noir unlike anything else.
THE AUTHOR
Javier Rodriguez is a Hawai‘i-based author, surfer, and storyteller whose work reflects the raw spirit and contradictions of island life.
Drawing from first-hand experience with Hawai‘i’s underground culture, Puna Poison is his breakout novel — a story where paradise isn’t just a place, but a test of character.
Fans of the mystery novel, you will not be disappointed. Rich in geographic detail, the author plants a reader’s feet firmly in Hawaiian soil. You can tell that he lives on the island as well because his characters speak island slang in a believable voice. The characterizations are vivid, the descriptions of weed commerce and the characters who grow, sell, and steal it are familiar without being cliche, and the action builds. Where it’s going I’m not entirely sure — I had to put Puna Poison down because I read halfway through on the first sitting and I want to make the pleasure last and live in this world for a little while longer.
The story is told in tight, ripping short chapters and the pages almost turn themselves.
Very fun read! It has all the elements to keep you engaged, hard to put down. I hope that there is an eventual sequel to the book because it left me wanting more.
Excellent read with gripping story line and well developed characters. I really appreciated how nuanced many of the characters were- some of those you imagined all bad seeds had some good deeds (and vice-versa). An epic tale of Hawaii living from days gone by, really hard to put down!
Five stars, well-earned!
Awesome read, highly recommend. Entertaining!
This book is a real page turner. Set on the beautiful Big Island of Hawaii, the reader gets a real sense of what the laid back life in the remote Puna district of the island was like in the 70’s. Then things begin to go wrong. Dirty cops, local crime and the Mexican drug cartel all combine to keep the reader on the edge of their seat. It’s an exciting journey that leaves one asking for more.
It’s fun fiction!