Welcome to this Great Escapes Book Tour for the 4th in the Molly Barda series of cosy mysteries set in Hawaii. You may remember I reviewed book 2, The Cursed Canoe, in June. This time there’s also a Rafflecopter Giveaway as part of the tour, so make sure you get down to the bottom to enter!
The Invasive Species: (Professor Molly Mysteries Book 4)
File Size: 855 KB
Print Length: 242 pages
Publisher: Hawaiian Heritage Press (April 30, 2016)
ASIN: B01E6WR8RK
Professor Molly Barda is thrilled to be included in a grant to investigate attitudes toward biotechnology. But she immediately finds herself embroiled in the deadly fight between big biotech and anti-GMO activists. When Molly and her best friend Emma Nakamura stumble onto the scene of a brutal murder, they realize that everyone has something to hide–and there are some questions you don’t ask.
The Professor Molly mysteries are the first campus murder mysteries set in Hawaii.
My Review
My second foray into the world of Molly Barda was as enjoyable as the first. I missed a development in her life, namely getting married to the successful, hunky and brilliant chef Donnie, which makes her now stepmom to the odious Davison, who is at least away at college. Not. He returns and makes life irritating just after she’s discovered a body, jumped to some conclusions, got herself into a technological mess with her grant-funded investigation into attitudes to bio-tech, and partied with some of the main antagonists.
The body count gets higher, Molly gets let off the hook and despite assuming she is investigating to save other ‘innocent’ suspects, she really doesn’t do much except guess. There is plenty of inter-faculty rivalry, or at least tension in the college, as usual, and the development of Molly’s personal problems gets a lot of airtime. In fact it really isn’t a cosy mystery but a well-written soap opera with occasional bodies. Well, that means it is a soap opera, judging from what I hear about the soaps on UK tv.
For anyone who has no idea what Hawaii is like, this gives insights into its less glamorous side – like high winds and damp, not to mention the odd subterranean lava flow. It’s a very entertaining series, and I’m happy to host Frankie Bow’s tour spot today (and thank you for the free review copy).
About The Author
Like Molly Barda, Frankie Bow teaches at a public university. Unlike her protagonist, she is blessed with delightful students, sane colleagues, a loving family, and a perfectly nice office chair. She believes if life isn’t fair, at least it can be entertaining.
In addition to writing murder mysteries, she publishes in scholarly journals under her real name. Her experience with academic publishing has taught her to take nothing personally.
Author Links
Webpage: www.frankiebow.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Frankie_Bow
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/frankie.bow.1
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/pub/frankie-bow/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7809288.Frankie_Bow
I reviewed Book 3, and admit I was a bit PO’d about her marrying Donnie. It does give lots of opportunity for extra drama, though, and the books are entertaining.
I tend to think that reviewing alternate books between us works well. 🙂
It beats duplicating our work! I might have to go back and read the others, though.