DNF. I really liked the premise but the writing did not work for me at all. It wouldn't be fair to the book if I finished reading and gave it a low rating.

Cozy mysteries might not be my thing.

I really wanted to like Arsenic and Adobo by Mia P. Manansala, and did enjoy the food descriptions, diversity, and family banter. I love learning about other cultures, and enjoy stories wrapped up in yummy food. Those aspects of the story were great!

There seemed to be a lack of engagement in relationships, and many things were left unexplained. It felt a bit murky and unresolved. I also didn’t love the constant repetition of “Should I wait for my lawyer?” followed quickly by answering all the police questions!

Sadly, this was a big miss for me. I seem to be in the minority, so make your own decision!

Thanks to Berkley for an advanced copy of this book.

This is a really fun cozy mystery. I LOVE the family dynamic in the story line and the Filipino culture and just wonderful. Everything about the food is just delish! This is the start to a wonderful new series that I can't wait to read more of! Thank you for the ARC!

SO GREAT to see some Asian American, specifically Filipino American, rep in a cozy!

Lila Macapagal is back in Shady Palms (just outside Chicago) to help her family shore up her Auntie's struggling restaurant when they’re suspected in the murder a local food blogger, who it just so happens, was Lila's high school boyfriend.

With her bestie Adeena in tow and Adeena’s brother acting as the family’s attorney, Lila does some amateur sleuthing herself to uncover the real killer. And there are many potential suspects who Derek crossed in Shady Palms.

Blackmail, cronyism, and drugs all play a role in the story, despite its overall light and fluffy tone. It’s a cozy, but it’s still crime fiction. And it’s also a culinary cozy, so expect lots of food.

The Fil-Am rep, food, and family dynamics are Arsenic and Adobo's biggest strength. It’s a fun read, but with perhaps TOO MANY suspects. I ended up skimming the final 25%, but I will say, I DIDN’T guess the killer before the reveal.

3.5 stars

When Lila moves home after a bad break-up to help out at the family restaurant she never expects her ex-boyfriend to drop dead after eating their food. Add in the fact that he and his step-father were trying to force the restaurant out of business, a pack of well-meaning aunties, her best friend's adorable lawyer brother, and her best friend wanting Lila to make good on their dream of opening up a coffee shop and Lila's life is spinning almost out of control. In order to have a life Lila needs to figure out why Derek died and what is going on in the town. A story of family and home and finding your place in it.

Oh my gulay! Let me start by thanking @berkeleypub & @netgalley for my advanced #gifted copy!

“I’m like an onion. Many layers, lots of flavor, and I provide incredible depth. Lucky for you all, I’m not as pungent.” - Adeena

I saw the author posted “I want books that feature people like me” and I really felt that. Being a Filipina myself, I was so proud to read this book. If there’s one thing about Filipinos, we love supporting each other. We literally have “Family Comes First” built in our brain. We even get excited meeting other Filipinos, and when we think we’ve come across one, we’d ask “are you Filipino?”

SUMMARY:
Lila moves back home to help save her Tita Rosie’s restaurant but it all backfires when her ex boyfriend (a cruel food-critic) drops dead after having dessert and now she’s being accused of his murder.

MY THOUGHTS:
This was my first cozy “whodunnit” mystery and I devoured it. The author did a spectacular job at giving the reader exactly what you’d find in a Filipino/American home. Taglish (Tagalog/English words), delicious meals on the ready, close family/friends, humor, & optimism. I just loved seeing the diverse characters in the story bonding with their love for food and in the end came together to solve the mystery.

Although my stomach was growling after this, my heart is FULL! I’m so excited to read more of the series.

I highly recommend this, esp if you’re a major foodie and enjoy learning about other cultures.

Arsenic and Adobo was a really fun read! The writing was a little off to me, but the story and the mystery of the murder was super fun! I enjoyed how this story was so much more then a murder mystery too. The relationships that Lila had with her friends and family was great! There was a lot of diversity in this book as well, which is always a wonderful thing to read. Overall, a fun, cozy read for a rainy day!

This was my first cozy mystery and I found it to be a super cute and refreshing change of scenery! It was a perfect gap filler between my typical darker thrillers and lighter RomComs!

I love to cook and experiment in the kitchen so I was super excited to see a mystery story infused with food! I also enjoyed learning more about the Filipino culture as well! I really appreciated and found it a nice touch to have recipes included in the end notes!

It was a fun whodunit mystery that was full of humour and wit and had some good twists and turns as well! It slightly reminded me a Finlay Donovan is Killing It as I laughed along with Lila’s bad luck of constantly being in the wrong place at the wrong time!

I’m definitely interested to see where this series will go!

Warning - Don’t read this one on an empty stomach

“Even now, the thought of staying here forever felt like a hand squeezing me tighter and tighter - this phantom hand molding me into the shape everyone else wanted me to be.”

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Ok, so this was my first cozy mystery... the genre never appealed to me because I generally prefer a grittier story. I choose this however because I adore Filipino culture and the idea of a story wrapped up around food. Those two aspects of this book I really enjoyed.

Lila, to me, was not the most relatable character though. Surrounded by people she has personal relationships dying she didn’t really seem to have deep emotions about any of it. She focused her efforts on finances and food and a seemingly useless search for the killer who was, in my mind, pretty easy to spot. 

I was disappointed at the lack of real engagement with her best friend and two love interests which both started out as promising sub-plots but didn’t really get developed in any way. And the connection between her aunt and the detective had promise but we never got clear answers there either.

I did feel the author perfectly encapsulates small town life though. Everyone caught in everyone’s business and having to live up to the expectations of both your family and everyone in town.

I enjoyed the story but felt like it needed a little more development in some areas to reach its full potential. I think it would make a great beach read though.

Thanks to Netgalley for a copy of this novel. All opinions above are my own.

Delightful, fun, and humorous!

This was an enjoyable cozy murder mystery that was a fast read and held my interest right from the very start. I absolutely love a good culinary cozy that is set in a small town, and what is even better is the included recipes of all the mouthwatering dishes mentioned in the book.

The glossary in the beginning of the book was greatly appreciated by this reader. I was thoroughly entertained and loved the cultural aspect of this novel, and learning more about the Filipino culture and their family dynamics.

I was definitely enticed to request and read this book because of the title of this book and also I couldn't resist that bright and fun looking cover!

This was an entertaining start to a series that I am looking forward to reading and seeing what is in store for these characters next.

Thank you so much to NetGalley, Berkley Publishing, and Mia P. Manansala for my review copy.

I went into this novel completely blind and not knowing what to expect. To be honest it was not what I was expecting…it was even better. I had never really gravitated towards cozy mysteries before, but I could not get enough of Lila and her amazing family.

From the very first page I was totally hooked and wanted to know who was responsible for the murder and all of the other shenanigans that went down throughout the novel. What made the book extra special for me were all the beautiful relationships and connections in Lila’s life. It honestly reminded me a lot about my own upbringing and how no matter how far I went, I could always come back to my small town and be embraced by my loving family and childhood friends.

Overall, I am thrilled to know that this is only the first book in the series and that more books are planned for the future. I can’t wait to dive in deeper into Lila’s love life, explore what other mysteries she will solve, and honestly learn more about the aunties (those ladies are seriously amazing).

My only complain about the novel is that no one warned me not to read it on an empty stomach. All the mentions of amazing foods and desserts had my tummy rumbling and I found myself raiding the fridge late at night just to keep up with the story. So, consider this your warning, bring snacks if you are going to join Lila during her detective adventures.

This is the first Filipino based cozy mystery I have read, and maybe the first period! It's an interesting twist, that allows for a look into a culture that many don't see. Having lived on military bases all my life, and having had friends who are Filipino, it was like visiting old friends, especially when it came to the food! Hint- do NOT read this book while hungry! LOL, but good news, recipes ARE included for some of the dishes! It made me want to break out our ol standbys that we haven't had since our local Asian store shut down (sigh!). The plot is a bit Lifetime lite, but it works thanks to a funny dog, good dialogue and a well-meaning family! It's an enjoyable romp not to be missed!

I really loved this debut cozy mystery from Mia P. Manansala. It maintained all of the typical elements expected of the genre but brought a fresh, exciting perspective that I typically look for in cozies. Our main character, Lila, is of Filipina descent and Manansala weaves her and her family's culture and heritage throughout the story. There is also a huge variety of food throughout the book, which spans from Filipino cuisine to Japanese, Mexican, and American. It's exciting to see more diversity in the cozy genre, which has been so heavily focused on white female characters. The entire cast of characters is extremely diverse, and each of them bring their own personal experiences with their culture and family with them. The mystery also kept me on my toes. It felt a little more edgy than some older cozies but I was totally okay with that. I enjoyed the focus on a young adult with her inner monologue giving insight into fears about her future and what she is doing with her life.

One of the things I wanted to note was how much I appreciated the cultural sensitivity note found at the beginning of the book. Manansala outlines that as a Filipino American she writes of experiences true to herself. She also states that as a mystery author there are certain tropes that she uses, but wanted to provide a content warning for areas which may be upsetting to readers. She had a sensitivity reader from the Philippines who had pointed out the triggering aspects which would strike a Filipino reader versus an American reader. The Philippines has an ongoing conflict with the Philippine National Police enforcement of President Rodrigo Duterte's drug war. It is extremely important to bring attention to this international crisis to provide more context for readers and also to make readers (such as Americans) aware of conflicts in the world outside their own. I hope to see other authors doing the same in the future regardless of if it is a work of fiction, experiences vary greatly throughout the world and it is important to acknowledge this.

Thank you NetGalley for a digital ARC copy of this book.

I will not be giving feedback on this title here . Wrote a review for Kings River Life newsletter.. I tired to click the I will not be giving a review at this time, but the computer would not allow me to send that message to you

What a beautiful cover and catchy title, am I right? Arsenic and Adobo is a cozy culinary mystery centered around Lila Macapagal and her Filipino family set in the suburbs outside of Chicago. I usually save any and all mysteries for the autumn/fall, but couldn't help myself with this one.

Upon starting this, I was HOOKED. The writing and character dialogue was done so well and everything seemed to flow perfectly. It was indeed a read that I was thinking about when I had to put it down to tend to you know - life.

What unfolds is a classic whodunit where Derek, a local restaurant reviewer and former flame of Lila's, drops dead in her family's restaurant. It is important to note that there are instances where those accused of the crime face unfair treatment due to their race and/or economic standing. This is both perplexing and engaging as a reader. Being POC, it reminded me that the law isn't quite the same for everyone. So even though this is a relatively light-hearted and witty mystery - there are also important reminders that everyone should be aware of and I applaud the author in this.

So this is an interesting review for me to write because I absolutely LOVED the first half and could not put it down. The characters, dialogue, and build up all had me voraciously turning the pages. Furthermore, all of the food references had my mouth watering.

However, when the book reached the halfway mark my feelings changed a bit. I would say the one complaint I have is that there was an influx of characters being introduced. Every time there was a turning point in the mystery, there was another name and past scenario brought up. It happened a lot, and ultimately made me lose sight of the actual plot because I was trying to remember who each person was and how they related to the main characters.

If you can keep focus of the plot and main protagonist like I did, you'll end up loving it. Very rarely does a mystery keep my on the edge of my seat while putting a smile on my face at the same time. Mia P. Manansala did a fabulous job of penning a feel-good mystery filled with family, food, and fun.

Overall, I enjoyed the book, genre, and dialogue and look forward to reading the next Tita Rosie's Kitchen mystery.

Thank you to Berkley Publishing, Penguin Randomhouse, and NetGalley for this advanced reader copy. This title is set to be released on May 4th, 2021.

This is my first time reading a cozy mystery and it will definitely not be my last! I absolutely loved all of the family dynamics. I loved all the diversity in this book and how she brought them all together. It was fun learning about their culture and what makes them who they are. The story line was so fun, I had my suspicions but could not figure out the end until the end.

After calling off her engagement, Lila moves back home and attempts to help her family save their declining Filipino restaurant. When a despicable food critic (who also happens to be her ex boyfriend) drops dead right in front of her, Lila becomes the number one suspect for his death. Unsure of what else to do, she takes it upon herself to investigate this murder in an attempt to save both her own neck and her family’s restaurant.

This was a fun one! It was fast paced, light and funny. I was never bored and always hungry. I seriously didn’t know what half the foods were but yet I wanted to eat all of it. I would have liked a few more of the loose ends to have been tied up at the end but overall I’d definitely recommend if you’re looking for a quick and easy read that’s also wildly entertaining!

This book is such a delight. Lila, the MC, has such a funny, wry, inviting voice that you'll want to spend all your time with her. Her friends and family are compelling, endearing, and so relatable, her pup is adorable, and there is delicious, motuh-watering food galore! Combine that with an interesting mystery that takes you through the restaurant world of Shady Palms, super-high stakes, light romance, and I swear, I could not put this book down! One of my favorite cozy mysteries of all time. I cannot wait to read the next in the series!

Laugh out loud funny from the first page, Arsenic and Adobo has everything! I loved the descriptive writing about both the food (seriously, I think my mouth was watering for at LEAST 70% of the book,) and the characters. I loathed Detective Park, I adored Lila and Adeena’s friendship and banter, and I basked in how closely knit Lila’s family was (even if they went a bit too far sometimes.) The realization the book was nearing its end made me sad, like a friend I wasn’t ready to let go of, and I definitely shed some tears. I hope book two is coming ASAP!! Big thank you to Netgalley for providing an ARC in exchange for my honest review!

I was so lucky to receive this cute and fun mystery as an ARC from NetGalley and I am so happy I did. This book is such a pleasant and enjoyable mystery with so many fun characters and so much amazing food! Proceed this book with caution because you will need to eat after reading because OMG the food mentioned sounds so amazing!

The book hooked me from the cover and the description and it kept me until the very end of the read! The beginning of the book started a little odd for me and I honestly felt that the author had just thrown me in the middle of the story of Lila or that I missed the first of the series. However, once I got over my small moment of confusion, the Lila and her internal dialogue captivated me and held me prisoner until that last page.

Lila is such a strong character and she struggles with a problem that a lot of people struggle with, choosing family or your dreams. There are so many scenes where I feel so bad for her because she feels like she can’t do anything right. She also was ALWAYS at the wrong place at the wrong time. This point was both hilarious and almost reminded me of the I Love Lucy episode. Her and her bestie, Adeena definitely gave me Lucy and Ethel vibes when they were investigating together and I loved it so much! I really enjoyed how they balanced each other out and the realness of their friendship. I can’t wait to see more of their hilarious partnership and hope to see them working together soon!

There were also so many lovable characters in this book and they added a little something special to the book. Although there were SO MANY OF THEM and I had a hard time keeping them straight and we didn’t get to know them as much as I wanted, hopefully since this is a series, we get to know them better over the course of the books. Her family members were just hilarious and so ridiculous and they reminded me of my crazy and nosy family. It was AWESOME. Also, I’m Team Amir and can’t wait for more of this sexy side enemies to lovers banter they have going on.

The plot was a whirlwind of mystery and emotional side plots and was as addicting as Tia Rosie’s food and Lila’s dessert. The mystery of the book was so fascinating to me! It honestly came as such a surprise and came out of nowhere. I didn’t expect that to happen at all and it was just shock after shock until the end. The unraveling of the case was just so suspenseful , but in no way creepy or scary.

If you are looking for a mystery without the creep factor, you should pick up this read ASAP! I am so grateful to NetGalley for my ARC copy and can’t wait to read more from this author!