Kindle
$5.99
Available instantly
Audible Logo Audiobook
$0.00
with membership trial
Hardcover
$28.56
Paperback
$14.99
Kindle Price: $5.99

Save $9.00 (60%)

Promotions apply when you purchase

These promotions will be applied to this item:

Some promotions may be combined; others are not eligible to be combined with other offers. For details, please see the Terms & Conditions associated with these promotions.

Audiobook Price: $17.46

Save: $9.97 (57%)

Read with our free app
You've subscribed to ! We will preorder your items within 24 hours of when they become available. When new books are released, we'll charge your default payment method for the lowest price available during the pre-order period.
Update your device or payment method, cancel individual pre-orders or your subscription at
Your Memberships & Subscriptions

Buy for others

Give as a gift or purchase for a team or group.
Learn more

Buying and sending eBooks to others

  1. Select quantity
  2. Buy and send eBooks
  3. Recipients can read on any device

These ebooks can only be redeemed by recipients in the US. Redemption links and eBooks cannot be resold.
Kindle app logo image

Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.

Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.

Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.

QR code to download the Kindle App

Amazon book clubs early access
Loading your book clubs
There was a problem loading your book clubs. Please try again.
Not in a club? Learn more
Amazon book clubs early access

Join or create book clubs

Choose books together

Track your books
Bring your club to Amazon Book Clubs, start a new book club and invite your friends to join, or find a club that’s right for you for free.
Explore Amazon Book Clubs

Follow the author

Frankie Bow
+ Follow
More books from this author
Something went wrong. Please try your request again later.

The Cursed Canoe: In Which Molly Experiences the World-Famous Labor Day Canoe Race and Endures that Awful Mix-Up at the Hotel (Professor Molly Mysteries Book 3) Kindle Edition

by Frankie Bow (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars 30 ratings
See all formats and editions
Professor Molly Barda investigates a mysterious paddling accident, and realizes it isn’t just business majors who cheat to get what they want. Whether it’s moving up in the college rankings, getting a seat in the big canoe race, or winning in the game of love, some people will do whatever it takes to sink the competition.
Read more Read less
Previous page
  1. Book 3 of 11
    Professor Molly Mysteries
  2. Print length
    302 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  5. Publication date
    February 23, 2016
  6. File size
    474 KB
  7. Page Flip
    Enabled
  8. Word Wise
    Enabled
  9. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
  10. See all details
Next page
Hard Rock apparel
Outerwear, tees, and accessories. Discover the rock shop.
Next 5 for you in this series See full series
Total Price: $26.95
By clicking on the above button, you agree to Amazon's Kindle Store Terms of Use

From the Publisher

Sky and palm trees Hawaii

Molly Barda earned her PHD in a top-ranked literature program.

But it's a brutal year on the academic job market before she lands a job: teaching business communication at Mahina State. Her advisor laments she's wasting her talent "teaching a bunch of slack-jawed baseball caps how to pad their resumes." Hey, it wasn't her first choice either.

Hawaiian beach and sky

Mahina, Hawai`i, is not Molly's idea of paradise.

Molly sits on a yoga ball because there's no money for office furniture. Molly's dean, unwilling to lose paying customers, won’t let her report cheating students. The coffee from the cold-war-era machine tastes like hot chocolate and chicken soup. Hawaiian sunshine? It's wetter here than Seattle.

Chang's Pizza Pagoda takeout box on the beach next to a dead body

But Molly discovers there's more to Mahina.

Molly finds new friends in biology professor Emma Nakamura and writing instructor (and former crime reporter) Pat Flanagan. There's nightlife (trivia night at the Pair-O-Dice), shopping (Galimba's Bargain Boyz), and local cuisine (Chang's Pizza Pagoda). And surprisingly often, there's murder.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Praise for The Cursed Canoe
  • The Cursed Canoe has a little something for everyone: a slick mystery, and intrepid heroine, some comic relief.~Back Porchervations
  • ...an enjoyable light read...~Cassidy Salem Reads & Writes
  • It's written really well, is very engaging and entertaining with the right dose of humor and sarcasm. The plot is clever and well woven, the dialogue is brilliant.~LibriAmoriMiei
  • The author's writing is impeccable. Suspense mixed with humor. The dialogue flows with an island accent.~Laura's Interests
  • It's well written; the characters are nicely rounded, and the situation with the college finances are all too understandable.~Author, Jemima Pett
  • The author gives us the seedier side of Hawaii in her Molly Barda Mystery series. It's not the tropical paradise the tourists see, but rather the harsher reality of island life-high cost of living, high humidity, and the horrors of Academia.~Cozy Up With Kathy

From the Author

I love to read traditional and cozy mysteries, and I write what I like to read.
My influences include:
  • The book and play reviews of Dorothy Parker
  • The Jeeves and Wooster stories by P.G. Wodehouse
  • The Mapp and Lucia books by E.F. Benson
  • Sarah Caudwell's Hilary Tamar mysteries (there were only four; Thus Was Adonis Murdered, The Shortest Way to Hades, The Sirens Sang of Murder, and The Sibyl in her Grave)
  • Anything by Dave Barry
  • Everything by Allie Brosh, including her calendars
  • Frog and Toad
I hope you enjoy The Cursed Canoe. But if you don't, please pass it along to someone you dislike.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B01C5JYVXA
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Hawaiian Heritage Press (February 23, 2016)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ February 23, 2016
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 474 KB
  • Simultaneous device usage ‏ : ‎ Unlimited
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 302 pages
  • Page numbers source ISBN ‏ : ‎ 1943476136
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars 30 ratings

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.
Frankie Bow

Frankie Bow

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.
Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Frankie Bow writes two mystery series: The Professor Molly mysteries and licensed novellas in Jana DeLeon's Miss Fortune universe. Writing as Patience Fairweather, she is also the author of No, You Can't be an Astronaut, a realistic career guide.

Like Professor Molly, Frankie works in higher education. Unlike her protagonist, she is blessed with delightful students, sane colleagues, and an adequate office chair. Follow Frankie at frankiebow.com.

Customer reviews

4.2 out of 5 stars
4.2 out of 5
30 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Alala Publishing
5.0 out of 5 stars Another fun romp through Hawaii
Reviewed in the United States on December 2, 2016
once again Frankie Bow tells it like it is! I live on BI , and enjoy the authenticity, and joy of her books! Keep writing lady!
One person found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Cozy Up With Kathy
4.0 out of 5 stars Canoe paddling and life in Academia.
Reviewed in the United States on June 12, 2016
THE CURSED CANOE by Frankie Bow
The Second Molly Barda Mystery

Molly is back and suffering some unusual physical ailments. Is it stress? The result of dealing with the Student Retention Office? While watching her friend Emma put the paddling crew through their paces she complains about Kathy Banks, her liaison to said Retention Office. Before Molly finishes wishing Kathy ill, shouts come out to call 911. Kathy has fallen overboard. And doesn't recover. Is there really such a thing as psychogenic death? Could Molly have somehow caused Kathy's death? And how is it that recent graduates are reportedly earning high incomes? Is Donnie thinking of making Molly's relationship with his son more than that of a former college professor? There's a lot going on at Mahina State, but is is murder?

The death of paddler Kathy Banks is at the heart of THE CURSED CANOE. We get a glimpse into the world of outrigger canoe paddling and a deeper look at for profit colleges, and the fact that Mahina State appears to be transforming into one! Molly continues to find her way as an nontenured professor, trying to appease the Student Retention Office while still trying to be an effective teacher-something at odds with the current academic climate.

Frankie Bow weaves several threads through THE CURSED CANOE and while many issues are resolved, there are still questions left for further exploration. The author gives us the seedier side of Hawaii in her Molly Barda Mystery series. It's not the tropical paradise the tourists see, but rather the harsher reality of island life-high cost of living, high humidity, and the horrors of Academia.

I love the sense of humor Bow brings, that self deprecating, almost fatalistic bite, and I enjoyed the intricate storyline, but am still left with some questions. THE CURSED CANOE is made for the thinking reader, but while I appreciated the ending I feel as if I'm missing something. Still in all, it's a good read, especially for those familiar with the world of Academia.

FTC Disclosure – The publisher sent me a digital ARC in the hopes I would review it.
Helpful
 Report
Ruffwyr
3.0 out of 5 stars Good plot but story dragged on places for me
Reviewed in the United States on April 10, 2017
Verified Purchase
3rd in this series I read I started with the last I one which I enjoyed. So I decided to read series from the beginning. I would read the rest of series of the kill off Donny. His character sets off to red flags of a controlling abusive person that I keep even though since reading the last book Molly will marry this jerk . She too smart to settle for him and spoiled over indulged cab do not wrong son . The p!it was good just felt this book drug its heals got bored with it and skip read parts
Helpful
 Report
K. Amsden
5.0 out of 5 stars Fun read!
Reviewed in the United States on May 2, 2016
Another fun book from Frankie Bow. The writing is clever and very entertaining. I find the main characters (Molly, Emma, Pat) quirky and likable.
One person found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Nana Says
4.0 out of 5 stars A Delightful Book
Reviewed in the United States on September 6, 2016
The Cursed Canoe by Frankie Bow is Volume 2 in the Molly Barda Mysteries. I have not read the first and found this worked well as a stand alone. The Cursed Canoe is set on and around Hawaii's Mahina State University and many of our characters are faculty or students. Our main character, Molly, is a professor of Business.

Our plot revolves around the death of one of the students who rowed on the canoe team. What initially appears to be an accident begins to looks suspicious. This is not a heavy suspense-filled story line with a culprit around every corner. The plot is a bit loose with no detectives, police or any official investigation. There is not even a body. The investigation, such that it is, is pursued by Molly and a part-time Professor/Full-time Blogger, Pat. It does come with twists and turns, clues and plenty of opportunity for reader to try and solve.

Bow gave us original flavor in her characters and her storyline. She did a good job developing her Molly’s character. It would have been nice to have more insight into some of the other characters. I enjoyed the mixture of suspense, drama with a bit of romance and comedy. This was my first Bow book to read. I was certainly not disappointed. She was clearly written, well paced and the storyline flowed easily. In particular I found the storyline relating the personalities and inner workings of the academic world to be interesting.

I whole heartedly recommend this book. I would love to go back and read volume 1 of the Molly Barda mysteries and look forward to any future volumes. I was given an Advanced Reading Copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Helpful
 Report
Sarah Jackson
4.0 out of 5 stars I wasn't disappointed. Molly is a professor of business studies at ...
Reviewed in the United States on May 2, 2016
Okay, I have to admit that I selected this book because of the title. It's a hard one to pass up on! I wasn't disappointed.

Molly is a professor of business studies at a small Hawaiian University, Mahina State. Thanks to a rigorous program of Student Retention strategies, the struggling university seems to have excellent completions and graduate employment rates, a requirement for government funding. When Molly attends a practice session of her friend and colleague's out-rigger canoe team, she is shocked to witness a bizarre accident. Kathy Banks, Student Retention Officer, collapses in the canoe, causes unknown, and is declared "dead" by local media three days later. Kathy appears to have no history prior to her arrival on the island, and more disturbingly there are no records of the 911 call relating to the accident. Molly is concerned that she has somehow caused the "voodoo death" of Kathy by wishing harm on her. She and her colleagues Emily and Pat investigate the murder and attempt to uncover the corruptions within the university.

I really enjoyed this book. It has plenty of believable characters, funny moments, and a twist in the tail. As a former employee of the University sector (including at an institution of similar size to the one described) I could totally relate to the excessive paperwork, and the need to manipulate statistics to put the institution in the best light. I look forward to reading the second book in the series.

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.
2 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Report an issue

Does this item contain inappropriate content?
Report
Do you believe that this item violates a copyright?
Report
Does this item contain quality or formatting issues?
Report