98 books like Honor Killing

By David E. Stannard,

Here are 98 books that Honor Killing fans have personally recommended if you like Honor Killing. Shepherd is a community of 11,000+ authors and super readers sharing their favorite books with the world.

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Book cover of Hula: A Romance of Hawaii

Eric Redman Author Of Bones Of Hilo

From my list on under-appreciated about Hawai'i.

Why am I passionate about this?

In the early 1980s, I fell in love with the Big Island of Hawaiʻi, its people – including my wife’s Native Hawaiian relatives – and its history. My wife and I owned a home on the South Kohala Coast of the Big Island for twenty years, where I assembled a library of Hawaiian history and began reading all things Hawaiian, including detective fiction. Every year, Hawaiʻi inspires so many books, fiction and non-fiction, well-publicized or obscure, that it’s fun to mention some that Hawaiʻi lovers and residents may have missed.  

Eric's book list on under-appreciated about Hawai'i

Eric Redman Why did Eric love this book?

In this unusual novel, still in print after a century, Hula is a bewitching teenager raised on a Maui cattle ranch and proficient on horseback, among other talents. 

She attracts male attention, some acceptable by standards of the time (today she seems awfully young for her older suitors), and some markedly inappropriate even then. Drama ensues against a period-piece Maui backdrop: almost no cars on the island, few roads, and day-long steamer trips along the coast for sea travel from one town to another. 

The literary style and point of view, with the author hopping from one character’s head to another, often in a single paragraph, can at once surprise and delight modern readers. Armine von Tempski, who grew up on Maui, set other novels there, but Hula, her first, remains uniquely intriguing – especially for Maui lovers!  

By Armine Von Tempski,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Hula as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

1928. Maui writer Armine von Tempski, who died almost a half-century ago, is one of Hawaii's enduring literary legends. She spent her childhood years on the family ranch in Haleakala with her Polish-American father and English mother. Her books reveal the daily life and customs on Hawaii with a colorful prose that captures the beauty of the spectacular tropics. The novel tells the colorful, sensual tale of Hula Calhoun, the daughter of a Hawaiian Planter, sidesteps the dissolute influence of her father through the guidance of her Uncle Edwin, who prefers a more natural existence to the society life of…


Book cover of Bones of Paradise: A Big Island Mystery

Eric Redman Author Of Bones Of Hilo

From my list on under-appreciated about Hawai'i.

Why am I passionate about this?

In the early 1980s, I fell in love with the Big Island of Hawaiʻi, its people – including my wife’s Native Hawaiian relatives – and its history. My wife and I owned a home on the South Kohala Coast of the Big Island for twenty years, where I assembled a library of Hawaiian history and began reading all things Hawaiian, including detective fiction. Every year, Hawaiʻi inspires so many books, fiction and non-fiction, well-publicized or obscure, that it’s fun to mention some that Hawaiʻi lovers and residents may have missed.  

Eric's book list on under-appreciated about Hawai'i

Eric Redman Why did Eric love this book?

In Hawaiʻi as elsewhere, bodies can end up in shallow graves – or so Hawaiʻi detective fiction would have it. 

When skeletal remains turn up, Mimi Charles, forensic anthropologist, sets out to recover them and unlock their secrets for the (naturally) less-expert Big Island police. The author is a forensic anthropologist herself, with plenty of real-world cases in Hawaiʻi and on the mainland to her credit, and she knows that in post mortem-focused mysteries, every forensic detail counts. 

She constructs an ingenious plot, in which a rare and boisterous dog plays a key part. Unlike more cautious authors who won’t dare to let their characters speak Hawaiian pidgin, Lasswell Hoff confidently sprinkles in just the right (and intelligible) amount. 

There’s a final and unique plot twist that makes the reader stop and marvel: How did the author manage to bring us here?  

By Jane Lasswell Hoff,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Bones of Paradise as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

BONES OF PARADISE - A Big Island Mystery -Even in paradise, people do die. And it’s the job of Mimi Charles, Forensic Anthropologist, to analyze the bodies that aren’t found right away – skeletons, mostly. Mimi and her colleagues at the Medical Examiner’s office are a tightly-knit team that relishes solving the mysteries presented by each case. But outside of the office, their lives in the sweet little town of Hilo, Hawaii, flow in a gentle island rhythm. None of them is prepared for the disappearance of one of their own, right from the building where they work (or the…


Book cover of Kaiulani: Crown Princess of Hawaii

Eric Redman Author Of Bones Of Hilo

From my list on under-appreciated about Hawai'i.

Why am I passionate about this?

In the early 1980s, I fell in love with the Big Island of Hawaiʻi, its people – including my wife’s Native Hawaiian relatives – and its history. My wife and I owned a home on the South Kohala Coast of the Big Island for twenty years, where I assembled a library of Hawaiian history and began reading all things Hawaiian, including detective fiction. Every year, Hawaiʻi inspires so many books, fiction and non-fiction, well-publicized or obscure, that it’s fun to mention some that Hawaiʻi lovers and residents may have missed.  

Eric's book list on under-appreciated about Hawai'i

Eric Redman Why did Eric love this book?

Princess Victoria Kaʻiulani is among those brave real-life heroines who remain inspiring despite terrible tragedies, in Kaʻiulani’s case the theft of the Hawaiian kingdom in a coup by white planters in 1893 when she was only seventeen, and her shockingly premature death only six years later, at twenty-three, after being caught far from shelter in a chilling Hawaiʻi rain storm. 

In those six years, she became a figure on the world stage, welcomed by the royal houses of Europe as the forceful, articulate, and beautiful advocate (educated in England) pleading for the Hawaiian Kingdom’s formal diplomatic recognition and its return by the United States. 

U.S. annexation, an admitted wrong, might have been righted by her efforts had not Alfred Thayer Mahan’s relentless crusade persuaded Congress and the President that the U.S. needed Pearl Harbor to project U.S. naval power across the Pacific. 

Ironically, Kaʻiulani’s planned marriage to a Japanese prince,…

By Nancy Webb, Jean Francis Webb,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Kaiulani as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Vintage paperback


Book cover of The Musubi Murder

Eric Redman Author Of Bones Of Hilo

From my list on under-appreciated about Hawai'i.

Why am I passionate about this?

In the early 1980s, I fell in love with the Big Island of Hawaiʻi, its people – including my wife’s Native Hawaiian relatives – and its history. My wife and I owned a home on the South Kohala Coast of the Big Island for twenty years, where I assembled a library of Hawaiian history and began reading all things Hawaiian, including detective fiction. Every year, Hawaiʻi inspires so many books, fiction and non-fiction, well-publicized or obscure, that it’s fun to mention some that Hawaiʻi lovers and residents may have missed.  

Eric's book list on under-appreciated about Hawai'i

Eric Redman Why did Eric love this book?

Murders in academia are a special genre within the universe of detective fiction, but Frankie Bow – the pen name of a highly amused and amusing university professor – has created her own delightful franchise, extended into a series of eleven short, light-hearted, and gently satirical volumes featuring Professor Molly Barda as a sardonic sleuth, one who voices her observations almost as aphorisms. 

Although The Musubi Murder is number two in the series, set at the faintly ludicrous Mahina State University ("Where Your Future Begins Tomorrow"), it’s a good place for the reader to start following Professor Molly. Musubi itself may not be addictive for everyone (it’s cooked Spam secured to sushi rice by a strip of seaweed), but Frankie Bow’s mystery series surely is.

By Frankie Bow,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Musubi Murder as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

"If you like your cozy mysteries with humor and a satisfying dose of sarcasm, Frankie Bow is your go-to author."
― Laura's Interests Book Blog

After a brutal year on the academic job market, Professor Molly Barda finally lands a teaching job. In Mahina, Hawaii!

But Mahina isn't exactly paradise.

Chronically-underfunded Mahina State University ("Where Your Future Begins Tomorrow") doesn't boast rolling green lawns or wood paneled offices. Molly sits on a yoga ball because there's no budget for office furniture. Her dean, unwilling to lose paying customers, won't let her report cheating students.

After yet another round of budget…


Book cover of Doing Justice: A Prosecutor's Thoughts on Crime, Punishment, and the Rule of Law

Elie Honig Author Of Untouchable: How Powerful People Get Away with It

From my list on making the law come to life.

Why am I passionate about this?

My father was a lawyer, so people sometimes assume that I wanted to follow in his footsteps. In fact, it was the opposite; I saw how hard he worked and how much of a grind the job could be. What really sparked my interest was the great books and movies about the legal profession. Eventually, I was lucky enough to spend fourteen years as a prosecutor, and let me tell you: the job is even better than you’d see on the page or on the screen. I loved the work while I had the job, and now I love telling stories. I hope you’ll be as entertained and inspired as I was by these books.

Elie's book list on making the law come to life

Elie Honig Why did Elie love this book?

Preet was my boss at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, and is now a close friend.

He’s a gifted storyteller – you’ll hear about prosecutions of everybody from Wall Street titans to a cannibal cop – and he offers a fascinating and intellectually accessible examination of the vital and unique role played by the prosecutor in our democracy.

By Preet Bharara,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Doing Justice as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The New York Times Bestseller

'Simply, utterly brilliant. Bursting with humility and humanity' The Secret Barrister

'An elegant, philosophical and, at times, moving memoir of what it is like to serve as America's most high-profile legal official' Financial Times

Multi-million-dollar fraud. Terrorism. Mafia criminality. Russian espionage.

As United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Preet Bharara prosecuted some of the most high-profile cases in America. In Doing Justice he takes us inside America's criminal justice system to deliver a powerful meditation on justice - what it is, who dispenses it, how it works - and what the…


Book cover of Lawyers as Changemakers: The Global Integrative Law Movement

Kate Vitasek Author Of Contracting in the New Economy: Using Relational Contracts to Boost Trust and Collaboration in Strategic Business Relationships

From my list on developing strategic business contracts.

Why am I passionate about this?

I am an international authority for my award-winning research on the Vested® business model for highly collaborative relationships. I began my research in 2003 by studying what makes the difference in successful strategic business deals. My day job is the lead faculty and researcher for the University of Tennessee’s Certified Deal Architect program; my passion is helping organizations and individuals learn the art, science, and practice of crafting highly collaborative win-win strategic business relationships. My work has led to seven books and three Harvard Business Review articles and I’ve shared my advice on CNN International, Bloomberg, NPR, and Fox Business News.

Kate's book list on developing strategic business contracts

Kate Vitasek Why did Kate love this book?

Taken in tandem with Lawyers as Peacemakers, Wright’s books chart a much-needed approach to legal’s involvement in contracting. She advocates for Integrative Law, which puts lawyers at the table with the other negotiators as a contract is developed. This is important because often lawyers come late to the party or with contractual guardrails and Ts and Cs that should have been addressed at the start of (and during) the negotiation. When lawyers are not integrated as changemakers to support the business, you will likely find yourself in a series of back and forth red-line hell that causes frustration and deteriorates trust with your business partner. I challenge you to take Wright’s sage advice to rethink how lawyers can be changemakers. 

By J. Kim Wright,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Lawyers as Changemakers as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Integrative lawyers are the harbingers of a new cultural consciousness and are leaders in social evolution. Integrative Law isn't just an approach to legal procedures. It has to do with a fundamental shift in world view, an expansion of what we think is possible. Integrative Lawyers explore and draw upon many disciplines and wisdom traditions, such as philosophy, science, psychology, and spirituality. They bring this consciousness into the law and are partners with colleagues in other disciplines. Yeah, it's that kind of book.


Book cover of The Southern Judicial Tradition: State Judges and Sectional Distinctiveness, 1790-1890

Joseph A. Ranney Author Of Bridging Revolutions: The Lives of Chief Justices Richmond Pearson and John Belton O'Neall

From my list on the role states played in American law and history.

Why am I passionate about this?

I'm a retired trial lawyer and a legal history professor and fellow at Marquette Law School in Wisconsin. As a young lawyer, I was struck by how much Americans focus on federal lawmakers and judges at the expense of their state counterparts, even though state law has a much greater effect on people's daily lives than federal law. The scholar Leonard Levy once said that without more study of state legal history, “there can be no … adequate history of [American] civilization.” I want to help fill that need through my books and articles, and I enjoy sharing this fascinating world with my readers.  

Joseph's book list on the role states played in American law and history

Joseph A. Ranney Why did Joseph love this book?

The South is endlessly fascinating to history fans, and Prof. Huebner gives us short, thought-provoking biographies of six important Southern state judges. He recounts the contributions that each judge made to American law – for example, Virginia chief justice Spencer Roane's ultimately futile effort to persuade Americans that state courts could interpret the federal Constitution for themselves, independent of federal authority; Tennessee Justice John Catron's efforts to embed Jacksonian principles in American law; and North Carolina chief justice Thomas Ruffin's clear-eyed assessment of the inherent conflict between slaveowners' views of slaves as human beings and as tools for maximizing agricultural production and profit. Huebner skillfully combines fascinating personal stories with sharp insights into each judge's legal legacy. 

By Timothy S. Huebner,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Southern Judicial Tradition as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

An exploration of the emergence of a southern judiciary and the effects of regional attitudes on legal development. It draws on the opinions and correspondence of six chief justices to analyze their conception of their roles and the substance of their attitudes to various cases.


Book cover of Engines of Liberty: How Citizen Movements Succeed

Mark Bartholomew Author Of Adcreep: The Case Against Modern Marketing

From my list on advertising and technology.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’ve always been fascinated by advertising—its creativity, its persuasive force, its sometimes relentless nature. I’m a law professor and I’ve written numerous articles on the relationship between law, technology, and advertising. A lot of what I’m interested in is psychology. Only by understanding the capabilities of audiences for advertising can judges and legislatures determine what legal limits need to be placed on advertisers.   

Mark's book list on advertising and technology

Mark Bartholomew Why did Mark love this book?

This book offers a blueprint for how to resist the intrusions of modern marketing. Cole, legal director of the ACLU and a former law professor, examines the successes of three modern movements for constitutional change. He adroitly traces the strategic choices made on the road to marriage equality, human rights in the war on terror, and a more capacious vision of the right to bear arms. Though dissimilar in their particular goals, these three social movements succeeded in producing sweeping changes in the law. Cole’s careful account is not only fascinating in its own right, but offers lessons for those who want to push back against the current landscape of ubiquitous advertising and commercial surveillance. 

By David Cole,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Engines of Liberty as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Donald Trump's policies, from his travel ban to his approval of the Dakota Access Pipeline, have prompted an immediate response from concerned liberals. Yet what effect can protest truly have in the face of the awesome power of the executive branch? Do everyday citizens have a role in safeguarding our Constitution? Or must we rely on the federal courts, and the Supreme Court above all, to protect our dearly held rights?

In Engines of Liberty, the esteemed legal scholar David Cole argues that we all have a part to play in the grand civic dramas of our era. Examining the…


Book cover of How They Murdered Princess Diana: The Shocking Truth

Jeannette Hensby Author Of The Rotherham Trunk Murder: Uncovering an 80 Year Old Miscarriage of Justice

From my list on true murder junkies.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’ve been fascinated by true murder cases ever since I started reading about them when I was sixteen years old. They draw on all your senses and emotions: your curiosity about the psychology behind the killer’s actions and your horror and sympathy for the victims, their families, and the families of the killers because they suffer too. As a writer I am particularly drawn to apparent miscarriages of justice and I think there must be a secret detective hidden deep in my soul because I love to delve and investigate these. I wrote my first book after retiring from my long career in Social Services and Mental Health Services. 

Jeannette's book list on true murder junkies

Jeannette Hensby Why did Jeannette love this book?

If you were an adult in August 1997 you will almost certainly remember exactly what you were doing when you first heard the news about the death of Princess Diana. I was in bed. My husband arrived home from his night shift at about 6 a.m., and climbing into bed he said “There’s been a terrible accident. Princess Diana is dead.” “Oh don’t be ridiculous.” I said, “She can’t be.” He switched on the television and we saw the first floral tribute being laid at the gates of Kensington Palace. It was true; the People’s Princess had been killed in a road accident in Paris by a drunk driver while being chased by the paparazzi. “Not so,” says the author. “She was murdered by the State.” Chilling!

By John Morgan,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked How They Murdered Princess Diana as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

This explosive book blows the lid on one of the most shocking crimes of our modern era. But it does more than that. How They Murdered Princess Diana is the most complete evidence-based account of the assassination of Princess Diana yet written. It delivers on providing answers to many of the key questions surrounding the 1997 Paris crash that took the lives of Diana and her lover Dodi Fayed – Who did it? Why was Diana assassinated? How was it carried out? It also exposes the massive inter-governmental cover-up that has taken place throughout the 17 years since the deaths.…


Book cover of What A Body Remembers: A Memoir of Sexual Assault and Its Aftermath

Tammy Leitner Author Of Don't Say a Thing: A Predator, a Pursuit, and the Women Who Persevered

From my list on journey from sexual assault to survivor.

Why am I passionate about this?

As an investigative journalist, I’ve spent my career interviewing and trying to understand the worst of humanity: murderers, child molesters and rapists. They are all predators, but rape is personal for me. I was a young journalist starting my career when a serial rapist assaulted my neighbor. He entered many things uninvited—homes, bedrooms, and my mind. For twenty years, I was obsessed—learning everything I could about him and sexual assault. I read these books to understand why the justice system and society sometimes fail survivors. Yet these remarkable survivors still manage to heal their trauma–at least, that’s what I found in each of these books. 

Tammy's book list on journey from sexual assault to survivor

Tammy Leitner Why did Tammy love this book?

I don’t know how Karen Stefano did it...this brave memoir, thirty years in the making, is a perfect case study of PTSD and how trauma from sexual assault can rear its ugly head at any time—even after years in hibernation.

The daily struggle Stefano faced was real. She worked as a criminal defense lawyer fighting for those accused of heinous crimes—some as bad as the ones that were committed against her decades earlier while she was a uniformed patrol officer on a college campus.

I was touched by her honesty, moved by her courage, and blown away by her humanity. Please read this book.

By Karen Stefano,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked What A Body Remembers as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

On a summer night in 1984, nineteen-year-old UC Berkeley sophomore Karen Thomas leaves her uniformed patrol job and walks home alone in darkness. At the threshold of her apartment a man assaults her at knife point. After a soul-chilling struggle, she manages to escape.

Though she is left traumatized by her assault and the subsequent trial of her attacker, she herself goes on to become a criminal defense lawyer, defending those accused of crimes as heinous as the one committed against her.

Fast forward to 2014, thirty years after her assault, when her life, once again, appears to be crumbling.…


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