Even now, the thought of staying here forever felt like a hand squeezing me tighter and tighterthis phantom hand molding me into the shape everyone else wanted me to be.. Since law enforcement is treating Lila as the only suspect, she and . Arsenic and Adobo By Mia P. Manansala Berkley, 336 pages. It was exciting to have a mainstream book that reflected the culture in which I was raised. Arsenic and Adobo also exemplifies the value of Filipino American representation in new genres of literature. This would never happen; a cop would never tell a lead suspect that theyre being watched. The mounting evidence of ever more and ever worse skulduggery will pull Tempe deeper and deeper down what even she sees as a rabbit hole before she confronts a ringleader implicated in Drugs. Retrieve credentials. I really wanted to like this book and was really excited when it was offered by BOTM. Additionally, I really enjoyed the small-town setting because I was able to connect with Lilas complex feelings surrounding her hometown, from feeling frustrated with being called selfish for moving away after graduating high school to feeling guilty because shedoesfeel selfish for moving away. I kept reading because I wanted to know what had happened and who had done what to whom, but I also wanted to yell at the characters frequently. "In typical Filipino fashion, my aunt expressed her love not through words of encouragement or affectionate embraces, but through food. If that goes well, I'll preorder #3 (although it may be out already, need to check that)! Arson. But, the author seems to have some prejudices against diabetics that were upsetting to read. Her high-school ex-boyfriend, Derek Winter, comes by to lambast yet another dish in the restaurant but passes out and dies in the hospital. (MINOR SPOILERS)This isnt the only area in which this book could be wildly unrealistic. Hong Kong awaits you, Hong Kong Is Taking Massive Steps for the Resurgence of Its Tourism, Experts and real people agree: This cooking oil is good for you, Preservation Beyond Ceviche and Kinilaw: A New and Improved CEV Stands Tall, Exploring the Caffeine Scene in Makati: Our Top Caf Picks, 500 Days of Summer IRL: A Love Letter to The Villainized Friendzoners, The Whale, and What We Can Learn About Ourselves, The Good and the Bad: A Review of Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (Spoilers). While healing her wounds from a bad breakup, Lila Macapagal has moved back to the small town of Shady Palms, located somewhere south of Chicago, to assist her family of aging women who run Tita Rosies Kitchen.Much like Three Pines in Louise Pennys novels, you wont find the town on a map of Illinois, but you will swear that you have been there. He was the cook in the house, and it was from him that I learned how food can be someones love language.. 5 Reviews. I appreciated the dash of romance and the delightful banter involving the aunties, and look forward to the next book in the series! The portrayal of food is not just a character, but builds the characters, too. Much of my perspective is shaped by the fact that I live in the US. Same for mystery genre tropesI read so many crime fiction books and have been part of the crime fiction community for so long, I forget that not everyone has the same knowledge that I do about the genre. Lila asks the same questions over and over again, and despite us being handed an important piece of information at the 29% mark, she cant figure out how to work it into the case even though the reader is able to figure it out right away. Four residents of Coopers Chase, a British retirement village, compete with the police to solve a murder in this debut novel. Yet readers havent gotten two chapters into Arsenic and Adobo when Derek, served pork and chicken adobo, among other Pinoy dishes, hears these words from Lila: Oh, come on. For the most part, I thoroughly enjoyed the book. Police corruption. Shes even able to turn to and reconnect with old friends and rivals from high school; the fact that most of them are able to help her in her investigation makes it feel like an entire community is banding around her to prove her innocence, resulting in a read thats more heartfelt and comforting than it is disturbing or violent. As the story progressed, it seemed as though Lila was framed and setup time and again. I also appreciated that the potential seeds of future books and future conflicts were planted in subtle ways, such as the shifting and sometimes tense relationship between Lila and her best friend, who have a history that isnt explained in full. Thanks for the thorough review! Psychiatrist Ibrahim Arif and well-known political firebrand Ron Ritchie complete the group. My husband is Black. I now live in the Chicago suburbs. She'd love to hear from you! Deciding that her only option is to investigate the murder herself, she and her best friend, Adeena, set out to prove her innocence. Instead of being upset over her injury and stressing over it, she took it as an opportunity to demand that Kevin gives Adeena, her best friend who works at the coffee shop, a huge opportunity, and says, Oh, and I might need her to sneak out a little early for the next couple of weeks without you docking her pay. This would never happen. Why was it selfish to try to save myself? The novel explores how much people can get done when they act as a team. If youd like to receive updates in your inbox, visit our subscribe page and sign up for the content you crave! But Dereks not kidding around, and by the time Lila calls 911, its too late. Nenia I yeet my books back and forth Campbell. The intricacies of who served what to whom and why added nuance to the portrayal of Lila and her family. Different dishes and the serving of them is a complex code that reveals so much about cultural variations in hospitality. It took Manansala about a year and a half to finish the book, facing down all the rejections she had received in the past as well as keeping motivated after the death of her father. When he turns up for lunch with his stepfather one day, Lila is determined to grin and bear ituntil Derek falls face-first into a bowl of ginataang bilo-bilo on their table. Food is history. Thank you for reviewing this one, I had it on hold but Im too old to read books that require that much work. Maybe we just dont know enough about the food in the story to pick up on it, but we agree that in ARSENIC AND ADOBO the food is used for the comfort and connection it creates rather than symbolically like in LIKE WATER FOR CHOCOLATE. So I was thrilled to get an early look at Mia P. Manansala's debut, Arsenic and Adobo, a stand-out cozy mystery full of heart, the importance of home, and tons of good food. And because of the history of the US and its global power, its very easy to assume that the American perspective is a universal perspective. Food was how she found her place in the world. So to be able to correspond in an email interview was a rare opportunity to unravel the, Eye-catching views, sights, and attractions are vital to tourism. They charm Police Constable Donna De Freitas, who, visiting to give a talk on safety at Coopers Chase, finds the residents sharp as tacks. She went away to college in Chicago while he stayed home, but it is much more sinister than that. Richard Osman You know, the same Lila and family who are the primary suspects in the murder of her son. He has his eye on a three-bedroom, two-bath propertythe sweet spot for any house flipper, with its wide appeal to various house-hunting demographics. Adults: The Devils Hand: A Thriller by Jack Carr; Colleges Worth Your Money: A Guide to What Americas Top Schools Can Do For You by Andrew Belasco; Get Good With Money: Ten Simple Steps to Becoming Financially Whole by Tiffany Aliche, Teens: Off the Record by Camryn Garrett; Kate in Waiting by Becky Albertalli; The Darkness Outside Us by Eliot Schrefer, Juvenile: Who is Dwayne The Rock Johnson? by James Buckley; Orange is an Apricot, Green is a Tree Frog: Explore the Natural World Through Color by Estellon Pascale; Malaikas Surprise by Nadia L. Hohn, Picture Books: Hudson and Tallulah Take Sides by Anna Kang; We Listen to Our Bodies by Lydia Bowers; Coqu in the City by Nomar Perez, Entertainment DVD: Robertas Fitness for Kids, News of the World, Stray, TV Series DVD: Power Book II: Ghost Season 1, Umbrella Academy Season 1, Sesame Street Cool Counting Collection, Audiobook CD: The Anthropocene by John Green, Blackout by Dhonielle Clayton, Ahmed Azizs Epic Year by Nina Hamza, Downloadable audiobooks: Not a Happy Family by Shari Lapena, Everyone in This Room Will Someday Be Dead by Emily Austin, Mixed Plate by Jo Koy, E-books: She Who Became the Sun by Shelley Parker-Chan; The Coldest Case by Martin Walker; While We Were Dating by Jasmine Guillory, Hoopla Music: Sleep Fruits by Sleep Fruits Music, Retro Workout Jams by Various Artists, Therapy by Anne-Marie. To avoid spoilers, Ill be vague, but there weremultiplecrimes that the police outright accused Lila of committing when, in reality, they never wouldve been able to charge (or even legitimately suspect!) This was my first time reading a cozy mystery!! 4.0 105 Ratings; $11.99; $11.99; . Food was how she communicated. Have you seen our Books on Sale collection? This is a delightfully spicy take on banana bread, and it really does go perfectly with a nice cup of tea, especially ginger if you have it. The first in the Tita Rosie's Kitchen mystery series, it's about a young woman named Lila Macapagal whose life feels rather like a romantic comedy. SO many of the characters mention that he was in ill health and didn't take care of himself and must have died from diabetic complications. As a Filipino American who grew up in an immigrant family, my descriptions of food would not just be food porn (though its definitely that. The perfect rainy day read . Near the end of the book, the mother of the Original Dead Ex Boyfriend (Who Was Unfortunately Terrible) goes to her sons wake, then comes home to find her husband, stepdad to Original Dead Guy, murdered in their kitchen. All Rights Reserved. Food is survival. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. Arsenic and Adobo was a nominee in the Goodreads Awards a few years ago, and while I love cozies, I was so behind in so many series, I didn't take the chance. Im not a big fan of mystery/thrillers in which the reader is always a few steps ahead of the main character; I prefer when I feel like Im solving the case alongside them, feeling surprised and scared in the same moments they are. The lead detective hounding Lila casually informs her that the police have been tailing her and have her under surveillance. Mostly, she doesnt seem to care. Freaked out by All the Murder in the house, she decides tostay at Lilas familys home. When Derek shows up with his stepfather, Mr. Long, the restaurants landlord, Lila dreads serving them but cant resist trying out her latest dessert creation, ube crinkles, on them. If you've written a review for a romance that you think might interest the community or you'd like to rant and/or squee about a book, and you haven't published it elsewhere, please email Sarah. (LogOut/ by The third book, Blackmail And Bibingka, was published on October 4, 2022. Kidnapping. Lila Macapagal, smarting from a breakup in Chicago, returns home to tiny Shady Palms, Illinois, to help save her aunt Tita Rosies Filipino restaurant. But I did grow up with many close Filipino friends whose families treated me with nothing but love and care, whether they were feeding me the most wonderful food or gently teasing me about gaining weight, and I cherished getting to recognize aspects of their beloved titas and lolas in this book. 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