Books

Sinful Science

Sinful Science

"Anubis, the ancient Egyptian god of the underworld, was a man with a wolf's head. The Navajo skin walkers could turn into any animal they pleased. And of course there's the Hồ tinh, Hanoi's nine-tailed fox. I was thinking I might write a story about the Hồ tinh."

"Gertie, that's a great idea," Ally said. "Are you going to write children's books?"

"Oh, my goodness, no. There's no money in children's books. I'm thinking erotica."

A graduate student from Hawaii visits the tiny bayou town of Sinful, Louisiana to investigate the effects of the oil spill on the local wildlife. Sinful resident Fortune Redding, who happens to be a CIA operative hiding out from a ruthless arms dealer, worries that the nosy newcomer might blow her cover. But when he makes a gruesome discovery, he unleashes forces that will go to any lengths to protect Sinful's darkest secret.

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The Lost Weekend

The Lost Weekend

Mary-Alice Arceneaux has started a new career at age 70 as the newest member of the Sinful Ladies' Detective Agency. She is happily learning the principles of detection from Ida Belle, Gertie, and Fortune--and of course, picking up tips from her beloved mystery novels. But Mary-Alice finds herself on the wrong side of the interrogation table when her cousin Celia accuses her of a shocking crime.Unfortunately, Celia's story looks plausible--at least to a sheriff under intense pressure to make a quick arrest. Now Mary-Alice and the Sinful Ladies have to find out what Celia's hiding, and find it fast...or Mary-Alice will pay with her freedom.

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Alice Mongoose and Alistair Rat in Hawaii

Alice Mongoose and Alistair Rat in Hawaii

When Alice Mongoose sails from India to a sugar plantation on the Big Island of Hawaii, she is shocked to learn what her new job entails. She decides instead to strike out on her own. When she meets the gentle and dapper Alistair Rat, she knows that she has found a friend in her new Hawaiian home.Alice Mongoose and Alistair Rat in Hawaii is the first book by Mary Pfaff, acclaimed in her day as the "Beatrix Potter of Hawaii." The Alice Mongoose and Alistair Rat stories are classic tales of adventure, resilience, and friendship, beloved to this day by children of all ages.

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Alice and Alistair Have a Restaurant

Alice and Alistair Have a Restaurant

Alice Mongoose and Alistair Rat love to eat. And they love to cook together. Naturally, they decide to open a restaurant. How much fun it will be! But on opening night, Alice and Alistair find that some customers are impossible to please, others are happy to eat everything in the pantry and squawk for more, and the entire endeavor is far too much for the two friends to manage. Their dream, they fear, has turned out to be a failure. Fortunately, with the help of their wise friend Pennie Pueo, Alice and Alistair are able to find a happy solution.

The Alice Mongoose and Alistair Rat stories by Mary Pfaff, "The Beatrix Potter of Hawaii," are classic tales of friendship, beloved to this day by children of all ages.

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The Musubi Murder

The Musubi Murder

Author:
Series: The Professor Molly Mysteries, Book 2
Genre: Mystery
Tags: Campus, Hawaii

Our guest of honor may have been “The Most Hated Man in Hawaii,” but the College of Commerce was in no position to be picky. Not after the latest round of budget cuts.

After a brutal year on the academic job market, Professor Molly Barda has finally landed a job at Mahina State University ("Where Your Future Begins Tomorrow"). All she wants to do is keep her head down and stay out of trouble until she gets tenure. But then the wealthy and widely-hated Jimmy Tanaka, founder of Merrie Musubis lunch shop, pledges a huge donation to Molly's college and promptly disappears. Molly's venal dean, knowing Molly is in no position to refuse, orders her to track down the missing mogul. As Molly uncovers Mahina's ancient feuds and fresh scandals, she starts to fall for Tanaka's competitor...who might have few secrets of his own.

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Alice Mongoose and Alistair Rat’s Hawaiian Christmas

Alice Mongoose and Alistair Rat’s Hawaiian Christmas

It's Alice Mongoose's first Christmas in Hawaii. She misses her family and is resigned to spending the holiday alone.

Alistair Rat would love to spend Christmas with his best friend Alice, but he's afraid that Alice has more exciting things to do than spend time with a solitary rat. Fortunately, the outspoken Cordelia Canetoad knows just what to do! The Alice and Alistair stories are classic tales of friendship, beloved to this day by children of all ages.

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The Alice Mongoose Omnibus

The Alice Mongoose Omnibus

With this reissue of the original stories in a single volume, a new generation of children can enjoy Alice and Alistair's adventures on Hawaii's Hamakua Coast. Follow Alice Mongoose as she travels across the ocean, befriends the gentle and dapper Alistair Rat, starts a new business, and learns valuable lessons about life and friendship in her new Hawaiian home.
The Alice Mongoose and Alistair Rat stories are classic tales of friendship, beloved to this day by children of all ages.

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The Black Thumb

The Black Thumb

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

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The Invasive Species

The Invasive Species

Author:
Series: The Professor Molly Mysteries, Book 5
Genre: Mystery
Tags: Campus, Hawaii

It's not nice to fool Mother Nature.

On the way to interviewing a local farmer, Professor Molly stumbles onto a gruesome discovery in a field of genetically modified papayas. Molly is sure the murder has nothing to do with her new research project...until a second death rocks Mahina's tight farming community, and Molly's administration drops her research like a hot potato. If Molly can't root out the bad apples, not only will her tenure case go pear-shaped...she might end up pushing up daisies.

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The Blessed Event

The Blessed Event

"You may wonder what my least-favorite student was doing in my living room. In a twist of fate that might seem hilarious if it happened to someone else, he was now my stepson."
Professor Molly Barda is looking forward to a quiet summer in Mahina, Hawaii working on her research and adjusting to married life. But when a visit from her new husband's relatives coincides with a murder, Molly wonders what she's married into--and realizes she might have a killer under her roof.

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No You Can’t be an Astronaut | Why you shouldn’t follow your dreams and what to do instead

No You Can’t be an Astronaut | Why you shouldn’t follow your dreams and what to do instead

Follow your dreams, and you'll never work a day in your life. Because that field's not hiring.

From the rise of remote work and the gig economy, to the devaluing of higher education, this book takes an unflinching look at the new landscape of work in the post-pandemic world. Drawing on peer-reviewed research and real-world examples, the 4th edition of No, You Can’t be an Astronaut is a must-read for anyone looking to launch a new career or stay ahead in a rapidly evolving job market.

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Mother’s Day

Mother’s Day

A fundraising scheme at Mahina State University ("Where Your Future Begins Tomorrow") forces pregnant Professor Molly into the role of "tutierge" (that's tutor-concierge). While she's battling morning sickness, a meddling mom, and the Student Retention Office. The last thing she needs to deal with right now is  murder.

But here we are.

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