Reviews

Barbacoa, Bomba, and Betrayal by Raquel V. Reyes

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The third installment in the captivating Caribbean Kitchen Mystery series, Barbacoa, Bomba, and Betrayal by Raquel V. Reyes is a delightful culinary mystery. Readers are whisked away to the sun-soaked shores of the Caribbean, where flavours, secrets, and danger intertwine. For those who don’t know, my mother was born in Trinidad and my maternal side of the family (including grandparents) came to Canada in the 1960’s.

Meet Miriam Quiñones. She is a cooking show sensation and amateur sleuth. She has sand between her toes and a murderer hot on her heels. The story unfolds against the vibrant backdrop of Punta Cana and Old San Juan, where palm trees sway, and mysteries simmer.

Reyes had me from the first page! This author skillfully blends culinary delights, cultural richness, and suspense in this page-turner. If you're a foodie, a mystery lover, or just simply seeking an escape to an island paradise, this story promises a tantalizing journey through flavours and secrets.

Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for a temporary e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

minchowski's review against another edition

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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

3.0

kimdavishb's review

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5.0

BARBACOA, BOMBA, AND BETRAYAL is the third book in the Caribbean Kitchen Mysteries by Raquel V. Reyes. First off, the alluring beach location of tropical Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico made me want to book a flight right away. The author’s strong descriptive voice brought the locations and the festivities to life and the reader feels like they’re on vacation enjoying the sights, sounds, smells, and tastes alongside protagonist Miriam Quiñones-Smith, food anthropologist and TV food personality. I loved all the food references, both for the tantalizing descriptions of taste, but also for the history of the ingredients and dishes. I truly enjoyed that Miriam’s mother and father are a part of this newest mystery and she weaves in the possible sabotage of the vacation property they manage on Dominican Republic and murder in Puerto Rico. I wasn’t sure how the crimes and all the twisty subplots were related, but in the end, the threads of the story came together in one cohesive plot.

This isn’t your usual cozy mystery…there are segments on the history of the islands, plus the political ramifications of the colonization of the Caribbean, as well as wealthy investors pricing locals out of property. While included, I didn’t feel like it slowed down the pace of the book and instead gave an authentic look at the region. The Spanish language liberally included in the dialog added authenticity to the protagonist, her family, and friends. Starting out, it slowed me down, but as I got accustomed to it, it became easy enough to figure out what they were saying, both by Miriam giving a general translation or by context. I listened to the audio version of the book and the narrator, Frankie Corzo, did an admirable job bringing the words to life. She captured the accents and the different voice inflections, so I never felt lost over who was speaking. Thanks to Netgalley and Dreamscape Media for the opportunity to listen to an advance copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

mamim's review

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adventurous informative lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.5

yarydoll's review

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adventurous informative 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? No

4.75

blacksentai's review

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adventurous mysterious fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

The one where she goes to the DR to visit her parents.

smalltownbookmom's review against another edition

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3.0

Another entertaining installment in the Caribbean Kitchen cozy mystery series that sees heavily pregnant food historian turned television personality, Miriam traveling from Miami, to Punta Cana to Puerto Rico over the holidays. In turn she tries to track down the person messing with her parent's rental property, solve a murder and gets tied up in an undercover FBI operation.

Full of twists and tons of great food with recipes included and great on audio narrated by Frankie Corzo. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early audio copy in exchange for my honest review! Perfect for fans of the Tita Rosie's Kitchen Mystery series.