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thephdivabooks's review against another edition
5.0
One of the best cozy mystery series on the market!
Plot and Setting
Arsenic and Adobo is set in the small, quaint town of Shady Palms, IL. Lila Macapagal had left town to become a chef (and found a particular knack for baking) and had worked at a restaurant in Chicago until going through a rough break up. With no job or partner, she moves home to help her Tita Rosie at her Filipino restaurant in Shady Palms.
Lila was raised mostly by her Tita Rosie and grandmother Lola Flor after her mother passed away when she was younger. When her ex-boyfriend and popular food blogger Derek Winters shows up to Tita Rosie’s Kitchen, everyone is on edge knowing that he continues to slam the restaurant in his column (despite frequently dining there and enjoying his food). To make matters worse, he is with his stepfather Mr. Long, the landlord for the restaurant who reminds them they are late on their rent.
When Derek winds up face down in a plate of Tita Rosie’s delicious food, dead of an apparent poisoning, things at Tita Rosie’s Kitchen really heat up—and not in a good way! While the restaurant is closed pending investigation into arsenic discovered in the kitchen, Lila knows it is up to her to prove the innocence of herself and save the reputation of Tita Rosie’s restaurant.
Along with her resourceful best friend Adeena, her attorney brother, Amir, and the handsome brother of Detective Park, Jae, Lila goes all in on detective work while de-stressing with a bit of Filipino baking for the café. Can she find out who killed Derek before it’s too late?
Review
Lila as a main character is courageous and a fantastic friend. She is working at her Tita Rosie’s kitchen but since that closes after the murder, she’s in a unique position to sleuth as her fulltime gig. What I liked about this was that it meant she was proactively seeking information, finding clues, and learning more about suspects. Sometimes cozy mysteries can feel like the lead just stumbles across information in their life, but Lila is a bright, persistent sleuth looking for the truth.
I also felt that the author introduced more discussion of mental health in Lila than is common in these books. While it isn’t a central plot in the book by any means, it is woven into Lila’s backstory. When Lila talks about leaving Shady Pines and breaking up with Derek when she was eighteen, she says:
“It got to the point where I felt like I couldn’t breathe. Where I started having panic attacks when I thought about my future here. Why was it selfish to try to save myself? Even now, the thought of staying here forever felt like a hand squeezing me tighter and tighter—this phantom hand molding me into the shape everyone else wanted me to be.”
This book is kind of like a warm hug. Cozy mystery series do tend to have a theme and the theme of Tita Rosie’s Kitchen Mysteries is food. Lila and her family are Filipino and the description and presence of food and culture throughout the book are like a warm hug. I have had the pleasure of trying Filipino food since I live in an area with authentic restaurants, but I feel like none of them have quite the charm of Tita Rosie’s.
I loved how the author talks about food as communication. Though Lila brings this up in regards to her Tita Rosie, I also found it to be true of Lila. She is becoming more confident in her cooking and baking in particular after being made to feel less than by her ex-boyfriend.
Another wonderful aspect to the book is the theme of community and family. Though many of Lila’s Aunties aren’t blood relatives, they all come together in any time of crisis. Lila realizes throughout the book that she has this network of people who care for her.
In terms of the mystery, I loved seeing how the clues came together. Lila was persistent in chasing down leads and trying to understand more about what happened. Because Derek seemed to be intentionally targeting certain food establishments (thereby giving their owners motive), we also got to know many of the restaurants in town and people who work in them as Lila goes to each to see if they could be responsible for the poisoning.
I also liked how there were clues throughout that came together in the end, and there was a little bit of heart-pounding suspense in the final reveal that gave weight to whodunnit of it all. For a cozy mystery, this was hard to put down (which is rare for this genre). A compelling story with characters I want to come back to as the series goes on!
Plot and Setting
Arsenic and Adobo is set in the small, quaint town of Shady Palms, IL. Lila Macapagal had left town to become a chef (and found a particular knack for baking) and had worked at a restaurant in Chicago until going through a rough break up. With no job or partner, she moves home to help her Tita Rosie at her Filipino restaurant in Shady Palms.
Lila was raised mostly by her Tita Rosie and grandmother Lola Flor after her mother passed away when she was younger. When her ex-boyfriend and popular food blogger Derek Winters shows up to Tita Rosie’s Kitchen, everyone is on edge knowing that he continues to slam the restaurant in his column (despite frequently dining there and enjoying his food). To make matters worse, he is with his stepfather Mr. Long, the landlord for the restaurant who reminds them they are late on their rent.
When Derek winds up face down in a plate of Tita Rosie’s delicious food, dead of an apparent poisoning, things at Tita Rosie’s Kitchen really heat up—and not in a good way! While the restaurant is closed pending investigation into arsenic discovered in the kitchen, Lila knows it is up to her to prove the innocence of herself and save the reputation of Tita Rosie’s restaurant.
Along with her resourceful best friend Adeena, her attorney brother, Amir, and the handsome brother of Detective Park, Jae, Lila goes all in on detective work while de-stressing with a bit of Filipino baking for the café. Can she find out who killed Derek before it’s too late?
Review
Lila as a main character is courageous and a fantastic friend. She is working at her Tita Rosie’s kitchen but since that closes after the murder, she’s in a unique position to sleuth as her fulltime gig. What I liked about this was that it meant she was proactively seeking information, finding clues, and learning more about suspects. Sometimes cozy mysteries can feel like the lead just stumbles across information in their life, but Lila is a bright, persistent sleuth looking for the truth.
I also felt that the author introduced more discussion of mental health in Lila than is common in these books. While it isn’t a central plot in the book by any means, it is woven into Lila’s backstory. When Lila talks about leaving Shady Pines and breaking up with Derek when she was eighteen, she says:
“It got to the point where I felt like I couldn’t breathe. Where I started having panic attacks when I thought about my future here. Why was it selfish to try to save myself? Even now, the thought of staying here forever felt like a hand squeezing me tighter and tighter—this phantom hand molding me into the shape everyone else wanted me to be.”
This book is kind of like a warm hug. Cozy mystery series do tend to have a theme and the theme of Tita Rosie’s Kitchen Mysteries is food. Lila and her family are Filipino and the description and presence of food and culture throughout the book are like a warm hug. I have had the pleasure of trying Filipino food since I live in an area with authentic restaurants, but I feel like none of them have quite the charm of Tita Rosie’s.
I loved how the author talks about food as communication. Though Lila brings this up in regards to her Tita Rosie, I also found it to be true of Lila. She is becoming more confident in her cooking and baking in particular after being made to feel less than by her ex-boyfriend.
Another wonderful aspect to the book is the theme of community and family. Though many of Lila’s Aunties aren’t blood relatives, they all come together in any time of crisis. Lila realizes throughout the book that she has this network of people who care for her.
In terms of the mystery, I loved seeing how the clues came together. Lila was persistent in chasing down leads and trying to understand more about what happened. Because Derek seemed to be intentionally targeting certain food establishments (thereby giving their owners motive), we also got to know many of the restaurants in town and people who work in them as Lila goes to each to see if they could be responsible for the poisoning.
I also liked how there were clues throughout that came together in the end, and there was a little bit of heart-pounding suspense in the final reveal that gave weight to whodunnit of it all. For a cozy mystery, this was hard to put down (which is rare for this genre). A compelling story with characters I want to come back to as the series goes on!
redhunter's review
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
barefootsong's review
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? No
3.5
logikitty's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
5.0
Absolutely culturally accurate for a second gen diaspora Filipina 💜
chronicallymel's review against another edition
4.0
One of my favorite cozy mysteries I've read in a while
mssminga's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
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? It's complicated
3.0
ndarlucio's review against another edition
3.0
Alright, this is my second book this year and it’s another unfinished trilogy. I can say I am unimpressed with my decisions but here I am already done with the first book with no second or third book to divulge in. Anyway—
First of, the book reminded me so much of “The Boy Toy” since it features a lot of cultural aspects. In this case, you will be embarking a wonderful journey in Filipino cuisine, as well as the infamous familial jabs you will experience throughout your life. I can say the cultural aspect of this book is spot on. 60% of the book talked about food, which can be troublesome at times since it will make you hungry. But, comparing it to a book tackling culture, this is rather a unique take on it. You will definitely learn a lot, including a handful of Filipino curses.
Plot wise, the book is okay. Nearing the end, I already knew what was about to go down and it did not feel as satisfying as I expected it to be. Maybe because lila wasn’t the perfect protagonist? Or that she makes very questionable decisions in her life? But one thing’s for sure, dreams and family is a hard mix to perfect. It’s never easy trying to juggle what to prioritize, yourself or the people around you.
A great cozy mystery book to read whenever you feel like you need to spice up your book journey. Plus, it’s written by a Filipina! If you are (a filipino) as well, you will find yourself relating to many parts of the book (Hopefully not the murder part….)
P.S. - the book includes recipes in the end!
“It’s how I knew I wanted a place of my own someday, rather than running someone else’s dream”
First of, the book reminded me so much of “The Boy Toy” since it features a lot of cultural aspects. In this case, you will be embarking a wonderful journey in Filipino cuisine, as well as the infamous familial jabs you will experience throughout your life. I can say the cultural aspect of this book is spot on. 60% of the book talked about food, which can be troublesome at times since it will make you hungry. But, comparing it to a book tackling culture, this is rather a unique take on it. You will definitely learn a lot, including a handful of Filipino curses.
Plot wise, the book is okay. Nearing the end, I already knew what was about to go down and it did not feel as satisfying as I expected it to be. Maybe because lila wasn’t the perfect protagonist? Or that she makes very questionable decisions in her life? But one thing’s for sure, dreams and family is a hard mix to perfect. It’s never easy trying to juggle what to prioritize, yourself or the people around you.
A great cozy mystery book to read whenever you feel like you need to spice up your book journey. Plus, it’s written by a Filipina! If you are (a filipino) as well, you will find yourself relating to many parts of the book (Hopefully not the murder part….)
P.S. - the book includes recipes in the end!
“It’s how I knew I wanted a place of my own someday, rather than running someone else’s dream”