Professor Molly Mysteries Series

It's another faculty retreat at Mahina State University, "Where Your Future Begins Tomorrow." Professor Molly struggles to stay awake. Her best friend Dr. Emma Nakamura does her best not to throttle anyone (a particular challenge in the case of newbie know-it-all Kyle Stockhausen). But then the Trust Fall exercise goes horribly wrong. And things get a lot more interesting.

After a brutal year on the academic job market, Professor Molly Barda finally lands a teaching job. In Hawaii! But chronically-underfunded Mahina State University isn't exactly paradise.   After yet another round of budget cuts, Mahina State finally gets some sweet news: Jimmy Tanaka, founder of the Merrie Musubis lunch shop empire, announces a massive donation to the College of Commerce. But Tanaka goes missing before he can write the check, and Professor Molly is ordered to track down the missing mogul. As she uncovers festering feuds and fresh scandals, Molly realizes that there's something rotten in Mahina--and she may have bitten off more than she can chew.   What is a Musubi (pronounced moo-soo-BEE)? The Spam musubi, Hawaii's favorite snack and Merrie Musubis' signature dish, is a cube of sticky rice topped with a slice of fried Spam, and then wrapped in a strip of dried seaweed. From a distance, musubis look a lot like oversized pieces of sushi. Up close, they're delicious.

Seven women on the crew. Six seats in the canoe. Paddlers would kill to compete in the big race. What could go wrong?    Professor Molly is pulled into investigating a mysterious paddling accident in Mahina Bay, and realizes it isn't just business majors who cheat to get what they want. Whether it's moving up in the college rankings, getting a seat in the Labor Day canoe race, or winning in the game of love, someone will do whatever it takes to sink the competition.    

If you want to know what God thinks about money, just look at the people He gives it to. ~Dorothy Parker   Mahina State University's powerful fundraising office tasks Professor Molly with a special assignment: To serve as the personal tutierge (that's tutor-concierge) to Jeremy Brigham, whose mother happens to be fabulously wealthy and gravely ill. Molly is not thrilled at having to babysit a spoiled rich kid. Especially not while she's battling morning sickness, a meddling mom, and (as always) the Student Retention Office.  But once inside the historic Brigham House, Molly realizes something is very wrong. And she has to decide whether to mind her own business and keep her job, or risk everything to prevent a murder.  

Professor Emma Nakamura doesn't believe in ghosts.  So it doesn't bother her (much) to learn of a long-ago tragedy in the house she's renting in remote upcountry Mahina, Hawai`i. She's sure there's a logical explanation for the disappearing items and the strange sounds in the night. Fortunately (?), Emma's best friend Molly has news shocking enough to take Emma's mind off the hauntings. Now Emma and Molly have to rely on their strong reasoning skills and a weak internet connection to figure out how a body ended up in Molly's backyard. The Nakamura Letters is an island-style take on the Golden Age mysteries of Mary Roberts Rinehart and Agatha Christie.

It should have been a lovely summer afternoon.   When a violent death disrupts the Monthly meeting of the Pua Kala Garden society, Professor Molly Barda has no intention of playing amateur detective. But Molly's not just a witness–the victim is Molly's house guest and grad-school frenemy. And Molly quickly finds to her dismay that her interest in the murder of the stylish and self-centered Melanie Polewski is more than just…academic.  

It's not nice to fool Mother Nature.  On the way to interviewing a local farmer, Professor Molly stumbles onto a dismembered body in a field of genetically modified papayas. Molly is sure the murder has nothing to do with her new research project...until a second gruesome death rocks Mahina's tight farming community, and Molly's administration drops her research like a hot potato. If Molly can't root out the bad apples, not only will her tenure case go pear-shaped...she might end up pushing up daisies. The Invasive Species is for mystery lovers, disillusioned academics, and anyone who feels like a transplant.            

It's one thing to invite your toxic ex to drop dead. It's quite another when he takes you up on it. It's Professor Molly's first night out since her baby arrived. She's thrilled to accompany Donnie to Mahina State University's exclusive donor dinner. Unfortunately, she and Donnie are assigned to the same table as Stephen Park, Molly's insufferable ex. While Stephen and Donnie exchange (un)pleasantries, Stephen's new girlfriend helpfully lectures Molly about losing her pregnancy weight. Needing a respite, Molly ducks out to the ladies' room...a decision that puts her in exactly the wrong place at the wrong time, and entangles her in a murder. 

"Davison was a nightmare student--an obnoxious, entitled, cheating suckup. In a twist of fate that might seem hilarious if it happened to someone else, he was now my stepson." Professor Molly Barda is looking forward to a quiet summer in Mahina, Hawaii working on her research and trying to start a family with her new husband. But when a murder happens close to home, Molly wonders what she's married into--and realizes she might have a killer under her roof. If you're in the mood for a murder in Hawaii, you'll enjoy this tale of passion, paternity, and pawn shops in the middle of the Pacific.

In this world there are only two tragedies. One is not getting what one wants, and the other is getting it. ~Oscar Wilde   Through no fault of her own, Professor Molly just got promoted to department chair at Mahina State University ("Where Your Future Begins Tomorrow") in Mahina, Hawai`i. The Student Retention Office has her buried in paperwork. The college has just relocated to a former asylum, which is undergoing noisy renovations. Molly's dean has directed her to mentor the department's new star, the prickly Fiona Spencer, and to do whatever it takes to keep Fiona happy.  At least nothing else can go wrong. And then Fiona finds a body in her office. "Smart, witty, and entertaining throughout, The Fever Cabinet is a wry and irreverent look at the underbelly of academia, with a dead body thrown in for extra fun. Through Bow's colorful writing and authentic characters, we are treated to a look at the "real" Hawai'i—one tourists rarely get to experience—as well as the petty squabbles and power-struggles that erupt when academic egos collide. A terrific read!" ~Leslie Karst, author of the Sally Solari Mysteries

There's no such thing as bad publicity. Until it happens to you. Professor Molly's new renter is a social media star seeking privacy in remote Mahina, Hawaii. The arrangement seems to be working out--until the celebrity influencer vanishes. Molly and her best friend Emma Nakamura call in the Mahina PD and try to stay out of the way. But the unthinkable happens—the saturnine Detective Medeiros actually asks for Molly and Emma's help. As they confront nosy neighbors, fanatical followers, and the missing woman's has-been husband, Molly and Emma find themselves at the center of the story. And when fame creates its own reality, that's a dangerous place to be.

"Follow your dreams, and you'll never work a day in your life. Because that field's not hiring." When a serial harasser collapses face-first into his haupia cheesecake, the Student Retention Office's summer retreat goes from dull to disastrous. Now Professor Molly has to fight to keep her best friend Emma out of the worst kind of trouble — and herself off the unemployment line. The Case of the Defunct Adjunct is an instructive and edifying tale of passion, pilferage, and petty politics in the middle of the Pacific.

Featuring the second six Professor Molly mysteries and an exclusive bonus short story with reporter Pat Flanagan and Harriet Holmes! The Blessed Event: "Davison Gonsalves was a nightmare student--an obnoxious, entitled, cheating suckup. In a twist of fate that might seem hilarious if it happened to someone else, he was now my stepson."  Mother's Day: Mahina State University's powerful fundraising office tasks Professor Molly with a special assignment: To serve as the personal tutierge (that's tutor-concierge) to Jeremy Brigham, whose mother happens to be fabulously wealthy and gravely ill. Molly is not thrilled at having to babysit a spoiled rich kid. Especially not while she's battling morning sickness, a meddling mom, and (as always) the Student Retention Office.  But once inside the historic Brigham House, Molly realizes something is very wrong. And she has to decide whether to mind her own business and keep her job, or risk everything to prevent a murder. The Nakamura Letters: Professor Emma Nakamura doesn't believe in ghosts. So it doesn't bother her (much) when she learns of a long-ago suicide in her remote upcountry rental house. She's sure there's a logical explanation for the disappearing items and the strange sounds in the night. Fortunately (?), Emma's best friend Molly has news shocking enough to take Emma's mind off the hauntings. Now Emma and Molly have to rely on their strong reasoning skills and a weak internet connection to figure out how a body ended up in Molly's backyard. The Nakamura Letters is an island-style take on the Golden Age mysteries of Mary Roberts Rinehart and Agatha Christie. The Perfect Body: When Professor Molly attends Mahina State University's exclusive donor dinner, she doesn't expect to share a table with the insufferable Stephen Park. Turns out it's one thing to invite your toxic ex-boyfriend to drop dead...it's quite another when he takes you up on it. The Fever Cabinet: Through no fault of her own, Professor Molly just got promoted to department chair. The Student Retention Office has her buried in paperwork. The college has just relocated to a former asylum, which is undergoing noisy renovations. Molly's dean has directed her to mentor the department's new star, the prickly Fiona Spencer, and to do whatever it takes to keep Fiona happy. At least nothing else can go wrong. And then Fiona finds a body in her office. The Influencer: There's no such thing as bad publicity. Until it happens to you. Professor Molly's new renter is a social media star seeking privacy in remote Mahina, Hawaii. The arrangement seems to be working out--until the celebrity influencer vanishes. Molly and her best friend Emma Nakamura call in the Mahina PD and try to stay out of the way. But the unthinkable happens—the saturnine Detective Medeiros actually asks for Molly and Emma's help. As they confront nosy neighbors, fanatical followers, and the missing woman's has-been husband, Molly and Emma find themselves at the center of the story. And when fame creates its own reality, that's a dangerous place to be. EXCLUSVE BONUS CONTENT: Death at the Effigy It's 1984. Young Pat Flanagan gets his first reporting job at San Diego's second-coolest 'zine, Voltaire's Quill. But when Pat covers the opening night of a trendy new club, he witnesses a freak "accident" and has to choose: keep his eccentric editor Harriet and her advertisers happy, or find out the truth?

The first five Professor Molly mysteries, plus a bonus! This box set presents the first five Professor Molly mysteries in the order in which they are meant to be read and enjoyed: The Musubi Murder: After a brutal year on the academic job market, Professor Molly Barda finally lands a teaching job. In Hawaii! But chronically-underfunded Mahina State University isn't exactly paradise. After yet another round of budget cuts, Mahina State finally gets some sweet news: Jimmy Tanaka, founder of the Merrie Musubis lunch shop empire, announces a massive donation to the College of Commerce. But Tanaka goes missing before he can write the check, and Professor Molly is ordered to track down the missing mogul. As she uncovers festering feuds and fresh scandals, Molly realizes that there's something rotten in Mahina--and she may have bitten off more than she can chew. The Case of the Defunct Adjunct: Follow your dreams, and you'll never work a day in your life. Because that field's not hiring. Professor Molly Barda and her best friend Dr. Emma Nakamura brace themselves for yet another tedious faculty retreat at Mahina State University ("Where Your Future Begins Tomorrow"). But when the lecherous Kent Lovely, Mahina State's one-man hostile work environment, collapses face-first into his haupia cheesecake, the afternoon goes from dull to disastrous. Now Molly must fight to keep an innocent out of prison—and herself off the unemployment line. The Cursed Canoe: Seven women on the crew. Six seats in the canoe. Paddlers would kill to compete in the big race. What could go wrong? Professor Molly is pulled into investigating a mysterious paddling accident in Mahina Bay, and realizes it isn't just business majors who cheat to get what they want. Whether it's moving up in the college rankings, getting a seat in the Labor Day canoe race, or winning in the game of love, someone will do whatever it takes to sink the competition. The Black Thumb: It should have been a lovely summer afternoon. When a violent death disrupts the Monthly meeting of the Pua Kala Garden society, Professor Molly Barda has no intention of playing amateur detective. But Molly's not just a witness–the victim is Molly's house guest and grad-school frenemy. And Molly quickly finds to her dismay that her interest in the murder of the stylish and self-centered Melanie Polewski is more than just…academic. The Invasive Species: It's not nice to fool Mother Nature. On the way to interviewing a local farmer, Professor Molly stumbles onto a dismembered body in a field of genetically modified papayas. Molly is sure the murder has nothing to do with her new research project...until a second gruesome death rocks Mahina's tight farming community, and Molly's administration drops her research like a hot potato. If Molly can't root out the bad apples, not only will her tenure case go pear-shaped...she might end up pushing up daisies. BONUS CONTENT: Alice Mongoose and Alistair Rat in Hawaii In The Invasive Species, we are introduced to Alice Mongoose and Alistair Rat, protagonists of the classic children's picture book series. When Alice Mongoose sails from India to a sugar plantation on the Big Island of Hawaii, she is shocked to learn what her new job entails. She decides instead to strike out on her own. When she meets the gentle and dapper Alistair Rat, she knows that she has found a friend in her new Hawaiian home. The Alice Mongoose and Alistair Rat stories are classic tales of adventure, resilience, and friendship, beloved to this day by children of all ages.