Don Mitchell’s Mauka —meaning “to the mountain”— is a dramatic, character-driven account set in a vividly described Hawaii.

The story focuses on two former high school classmates, now in their 70s. June Nakashima, a divorced, former math professor, has recently returned from a lifetime on the mainland to her hometown in Hilo, Hawaii. There, she runs into an old classmate, Max Nelson, a gig archeologist and writer. The two begin to reminisce and soon become hiking partners, sharing their daily lives.

June, the story’s narrator, eventually admits she has returned to Hilo to confront a rapist who assaulted her decades earlier. She intends to write about the event in her planned memoir. Max, in turn, reveals the murder of his former college girlfriend, Kate, some 50 years ago. The crime was never solved, but Max learns the case has been reopened.

The two decide to write their stories, with an interesting twist: Each will take a line or phrase from the other’s writing and use it as a prompt for their own next piece. This back-and -forth helps propel the chapters forward.

The story plays out against the backdrop of the Island’s natural beauty, making the landscape a character unto itself, from the cacophonic chorus of coqui frogs to views of volcanic eruptions. Hawaiian words and language appear throughout, adding further native flavor. Characters are well-developed, and Mitchell weaves a mystery into the story involving the investigation into Kate’s murder.

Some readers might find June’s sexual thoughts excessive. For example, after Max gets a bit of her blood on his hand: “I wondered how I’d feel if he licked my blood from his finger…It came into my mind, I inspected the thought, I decided it would be strange and interesting, and maybe a bit sexy—the licking part, anyway.”

Also, missing words throughout require correction.

Overall, though, this is a well-written novel that should appeal to literary readers drawn to an unexpected, late-in-life romance.