Arsenic and Adobo by Mia P. Manansala
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Arsenic and Adobo is a great start to a new Cozy Mystery series. After reading this, I can confidently say, I’m here for the long haul.
Keep ’em coming, please, Mia P. Manansala!!!
Following a bad breakup, Lila Macapagal moves back home to lick her wounds and try to put the pieces of her life back together.
Additionally, her family needs some help. Her Aunt’s restaurant is floundering. Even though the food is incredible, the business-side is tanking. Her Auntie never focuses on those details. Lila knows she can turn it around.
When Lila’s ex-boyfriend, Derek, a local food critic with a terrible reputation, shows up for dinner with their landlord, who also happens to be Derek’s step-father, Lila knows stuff is about to hit the fan.
However, she would never expect Derek to fall face first into his dessert. Dead, apparently poisoned. Now the police consider Lila to be their number one suspect.
As it seems all local law enforcement are wasting their time investigating Lila and her family, Lila knows she needs to get to the bottom of what happened to Derek herself. Her family had nothing to do with it, which means a killer is still out there.
Thus begins a super fun and witty amateur sleuthing trope. It’s no secret that I love Cozy Mysteries. I’ve read a few Culinary Cozy books in the past and this one definitely fits right in!
It’s silly, it’s over the top, fast-paced, funny and there’s a lot of delicious food on page.
I thought this was an excellent start to a new series. Manansala made me care for Lila and her loved ones. Cozy Mystery series tend to get better and better with time, as each one builds out the characters you come to adore. Trust me when I say, you can become quite attached.
I’m invested and already anticipating the next release in this series. That makes me a happy girl!
If you are Cozy fan, especially Culinary Cozies, you should absolutely give this one a shot. I’m so interested to see what crazy hijinks the Macapagal family gets up to next!!