A cold case. A powerful request. And secrets someone buried for a reason.

Honolulu homicide detective Kimo Kanapa’aka is asked to investigate a decades-old death—one the military long ago closed and forgot.

He should say no. But the request comes from a congresswoman with serious influence over Hawai‘i’s military operations—and deep ties to Kimo’s own extended family.

So he takes the case. What begins as a fifty-year-old mystery quickly turns into something far more dangerous. As Kimo digs into the past, he uncovers signs of a cover-up—one that powerful people may still be protecting.

And the closer he gets to the truth, the more resistance he faces. Because some secrets were never meant to surface.

At home, the pressure is building as well. Kimo and Mike Riccardi are navigating the challenges of raising their growing children—who are starting to ask difficult questions about family, identity, and where they belong.

As past and present collide, Kimo must confront forces far bigger than a single case.

And decide how much he’s willing to risk to bring the truth to light.

Blending island noir, LGBTQ+ crime fiction, and a gripping military cold-case thriller, Soldier Down explores the powerful bonds between parents and children, and the painful truths some institutions will do anything to hide.