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A review by kimdavishb
Barbacoa, Bomba, and Betrayal by Raquel V. Reyes
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.
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.