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Professor Molly Mysteries #0
The Case of the Defunct Adjunct
A forbidden kiss. A death in plain sight. And the faculty meeting’s just begun.
When the lecherous Kent Lovely, Mahina State’s one-man hostile work environment, collapses face-first into his haupia cheesecake, the faculty retreat goes from dull to disastrous. Now Professor Molly Barda has to fight to keep an innocent out of prison—and herself off the unemployment line. If you like Dorothy Parker, Sarah Caudwell, P.G. Wodehouse, or E.F. Benson's Mapp and Lucia stories, you'll enjoy this tale of passion, pilferage, and petty politics.
When the lecherous Kent Lovely, Mahina State’s one-man hostile work environment, collapses face-first into his haupia cheesecake, the faculty retreat goes from dull to disastrous. Now Professor Molly Barda has to fight to keep an innocent out of prison—and herself off the unemployment line. If you like Dorothy Parker, Sarah Caudwell, P.G. Wodehouse, or E.F. Benson's Mapp and Lucia stories, you'll enjoy this tale of passion, pilferage, and petty politics.
258 pages, Paperback
First published December 5, 2015
38 people are currently reading
1061 people want to read
About the author
Frankie Bow
63 books315 followersLike Professor Molly, Frankie Bow works in higher education. Unlike her protagonist, she is blessed with delightful students, sane colleagues, and an adequate office chair. Frankie writes the Professor Molly Mysteries and licensed novellas in Jana DeLeon’s Miss Fortune World.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews
October 19, 2015
So...Goodreads is still letting us review our own books? Awesome.
The Case of the Defunct Adjunct is a prequel to The Musubi Murder. They can be read in either order, but the intent is for the reader to finish The Musubi Murder first, in order to appreciate some of the foreshadowing in Defunct Adjunct.
You can get a pretty good idea of whether this book is for you by reading over the reviews for The Musubi Murder.
Readers who liked it wrote:
Some readers didn't care for it as much:
So if you're looking for a sober, nuanced portrayal of university life, or if the idea of a pantyhose-wearing professor grinds your gears, this is probably not the book for you. And to the reviewer who wrote,
Sorry about momentarily crushing your will to live, but thanks for reading to the end.
Defunct Adjunct is on preorder special for only .99 US until its December 1 release date, so now's the time to get it. Upon release, Defunct Adjunct will be available at Apple, Kobo, and B&N, as well as Amazon, for 3.99. Hardcover and paperback editions are planned as well. It won't be in Kindle Unlimited, because that's only open to authors who distribute exclusively through Amazon.
The Case of the Defunct Adjunct is a prequel to The Musubi Murder. They can be read in either order, but the intent is for the reader to finish The Musubi Murder first, in order to appreciate some of the foreshadowing in Defunct Adjunct.
You can get a pretty good idea of whether this book is for you by reading over the reviews for The Musubi Murder.
Readers who liked it wrote:
More than a few writers have tried to place mysteries in Hawaii but few get it right. Frankie Bow has a good ear for the nuances of local-speak...She also has a very good eye for the elements of local culture and can translate adeptly these images into prose.
The behind-the-scenes descriptions of university politics are hilarious. The depictions of the academic quicksands of funding, tenure, political maneuvering, academic (dis)honesty, and political correctness (Office of Student Retention) are spot-on.
The College of Commerce has budget issues and is literally falling apart around them. I am reading this book just after the Governor of my fine state of Wisconsin has cut hundreds of millions of dollars out of out college system.
I think the series will turn out to be quite an enjoyable read for those who are always, like me, looking for a good, cozy mystery to dive right into, one that is realistic and substantive, but not too heavy to read.
Some readers didn't care for it as much:
One of my main difficulties with the novel is that the author's portrayal of university life is incredibly off-putting. The University's staff and faculty are full of stereotypes of the most negative sort and the workings of the university administration are almost foolish.
The setting was a college campus in Hawaii and I found it somewhat unusual that the author tells us very little about the beauty of Hawaii and its unique culture. The professors seemed to be very immature and not very professor-like and the students seemed to act more like high school students.
I bought the book because it was a mystery set in Hawaii, and while Hawaiian culture came up now and then, there was no explanation of its significance. The book is missing that rich, overriding texture of place that helps center the characters and plot. Also, what 21st-century Lit/Business Comm/Commerce professor wears panty hose, especially in Hawaii? And who has time to sit around drinking all that coffee?
So if you're looking for a sober, nuanced portrayal of university life, or if the idea of a pantyhose-wearing professor grinds your gears, this is probably not the book for you. And to the reviewer who wrote,
Listening to this book made me want to kill myself. Otoh, I finished it to find out who the murderer was.
Sorry about momentarily crushing your will to live, but thanks for reading to the end.
Defunct Adjunct is on preorder special for only .99 US until its December 1 release date, so now's the time to get it. Upon release, Defunct Adjunct will be available at Apple, Kobo, and B&N, as well as Amazon, for 3.99. Hardcover and paperback editions are planned as well. It won't be in Kindle Unlimited, because that's only open to authors who distribute exclusively through Amazon.
November 15, 2015
If you like your cozy mysteries with humor and a satisfying dose of sarcasm, Frankie Bow is your go-to author.
Put Molly Barda and best friend Emma Nakamura together and you never know what can happen next. It is the summer session at Mahina State University, where rules for faculty are more strict than for students. After all, the students pay to be there, the professor's should respect individual learning styles. The budget is tight and the weather is not all that is creating heat. Between unpaid teaching assignments and mandatory committee meetings, who has time for a social life?
Molly's birthday arrives but her boyfriend doesn't.
Emma feels this presents an opportunity and solution rolled into one.
When Emma's brother Jonah is fired from the university and his former office mate collapses at an awards ceremony, things are not looking good for the Nakamura family. Can Molly find out the truth?
While the summer is dangerous and uncomfortable for Molly and Emma, I am greatly entertained by Buzzword Bingo, Molly's students and the seemingly impossible yet quite believable situations they find themselves in.
Since I had listened to the previous book in this series, I found myself reading in the voices of this quirky cast of characters.
I did receive this book in exchange for my honest review.
Put Molly Barda and best friend Emma Nakamura together and you never know what can happen next. It is the summer session at Mahina State University, where rules for faculty are more strict than for students. After all, the students pay to be there, the professor's should respect individual learning styles. The budget is tight and the weather is not all that is creating heat. Between unpaid teaching assignments and mandatory committee meetings, who has time for a social life?
Molly's birthday arrives but her boyfriend doesn't.
Emma feels this presents an opportunity and solution rolled into one.
When Emma's brother Jonah is fired from the university and his former office mate collapses at an awards ceremony, things are not looking good for the Nakamura family. Can Molly find out the truth?
While the summer is dangerous and uncomfortable for Molly and Emma, I am greatly entertained by Buzzword Bingo, Molly's students and the seemingly impossible yet quite believable situations they find themselves in.
Since I had listened to the previous book in this series, I found myself reading in the voices of this quirky cast of characters.
I did receive this book in exchange for my honest review.
January 30, 2016
Fun, cozy mystery. I love the local island flavor.
Read
February 21, 2024Couldn’t get past the fact that White peoples seem to speak American English and POC speak racist caricaturised broken English.
March 18, 2021
Cozy with an interesting plot and twists and clear narration. I don’t always know why I like this series so much, then start reading and the humor, sympathy for shared experience, and good plot pulls me in again. Nicole Gose narrated in character.
January 11, 2016
I loved this book! I was caught laughing out loud. The sarcasm and humor are superbly written. I was hooked from the start and dare say forgot all about the time while reading.
We all think of Hawaii as a paradise where everything is always in bloom and perfect weather with beautiful beaches. Molly, a literature Ph.D at Mahina University is teaching of all things business. Not exactly her dream job. And she is not a fan of rain and guess what, it rains a lot and with curly hair she is a frizzy mess and her clothes stick to her. Yuck! This is not exactly the paradise people think of but at least she has a job. She and her colleagues are going through a lot right now because of budget cuts, committees and working in the summer with no extra pay. Molly has been having trouble with a student getting violent in class and looks forward to a nice dinner out with her boyfriend Stephen for her birthday. Stephen stands her up and she ends up at her best friend Emma's who is also a professor of Biology at the university. Emma is one of my favorite characters because she is a hoot. She is funny, straight forward person who btw told Molly that Stephen the jerk would stand her up again.
Meanwhile back at the university Molly and Iker, professor of accounting have been working on budgets and possibly inappropriation of funds in the music department. This is where Molly's life goes from bad to worse. Kent Lovely is the professor who oversees the budget for the department and seems to have a "special " relationship with a staff member who is looking the other way. I'm sure you guessed that Molly and Iker are told to stop looking into the budget. This doesn't sit well with either of them. Then they find out that everyone is to attend a retreat with all the trimmings to hand out the best teacher award. Gee, what happened to the budget! After everyone is seated and they are ready to announce the winner Kent ends up face down in his haupia cheesecake . Things spiral out of control when he dies and her best friend Emma's brother Jonah is supposedly the prime suspect. Now with the help of her friends Emma and Iker they have to solve this mystery before the wrong person ends up in jail.
The adventure, mystery, and twists and turns in this book were so much fun. I loved being on the edge of my seat throughout reading and being totally surprised at the end. I didn't see it coming! I look forward to reading more by Frankie Bow.
We all think of Hawaii as a paradise where everything is always in bloom and perfect weather with beautiful beaches. Molly, a literature Ph.D at Mahina University is teaching of all things business. Not exactly her dream job. And she is not a fan of rain and guess what, it rains a lot and with curly hair she is a frizzy mess and her clothes stick to her. Yuck! This is not exactly the paradise people think of but at least she has a job. She and her colleagues are going through a lot right now because of budget cuts, committees and working in the summer with no extra pay. Molly has been having trouble with a student getting violent in class and looks forward to a nice dinner out with her boyfriend Stephen for her birthday. Stephen stands her up and she ends up at her best friend Emma's who is also a professor of Biology at the university. Emma is one of my favorite characters because she is a hoot. She is funny, straight forward person who btw told Molly that Stephen the jerk would stand her up again.
Meanwhile back at the university Molly and Iker, professor of accounting have been working on budgets and possibly inappropriation of funds in the music department. This is where Molly's life goes from bad to worse. Kent Lovely is the professor who oversees the budget for the department and seems to have a "special " relationship with a staff member who is looking the other way. I'm sure you guessed that Molly and Iker are told to stop looking into the budget. This doesn't sit well with either of them. Then they find out that everyone is to attend a retreat with all the trimmings to hand out the best teacher award. Gee, what happened to the budget! After everyone is seated and they are ready to announce the winner Kent ends up face down in his haupia cheesecake . Things spiral out of control when he dies and her best friend Emma's brother Jonah is supposedly the prime suspect. Now with the help of her friends Emma and Iker they have to solve this mystery before the wrong person ends up in jail.
The adventure, mystery, and twists and turns in this book were so much fun. I loved being on the edge of my seat throughout reading and being totally surprised at the end. I didn't see it coming! I look forward to reading more by Frankie Bow.
October 24, 2015
Frankie Bow is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors. Musubi Murder is this author's first novel, and after reading Musubi, I was really looking forward to what she'd publish next. Defunct Adjunct fulfilled my expectations. As with Musubi, the characters, their quirks, their interactions and dialog are highly entertaining, from beginning to end. Frankie Bow is gifted with an amazing deftness for language, local dialect, and turns of phrase. As with reading early Agatha Christie or Sarah Caudwell, reading Frankie Bow is a purely diverting and very amusing experience. And I always get at least one out-loud laugh. A big plus in my book.
October 24, 2015
10/10. excellent, would read again. sharp and funny.
November 2, 2015
Great read with knowing descriptions of campus and island life.
December 30, 2020
I've given this a 5* rating solely because I had no idea who the murderer was until the last couple of chapters when the main character Molly pounced on her gut instincts and cornered said murderer.
The characters are painted as shallow creatures and the University a useless creator of graduates incapable of pursuing and succeeding in their chosen fields. The hunt for clues and the for the real murderer after an innocent tutor is arrested plods along in a way that makes the reader wonder if it is them that is semi interested in the outcome, the author or, indeed, the characters themselves. To be fair this is an addictive way to portray the story - the reader is never quite bored with the slowness of the pace and the characters seem to need it just to show they aren't Quite incapable of teaching/learning.
If you like a mystery that is slow paced without huge quantities of action then this is definitely the book for you.
This is a Goodreads First Read
The characters are painted as shallow creatures and the University a useless creator of graduates incapable of pursuing and succeeding in their chosen fields. The hunt for clues and the for the real murderer after an innocent tutor is arrested plods along in a way that makes the reader wonder if it is them that is semi interested in the outcome, the author or, indeed, the characters themselves. To be fair this is an addictive way to portray the story - the reader is never quite bored with the slowness of the pace and the characters seem to need it just to show they aren't Quite incapable of teaching/learning.
If you like a mystery that is slow paced without huge quantities of action then this is definitely the book for you.
This is a Goodreads First Read
November 17, 2016
The Case of the Defunct Adjunct
by Frankie Bow
I wanted to love this story, but I didn't. I didn't hate it either. I did almost stop reading at 75% of the way through (reading on a Kindle Fire), but am glad I preservered, as the last 10-15% of the book was the best.
The story takes place in Hawaii, at a small university, Mahina State University. I'm not sure which Island, but the author describes it as a smaller, less populated island of the Hawaii archipelago, so that lets out Hawaii, Maui, and Oahu, I guess. Must be close, however, to Oahu, as in one section, someone is airlifted to a hospital on Oahu. I also looked up Mahina State University, and did find a Mahina Indigenous Health Training Program, but it was associated with the University of Hawaii at Manoa. So, I'm guessing that Mahina State is a fictional university.
In any case, most of the characters in the book are native Hawaiians or people who have lived a long time on the island. One of the things that bothered me about the writing was that the author attempted to identify those who were native to the island by the use of dialect -- and a little of that goes a very long way in my opinion. The most often used slang term was "da kine," which is a Hawaiian pidgin term that evidently means "the kind." While the use of this term wouldn't have bothered me if used just a couple of times, I noted it's use at 676, 731, 841, 1415, 1919, 2529, and 2791. Most of the time it was used by a specific character, Emma.
Now, Emma is not the main character, she's the BFF of the main character, Molly. Emma is a graduate of Cornell University, yet her speech is riddled with slang and incorrect English which I for one would not expect from a Cornell graduate who is now a professor at a State University. It's almost as though Bow was trying to make her appear stupid (which she isn't) by showing her language to be so different from Molly's. For instance, other than the "da kine" use, at 1133 Emma says: "You coulda brung an umbrella, you know." And at 1196 she says "...I seen your byline!" At 1625, she says "Molly got this ticking time bomb who..." At 1855 she says "Eh, try wait, ah? So impatient, you.." and at 1863 "What is this?" Emma stared at the screen incredulously. "So junk, this music." Again at 2153, this Cornell grad (who also uses Yiddish terms in her speech) says "So you think it hadda do with the teaching award?" At 2270 and 2347 she tells another college professor to "Siddown." At 2758 she says "Pat and me found your door unlocked." At 3128, it's Emma again, with "Alls I said ..." These are just the ones I made note of. If any of the other college educated characters had filled their speech with idioms, slang, and low-brow speech, I might have believed it. In this case, it just seemed Bow wanted to make Emma look less than professorial.
In fact, Bow tended to make at least two other the native Hawaiians' speech patterns seem low-brow, both being students. At 1072: "That classroom's kinda stink, you know," said the boy, "probably get some bad stuff in the air or something..." At 1089: "You wanna blow off steam you should bat on one heavy bag. They got 'em up at the gym. I can show you how if you like try." And at 2529: "We could do baby luaus, weddings, all da kine, but get one personal touch. Like uncle get too much to drink at the baby luau, we no whack.'im over the head or t'row 'im out into the road,nothing li' dat. We just get 'im on the couch, sleep it off. So no get all 'kapakahi,' yah?"
And it wasn't just those native to Hawaii who got the short end of the dialect stick. Iker, whose ethnicity isn't mentioned to my recall, and who usually didn't lapse into dialect, at 1829 says: "It appears Kent did not buy these furnitures with his private funds..."
Besides this, which may not annoy many of you as much as it did me, there were other things that made me think about stopping before the end. At 2688, Molly and Emma go into a meeting and sit on either side of another character, Pat. Yet, somehow, this sentence, thought by Emma, should make sense? "Emma nudged me." How? Did she reach over Pat? If so, is that a nudge?
But the worst was that even though at least two students approached her about wanting to take her business classes the next semester, classes that she had never taught and that were taught by the character Rodge Cowper, she never bothers to check out why they thought she was teaching the classes or to check and see if she really was scheduled to teach the classes until she has a meeting with the dean's secretary, Serena, who tells her she has been scheduled to teach two classes in business (her area is writing) the next semester, which starts in less than a month. Sheesh.
So, with so may things that made me crazy, what did I like? Well, I liked the mention of Elizabeth Peters' character, Amelia Peabody, at 1406.
And, I thought the actual mystery part of the novel was well plotted. The pacing was a little slow for me, and many of the characters felt under-developed, but yet they were all likeable enough. While I would have liked a bit more development on what it means to be an adjunct and the problems faced by those teaching in such a position -- after all, the title did indicate that might be involved -- there was considerable inclusion of the ups and downs of academia. I also didn't feel that any of the things I hated about the book were incorrect, just a bit over-used and ill-considered.
So, you might enjoy this look at life in Paradise. Me? I was very excited to have the new Stephanie Plum to dive into and divert my attention from this book. And no, I won't be checking out the next book in Bow's series.
by Frankie Bow
I wanted to love this story, but I didn't. I didn't hate it either. I did almost stop reading at 75% of the way through (reading on a Kindle Fire), but am glad I preservered, as the last 10-15% of the book was the best.
The story takes place in Hawaii, at a small university, Mahina State University. I'm not sure which Island, but the author describes it as a smaller, less populated island of the Hawaii archipelago, so that lets out Hawaii, Maui, and Oahu, I guess. Must be close, however, to Oahu, as in one section, someone is airlifted to a hospital on Oahu. I also looked up Mahina State University, and did find a Mahina Indigenous Health Training Program, but it was associated with the University of Hawaii at Manoa. So, I'm guessing that Mahina State is a fictional university.
In any case, most of the characters in the book are native Hawaiians or people who have lived a long time on the island. One of the things that bothered me about the writing was that the author attempted to identify those who were native to the island by the use of dialect -- and a little of that goes a very long way in my opinion. The most often used slang term was "da kine," which is a Hawaiian pidgin term that evidently means "the kind." While the use of this term wouldn't have bothered me if used just a couple of times, I noted it's use at 676, 731, 841, 1415, 1919, 2529, and 2791. Most of the time it was used by a specific character, Emma.
Now, Emma is not the main character, she's the BFF of the main character, Molly. Emma is a graduate of Cornell University, yet her speech is riddled with slang and incorrect English which I for one would not expect from a Cornell graduate who is now a professor at a State University. It's almost as though Bow was trying to make her appear stupid (which she isn't) by showing her language to be so different from Molly's. For instance, other than the "da kine" use, at 1133 Emma says: "You coulda brung an umbrella, you know." And at 1196 she says "...I seen your byline!" At 1625, she says "Molly got this ticking time bomb who..." At 1855 she says "Eh, try wait, ah? So impatient, you.." and at 1863 "What is this?" Emma stared at the screen incredulously. "So junk, this music." Again at 2153, this Cornell grad (who also uses Yiddish terms in her speech) says "So you think it hadda do with the teaching award?" At 2270 and 2347 she tells another college professor to "Siddown." At 2758 she says "Pat and me found your door unlocked." At 3128, it's Emma again, with "Alls I said ..." These are just the ones I made note of. If any of the other college educated characters had filled their speech with idioms, slang, and low-brow speech, I might have believed it. In this case, it just seemed Bow wanted to make Emma look less than professorial.
In fact, Bow tended to make at least two other the native Hawaiians' speech patterns seem low-brow, both being students. At 1072: "That classroom's kinda stink, you know," said the boy, "probably get some bad stuff in the air or something..." At 1089: "You wanna blow off steam you should bat on one heavy bag. They got 'em up at the gym. I can show you how if you like try." And at 2529: "We could do baby luaus, weddings, all da kine, but get one personal touch. Like uncle get too much to drink at the baby luau, we no whack.'im over the head or t'row 'im out into the road,nothing li' dat. We just get 'im on the couch, sleep it off. So no get all 'kapakahi,' yah?"
And it wasn't just those native to Hawaii who got the short end of the dialect stick. Iker, whose ethnicity isn't mentioned to my recall, and who usually didn't lapse into dialect, at 1829 says: "It appears Kent did not buy these furnitures with his private funds..."
Besides this, which may not annoy many of you as much as it did me, there were other things that made me think about stopping before the end. At 2688, Molly and Emma go into a meeting and sit on either side of another character, Pat. Yet, somehow, this sentence, thought by Emma, should make sense? "Emma nudged me." How? Did she reach over Pat? If so, is that a nudge?
But the worst was that even though at least two students approached her about wanting to take her business classes the next semester, classes that she had never taught and that were taught by the character Rodge Cowper, she never bothers to check out why they thought she was teaching the classes or to check and see if she really was scheduled to teach the classes until she has a meeting with the dean's secretary, Serena, who tells her she has been scheduled to teach two classes in business (her area is writing) the next semester, which starts in less than a month. Sheesh.
So, with so may things that made me crazy, what did I like? Well, I liked the mention of Elizabeth Peters' character, Amelia Peabody, at 1406.
And, I thought the actual mystery part of the novel was well plotted. The pacing was a little slow for me, and many of the characters felt under-developed, but yet they were all likeable enough. While I would have liked a bit more development on what it means to be an adjunct and the problems faced by those teaching in such a position -- after all, the title did indicate that might be involved -- there was considerable inclusion of the ups and downs of academia. I also didn't feel that any of the things I hated about the book were incorrect, just a bit over-used and ill-considered.
So, you might enjoy this look at life in Paradise. Me? I was very excited to have the new Stephanie Plum to dive into and divert my attention from this book. And no, I won't be checking out the next book in Bow's series.
September 23, 2017
This was a very enjoyable mystery. The characters and the setting really combine to create a character driven mystery that has a lot more than just solving a mystery going for it. Professor Molly is a great character, who faces many challengers, not all of them due to the death of a colleague. The plot never gets convoluted and the variety of characters makes this a great read.
September 5, 2025
I loved THE CASE OF THE DEFUNCT ADJUNCT! IT’s a great murder mystery with wonderful characters and lots of lighthearted, dry humor. I’m looking forward to reading more stories of Molly and her fellow educators.
June 19, 2017
Not sure about Professor Molly. Might read one more to see if I like it better than this one.
June 24, 2017
When the most disliked instructor on campus drops dead at a faculty retreat, Professor Molly finds it necessary to solve the case so that she can keep her job, as well as clear the prime suspect.
February 9, 2018
Good book for a light weight cosy, little violence except for a teacher keeling over into the last plate of cheesecake, and no obvious sex. I enjoyed it and the characters.
May 13, 2018
Lots of fun. Looking forward to another by this author. Realistic campus atmosphere and quite clever crime. I really enjoyed the characters.
February 1, 2021
An entertaining and well written book set in a small college in Hawaii.
Can you solve whodunit before you are told?
Can you solve whodunit before you are told?
August 21, 2024
I enjoy cozy mysteries, but when I don't it's usually because the main character is a pushover who lets everyone walk all over her. Unfortunately, Molly was that type of character. In addition, they worked at the most ludicrous college with the most insane people! And at least two thirds of the book was just Molly doing her day to day stuff. When she finally tried to solve the murder she did it in about a day. Not a great time was had by me.
February 18, 2017
Rabid Readers Reviews
Dec 09, 2014
Rabid Readers Reviews rated it it was amazing
The author, S. M. Sigerson, gave me a copy of this work of non-fiction in exchange for my review.
I had heard of Michael Collins before reading The Assassination of Michael Collins: What Happened at Béal na mBláth? but did not know the full extent of his truly fascinating story. The focus of this nonfiction work is the death of this enigmatic historical figure, but Sigerson wisely realizes that to achieve a wider audience she must preface the story with an introduction to its main character. My Dad upon finishing this deeply researched piece of non-fiction called me. “Is this true?” he asked, “It’s like a Dateline mystery!” Sigerson doesn’t sensationalize the case instead chooses to present the evidence and allow readers to draw their own logical conclusions.
Thankfully for this reader and my father, Sigerson lays out the political climate and historical backdrop of the time in a way that is easy to follow. The notes section at the end of the book features a list of 285 references to aid those of us not so familiar with the personality or the case. In the Kindle edition, it was easy to click back and forth and this extra gem fleshed out the case while reading. If you are not familiar with Collins, his life or his death, you will have the information to enjoy this work of nonfiction at hand and may even want to look further into the life of this influential, historical figure.
The Assassination of Michael Collins: What Happened at Béal na mBláth? was beautifully written and credibly presented. There are no answers, but there are bigger questions raised and ideas put forth to question what likely generations of Irish schoolchildren have learned as a fact. If you’re a history buff or a mystery lover, you’ll enjoy reading The Assassination of Michael Collins: What Happened at Béal na mBláth?.
February 4, 2021
5 Stars
The Book
Molly Barda works at Mahina State university, she is a lecturer (though the preferred term now seems to be teacher) but soon finds herself taking up the role of detective when a fellow teacher Kent Lovely dies at a retreat. It's soon revealed that this isn't considered to be a natural death, the murder happens straight after an expose by Island Confidential, which places the spot light on suspect #1, Jonah who is Molly's best friends brother. He isn't the first suspect either, neither will he be the last. But he and every other suspect are innocent - and it's Molly who needs to prove it.
Best friend Emma begs Molly to help her clear her brothers name, easier said than done. Not only does Molly now find herself battling to find sufficient answers to this mystery, but she's also left to deal with a boyfriend who doesn't give a toss about her and to top it all - The Student Retention Office is all but demolishing the facility with their unfair and questionable budget cuts and fund allocations.
My Thoughts
This was is the first book I've read by Frankie Bow as well as the first time I've encountered the genre term 'cozy sleuth mystery', so I really was going into this blind.
Bow has not disappointed and has got me itching for more of her books.
Molly is a brilliantly relatable character who isn't what anyone would consider your typical detective. She has no experience in investigating and is rather hesitant to begin gaining any now.
I absolutely loved the build up of the story line, with each new character that Bow introduces I was left scrutinizing their every conversation and action.
What I really appreciated was that chapters are a)not lengthy and b)flow really well into the next one - it makes it a smooth read and I found actually made me more eager to read on. There is no over-the-top descriptions, Bow instead keeping Molly's observations pertinent and to the point.
There is a gorgeous balance between the determined and focused Molly, daring and blunt Emma and the timid and cautious Iker (the colleague who assists Molly in solving the mystery).
Equally enjoyable for me was the fact that Bow decided to present university life from such an entirely different perspective. I'm accustomed to the picturesque Harvard type scenes, where there are no problems except for the odd stoner or drunk. It brings a fresh and I feel unique take on an otherwise mediocre and all to similar story setting used as widely as it is.
Conclusion
I'm going to be getting my hands on more of her work, Molly is my kinda 'detective' (bare in mind she's a lecturer) and I am so excited to have had the opportunity to be introduced to Frankie's work. If you enjoy a good mystery with a side of humour this is certainly worth a read.
The Book
Molly Barda works at Mahina State university, she is a lecturer (though the preferred term now seems to be teacher) but soon finds herself taking up the role of detective when a fellow teacher Kent Lovely dies at a retreat. It's soon revealed that this isn't considered to be a natural death, the murder happens straight after an expose by Island Confidential, which places the spot light on suspect #1, Jonah who is Molly's best friends brother. He isn't the first suspect either, neither will he be the last. But he and every other suspect are innocent - and it's Molly who needs to prove it.
Best friend Emma begs Molly to help her clear her brothers name, easier said than done. Not only does Molly now find herself battling to find sufficient answers to this mystery, but she's also left to deal with a boyfriend who doesn't give a toss about her and to top it all - The Student Retention Office is all but demolishing the facility with their unfair and questionable budget cuts and fund allocations.
My Thoughts
This was is the first book I've read by Frankie Bow as well as the first time I've encountered the genre term 'cozy sleuth mystery', so I really was going into this blind.
Bow has not disappointed and has got me itching for more of her books.
Molly is a brilliantly relatable character who isn't what anyone would consider your typical detective. She has no experience in investigating and is rather hesitant to begin gaining any now.
I absolutely loved the build up of the story line, with each new character that Bow introduces I was left scrutinizing their every conversation and action.
What I really appreciated was that chapters are a)not lengthy and b)flow really well into the next one - it makes it a smooth read and I found actually made me more eager to read on. There is no over-the-top descriptions, Bow instead keeping Molly's observations pertinent and to the point.
There is a gorgeous balance between the determined and focused Molly, daring and blunt Emma and the timid and cautious Iker (the colleague who assists Molly in solving the mystery).
Equally enjoyable for me was the fact that Bow decided to present university life from such an entirely different perspective. I'm accustomed to the picturesque Harvard type scenes, where there are no problems except for the odd stoner or drunk. It brings a fresh and I feel unique take on an otherwise mediocre and all to similar story setting used as widely as it is.
Conclusion
I'm going to be getting my hands on more of her work, Molly is my kinda 'detective' (bare in mind she's a lecturer) and I am so excited to have had the opportunity to be introduced to Frankie's work. If you enjoy a good mystery with a side of humour this is certainly worth a read.
September 28, 2016
Good, well written story. Frankie Bow absolutely nailed the absolute stupidity of bureaucracy. Ironically, I read a good portion of the book while waiting at the Social Security Administration and the DMV.
March 1, 2017
Quirky
An interesting take on a murder mystery book. I enjoyed how the characters interacted with each other. Even though it is a mystery, it is full of humor. I was not sure about this book in the beginning but the more I got into it the more I enjoyed it. I would certainly recommend this book and plan to read others by this author.
An interesting take on a murder mystery book. I enjoyed how the characters interacted with each other. Even though it is a mystery, it is full of humor. I was not sure about this book in the beginning but the more I got into it the more I enjoyed it. I would certainly recommend this book and plan to read others by this author.
November 29, 2015
The Case of the Defunct Adjunct by Frankie Bow
A Prequel to the Molly Barda Mystery series
Academic intrigue surrounds Mahina State and Molly Barda is it its midst. Molly has to deal with the refusal of administration to remove a possibly dangerous student, the possible improper use of college funds, media coverage of the whistle blowing event, and the collapse of the accused into his haupia cheesecake, all while being nontenured!
When most people think of Hawaii they think of pristine beaches and beautiful warm weather. However, Hawaii is not quite the tropical paradise of our imaginations. Tourists may have one view, but the locals must deal with real issues-sky high property costs, the exorbitant cost of shipping goods to the islands, hot humid weather, and, in The Case of the Defunct Adjunct, the dumbing down of today's students and the trials of living in academia.
In this prequel we meet Molly Barda, a professor with a PhD in literature and creative writing who has wound up teaching in the school of Commerce; business writing. Molly and her friends, Emma and Iker, are conscientious teachers faced not only with the bureaucracy of academia, but the evil Student Retention Office; a department that takes person centeredness too far, turning it into "satisfy the student no matter what". When a fellow teacher is murdered and suspicion falls on Emma's brother, Molly agrees to look into the situation.
Bow writes using the dialects and speech patterns found in Hawaii peppered with some Yiddish from Emma (who got her PhD from Cornell). The novel takes a good look at struggling professors at a struggling college. Years ago when I was researching to see if pursuing a PhD in clinical psychology was right for me I talked to many recent graduates. They all said, "Don't do it". I wonder if they did internships at Mahina State? Bow has the ability to take serious subjects, but treat them with humor and fun to create an enjoyable read. While I don't think I'd care to be a guest lecturer at Mahina State, I do want to return to Hawaii to see what Molly and her friends get up to next!
FTC Disclosure – The publisher sent me a digital ARC in the hopes I would review it.
A Prequel to the Molly Barda Mystery series
Academic intrigue surrounds Mahina State and Molly Barda is it its midst. Molly has to deal with the refusal of administration to remove a possibly dangerous student, the possible improper use of college funds, media coverage of the whistle blowing event, and the collapse of the accused into his haupia cheesecake, all while being nontenured!
When most people think of Hawaii they think of pristine beaches and beautiful warm weather. However, Hawaii is not quite the tropical paradise of our imaginations. Tourists may have one view, but the locals must deal with real issues-sky high property costs, the exorbitant cost of shipping goods to the islands, hot humid weather, and, in The Case of the Defunct Adjunct, the dumbing down of today's students and the trials of living in academia.
In this prequel we meet Molly Barda, a professor with a PhD in literature and creative writing who has wound up teaching in the school of Commerce; business writing. Molly and her friends, Emma and Iker, are conscientious teachers faced not only with the bureaucracy of academia, but the evil Student Retention Office; a department that takes person centeredness too far, turning it into "satisfy the student no matter what". When a fellow teacher is murdered and suspicion falls on Emma's brother, Molly agrees to look into the situation.
Bow writes using the dialects and speech patterns found in Hawaii peppered with some Yiddish from Emma (who got her PhD from Cornell). The novel takes a good look at struggling professors at a struggling college. Years ago when I was researching to see if pursuing a PhD in clinical psychology was right for me I talked to many recent graduates. They all said, "Don't do it". I wonder if they did internships at Mahina State? Bow has the ability to take serious subjects, but treat them with humor and fun to create an enjoyable read. While I don't think I'd care to be a guest lecturer at Mahina State, I do want to return to Hawaii to see what Molly and her friends get up to next!
FTC Disclosure – The publisher sent me a digital ARC in the hopes I would review it.
September 3, 2016
‘The Case of the Defunct Adjunct’ is a murder mystery set in Hawaii and is a prequel to Frankie Bow’s earlier work, ‘Musubi’ which I haven’t read. The tale is told in the first person so the reader sees everything from the perspective of the main character, Molly.
There are a lot of chapter breaks, making it easy to read in short segments. Bow adopts the tried and trusted method of painting her setting and then dropping her players into the action. She has also skilfully used other literary devices such as alliteration, sarcasm, cynicism, irony and humour. I particularly liked the use of a foil that constantly muddles his metaphors, using phrases such as: ‘madder than a wet blanket’.
Bow uses her extensive knowledge of university procedure and campus life to her advantage as she develops her story.
It is always difficult to write a prequel as an author inevitably develops a bond with their main protagonist. Arguably, the audience too will feel they know Molly if they’ve already read ‘Musubi’. Possibly as a consequence of this, I found the beginning of the novel lacked depth, with the characters not fully rounded before one of them meets a sticky end. Unfortunately, I hadn’t established sufficient empathy with Molly or her supporting cast to be shocked at that stage.
Whilst the pace was consistent, for the first third of the book it seemed the death was rather incidental and not the focus of the story. As the plot unfolded, I found that I warmed to aspects of Molly’s character and by the half way stage I was fully engaged.
If you enjoy straightforward murder mysteries with no subliminal messages or undercurrents, then give ‘The Case of the Defunct Adjunct’ a try. Once it captured my interest, I found much to admire in this tale and would certainly like to read more of Frankie Bow’s work. I award ‘The Case of the Defunct Adjunct’ four stars.
Reviewed by Julie at www.whisperingstories.com
There are a lot of chapter breaks, making it easy to read in short segments. Bow adopts the tried and trusted method of painting her setting and then dropping her players into the action. She has also skilfully used other literary devices such as alliteration, sarcasm, cynicism, irony and humour. I particularly liked the use of a foil that constantly muddles his metaphors, using phrases such as: ‘madder than a wet blanket’.
Bow uses her extensive knowledge of university procedure and campus life to her advantage as she develops her story.
It is always difficult to write a prequel as an author inevitably develops a bond with their main protagonist. Arguably, the audience too will feel they know Molly if they’ve already read ‘Musubi’. Possibly as a consequence of this, I found the beginning of the novel lacked depth, with the characters not fully rounded before one of them meets a sticky end. Unfortunately, I hadn’t established sufficient empathy with Molly or her supporting cast to be shocked at that stage.
Whilst the pace was consistent, for the first third of the book it seemed the death was rather incidental and not the focus of the story. As the plot unfolded, I found that I warmed to aspects of Molly’s character and by the half way stage I was fully engaged.
If you enjoy straightforward murder mysteries with no subliminal messages or undercurrents, then give ‘The Case of the Defunct Adjunct’ a try. Once it captured my interest, I found much to admire in this tale and would certainly like to read more of Frankie Bow’s work. I award ‘The Case of the Defunct Adjunct’ four stars.
Reviewed by Julie at www.whisperingstories.com
December 24, 2015
An unlikable music teacher drops dead at a reception at which he is about to be named "teacher of the year" at a small Hawaiian university.
The cops think he was poisoned and immediately focus their attention on Josh Nakamura, another music teacher who was recently let go after he informed the university that his colleague had been embezzling from the department's accounts.
Through an interesting combination of circumstances, Professor Molly Barda gets pulled into the investigation by her friend Emma Nakamura, Josh's sister.
"The Case of the Defunct Adjunct" is a nicely written, fast-moving mystery set in an exotic locale with interesting characters and a neat plot twist. Author Frankie Bow has also injected a fair bit of humor into the narrative and has used her novel to make some sharp observations about the lamentable condition of many institutions of higher education in America where college degrees have lost much of their value due to the ideologically driven meddling of state Legislatures.
Bow writes in a breezy style but don't let that dissuade you from reading this very fine story about murder, financial shenanigans, and betrayal. The fact is, Bow has a nice way with words that allows her to set scenes in such a way that the reader can almost feel the heat in stuffy classrooms and hear the sound of rain as it falls onto metal roofs.
My point is simply this: "The Case of the Defunct Adjunct" is a really nice read and a novel that I highly recommend.
The cops think he was poisoned and immediately focus their attention on Josh Nakamura, another music teacher who was recently let go after he informed the university that his colleague had been embezzling from the department's accounts.
Through an interesting combination of circumstances, Professor Molly Barda gets pulled into the investigation by her friend Emma Nakamura, Josh's sister.
"The Case of the Defunct Adjunct" is a nicely written, fast-moving mystery set in an exotic locale with interesting characters and a neat plot twist. Author Frankie Bow has also injected a fair bit of humor into the narrative and has used her novel to make some sharp observations about the lamentable condition of many institutions of higher education in America where college degrees have lost much of their value due to the ideologically driven meddling of state Legislatures.
Bow writes in a breezy style but don't let that dissuade you from reading this very fine story about murder, financial shenanigans, and betrayal. The fact is, Bow has a nice way with words that allows her to set scenes in such a way that the reader can almost feel the heat in stuffy classrooms and hear the sound of rain as it falls onto metal roofs.
My point is simply this: "The Case of the Defunct Adjunct" is a really nice read and a novel that I highly recommend.
July 27, 2016
Mahina State’s Kent Lovely is deceased after the faculty retreat when he was found with his face in the infamous, great tasting haupia cake. The first one on the suspect list was his co-worker in the music department, Jonah. Molly Barda wants to find out who poisoned Kent before her best friend may be next on the suspect list.
What I didn't like about the book was the way this one department never took the "professors" seriously; going so far as to make a business classroom, to be used by Molly, look just like a kindergarten classroom. What I liked was the use of Yiddish in a Hawaiian-themed book. I also loved when Molly was in the process of paying for bras. Overall, the book was pretty good. I liked it.
Thank you to Frankie Bow and Library Thing for giving me an e-ARC book free to read and give my honest review.
What I didn't like about the book was the way this one department never took the "professors" seriously; going so far as to make a business classroom, to be used by Molly, look just like a kindergarten classroom. What I liked was the use of Yiddish in a Hawaiian-themed book. I also loved when Molly was in the process of paying for bras. Overall, the book was pretty good. I liked it.
Thank you to Frankie Bow and Library Thing for giving me an e-ARC book free to read and give my honest review.
August 30, 2016
It took me a little bit to get involved in this story, but once I did, I really liked it.
This is an Amateur Sleuth Murder Mystery.
Molly is a Professor at Mahina State. During Summer Sessions, she is teaching one class, working on committees, and trying to figure out what text book to use next semester. As if that isn't enough, a mandatory in-service turns deadly when one of her co-workers dies. Guess who is 'tagged' with figuring out what happened?
I'm not sure what slowed down my getting into the story. It could be my unfamiliarity with Hawaiian culture and customs. It could be that things didn't flow like I would have expected. That doesn't mean that another reader won't pick this book up and enjoy it right off the bat.
Warning: This is for Mature Audiences due to Violence and Adult Situations.
This is an Amateur Sleuth Murder Mystery.
Molly is a Professor at Mahina State. During Summer Sessions, she is teaching one class, working on committees, and trying to figure out what text book to use next semester. As if that isn't enough, a mandatory in-service turns deadly when one of her co-workers dies. Guess who is 'tagged' with figuring out what happened?
I'm not sure what slowed down my getting into the story. It could be my unfamiliarity with Hawaiian culture and customs. It could be that things didn't flow like I would have expected. That doesn't mean that another reader won't pick this book up and enjoy it right off the bat.
Warning: This is for Mature Audiences due to Violence and Adult Situations.
December 1, 2016
I usually give cozy mysteries 3 stars because most are pretty good, but not outstanding. They're good entertainment, but not all are memorable. That's a 3 to me - enjoyable, I'm glad I read it and would recommend it, but it wasn't a life changers. This book wasn't quite there for me. This is a prequel to The Musubi Murders and I preferred that one. This was the weaker of the two.
I like the Molly Barda series. The characters are entertaining and I enjoyed the audio book. I did recommend The Musubi Murders to some people after I read it and I think k I would tell people to start with that one and skip this one. I feel like this one wasn't as well developed and had some parts that didn't make sense.
I like the Molly Barda series. The characters are entertaining and I enjoyed the audio book. I did recommend The Musubi Murders to some people after I read it and I think k I would tell people to start with that one and skip this one. I feel like this one wasn't as well developed and had some parts that didn't make sense.
November 29, 2015
Review: THE CASE OF THE DEFUNCT ADJUNCT by Frankie Bow
A really intriguing and engrossing cozy mystery starring Molly Bardo ( first of a new series), an as-yet-untenured instructor in the College of Commerce at Hawaii's isolated Mahini State University. They say academia can be murder--sometimes literally. When an ego-inflated professor collapses at a faculty "retreat," later dying, Molly's friend's brother is accused, due to his whistle blowing about the deceased's department. So who better to leap in to the investigation than clever (and curious) Molly?
A really intriguing and engrossing cozy mystery starring Molly Bardo ( first of a new series), an as-yet-untenured instructor in the College of Commerce at Hawaii's isolated Mahini State University. They say academia can be murder--sometimes literally. When an ego-inflated professor collapses at a faculty "retreat," later dying, Molly's friend's brother is accused, due to his whistle blowing about the deceased's department. So who better to leap in to the investigation than clever (and curious) Molly?
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