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beth_s98's review against another edition
emotional
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
This was a fun, easy mystery with a few super tense moments. I loved the cast of characters!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Addiction
Minor: Drug abuse, Bullying, and Drug use
churrocaitie's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
What a cozy, wholesome story of the importance of family and community - with a zest of murder mystery! Such a great and fun read, I thoroughly enjoyed this one. Most the time I prefer to read books that allow me to enjoy the characters and wonder “what happens next” and this book gave me all that and more. And I absolutely adore how much “love” that Mia Manansala writes into her stories with the use of food. Food is a way of culture and care in many cultures, and Manansala used it beautifully in this story. I loved every second of it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
Moderate: Fatphobia, Grief, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Murder, Drug abuse, Addiction, Drug use, and Gaslighting
Minor: Bullying
emily_mh's review against another edition
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
This was enjoyable and entertaining, which is all I really ask of a “cosy mystery”. I was really pleasantly surprised that this one went deeper by bringing in a complicated family dynamic: Lila felt a lot of tension over wanting to support her elders in thanks for their sacrifices, while also wanting to be independent and do her own thing. I also love how much food was centred in the story. It was mouthwatering to read about and themed the narrative well.
The plot itself was investigation-focussed with multiple avenues being explored at once, which was fantastic for me as it drove the story and also meant I could speculate and form different theories. The resolution ended up being well-suited.
The characterisation was excellent. This book has a large cast but each character felt distinct, including Lila the MC who was stubborn, loving, and confused about what she wanted. She was a realistic depiction of a 25 year-old, as someone who is very nearly 25. I do think that her character development could have been better realised, though, as it felt a little quick.
I have two other criticisms. The first is that the romance (in the form of a love triangle) was totally unnecessary, and there was also no chemistry whatsoever with either LI. The second is that Lila was smart enough to have figured out more of the mystery on her own, but instead we got a little villain monologue.
But overall, as I said before, I enjoyed this read. I definitely want to continue with the series!
Rep: Filipina-American MC, Filipino-American SCs, Muslim Pakistani-American LI, biracial white/Korean-American LI, lesbian Muslim Pakistani-American SC, biracial white/Korean-American SC, sapphic Mexican-American SC, Black SC, Japanese-American SC
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder and Death
Moderate: Car accident, Drug abuse, Kidnapping, Infidelity, Violence, and Addiction
Minor: Body shaming, Medical content, Alcohol, Sexism, Bullying, Racism, Xenophobia, Panic attacks/disorders, Domestic abuse, Blood, Grief, Abandonment, Deportation, Ableism, Fatphobia, Alcoholism, Addiction, Misogyny, Colonisation, Death of parent, Vomit, Drug use, Hate crime, Gun violence, Homophobia, and Physical abuse
Major: medical emergency, false legal accusations Moderate: imprisonment, break-in Minor: loss of a loved one, gambling, police corruption, extortion, disordered eating, blackmail, sick loved onebubblegirl858's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
This book was an absolute delight to read. It was witty, mysterious, and made me soooo hungry! I just wanted to eat everything they talked about in the book. I really enjoyed how the plot unfolded and I cannot wait to read the next books. I need to know which man (if any) she ends up dating! I really enjoy small town mysteries and this one was comfy and family oriented while still being high stakes and being a murder mystery. It was a joy to read and I would recommend it to anyone looking for a fun read. Don’t read while you are hungry though! Unless you want to cook the recipes supplied in the back, which was such a great addition as well.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Murder, and Death
Moderate: Infidelity, Toxic relationship, Grief, Addiction, Drug abuse, Bullying, Drug use, and Death of parent
caramiaculpa's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Nice fluffy mystery.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Murder and Violence
Minor: Addiction, Bullying, Cursing, Death of parent, Drug abuse, and Domestic abuse
gem114's review against another edition
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Arsenic and Adobo is definitely a cozy mystery and is bound to make readers super hungry with its many amazing food descriptions.
Lila works in her family's Filipino restaurant, Tita Rosie's Kitchen, after returning home from Chicago to recover from a bad breakup. Unfortunately, Tita Rosie's Kitchen is facing its own hard times, and things only get worse when a food critic who has left negative reviews about the restaurant drops dead in his plate while eating lunch there. Lila, who dated the food critic in high school, becomes the prime suspect after it is discovered that there was poison in his food. To clear her and her family's name, Lila does some well-intentioned but ultimately dangerous sleuthing around town.
This was definitely the most lighthearted murder mystery I've ever read, and it took me a bit to adjust to that style! I had to keep reminding myself that there wouldn't be a story if characters responded to the murder and mayhem going on by staying home, grieving, and trying to process everything. 😅
I'm definitely going to continue the series by reading Homicide and Halo-Halo. And I'm also definitely going to seek out a Filipino restaurant to try out some of the dishes mentioned in the book.
Lila works in her family's Filipino restaurant, Tita Rosie's Kitchen, after returning home from Chicago to recover from a bad breakup. Unfortunately, Tita Rosie's Kitchen is facing its own hard times, and things only get worse when a food critic who has left negative reviews about the restaurant drops dead in his plate while eating lunch there. Lila, who dated the food critic in high school, becomes the prime suspect after it is discovered that there was poison in his food. To clear her and her family's name, Lila does some well-intentioned but ultimately dangerous sleuthing around town.
This was definitely the most lighthearted murder mystery I've ever read, and it took me a bit to adjust to that style! I had to keep reminding myself that there wouldn't be a story if characters responded to the murder and mayhem going on by staying home, grieving, and trying to process everything. 😅
I'm definitely going to continue the series by reading Homicide and Halo-Halo. And I'm also definitely going to seek out a Filipino restaurant to try out some of the dishes mentioned in the book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder and Blood
Minor: Bullying, Addiction, and Infidelity
fivecatsinacoat's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
This is a typical cozy mystery full of fun characters, recipes, murder (off-page), and a main character who gets themselves into ridiculous situations. I think I would have liked this audiobook more with a different narrator.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Drug abuse, Grief, Bullying, Death, Injury/Injury detail, and Violence
Moderate: Infidelity
Minor: Blood and Confinement
greatexpectations77's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Super cute and a nice light mystery. I've always been a fan of cooking mysteries (such a weird and wonderful niche of the mystery genre), and I'll be back for Ms. Manansala's tales and recipes.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Bullying, Drug use, Grief, Addiction, and Blood
Minor: Infidelity and Lesbophobia
meganpbennett's review against another edition
adventurous
informative
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I really enjoyed reading Arsenic and Adobo. It was a great series starter, and made me want Filipino food.
Lila has recently moved back to her small hometown, and is working at her Aunt's restaurant, serving traditional Filipino food, and wanting to experiment with fusion and new flavors. Her ex-boyfriend has become a restaurant critic, known for hammering a restaurant for a month or so with bad reviews. If this sounds like a Hallmark movie, it is. Just on Hallmark Movies and Mysteries, as he dies after eating at the restaurant. And, of course, her family are the prime suspects in his murder.
Arsenic and Adobo is a pretty standard cozy mystery, but it plays its tropes extremely well.
Lila has recently moved back to her small hometown, and is working at her Aunt's restaurant, serving traditional Filipino food, and wanting to experiment with fusion and new flavors. Her ex-boyfriend has become a restaurant critic, known for hammering a restaurant for a month or so with bad reviews. If this sounds like a Hallmark movie, it is. Just on Hallmark Movies and Mysteries, as he dies after eating at the restaurant. And, of course, her family are the prime suspects in his murder.
Arsenic and Adobo is a pretty standard cozy mystery, but it plays its tropes extremely well.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Death, Drug abuse, Violence, Blood, Drug use, and Fatphobia
Moderate: Police brutality, Xenophobia, Infidelity, and Bullying
theespressoedition's review
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Mmmm while I want to eat everything in this book (yay for being married to a Filipino who has his Lolo's recipes) I don't have a desire to read it again - bummer.
Some of this may have a little bit to do with the fact that I had recently read Dial A for Aunties and found it absolutely hilarious and the perfect "murder cover-up" story. This was a murder mystery, but it lacked the humor that I really sought in a more heavy book like this one. Instead, I found it to be a little bit too intense at times and the ending was a bit of a letdown.
There weren't any total shocks, which was a disappointment, considering how much time was spent on backstory and other seemingly unnecessary details (like an entire scene where the main character has to slowly eat cookies and wait for coffee - what??)
Overall, it was a fine book, just not super exhilarating. Oh well!
Some of this may have a little bit to do with the fact that I had recently read Dial A for Aunties and found it absolutely hilarious and the perfect "murder cover-up" story. This was a murder mystery, but it lacked the humor that I really sought in a more heavy book like this one. Instead, I found it to be a little bit too intense at times and the ending was a bit of a letdown.
There weren't any total shocks, which was a disappointment, considering how much time was spent on backstory and other seemingly unnecessary details (like an entire scene where the main character has to slowly eat cookies and wait for coffee - what??)
Overall, it was a fine book, just not super exhilarating. Oh well!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Death, Drug abuse, and Murder
Moderate: Toxic friendship and Toxic relationship