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Professor Molly Mysteries #1
The Musubi Murder
The Musubi Murder is Hawaii's first campus murder mystery
Newly single and far from home, Professor Molly Barda wants to focus on her job and stay out of trouble until she gets tenure at remote Mahina State University. But her life is upended when fast-food entrepreneur Jimmy Tanaka, founder of Merrie Musubis, pledges a huge donation to Molly's college, and then disappears. Molly's bottom-line-obsessed dean tasks her with locating the missing musubi mogul, a quest that lands her in a stew of old grudges, whispered scandals, and murder. Along the way, Molly starts to fall for Tanaka's competitor, the too-good-to-be-true Donnie Gonsalves. Donnie seems to like her for all the wrong reasons--and has a few secrets of his own.
The Musubi Murder is for
mystery lovers
Hawaii expatriates
disillusioned academics
anyone who fancies Spam (the meat)
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.
Newly single and far from home, Professor Molly Barda wants to focus on her job and stay out of trouble until she gets tenure at remote Mahina State University. But her life is upended when fast-food entrepreneur Jimmy Tanaka, founder of Merrie Musubis, pledges a huge donation to Molly's college, and then disappears. Molly's bottom-line-obsessed dean tasks her with locating the missing musubi mogul, a quest that lands her in a stew of old grudges, whispered scandals, and murder. Along the way, Molly starts to fall for Tanaka's competitor, the too-good-to-be-true Donnie Gonsalves. Donnie seems to like her for all the wrong reasons--and has a few secrets of his own.
The Musubi Murder is for
mystery lovers
Hawaii expatriates
disillusioned academics
anyone who fancies Spam (the meat)
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.
269 pages, Hardcover
First published January 5, 2015
About the author
Frankie Bow
55 books317 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 70 reviews
October 14, 2020
The Musubi Murder by Frankie Bow is the first book in her Professor Molly Mysteries series, and it's also the first book I've ready by the author. I enjoy academic setting and have seen many positive reviews of the author's books, so it was time to dive into one. Who knew I'd learn so much about Hawaii's culture and the academic world?!
Molly is one of the more liked professors in her department. She's still fairly new but hasn't caused any ripples with the other professors. When she's asked to potentially take on an assistant role to the department chair, she's curious what's going on behind the scenes. At an event she's asked to attend, a skull appears in a very unusual place. It's a prop from the campus theater... but how did it get there? The guest of honor never shows up, and he's a wealthy donor who everyone wans to keep on their good side. What's really going on?
As a first in series, it does a great job at setting reader expectations, covering a bit of backstory, and providing a sense of clever ambiance. I like Molly's humor, and she's definitely quite the character. In fact, they all have some quirkiness to them, and it makes for a fun read. I will admit there were plenty of words describing people, food, or culture about Hawaii that I did not know... which makes it an educational experience too. I think some of the charm might be lost on me in the first book, but it's the kind where you get to know the personalities and once you're a few books in, you'll feel a bit like a native yourself!
As a mystery, there were definitely many intriguing arcs... especially with the students' potential plagiarism, the dean's rough attitude, the guy who suddenly shows a lot of romantic interest in Molly, and the weird scenarios happening all around campus. As they start aligning together, and a murder happens, we realize the missing connections. I really enjoy being on campus again, and Bow's ability to transport you there is vivid and comforting.
I look forward to reading more in this series. I think there will be lots of great capers revolving around a multi-dimensional cast set in a place not many of us can easily get to. I've been to Hawaii twice before, so this is like a trip back to paradise... even when there's murderous intent happening! A good series to pick up from the beginning to immerse yourself in a new world and setting.
Molly is one of the more liked professors in her department. She's still fairly new but hasn't caused any ripples with the other professors. When she's asked to potentially take on an assistant role to the department chair, she's curious what's going on behind the scenes. At an event she's asked to attend, a skull appears in a very unusual place. It's a prop from the campus theater... but how did it get there? The guest of honor never shows up, and he's a wealthy donor who everyone wans to keep on their good side. What's really going on?
As a first in series, it does a great job at setting reader expectations, covering a bit of backstory, and providing a sense of clever ambiance. I like Molly's humor, and she's definitely quite the character. In fact, they all have some quirkiness to them, and it makes for a fun read. I will admit there were plenty of words describing people, food, or culture about Hawaii that I did not know... which makes it an educational experience too. I think some of the charm might be lost on me in the first book, but it's the kind where you get to know the personalities and once you're a few books in, you'll feel a bit like a native yourself!
As a mystery, there were definitely many intriguing arcs... especially with the students' potential plagiarism, the dean's rough attitude, the guy who suddenly shows a lot of romantic interest in Molly, and the weird scenarios happening all around campus. As they start aligning together, and a murder happens, we realize the missing connections. I really enjoy being on campus again, and Bow's ability to transport you there is vivid and comforting.
I look forward to reading more in this series. I think there will be lots of great capers revolving around a multi-dimensional cast set in a place not many of us can easily get to. I've been to Hawaii twice before, so this is like a trip back to paradise... even when there's murderous intent happening! A good series to pick up from the beginning to immerse yourself in a new world and setting.
August 17, 2015
A masterwork, a tour de force, utterly delightful. You should buy it right now. The Musubi Murder, the first of the Molly Barda Mysteries, is available now on Kindle, at Audible.com, and on iTunes.
The hardcover comes out August 5 at
Amazon
Powell's
B&N
Next up:
Book 2: Molly Barda and the Cursed Canoe
Book 3: Molly Barda and the Black Thumb
Book 4: Molly Barda and the Invasive Species
Book 5: Molly Barda and the Blessed Event
Book 0: The Defunct Adjunct (prequel)
The hardcover comes out August 5 at
Amazon
Powell's
B&N
Next up:
Book 2: Molly Barda and the Cursed Canoe
Book 3: Molly Barda and the Black Thumb
Book 4: Molly Barda and the Invasive Species
Book 5: Molly Barda and the Blessed Event
Book 0: The Defunct Adjunct (prequel)
March 8, 2015
I found this book quite by accident. I listen to audiobooks when I'm traveling from place to place on Oahu in my MINI or hanging out at the pool or the beach. I was cruising Audible.com one day recently and the title jumped right off the monitor and the book went into my various devices.
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. (If you listen carefully, you can tell early on that the book is set on the Big Island and not in Honolulu.) 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.
I won't add any spoilers other than to say that the story takes some very entertaining twists and turns and the reader should prepare for some surprises.
One aspect of the audiobook that I really appreciated was that the reader, Ms Gose, is local (to Hawaii) and understands how to walk a very fine line between remaining true to local language while at the same time, being comprehensible to a wider audience. (This is something of a challenge for any author who wants to set a piece in Hawaii but still be understood by readers elsewhere. "Wot? Boddah you? Like beef ah wot? E, pahkin' lot brah!")
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. (If you listen carefully, you can tell early on that the book is set on the Big Island and not in Honolulu.) 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.
I won't add any spoilers other than to say that the story takes some very entertaining twists and turns and the reader should prepare for some surprises.
One aspect of the audiobook that I really appreciated was that the reader, Ms Gose, is local (to Hawaii) and understands how to walk a very fine line between remaining true to local language while at the same time, being comprehensible to a wider audience. (This is something of a challenge for any author who wants to set a piece in Hawaii but still be understood by readers elsewhere. "Wot? Boddah you? Like beef ah wot? E, pahkin' lot brah!")
March 7, 2018
The Musubi Murder by Frankie Bow is the first book in the Professor Molly Barda Mystery series. University donor and fast food entrepreneur Jimmy Tanaka fails to attend a dinner in his honour and it is found that a skull served with the buffet is his. Set on Hawaii's Big Island, the book gives us a nice insight into Hawaiian and small-time University culture. A fun book with quirky and engaging characters and a light mystery with some gruesome moments. I listened to this on Audible and I loved the various character voices. A fast-paced, yet laid back, totally enjoyable book.
March 2, 2015
An enjoyable & witty cozy mystery!
I read this book in audio format. This is a great book for audio as it is set in Hawaii and the narrator delivers authentic Hawaiian voices.
I loved this book! This story "The Musubi Murder" Is a fun, quirky murder mystery. It has a great plot, suspense and comedy. I listened to this book in one sitting. I didn't want to turn it off.
Follow along with Molly, a college professor as she solves a murder at a campus in Hawaii. We were listening to this book today while at the dinner table and we had many laughs! We were at the part where Molly was complaining about 25% of the students plagiarizing their papers. This book is very enjoyable and family oriented. Lots of danger too!
The author, Frankie Bow did a great job writing this story! This is my first read by this author and I found her writing style to be quite witty and up with the times. The plot was great, the killer had me baffled until the end. The narrator, Nicole Gose did a fantastic job delivering this story to us. I loved all her voices and witty Hawaiian accents. The voices sounder very authentic too! I honestly felt like I was listening to a movie! Good job to you both. :)
I read this book in audio format. This is a great book for audio as it is set in Hawaii and the narrator delivers authentic Hawaiian voices.
I loved this book! This story "The Musubi Murder" Is a fun, quirky murder mystery. It has a great plot, suspense and comedy. I listened to this book in one sitting. I didn't want to turn it off.
Follow along with Molly, a college professor as she solves a murder at a campus in Hawaii. We were listening to this book today while at the dinner table and we had many laughs! We were at the part where Molly was complaining about 25% of the students plagiarizing their papers. This book is very enjoyable and family oriented. Lots of danger too!
The author, Frankie Bow did a great job writing this story! This is my first read by this author and I found her writing style to be quite witty and up with the times. The plot was great, the killer had me baffled until the end. The narrator, Nicole Gose did a fantastic job delivering this story to us. I loved all her voices and witty Hawaiian accents. The voices sounder very authentic too! I honestly felt like I was listening to a movie! Good job to you both. :)
May 1, 2015
I'm not a huge fan of mystery murder stories as I usually figure it out before the reveal, but not with this novel. Set in Hawaii I enjoyed the local color and as a retired educator I laughed with comedy of the politics and paperwork of teaching. I listened to the audio version with delight that I could easily distinguish the various character's speech and understand the Hawaiian accents. As it is the first in a series, I will have no hesitation of reading or listening to more of Molly's situations. I received a copy of the audible book for review from LibraryThing.
May 8, 2015
Overall, I enjoyed reading this book, and recommend it to anyone who wants a bit of fun. As the author says herself: this is 'cozy' crime.
The plot meanders along and in fact is secondary to the humour, cultural detail (who knew what musubi and coqui were!!), and highly engaging vernacular. The setting and sub-plots of the small-time university life are true to life,and the characters with their odd-ball relationships are engaging.
The plot meanders along and in fact is secondary to the humour, cultural detail (who knew what musubi and coqui were!!), and highly engaging vernacular. The setting and sub-plots of the small-time university life are true to life,and the characters with their odd-ball relationships are engaging.
October 13, 2014
I love this book! The characters captured me from sentence one. Molly Barda's dry running commentary on everything she encounters, along with the plot's clever twists, kept me delightedly captivated throughout! I couldn't put this marvelous mystery down.
April 1, 2016
I received this audiobook free from the author.
A wonderfully fun mystery. Frankie Bow has produced an entertaining cozy filled with well-developed, zany characters who are, in turn, masterfully interpreted by Nicole Gose for listeners.
A wonderfully fun mystery. Frankie Bow has produced an entertaining cozy filled with well-developed, zany characters who are, in turn, masterfully interpreted by Nicole Gose for listeners.
October 2, 2014
yeah it was good I liked it
February 3, 2015
I received an audio book in return for a honest review. Here it is
I liked the lady who narrated it alot.It was a cute story, funny too. I would read more of her books.
I liked the lady who narrated it alot.It was a cute story, funny too. I would read more of her books.
March 2, 2017
nice one..i really liked the book
May 3, 2015
The Musubi Murder is the first in a great new series of mysteries by Frankie Bow, the ‘Molly Barda Mysteries’. I listened to the audio book narrated by Nicole Gose, whose energy and delightful voice inflections and ability to change to reflect each person’s voice kept the attention of this reader and brought the story to life.
The characters are witty and fun, especially Molly and her best friend Emma Nakamura. Of all the characters, I most enjoyed Dr. Molly Barda, teacher at the College of Commerce at a public university in Hawaii. The life of a professor at a public institution anywhere doesn’t sound like a blast. Frankie Bow writes of tenure, lack of funding, challenges of unmet needs such as chairs in one’s office, working air conditioning, and backing from the Dean or the Student Retention staff with regards to absenteeism or student plagiarism with tongue-in-cheek humor while demonstrating the role that professional educators can play to positively influence students. Even those who plagiarized their research papers, such as Davison Gonzalves and Isaiah Pung.
Jimmy Tanaka was a businessman of questionable standards, yet he made a huge donation to the College of Commerce. He was mysteriously absent from the breakfast being given in his honor, and had not been seen since the evening before. Had he been out too late, overslept, or otherwise gone awol? That was a mystery in itself until the local police research a grisly find…
Molly, Emma, and the third member of the group of three close friends, Patrick Flanagan, discuss the mystery at length. There is no shortage of suspects, but there is a shortage of clues and evidence. Patrick is a passionate local newsblogger who is always looking for the big headline, as well as a fellow university instructor. They have known each other long enough to be able to discuss anything, even if they are not on the same page. Then the death of a student is discovered, and the stakes are raised – was he in on the Tanaka mystery, or had he just had a very unusual accident?
In the meantime, there was a potential for romance between Donnie Gonzalves, a local businessman, and Molly. Part of that romance depended on the ethics of dating the parent of a student, especially one who is a challenge when it comes to homework. He seemed to improve when he learned that his teacher and his dad were friends. But Donnie was one of the potential suspects, and had many, many reasons – dollars – to want Tanaka out of the way.
The primary characters were delightful and intelligent, and all of the characters were defined as much as necessary for their role. It was interesting to hear about life in Hawaii, and about education. Frankie Bow is excellent at using conversation and behaviors to show us about the characters – so much so that I am looking forward to my next visit with Molly, Emma, and Patrick, as well as how the College of Commerce uses the grant from the late Mr. Tanaka.
The story kept me guessing throughout, as there were twists and turns that definitely were surprising! It was interesting to learn a little bit about the business models and snippets about anatomy. I most enjoyed that the author was able to keep the story interesting and moving at a fast pace. It was exciting and intriguing, and the pace was further accelerated by the great narration of Nicole Gose, who read and quoted with a sense of urgency throughout. The plot was definitely unique; while the motive is frequently used, I have not read one with similar details. I highly recommend this mystery to adults of any age and older teens.
With a grateful heart, I received a copy of this book from the author. All opinions are my own, and no monetary compensation was received for this review.
The characters are witty and fun, especially Molly and her best friend Emma Nakamura. Of all the characters, I most enjoyed Dr. Molly Barda, teacher at the College of Commerce at a public university in Hawaii. The life of a professor at a public institution anywhere doesn’t sound like a blast. Frankie Bow writes of tenure, lack of funding, challenges of unmet needs such as chairs in one’s office, working air conditioning, and backing from the Dean or the Student Retention staff with regards to absenteeism or student plagiarism with tongue-in-cheek humor while demonstrating the role that professional educators can play to positively influence students. Even those who plagiarized their research papers, such as Davison Gonzalves and Isaiah Pung.
Jimmy Tanaka was a businessman of questionable standards, yet he made a huge donation to the College of Commerce. He was mysteriously absent from the breakfast being given in his honor, and had not been seen since the evening before. Had he been out too late, overslept, or otherwise gone awol? That was a mystery in itself until the local police research a grisly find…
Molly, Emma, and the third member of the group of three close friends, Patrick Flanagan, discuss the mystery at length. There is no shortage of suspects, but there is a shortage of clues and evidence. Patrick is a passionate local newsblogger who is always looking for the big headline, as well as a fellow university instructor. They have known each other long enough to be able to discuss anything, even if they are not on the same page. Then the death of a student is discovered, and the stakes are raised – was he in on the Tanaka mystery, or had he just had a very unusual accident?
In the meantime, there was a potential for romance between Donnie Gonzalves, a local businessman, and Molly. Part of that romance depended on the ethics of dating the parent of a student, especially one who is a challenge when it comes to homework. He seemed to improve when he learned that his teacher and his dad were friends. But Donnie was one of the potential suspects, and had many, many reasons – dollars – to want Tanaka out of the way.
The primary characters were delightful and intelligent, and all of the characters were defined as much as necessary for their role. It was interesting to hear about life in Hawaii, and about education. Frankie Bow is excellent at using conversation and behaviors to show us about the characters – so much so that I am looking forward to my next visit with Molly, Emma, and Patrick, as well as how the College of Commerce uses the grant from the late Mr. Tanaka.
The story kept me guessing throughout, as there were twists and turns that definitely were surprising! It was interesting to learn a little bit about the business models and snippets about anatomy. I most enjoyed that the author was able to keep the story interesting and moving at a fast pace. It was exciting and intriguing, and the pace was further accelerated by the great narration of Nicole Gose, who read and quoted with a sense of urgency throughout. The plot was definitely unique; while the motive is frequently used, I have not read one with similar details. I highly recommend this mystery to adults of any age and older teens.
With a grateful heart, I received a copy of this book from the author. All opinions are my own, and no monetary compensation was received for this review.
March 13, 2016
My Review
Frankie Bows' first Professor Molly Barda Mystery provides a good platform for the introduction of both the setting and the characters of her new series.
I enjoyed the setting, a university campus which, due to financial restraints has a deteriorating infrastructure and decor. The academic staff have also suffered the indignity and frustration of losing all authority over students. Heaven forbid a student be upset, offended or reprimanded lest they should leave, taking their uni fees with them! This situation contributes to some quite comical efforts of self restraint on Molly's part, involving her trying to chastise and punish students for their misdemeanours without actually saying so! Molly has far more patience than I, I would soon be out of a job!
I like Mollys' house, OK not the smartest, but probably a whole lot more interesting than the modern hermetically sealed clean and tidy abodes of some people ... Mentioning no names!
Then there is the murder mystery, It wasn't too difficult to be a little ahead of the story, but I must say, there were some rather stomach churning inferences along the way regarding the mortal remains! Some of the situations Molly found herself in gave the listener some nail nibbling moments! Poor Molly becomes as bewildered as a teenager when romance - or potential romance - students politics, friends, doubt, money, science, fraud and murder are all thrown in to the melting pot. Luckily for us, it's all spiced up with a little humour, romance and a touch of pathos.
I'm just not sure about the ending though. Having said that, it is the first book in a series, and now that everyone has been properly introduced, I look forward to many more Molly Barda Mysteries.
Narrator
Nicole Gose is new to me, I enjoyed her work very much, she certainly is a talent. Her voice is very clear, she has good timing and tells a story well, this is so important. I loved the regional accents, reminded me a little of Maori English. I found one little fault, and even then I guess it's a personal thing, and that is the voice of Emma, it was a little high pitched for the comfort of my ears.
I'd say this book makes an excellent audiobook, Nicole Gose as narrator was well chosen, and sound quality and production are both of a high standard.
I think listeners would be happy to know that Nicole will narrate all future Molly Barda Mysteries, so let's hope she does.
Frankie Bows' first Professor Molly Barda Mystery provides a good platform for the introduction of both the setting and the characters of her new series.
I enjoyed the setting, a university campus which, due to financial restraints has a deteriorating infrastructure and decor. The academic staff have also suffered the indignity and frustration of losing all authority over students. Heaven forbid a student be upset, offended or reprimanded lest they should leave, taking their uni fees with them! This situation contributes to some quite comical efforts of self restraint on Molly's part, involving her trying to chastise and punish students for their misdemeanours without actually saying so! Molly has far more patience than I, I would soon be out of a job!
I like Mollys' house, OK not the smartest, but probably a whole lot more interesting than the modern hermetically sealed clean and tidy abodes of some people ... Mentioning no names!
Then there is the murder mystery, It wasn't too difficult to be a little ahead of the story, but I must say, there were some rather stomach churning inferences along the way regarding the mortal remains! Some of the situations Molly found herself in gave the listener some nail nibbling moments! Poor Molly becomes as bewildered as a teenager when romance - or potential romance - students politics, friends, doubt, money, science, fraud and murder are all thrown in to the melting pot. Luckily for us, it's all spiced up with a little humour, romance and a touch of pathos.
I'm just not sure about the ending though. Having said that, it is the first book in a series, and now that everyone has been properly introduced, I look forward to many more Molly Barda Mysteries.
Narrator
Nicole Gose is new to me, I enjoyed her work very much, she certainly is a talent. Her voice is very clear, she has good timing and tells a story well, this is so important. I loved the regional accents, reminded me a little of Maori English. I found one little fault, and even then I guess it's a personal thing, and that is the voice of Emma, it was a little high pitched for the comfort of my ears.
I'd say this book makes an excellent audiobook, Nicole Gose as narrator was well chosen, and sound quality and production are both of a high standard.
I think listeners would be happy to know that Nicole will narrate all future Molly Barda Mysteries, so let's hope she does.
May 15, 2015
This is a pretty good book in what promises to be a fantastic mysteries series. The setting and university and island life depicted was spot on. The reader follows Molly and her best friend Emma Nakamura as they maneuver through university life in a school that is in a serious funding shortage as well as through their search for answers to why Jimmy Tanaka, a less than ethical businessman who has donated in a big way to the College of Commerce, fails to show up for a breakfast in his honor, and whether or how the mysterious death of a student is linked to this. The duo is joined by Patrick Flanagan, a local news blogger always seeking a headline and fellow professor, in their search for answers to the many questions that abound. Not to be bogged down with this mystery, there is also a romance brewing between Molly and a local businessman Donnie Gonzalves, the father of one of Molly‘s challenged students, who is not all that keen on completing assignments. In fact, Molly wonders if she should even date Donnie, since he is the father of a student. Donnie also has a multitude of reasons to want Tanaka out of the way, most of which involve money.
The author has developed a start of what looks to be a pretty good mystery series. The characters, setting and plot are well thought out and developed. There is a lot of humor from the funding or lack thereof for the university as well as the ways they cope with the shortages and their daily university life. School politics, working conditions and how much in control the professors have also lend to the hilarity and realism of the book. I enjoyed reading realistic depictions of life in Hawaii as well as of university life. 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. I look forward to the next book and further adventures of Molly and her friends in Hawaii and the nifty escapades they can get into. I received this from Library Thing to read and provide an honest review.
The author has developed a start of what looks to be a pretty good mystery series. The characters, setting and plot are well thought out and developed. There is a lot of humor from the funding or lack thereof for the university as well as the ways they cope with the shortages and their daily university life. School politics, working conditions and how much in control the professors have also lend to the hilarity and realism of the book. I enjoyed reading realistic depictions of life in Hawaii as well as of university life. 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. I look forward to the next book and further adventures of Molly and her friends in Hawaii and the nifty escapades they can get into. I received this from Library Thing to read and provide an honest review.
August 8, 2015
Dollycas’s Thoughts
In The Musubi Murder we meet Molly Barda, and her friends, Emma Nakamura and Patrick Flanagan. They are college professors in Mahina, Hawaii. 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 hope and pray it doesn’t end of like the college in this story. Jimmy Tanaka, founder of Merrie Musubis, and a man with a shady background, has promised a huge donation to the school but he fails to show up at a breakfast in his honor. Or a least that is what everyone thought. He is there in a way, a way that leads to a murder investigation and Mollie finds herself heavily involved. She is also just starting a relationship with Donnie Gonsalves, but he seems to be a man with many secrets.
Not knowing anything about musubi (pronounced moo-soo-BEE) the title was a big draw and when I found they were sandwiches that could be made with SPAM, a childhood favorite, I knew I had to read this story.
Frankie Bow has laid the groundwork for a promising mysteries series in addition to giving a very intriguing whodunit that includes not only a bit of revenge but corruption too. I found the characters to be very well developed and the backdrop of college politics very interesting. The humor interspersed throughout the story made it even more enjoyable. How can you go wrong with a setting in Hawaii? A great place I have always wanted to visit.
The author has many more installments planned and I am looking forward to them.
Book 2: Molly Barda and the Cursed Canoe
Book 3: Molly Barda and the Black Thumb
Book 4: Molly Barda and the Invasive Species
Book 5: Molly Barda and the Blessed Event
Book 0: The Defunct Adjunct
June 6, 2015
I love this new series! It's set on a Hawaiian public college campus. The main characters, Molly and Emma, are sarcastic and laugh-out-loud funny.
Molly has a PhD in literature but is trying to get tenure as a College of Commerce instructor. There are many thought-provoking discussions about word choice. For example, is it decapitated head or disembodied head? There are asides about how the human body tastes like pork and which way you should squeeze through a crowded theater to your seats--facing forward or backwards--which I pondered long after the topic has passed. The school administrators act as crazy as you would think they would to retain students.
The denouement is both surprising and fair when you think back to the clues among the many red herrings. This book is similar to the Murder with Peacocks series of books in both humor and having really relatable characters that feel like old friends.
The narrator has no other books on Audible at the time of this review, which is too bad as I would like to listen to her again. She has the excellent ability to change her voice for each character making it easy to listen while doing other things. She even does male voices that you would swear were being voiced by a man.
I liked this book so much that I went to the author's blog, you can just Google it, and was happy to see she has several more books in this series written that are just waiting for release. I'll be sure to pick them up when they come out so I can keep up with the adventures of Molly and Emma.
I received this book in a LibraryThing Member Giveaway but that has not impacted my review.
Molly has a PhD in literature but is trying to get tenure as a College of Commerce instructor. There are many thought-provoking discussions about word choice. For example, is it decapitated head or disembodied head? There are asides about how the human body tastes like pork and which way you should squeeze through a crowded theater to your seats--facing forward or backwards--which I pondered long after the topic has passed. The school administrators act as crazy as you would think they would to retain students.
The denouement is both surprising and fair when you think back to the clues among the many red herrings. This book is similar to the Murder with Peacocks series of books in both humor and having really relatable characters that feel like old friends.
The narrator has no other books on Audible at the time of this review, which is too bad as I would like to listen to her again. She has the excellent ability to change her voice for each character making it easy to listen while doing other things. She even does male voices that you would swear were being voiced by a man.
I liked this book so much that I went to the author's blog, you can just Google it, and was happy to see she has several more books in this series written that are just waiting for release. I'll be sure to pick them up when they come out so I can keep up with the adventures of Molly and Emma.
I received this book in a LibraryThing Member Giveaway but that has not impacted my review.
August 15, 2015
This is a book set in a college town of Mahina, Hawaii. I sure hope the stuff that happened here does not go on where my girls are going to college. There is murder, cheating, and the students don't get held accountable for the wrongs they do.What would you do for your children? Do we complain when they are got cheating? want them to have second chances. Where do we stop fixing things for them? What is best?There is plenty of drama, romance, mystery and characters that I like In Musubi Murder. The main character is Molly Barda a college professor who is untenured so she has to do the crummy jobs. She is single. Her two co-workers that are her friends Emma Nakamura and Patrick Flanagan. They like to drink her coffee.Molly has to go to a breakfast honoring Jimmy Tanaka who is one of the most hated man in Hawaii because he donated a lot of money to the college. There is protest there and Jimmy is a no show.Molly does meet Donnie Gonsalves owner of Donnie's Drive-Inns. She finds him attractive. His son is one of her students.Jimmy is found to be murdered. Molly finds some clues with the help of her friends.There are plenty of suspects, lots of people are upset with Jimmy and his business practices.There are some images that made me want to gag thinking about the murders.I would be willing to see what happens next to Molly and her friends.I was given this ebook to read for free and in return I agreed to give a honest review of The Musubi Murder and be part of its blog tour.
June 10, 2016
I enjoyed this audiobook immensely! The story and characters were engaging and the reader was perfect. I can't wait for the next one to come out.
I almost didn't need the mystery plotline at all, since I enjoyed Barda, her colleagues, and the satire of academic life (which I think non-academics can also relate to with corporate politics and such). The work politics part rather reminded me of Connie Willis' "Bellwether." The mystery, itself, was revealed slowly, but this was good because Barda isn't a detective -- rather, she's someone who is caught up in strange circumstances.
The only issue I had came in the epilogue... But it was not enough to spoil the book at all.
I almost didn't need the mystery plotline at all, since I enjoyed Barda, her colleagues, and the satire of academic life (which I think non-academics can also relate to with corporate politics and such). The work politics part rather reminded me of Connie Willis' "Bellwether." The mystery, itself, was revealed slowly, but this was good because Barda isn't a detective -- rather, she's someone who is caught up in strange circumstances.
The only issue I had came in the epilogue... But it was not enough to spoil the book at all.
April 2, 2015
I received this book in exchange for an honest review.
I super enjoyed reading this book! The characters were fun and engaging and just the right amount of quirky. An overworked, underpaid protagonist who claims a busybody and an anarchist as her best friends. Not to mention a yoga ball for an office chair (budget cuts), an oven as extra shoe storage, and the realistic treacherousness of the education system (or really any job at all). Throw in a disembodied head and a bit of extremely practical romance and you have a good combination for an easy fun read!
I super enjoyed reading this book! The characters were fun and engaging and just the right amount of quirky. An overworked, underpaid protagonist who claims a busybody and an anarchist as her best friends. Not to mention a yoga ball for an office chair (budget cuts), an oven as extra shoe storage, and the realistic treacherousness of the education system (or really any job at all). Throw in a disembodied head and a bit of extremely practical romance and you have a good combination for an easy fun read!
December 9, 2019
So much fun to read. Molly Barda and her close friends/colleagues Pat and Emma are unique, likeable and real. The writing is amusing - sometimes laugh out loud funny - without being self-conscious. Very satisfying read, highly recommended.
January 20, 2015
This cosy mystery moves smoothly and is populated with distinct characters who are fun to know. Te reader gets to know the characters. There is more than just a good mystery story here. Another bonus is that the depiction of academia, with all its foibles, rings absolutely true.
April 25, 2015
THIS WAS A VERY GOOD BOOK. IT HAD TE MYSTERY WHERE YOU THINK THAT YOU HAVE IT FIGURED OUT BUT THE ENDING IS VERY SURPRISING. THE BACK GROUND FOR THE STORYLINE WAS PERFECT. I WOULD DEFINITELY RECOMMEND IT.
April 18, 2017
Molly Barda is a junior, untenured professor at Hawaii's (apparently fictional) Mahina State University, in the College of Commerce. She just wants to teach, publish, and keep out of trouble until she gets tenure.
Instead, she attends a breakfast honoring the college's largest benefactor, ever. The guest of honor, Jimmy Tanaka, doesn't show up, but a skull does show up, in a fruit plate. This isn't how anyone wanted the breakfast enlivened.
But the strange events have only begun. Molly has to cope with students who don't want to do their assignments, a dean and a "student retention office" who don't want academic rigor driving away the paying customers, and, oh yes, the skull turns out not to be a theater department stage prop, but the skull of the missing Jimmy Tanaka.
Tanaka was, it's fair to say, widely disliked, but who would benefit from murdering him? And then go to the trouble of completely cleaning the skull and putting it in the fruit plate? How is it even possible to do that between the time Tanaka was last seen and the time his skull was found the next morning?
It turns out an awful lot of people Molly knows have butchering experience, although mostly with goats and pigs.
Two of them are students. One is a friend. another is her new boyfriend, Donny Gonzales, founder and owner of fast food chain Donny's Drive-Ins--and Tanaka was suing him for violating a non-compete agreement signed when Donny worked for Tanaka. It's all a little crazy, and Molly soon becomes convinced that he knows the murderer.
There's noting serious or substantial here, but Bow keeps the reader turning the pages to see what happens next and who really did it. It's light but fun, with just enough plot and character development to keep the reader entertained.
Recommended for light reading.
I bought this audiobook.
Instead, she attends a breakfast honoring the college's largest benefactor, ever. The guest of honor, Jimmy Tanaka, doesn't show up, but a skull does show up, in a fruit plate. This isn't how anyone wanted the breakfast enlivened.
But the strange events have only begun. Molly has to cope with students who don't want to do their assignments, a dean and a "student retention office" who don't want academic rigor driving away the paying customers, and, oh yes, the skull turns out not to be a theater department stage prop, but the skull of the missing Jimmy Tanaka.
Tanaka was, it's fair to say, widely disliked, but who would benefit from murdering him? And then go to the trouble of completely cleaning the skull and putting it in the fruit plate? How is it even possible to do that between the time Tanaka was last seen and the time his skull was found the next morning?
It turns out an awful lot of people Molly knows have butchering experience, although mostly with goats and pigs.
Two of them are students. One is a friend. another is her new boyfriend, Donny Gonzales, founder and owner of fast food chain Donny's Drive-Ins--and Tanaka was suing him for violating a non-compete agreement signed when Donny worked for Tanaka. It's all a little crazy, and Molly soon becomes convinced that he knows the murderer.
There's noting serious or substantial here, but Bow keeps the reader turning the pages to see what happens next and who really did it. It's light but fun, with just enough plot and character development to keep the reader entertained.
Recommended for light reading.
I bought this audiobook.
February 2, 2015
This was a fun, light mystery. I enjoyed the characters of Molly, Emma and Pat and their struggles with the Student Retention Office at their university. There is a light romance that did not detract from the murder investigation. I thought the ending was a bit abrupt and the confession of the murder was obtained too easily. The narrator on the audiobook was somewhat irritating although I appreciated her use of Hawaiian accents.
I was given a free copy of the audiobook by the author.
I was given a free copy of the audiobook by the author.
September 1, 2018
Mystery, suspense, and mayhem with a great cast of characters.
I won a copy of this book during a Goodreads giveaway. I am under no obligation to leave a review or rating and do so voluntarily. So that others may also enjoy this book, I am paying it forward by donating it to my local library.
I won a copy of this book during a Goodreads giveaway. I am under no obligation to leave a review or rating and do so voluntarily. So that others may also enjoy this book, I am paying it forward by donating it to my local library.
February 6, 2015
I really enjoyed this fun cozy mystery.
July 12, 2022
Fun, quick read with a beautiful setting. Plenty of humor amidst the murder mystery. Recommend for mystery lovers.
*I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
*I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
September 28, 2018
The Musubi Murder is a cozy mystery, the first book in Author Frankie Bow's Molly Barda Mysteries. The Musubi Murder is LOL funny, so choose your reading environment wisely.
The Musubi Murder takes place in Mahina, Hawaii. One of the settings is the Mahina State University, where Molly Barda teaches in the College of Commerce. The College of Commerce is in the midst of budget cutting and budget restraints, so no one says no to a huge donation from Jimmy Tanaka, "The Most Hated Man in Hawaii."
I like how Author Frankie Bow begins The Musubi Murder with immediate action (at the Breakfast Meeting of the College of Commerce Friends in the Business Community, to honor Jimmy Tanaka and his fat donation), instead of starting with the more-typical description of the protagonist to the reader (which can seem forced and hokey). Frankie gives us Molly's details on a need-to-know basis, not as an info-dump, which is refreshing.
The action is told from the first-person POV of Molly Barda, who has a zany, quirky sense of humor (thus, my many LOLs). Here are two examples:
• "We don't have any budget for office furniture, so when my old office chair collapsed, I replaced it with an off-brand yoga ball from Galimba's Bargain Boyz. It's the nicest piece of furniture in my office."
• "My vintage cotton dress felt tighter around the waist than when I'd bought it, probably because of something the dry cleaner did."
The Musubi Murder by Frankie Bow is a Must-Read. I recommend The Musubi Murder to all cozy fans! Those of you who are residents of Hawaii, frequent fliers to Hawaii, or in academia will especially love it. Four Stars for The Musubi Murder by Frankie Bow — I really enjoyed it!
Note: I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of The Musubi Murder.
The entire review is available on my blog Jane Reads.
The Musubi Murder takes place in Mahina, Hawaii. One of the settings is the Mahina State University, where Molly Barda teaches in the College of Commerce. The College of Commerce is in the midst of budget cutting and budget restraints, so no one says no to a huge donation from Jimmy Tanaka, "The Most Hated Man in Hawaii."
I like how Author Frankie Bow begins The Musubi Murder with immediate action (at the Breakfast Meeting of the College of Commerce Friends in the Business Community, to honor Jimmy Tanaka and his fat donation), instead of starting with the more-typical description of the protagonist to the reader (which can seem forced and hokey). Frankie gives us Molly's details on a need-to-know basis, not as an info-dump, which is refreshing.
The action is told from the first-person POV of Molly Barda, who has a zany, quirky sense of humor (thus, my many LOLs). Here are two examples:
• "We don't have any budget for office furniture, so when my old office chair collapsed, I replaced it with an off-brand yoga ball from Galimba's Bargain Boyz. It's the nicest piece of furniture in my office."
• "My vintage cotton dress felt tighter around the waist than when I'd bought it, probably because of something the dry cleaner did."
The Musubi Murder by Frankie Bow is a Must-Read. I recommend The Musubi Murder to all cozy fans! Those of you who are residents of Hawaii, frequent fliers to Hawaii, or in academia will especially love it. Four Stars for The Musubi Murder by Frankie Bow — I really enjoyed it!
Note: I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of The Musubi Murder.
The entire review is available on my blog Jane Reads.
March 27, 2018
When in the Sandwich Islands, one ought properly read a murder mystery set in Hawaii; there might even be a law about that. I chose Frankie Bow's "The Musubi Murder" to begin this vacation. Frankie Bow's true name is Emmeline de Pillis. De Pillis is Professor of Management in the College of Business and Economics at the University of Hawaii at Hilo. The protagonist of her mystery novel is Dr. Molly Barda, an untenured professor of business communication at the fictional Mahina State University on the Big Island of Hawaii. The parallels are breathtaking. The canonical advice to beginning novelists is to write about what they know. Apparently Professor De Pillis accepted that advice. Hers is a "cozy" murder mystery, although not in the sickly sweet sense of that classification. There are rough places; just no graphic sex nor graphic violence. A very successful and much-despised restaurant businessman disappears after pledging a substantial donation to Molly's school. She ends up trying to solve this disappearance while starting a new potentially romantic relationship with a very successful and much-admired owner of a competing fast-food restaurant. At least as much fun as the unraveling mystery is the depiction of the internal politics, the insanity of academic feuding, the campus politics, and the lunacy of those who would make-over the higher educational process into some sort of ego-affirming love fest for narcissists. The result is readable, funny and engaging.
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