Arsenic and Adobo

screams in defense attorney

Girl, you are CHARGED WITH MURDER AND DRUG TRAFFICKING, what in the hell are you doing talking to the detective at all, let alone without your attorney there, and why are you giving him information and comparing notes on all the other murders? He thinks you did it, he is not on your side. Also, a private citizen cannot "press charges" on a detective for harassment, filing a civil suit is not the same as supporting criminal charges, jail is not the same as prison, and the acknowledgments mention someone reviewing this for the legal aspects, but ... yikes.

This is probably a perfectly fine book if you don't know that much about the legal system, but unfortunately for me, I do and I can't turn that part of my brain off. Maybe mysteries just aren't for me. I did enjoy the characters and the diversity (and all the food descriptions were delicious), and the cover is delightful, but this was a miss for me.

It took me forever to get through this book, partly because I listened to the audiobook. I fell in love with the cover and unfortunately I didn't enjoy the story as much as I anticipated. At first I thought this was going to be a good whodunnit, but it felt stretched out and the ending was confusing. I had a hard time liking the main character. I didn't dislike her, but I didn't like her either.

It was cool to hear about recipes and Filipino dishes, but it was overkill. I feel like the book could have been shortened and it would have been more enjoyable If some of the recipes were cut short, or taken out.

Also, it's strange how none of the characters seem bothered by death and crime throughout the story. I feel like the author half-heartedly put together a story without much effort. The detective was unrealistic, her own investigations were simple and rushed and this book was a disappointment.

Once we found out who killed Derek and why, It kind of sunk the ship for me. Once again, I feel like the author rushed to wrap up the story. The food and recipes were basically the main focus. It's almost like the murder storyline was thrown in.

I wanted to like this, but I'm happy it's over. Maybe it felt dragged out because I decided to go the audio route.

This was the perfect cozy mystery. I loved the atmosphere in this book and while cozies still deal with murder and darker topics, something about them makes me feel so warm and “cozy” on the inside.

I love how this started off very rom-comy: cheated by long time boyfriend so she left to start fresh. She is then summoned back by her aunt to help run her family's restaurant. Back in her hometown is her her ex who has since turned into a rude food critic who constantly slanders local restaurants, including her family's. But this book quickly turns sour when the ex-boyfriend dies from poising after eating at their restaurant.

Seeing Lila's relationships with other characters in the book especially her family, was so lovely. I am not from a household that has any strong culture in it so it was really interesting to see how culture can seep into every aspect of a family. Being immersed in the Filipino culture in this book was just so amazing! I also loved her best friend and the other side characters. Some love interests were also introduced which always makes me 1000x more interested lol.

This book shined with its food descriptions from Sushi at a Japanese restaurant to American BBQ, Mexican dishes, and amazing Filipino recipes. Lila also loved to bake and her best friend worked at a coffee house next door so every food imaginable is in this mystery.

I never saw the end coming and the plot twists in this book were so perfectly planned, that everything made sense, had phenomenal timing, and were genuinely shocking. There were so many that had me reeling from surprise which is what a cozy mystery needs to do. If it can't shock you but also make sense, then it isn't doing something right.

I think a lot of people aren't as big of a fan because this is their first cozy mystery and they're more used to thrillers but I already had a bit of experience in the genre and knew what to expect going in which made me like it a lot more. I would highly recommend this novel if going in you understand this isn't a traditional thriller that's going to scare you or make your heart pound. It'll make you feel cozy while having a splash of murder.

Thank you to Berkley Publishing, Mia P. Manansala, and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars. I was pretty excited for this one because I've been discovering a newfound love for Filipino food and this is probably the first book I've read with a Filipino family in the foreground. The beginning started off a little choppy and rough and I've been burnt by contemporary chick lit mysteries recently so I was really afraid I wouldn't enjoy it much, but tbh it improved upon further reading and I got really engaged by the end.

Let's start off with what I liked about it. Being from an Asian family living in Asia, the protagonist Lila's family is incredibly relatable with their “family first” values, their emphasis on hospitality, that community spirit, and the very real obsession with food. I live in Singapore, where there's a big enough population of Filipinos to make this book feel pretty close to home. I liked that the book actually had an emphasis on all kinds of food, mostly Filipino but really any food and beverage gets their spotlight in here. It certainly made me hungry. This is in contrast to some other entries in the same genre that are supposedly food-centric but which barely featured food at all except for the protagonist having something remotely to do with a restaurant.

The writing in here was generally entertaining and light enough, and the mystery wasn't just a touch-and-go thing. It was complex and I liked the pacing of revelations. The solution was enough of a twist for me too - At some point halfway through the book, I suspected everyone except Kevin. I even vividly remember thinking to myself: I like Kevin. It can't be Kevin. Welp. Kudos to the author for managing to mislead me. The cast of characters were also distinct enough from each other to be memorable, and a good number of them had enough motive and sus-ness for me to be unclear about who the murderer could possibly be.

What I didn't like about it. There were some moments in the book that just seemed a bit too wild for belief, even if I wanted to suspend my disbelief for what is obviously supposed to be a light-hearted mystery. This was especially whenever Lila had anything to do with the local police. She was constantly uncooperative, angry, and said a lot of questionable things in front of them and just not doing herself any favours. And she doesn't get why the detective finds her suspicious? Most of these moments are clustered around the beginning few chapters though (like when a guy (and not just any guy, actually Lila's on-and-off-again boyfriend who she just broke up) literally just falls dead in their restaurant and then Lila is more concerned about how her makeup is going to look in front of a news crew?), so after you get past the first 20-30%, the story, action, and mystery definitely gets going. There were also some plot developments that seemed a little too convenient, like Adeena's very sudden decision to give Lila the cold shoulder over Amir when neither of them have actually done anything? Sure, they may have sparks flying between them, but that's not a new development in their relationship, and Adeena had seemed perfectly fine with the both of them hanging out since the very beginning of the book.

Overall though, I quite enjoyed my time with this one and I'd recommend it for anyone who loves a light-hearted cosy mystery, especially if you love food too. Time to go find your nearest Filipino restaurant!

I love the small Midwestern town setting. We meet so many characters, most of them wonderful. I really enjoyed getting to know them. The mystery was twisty and well plotted. There is a good pace and organization to Lila's questioning. The clues are laid out well. The detective is well written, not bumbling or rude and not sharing too much. There are definitely uncomfortable parts when we think they will lose their restaurant. The author does not shy away from reality in the way several characters are treated. We get a good amount of food descriptions from all different backgrounds. It looks like there is a love triangle being set up. I'm not fond of that, but there is a lots of room to turn from that before it gets annoying. That is a small complaint that is just my personal preference.

It's an okay mystery novel. Not too complicated, in fact the investigation seemed to get sidelined a lot, regardless of possibly high stakes for the MC.

I think the book suffers from a lack of focus because it tries to be multiple things at once. It's supposed to be a cozy murder mystery with a dash of romcom but IMO, it fails to grasp both because of the main character.

Because, I swear, the main character annoys me so much. She comes across as self absorbed, unnecessarily antagonistic and highly suspicious where she doesn't need to be and too careless when she needs to. And unfortunately, to me, she had little redeeming qualities by the end aside from, having a conscience. Her inner monologues are so aggravating with a constant effort to seem quirky and different. She also has a weirdly nonchalant reaction to all the violence surrounding her while her reasons for being distrustful of police and resentment of people involved with drugs is glossed over. Giving the character that depth, would probably help her be more sympathetic

The mystery...gets solved, but not by excellent amateur sleuthing but a conveniently timed clue drop from another source. I maintain that it was Adeena who solved the mystery. It was also disappointing to guess the killer right, because of minor political commentary that just led me to believe, none of the POCs are suspects for sure. Instead of well set up reveal.

Still, this is a cozy mystery after all and for what it's worth, it is a cozy read. The descriptions of food was honestly making me
hungry, too bad it's interspersed by Lila's gripes and honestly, I think she'd rather focus on the food rather than oh I don't know, finding clues to clear her name, her family's name and get their business back. For how much is at stake, she definitely was at her leisure while trying to solve the case. Which makes me think, cozy mysteries probably work better if the sleuth is not the suspect at the same time.

As it is, as much as I marginally like some of the characters, I dislike the MC too much to bother reading the rest of the series. It would be a good read if you're looking for something relaxing and if like Lila, you don't really want to take the murder mystery too seriously.

About the romance, I secretly hope none of the guys end up with Lila bc oh boy, she gets weirdly hostile towards Amir, who has been helping her out (They didn't say if they were actually paying him for his services, likely not) only for her to say that they actually like each other then suddenly seem to pin their reluctance to be together on Adeena. And her attraction to Jae seems to be on the shallow side. Too bad, because both boys seem nice. Also, why does it seem like everybody is just SO in love with her? I fail to see why based on her characterization.  Let's just hope Lila actually feels pressure from all the murder, despite continuosly forgetting calling or meeting with people with info that could help her, and that would explain her scattered emotions about these two. It would have been better if the book just totally commits to the absurdity. Similar to how the old Clue movie was a comedy murder mystery, characters still feel the gravity of the situation, panic, investigate, makes mistakes and in fact blunders their way through as the murders pile up and manages to stay funny simply because of how absurd the situation is. Another example is an old filipino film called Cross My Heart, where the cozy vibes of filipino food is maintained but moves away from that a short while when things became semi serious and the main cast gets kidnapped, where because of established characterization, the humor and absurdity carries throughout the movie until its conclusion.

An enjoyable and lighthearted mystery. The books in the genre I typically read tend to lean toward the darker side so I wasn't sure if I'd like a murder story with a quirky air surrounding it. I was pleasantly surprised. I loved Lila's family especially. I wanted to be a part of it. And the food! A book hasn't made me so hungry since I read The Tuscan Child. The best part is that there are a handful of recipes at the back of the book. I've never read a fiction book with that kind of bonus before. I can't wait to try them!

wasn't a fan of this at all. characters were annoying, didn't like the writing, predictable with “who did it” .. i probably won't read anything by this author because a number of things bothered me with this book. only pro is there's recipes in the back of the book & i enjoy cooking. only reason for a star 

A cozy mystery about restaurant owners.
I liked it. I liked the insight to the Philippinian culture, I liked the many different cultures in this book, the diversity, and the family feeling. Everyone was so nice. I felt good after having finished it.
The villain was pretty awful, but a bit two-dimensional. I would also have wanted to know what happened with the whatshisname guy. Nevertheless, a nice, quick read.

This book was really an interesting blend for me. Was it a good mystery? Not really. Was it realistic? Also no. But it was so cute and fun and food-focused that even though it was kind of a silly read, I found myself getting through it quickly and enjoying the descriptions and the drama. Quirky and culturally interesting, which is what my rating is weighted on.

Lila is moving back home to her small town to help her auntie with the family restaurant and get away from her failed relationship. Her former high school sweetheart has turned into a nasty food blogger and while at her restaurant he dies right in front of her, face down in the food. Such bad table manners.

Didn’t love this, felt that some proper sleuthing was missing and it was a little slow. And there’s a cute dachshund on the cover but the dog is barely in the story, why write a dog into the story if it’s not actually in the story? Felt robbed. But there were some things I liked so I might give the second book a chance.

... a charming read, despite certain issues with the character development. The mystery isn???t all that complicated, but it does manage to keep the reader in suspense until the latter fourth, which is a lot more than some more ???serious??? mystery novels can manage to do. But what really distinguishes this novel is how it portrays the Filipino diaspora.The food might be front-and-center in this novel, but I think it???s  less important than how the novel tackles concepts like utang na loob, and how minorities must deal with crimes committed against them and their communities by white people. I???m quite pleased that I chose this as my first true introduction to cozy mysteries, and I am looking forward to reading more in the series.

Full review here:  wp.me/p21txV-Ls