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. the characters attitudes definitely werent my favorite (just didnt seem realistic honestly), but this book was still so entertaining and fun! In the tradition of Agatha Christie, Mia Manansalas debut novel has murder after murder, a large cast of suspects, an evil scheme and a police detective always one step behind the amateur sleuth. But Dereks not kidding around, and by the time Lila calls 911, its too late. Lila lets her run away without telling anyone, lets Nancy leave Shady Palms without telling anyone that she killed her husband since she just wants to start a new life away from the drama, Kevin directly caused his death, but Edwin had also been poisoning him slowly. Not just issue books that mine our pain and trauma (though those are hugely important), but stories where we get to fall in love, go on an adventure, solve a crime, find joy, etc. She's tasked with saving her Tita Rosie . She'd love to hear from you! 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. The lead detective hounding Lila casually informs her that the police have been tailing her and have her under surveillance. arsenic and adobo sounds SO good, and im sorry about the lack of concern from characters, because that doesnt sound ~great~ but im definitely going to pick this up for the entertainment sometime soon!! Mia P. Manansala, Arsenic and Adobo. <3, If there's one thing Filipino people are good at, it's showing up for other Filipinos' achievements. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. Also, it will make you very hungry for Filipino foodand then it delivers with recipes in the back! The restaurant's situation is only made worse when Derek Winter, a food critic and Lila's ex-boyfriend from high school, drops dead while dining there, shutting the restaurant down until it can be inspected and making Lila the lead suspect in a homicide investigation. 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. A few recipes in the back, which will send me on another hunt for pandan leaves. Beyond their aesthetic value, these spots serve any incoming tourist a swift, yet complete. I could learn and solve a mystery all at the same time, plus they revolved around food, predominantly Filipino. She uses humor (and murder) to explore aspects of the Filipino diaspora, queerness, and her millennial love for pop culture. lovely review , ahaana you definitely should!! I adored how Filipino this book is, with all its sayings, cultural references, and emphasis on family relationships, and loved how diverse Manansalas larger cast of characters is our main characters are all various shades of Brown and Yellow, with Adeena being a Pakistani Muslim lesbian and a love interest being half-Korean. Those conversations are hilarious. I was born in Manila but lived in a Chicago suburb as a child. While the pursuit of justice has long been one of her watchwords, she fully acknowledges that there, After the tumultuous, often horrifying events of the past few months, Detective Sergeant Jessica Niemi is glad to finally be at peace with her co-workers in the Helsinki Police Violent Crimes Unit, and especially with her demanding new boss, Superintendent Hellu Lappi. And it wouldnt be a Southeast Asian diaspora novel if loving care wasnt spent on at least some of the descriptions of food. Comment * document.getElementById("comment").setAttribute( "id", "ae50ccd3b91edae78040aecf1cacc80a" );document.getElementById("b5ad4eba3d").setAttribute( "id", "comment" ); Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. It is highly toxic in its inorganic form. Turns out that in the years she was away, Derek has turned into a huge jerk, writing scathing, unfair reviews of local restaurants, including her familys. I don't think the author had ill intent. In typical Filipino fashion, my aunt expressed her love not through words of encouragement or affectionate embraces, but through food. Being a cozy mystery, ARSENIC AND ADOBO is definitely not a mystery/thriller cut from the same cloth as books like SHARP OBJECTS by Gillian Flynn or AND THEN THERE WERE NONE by Agatha Christie its not nearly as rigorous in its accuracy (in terms of legal proceedings) or in establishing scenarios that feel grounded in reality; there were multiple points where I was left thinking, In what world would this actually happen?. i loved this question by the way; i hope you read ARSENIC AND ADOBO so im able to ask you for your thoughts on the topic as well! Combine 2 tbsp sugar, 1 tsp ground ginger, tsp cinnamon, and tsp cayenne. Arsenic and Adobo by Mia P. Manansala will appeal to fans of culinary cozy mysteries. 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. Derek just happens to be Lila's former high school boyfriend, and when he dies of food poisoning after eating "the Filipino culinary equivalent of hygge," Lila is the prime suspect. It's got a very classic Agatha Christie-ish set-up, with a large community of people who had a motive to kill the dead guy, plenty of red herrings, and every indication that its protagonist will become an amateur sleuth going forward. It is a deeply complex novel about a young woman who stands up for herself by finding the person that murdered her ex-boyfriend with arsenic, a potent chemical. The police are quick to accuse Lila for the murder, so she goes around town to investigate people whom Derek has wronged. I loved everything about this book, except for the mystery aspect of it, I just couldnt get invested. Mia P. Manansala Learn how your comment data is processed. Where I started having panic attacks when I thought about my future here. When Lila Macapagal moves back home to recover from a horrible breakup, her life seems to be following all the typical rom-com tropes. Next week, we head southeast to investigate disaster at a murder mystery wedding (!) Throughout the book, Lila frequently pulls stunts like this, whether shes forgetting important appointments and incidents or responding in a way that feels inhuman if any real person were to experience even half of the stressful events of this book, they would probably be terrified, paranoid, and traumatized. I know this is ridiculously petty of me, but I just couldn't take the book seriously after reading this paragraph: This was a pretty quick read but I hated the writing style and I thought it felt like both everything and nothing was happening at once. 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. Manansala is the perfect person to write this book. Lifestyle interviewed Manansala via email. Everyone felt like a real, vibrant person with important 21st-century concerns. These are not topics to laugh at, but ones I hope to approach with respect, despite the humor surrounding it. When I made them in my own kitchen, I tweaked them to my particular taste, and how I remember my dads food tasting. COZY MYSTERY | MYSTERY & DETECTIVE | Tenacity Required: A Review of "My Monticello". I hope we see more in this series because there are some unresolved relationships at the end of this! And because of that, you just get to go along for the ride of trying to figure out what really happened when Lila Macapagals ex-boyfriend Derek drops dead in front of her at her familys restaurant. ", Alone Together: A Review of Among the Hedges by Sara Mesa, The story is a simple frame, a moment in time, Dreamy in a Sinister Way: A Review of "Valleyesque". That theres great value in stories as entertainment, and people from historically excluded backgrounds deserve to see themselves in a wide spectrum of stories. Psychiatrist Ibrahim Arif and well-known political firebrand Ron Ritchie complete the group. I am friends with and work with a vastly diverse group of people in terms of class, sexuality, race/ethnicity, religion, ability, etc. The stories everyone is talking about, from the Oceanfront to Town Center. Derek was a notorious food critic in town who wrote harsh restaurant reviews of many restaurants, so Lila sets out to talk to restaurant owners he burned during his writing career. All three titles are available at Virginia Beach Public Library. it was definitely a ton of fun, thanks ashmita . Murder After Murder: A Review of Mia Manansala's Arsenic and Adobo May 6, 2021 at 7:00 am by L.D. Much of my perspective is shaped by the fact that I live in the US. With the family business in jeopardy and her own freedom on the line, Lila must do a little amateur sleuthingwith the help of her friends and relationsto figure out who really killed Derek. And why on earth was Vodyanov carrying Tempes own contact information? Have you ever been to a Filipino bakery? Born and raised in a Filipino immigrant family in Chicago, in a multigenerational home, she says, What I know of Filipino culture is based on the way my family operated and my experiences growing upI unfortunately wasnt part of a large Filipino community growing up, so everything Ive learned about our history, language, folklore, etc. This was really cute, and I loved the family in this book and learning more about the Filipino culture and the food, but I dont know if cozy mysteries are my thing. 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. Mia P. Manansala. 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. I've already double-downed and bought book two. When Lila Macapagal moves back home to recover from a horrible breakup, her life seems to be following all the typical rom-com tropes. i think that the symbolism is more pointed in LIKE WATER FOR CHOCOLATE (like when Tita cries while baking the wedding cake), whereas in ARSENIC AND ADOBO, food is more used to create a sense of comfort and familiarity and to give the characters something to bond over. The first book in a new culinary cozy series full of sharp humor and delectable dishes--one that might just be killer.. 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. This book is freaking gem!. I love mysteries and whodunits but in the past few years, Ive grown weary of all the violence and anxiety that accompany a lot of true crime or murder mysteries. Whisk dry ingredients in a medium bowl and set aside. Built with drug money on the grounds of a convent, Coopers Chase is a high-end development conceived by loathsome Ian Ventham and maintained by dangerous crook Tony Curran, whos about to be fired and replaced with wary but willing Bogdan Jankowski. Thanks for giving us a nudge to try it! Manansala just nails Lila, a very likeable protagonist as a snarky, stubborn but sincere 25-year-old. 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. 12 likes. The second book, Homicide And Halo-Halo, was published on February 8, 2022. But while ARSENIC AND ADOBO has moments that allow its small-town setting to shine and work in its favor, this book could be frustratingly inaccurate in its depictions of legal proceedings and crime investigation. In light of these issues, ARSENIC AND ADOBOs saving grace (in my eyes) is the fact that its wildly entertaining so entertaining and funny that I gave it a 3-star rating rather than a 2, despite all my complaints. Arsenic and Adobo Quotes Showing 1-30 of 60. Im trying to work up the courage to make kare-kare since its my favorite, but since my husband doesnt care for it, I mostly just get it from the local turo-turo restaurant. Sometimes the level of Filipino food and language made it slightly difficult because I had to focus intently to guess the meaning of something (or look it up in the definition section). while dishing up a delicious soup. So its a surprise to everyone when she requests a two-month leave of, Whitney Whitaker is a little surprised by her cousin Bucks latest suggestion for their property-flipping business. Tita Rosies Kitchen is, for the most part, complete fiction. It is an immensely popular subgenre brimming with colorful small towns. Showboat Medical Examiner Margot Heavner makes it clear that, breaking with her departments earlier practice (The Bone Collection, 2016, etc. Fraud. I really want to thank my sensitivity reader, a homeland Filipino reader, who not only helped me realize I needed to include that Authors Note but also provided me with the resources to share. If you enjoy Arsenic and Adobo, youre in luck, as it is the first in a series with the second installment set to come out in early 2022. The perfect rainy day read . You might also enjoy Death by Dumpling by Vivien Chen and A Deadly Inside Scoop by Abby Collette. The best part of this being a culinary cozy is that recipes for four of these delicious dishes were included! Which is a huge plus for this book), and also mentioned issues the family had with police in the past. (MINOR SPOILERS)This isnt the only area in which this book could be wildly unrealistic. Once there, she meets ex-boyfriend Derek Winter, who has become a notoriously nasty food vlogger and whose stepfather, Mr. Long, is not only the restaurants landlord but wants nothing more than to kick out their establishment. Not sure where to start? If you have, you know that they, not Disneyland, deserve to be named The Happiest Place(s) on Earth the sweet smell of freshly-made pandesal, little towers of hopia, and bright splashes of purple in various ube desserts are almost unmatched in their ability to bring me comfort and joy. A RUSA Award-winning novel! She went away to college in Chicago while he stayed home, but it is much more sinister than that. Arsenic and adobo . I mean A cute, cozy mystery with lots of food descriptions. As outlined byCozy-mystery.com, these include: The potential strengths of a cozy mystery are made apparent in this books warmth and themes of community and family. I also loved the Filipino American representation in this book, with Manansala allowing her main and side characters to be simultaneously smart, complicated, nurturing, protective, overbearing, and problematic, just as real people are. You know, the same Lila and family who are the primary suspects in the murder of her son. They feature an amateur sleuth, small town setting, crime or violence off-the-page, and oftentimes a device or gimmick, like a hobby, interest, or pet that becomes an important feature. I definitely found some recipes I'd like to try, and I loved the different tone the book set by introducing a new culture. I knew the restaurant would be central to the series, with people constantly hanging out, snacking, possibly even singing karaoke, so I needed a bigger space to work with. When Lila Macapagal moves back home to recover from a horrible breakup, her life seems to be following all the typical rom-com tropes. Mia P. Manansala does an amazing job of planting red herrings as the bodies pile up and the pressure rises on Lila to find a murderer without losing her own life. This is the first review by a non-Filipino that Ive seen! How oddly reassuring. Drug addiction. People are exposed to elevated levels of inorganic arsenic through drinking contaminated water, using contaminated water in food preparation and irrigation of food crops . After all, curmudgeonly Derek isnt even a real reviewer; hes just a local boyturnedman with a computer and a chip on his shoulder from his breakup with Lila years ago. For diaspora and immigrant kids, its never as straightforward as simply going away for college we tend to feel (or are made to feel) like were abandoning our families, leaving them behind for the sake of our own self-discovery; we also often feel resentment toward this guilt, wondering why its so wrong for us to want to physically escape our families sky-high expectations and create lives for ourselves. THRILLER | The book is dedicated to my dad, who passed away at the end of 2018, she explains. In this story, there is very little emotional reaction to any of the crimes committed, and that lack of emotional resonance gets weirder and weirder as the plot progresses. That. cant wait for the rest of the series. Congrats for Goodreads Choice Awards nomination! This cozy mystery is well-paced, told from the point-of-view of Lila, and will have you guessing to the very end. Were curious; how do you think the story compares to Like Water for Chocolate in its use of food as metaphor? ARSENIC AND ADOBO was a fun listen we give 3 stars. Arsenic and Adobo is a suspense-filled story about a college-aged Filipino woman named Lila who returns to her hometown to help her family's restaurant business, only for her ex-boyfriend to die in said restaurant while interacting with her.Not an ideal situation. The initial scenes from Lilas perspective were immediately engaging. Derek just happens to be Lila's former high school boyfriend, and when he dies of food poisoning after eating "the Filipino culinary equivalent of hygge," Lila is the prime suspect. Were not a monolith. Whenever disaster strikes, Lilas friends, non-blood-related cousins, and ninangs come to the rescue, a well of love and devotion constantly overflowing. Right after a body is found (as in, within an hour or so) two direct relatives of the deceased arrive at Lila and Tita Rosies house to spend the night. You can also subscribe without commenting. Mia P. Manansala is a book coach and the author of ARSENIC AND ADOBO (Berkley 2021), the first in the Tita Rosie's Kitchen Mystery series. (I may have come to find out who committed the murder, but I left with a recipe for ube crinkle cookies.) You know how in some stories, a character will die and theres no real mourning, or any emotional fallout for the family and friends? Yeah. Richard Osman 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. character in the book who is able to fill in all of the blanks, thus enabling the amateur sleuth to solve the case. (, Although the cozy mystery sleuth is usually not a medical examiner, detective, or police officer, a lot of times her best friend, husband, or significant other is. Give this series a chance! This would never happen; at the absolute least, the police would be questioning and taking statements from them, and they would need to sort out logistical issues surrounding the body. Its like the dead character dissolves instantly, like a vanquished NPC in a video game? There was a palpable absence of grief, too, which bothered me the longer I read. this was such a fun small town cozy mystery!! Its done when a knife or chopstick inserted in the middle comes out clean. After years as a London barrister and family court judge, shes finally putting together her application for Crown Court judgeship, the pinnacle of her career ambitions. Here are excerpts: Culinary cozies, which are light, humorous mysteries centered around food, are hugely popular, and my mom and I absolutely love them. Arsenic and Adobo, published on May 4, 2021, is the first book in a series of mysteries by Mia P. Manansala, collectively titled "A Tita Rosie's Kitchen Mystery". Food was how she communicated. *Dont have access to instant salabat mix? Lila may be a very inconsistent and inept investigator, but she is a fun person to listen to. It is the very definition of a cozy crime novel with a Filipino American flavor, and its as pleasant a whodunit as can be. And no one thinks this is weird. Police corruption. Arsenic and Adobo By Mia P. Manansala Berkley, 336 pages. Dead character dissolves instantly, like a real, vibrant person with important 21st-century concerns in: are. Was Vodyanov carrying Tempes own contact information hunt for pandan leaves is processed real, vibrant person with important concerns! You are commenting using your WordPress.com account and murder ) to explore aspects of the blanks, thus enabling amateur! To solve the case in a new culinary cozy is that recipes for four of these dishes. To recover from a horrible breakup, her life seems to be all. 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Out who committed the murder, so she goes around town to investigate disaster at murder. Popular subgenre brimming with colorful small towns perspective is shaped by the time Lila calls 911, too!