This book was a pleasant mix of funny, heart-wrenching, and mysterious. I loved the intertwining of stories that occurred to introduce you to what looks to be a very interesting, well-written, and future favorite cozy mystery series. I particularly enjoyed the Spanglish aspect of this book. Spanish was used frequently without direct translation; however, context easily allowed this non-Spanish-speaker to understand every word. It gave realism to the world the characters were living in as well. I cannot wait until the next installment in this series! The mystery itself was a bit predictable, but all in all, it was an excellent cozy mystery.

I received this ARC via Netgalley and Crooked Lane Books, in return for an honest review. Great start to a new series with a multi-cultural heroine! Miriam Quinones-Smith just completed her doctorate in food anthropology and, when her husband’s new job returns them to his hometown of Coral Shores, Miami, FL, Miriam is excited to be within driving distance of her family as well. However, the proximity to her snidely racist M-I-L with housekeys (!), and the challenges of living in a predominantly white, upper middle class neighborhood cause Miriam to question their choices. And why is Miriam’s husband suddenly gone most of the time for ‘golf’ or meeting his old buddies? What’s going on there? When Miriam’s best friend and realtor extraordinaire, Alma, drags her to the local Women’s’ Club luncheon to meet and be seen, the death of a young woman at their table really throws things askew. Now, Miriam and Alma are under police suspicion, with Alma as a prime suspect. Determined to clear her friend, solve the MIL issues (with new house keys as a start!), and figure out what’s going on with her husband and his reacquaintance with an ex-girlfriend, Miriam has her hands full. And, Alma’s managed to get Miriam a local Spanish language short cooking segment which is so completely new that Miriam can’t tell if she’s coming or going. This is a wonderful introduction to this series and I hope it continues for many years to come. Having BIPOC representation, in a well-told story, is a delight. The mixing of cultural references, Spanglish and Spanish, Santeria among others, really give this book an authenticity and set an stage for future books to go lots of different directions. Looking forward to the next book already!

This mystery was just an absolute joy to read. It had all the markers of a fantastic start to a cozy mystery series: fantastic lead, compelling characters, and a twisty mystery with a personal connection. Miriam Quinones-Smith has just moved to her husband's hometown of Coral Shores, Miami, where her best friend, Alma, also lives. When a socialite dies at a Women's Club luncheon, a tox screen reveals she'd died of a drug overdose, and an anonymous tip fingers Alma as the pusher.

Miriam is determined to prove Alma's innocence, and believes that a more likely suspect is Dr Fuentes, a Cuban herbalist who sells overpriced herbal mixtures that promise weight loss, fertility, and other such medical claims. All the socialites in town love his products, and the arrogant doctor is a hilariously entertaining character to read about. I enjoyed reading about the investigation, and the somewhat jokey friendship Miriam forms with the detective on the case. Detective Pullman did confuse me at times, since he seemed to alternate between asking Miriam for help, and asking her to stay out of the investigation, but overall, I thought they worked well together. The one big snag for me was the big reveal, which felt anti-climactic. Worse, the way it was handled seemed to render Miriam's detective work redundant, which just emphasized the sense that she was meddling unnecessarily in the investigation.

That being said, the best part of the book for me was the entire world Reyes built around the mystery. I love Miriam and Alma, and I especially love how awesome their friendship is. I also love how casually bits of Spanish are sprinkled throughout the dialogue, and how colloquial it all sounds, for example, how they say "porfa" instead of "por favor." The way the author incorporates Spanish reminds me of how my friends and I sometimes speak Taglish rather than just straight Tagalog or straight English, and how we sometimes shorten words or phrases in Tagalog while in casual conversation. So the bits of Spanish make the dialogue sound more natural and true-to-life for me, and I love that the author chose to do that.

I also love how the author explores the racism Miriam experiences in marrying into a white family. Miriam's parents live in  Her mother-in-law Marjery is racist, but often through microaggressions where it's sometimes hard to tell whether it's worth pushing back or whether you should just let it go. So I love how the author depicts Miriam's responses to Marjery's microaggressions, and I especially love how this climaxes in one beautiful scene where Miriam finally pushes back. For context, Miriam has a doctorate in anthropology, with a particular interest in how food intersects with culture. In this scene, Marjery makes a snide comment about Miriam's cooking, and after Miriam snaps back, she thinks,

I'd never pushed back at my mother-in-law. It felt liberating, and I wanted another round. My arsenal of ten-dollar words was at the ready. The socioeconomic legacy of colonialism in the Caribbean was in that pot of peasant stew, and I'd be more than happy to educate her on it. [89%]

Yes, yes, YES!!! As a Filipino, I rarely see my cuisine accorded the same gourmand respect as some Western cuisines, so Marjery's snobbery around Miriam's Caribbean dish totally hit me hard. I've also experienced how that type of cultural snobbery often goes hand-in-hand with intellectual snobbery, so Miriam's eagerness to whip out her "arsenal of ten-dollar words" made me cheer out loud. I totally got where she was coming from, and I was more than ready for her to verbally rip her racist mother-in-law to shreds.

The subplot around Miriam's job at the Spanish language station was also a lot of fun. I love the little touches that gave the station a community hub feel, such as the daycare where Miriam could leave her son Manny while she's filming, and the way Miriam and the other staff never had to explain culture-specific content for non-Latinx viewers.

A weakness for me was in the subplot around Miriam's husband getting a job with his beautiful ex-girlfriend, who still seemed interested in him, and who, of course, Marjery very much preferred. Miriam just seemed to jump to outrageous conclusions much too quickly, and more than once, I just wished she made more of an effort to talk to him before spiralling towards the worst case scenario.

Still, overall, this was a really fun book, and I'm looking forward to reading more of this series.

+

Thank you to Crooked Lane Books for an e-galley of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I loved Mango, Mambo, and Murder! This is a fun, charming, and has culture that is missing from way too many stories these days! I look forward to reading many more in the series!

Such a fun entry into a new series! A recommended purchase for collections where cozy mysteries are popular.

Thank you NetGalley , Raquel V. Reyes and Crooked Lane Books for the ARC of Mango, Mambo, and Murder. This is my personal review.
One of the most favorite things I do as a reader is grab the first book in a new series. This is the first in the series A Caribbean Kitchen Mystery.
Miriam has moved back to Miami with her husband and son after living in New York.
Miriam is at a luncheon where one of the ladies attending dies. Miriam knows that she has to help solve who is the culprit because her best friend is being accused of the murder. She is determined to find the murdered and clear her friend’s name.
This is the first book I have read by this author I think the writing was well done, but I had a bit of trouble because I do not understand Spanish . I am looking forward to reading more in this series and getting to know the characters better.

TITLE: Mango, Mambo, and Murder (A Caribbean Kitchen Mystery)
AUTHOR: Raquel V. Reyes
PUBLICATION DATE: October 12th, 2021
PUBLISHER: Crooked Lane Books

REVIEW:
I had a really fun time reading this cozy mystery! Miriam and her family move to Coral Shores, Miami for a great career opportunity for her husband. She rekindles friendships with her best friend Alma and relatives she hasn’t spoken to in years. Miriam is able to land a TV gig as a Caribbean cooking expert and I was THRILLED to find a few of these recipes at the end of the book. I am definitely going to try the Papaya smoothie. As she attends a luncheon, the socialite right next to Miriam dies in the middle of mealtime! Even though Miriam has an endless to do list, she tries to investigate how these seemingly healthy women are dying. The latest craze for the ladies of Coral Shores are Dr. Fuentes diet and fertility teas that everyone seems to have purchased at one point or another. Miriam has a feeling these two are connected somehow, she just needs some hard evidence to prove it. I appreciated Raquel for adding tidbits about the Cuban culture and beliefs throughout the book. Miriam’s mother in law is a nightmare but I love how caring and supportive her own mother is. It was a fun read and I loved how there was so much Spanish dialogue throughout the novel! I don’t speak Spanish (I’m trying to learn) so this was a great way for me to practice translating Spanish. I really hope this becomes a series because I love seeing more POC representation in cozy mysteries!

Thank you to NetGalley, Raquel V. Reyes, and Crooked Lane Books for allowing me to read and review this cozy mystery ARC!


I will post the review above on publication day (10/12/2021) to my Instagram.

I could not finish this book do to the amount of spanish that was not translate. It was very hard for a non spanish speaking person to follow. It should be noted in the description about the spanish. The cover of the book is what caught my eye.

*I received an ARC of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review*

Food anthropologist Miriam Quinones-Smith moves back to Florida with her son Manny and her Husband Robert. He has a new job and that brings them closer to his family. The way Marjory, Miriams mother-in-law treats her I found really upsetting, but I enjoyed her responses back, she should not be seen as a help or a cook or a thing. I also loved the way Miriam talked about hugging her mother-in-law "The hug was as warm as an icicle on a Vermont cabin in February". When Miriam gets a cooking segment on a Latino show, she thinks it's for three months, but she becomes popular quickly. But when Miriam attends a Women's Club luncheon, a socialite sitting at her table suddenly collapses dead.

Miriam, not being a sleuth type at all, gets sucked into all of it when her friend Alma gets accused. Detective Pullman ask Miriam to help find the killer, because she is in the circle of socialites and clear Alma's name. On the off site it also seems Miriams Husband is having an affair.....

I loved the mystery, even though for me it was quit quickly clear who the murderer was, but it did not take anything away from the story! The switches between some Spanish and English sentences gave a nice touch to the story, seeing as Miriam is of Cuban descent. I am so happy I was allowed to get an ARC of this book and I urge everyone to buy it when it comes out. It's really good and I haven't really seen Cozies with this theme before. I hope a second book is in the making, because of the cliffhanger.... I mean, I need to know!!!

Miriam Quinones-Smith moves back to her hometown of Miami with her husband and young son after being gone for a decade. She somehow finds herself living far too close for comfort from her mother-in-law, who makes no secret that she doesn't like Miriam. Miriam's best friend Alma is delighted, however, to have her back and drags her along to every meeting and organisation she can - not entirely altruistically, of course, as these are great networking opportunities for her successful real estate business, but Miriam is grateful to be able to spend so much time with her friend, and potentially meet some new people as well. Alma has networked a new job for Miriam as well, as host of a new cooking show on Spanish-language TV.

At Miriam's very first Women's Club luncheon, however, a woman sitting next to her dies after adding some sort of slimming herb to her drink. Fingers point to an herbalist, the controversial Dr Fuentes, but when it's found that she actually died of a drug overdose, and an anonymous tip points the finger at Alma, Miriam is determined to clear her friend's name

This is a great start to a new series. A culture completely different from my own, delicious food, great characters, and an interesting and very unique career for the MC - food anthropologist! Fascinating. Add in the very well-done mystery and it's a series I'm going to be adding to my TBR pile.

The only point that didn't sit very well with me was the way Miriam handled her husband's secrecy.
Instead of making him sit down and tell what was going on, she jumped to conclusions about it all and had pretty much decided that she was going to end up being a single mom. It wasn't cool that he kept it all a secret either, despite his explanation at the end, although I'm glad it was all resolved in the end.

At any rate, it still gets 4/5 stars for me as although it started out a little slowly, I wound up finishing it very quickly and wanting more! I will definitely be keeping my eyes open for book two in the series.

What a fun book! Miriam Quiñones-Smith is a Cuban-American wife and mother with a degree in Food Anthropology. She’s trying to settle in to her new home in Coral Shores, a neighborhood that’s a lot wealthier and elite than she’s used to. And she lives within walking distance of her uber-WASPY mother-in-law, who still hasn’t forgiven her for marrying her son and insists on calling Miriam’s son Manuel “Douglas” because it’s more American. Add in a new cooking show and a husband who might be having an affair, and Miriam is at her wit’s end. When her best friend is accused of murder and dealing drugs, Miriam steps in to clear her friend’s name and find the real killer. Mango, Mambo had me from the first page with a plucky main character who is likeable, smart and completely relatable. The supporting characters are entertaining and believable. And the mystery was engaging. This is the first book in a series that I hope will be around for a long time.. Oh, and the recipes are fantastic!!
I received a free e-copy of this book from NetGalley in return for a fair and honest review.

What a fun book that had me completely immersed in all aspect in this light and fresh whodunit. This well-written drama comes alive with the visually descriptive narrative from the engaging bilingual dialogue to a lovable cast of characters, and to a setting befitting the title. Coming back to her home state finds Miriam dealing with her mother-in-law antics, her waylaid husband, and her desire for more. It all comes to ahead when her BFF is arrested for murder and paying homage to Jessica Fletcher.

The author did a great job in staging this mystery with a pool of suspects who had stronger motives to want the victim dead. There were plenty of hints that kept me glued to the pages as one by one the field of suspects shrunk where only one person was standing holding the bag. I enjoyed the snippets of backstory for each of the characters which gave us more insight into the role they were portraying in this first book.

This was a delightfully entertaining and charming tale and I look forward to more exciting adventures with Miriam, Alma, Roberto and Manny.

Mango, Mambo, and Murder by Raquel V. Reyes was a fun and informative book to read. She does a good job of interjecting facts and information about real life, ( such as sundown towns-though I wish she would have included what they were as I feel most people are not going to take the time to find out that information), keeping the tone light but serious, and focused on the food. The story is about a food anthropologist who moves back to Miami (rather Miami adjacent) with her husband and 4-year-old child. She meets up with her high school best friend, Alma, who is the networking and house-selling queen of Coral Shores and that's when the story starts to get interesting. A murder takes place and the person closest to Miriam is charged. Miriam starts investigating how to get her friend out of trouble, with the help of a very reluctant police detective. It includes gossip, racism, cultural history, family drama, and lots of Spanish. I laughed in several places, especially when she mentioned Royal Violets perfume because that is so true. This is a book I would recommend for anyone who wants a good cozy with great food interspersed throughout. It is different from most cozies as it does focus on history and culture more. The recipes look great and I believe people will enjoy making them. One thing I would suggest is maybe having a glossary or dictionary for the Spanish. Most of it you can understand from context clues but it may be a struggle for some to read. There are also a few typos on pages 61, 125, and 126 that should be addressed before being released.

What a fun debut! The first in the Caribbean Kitchen series, Mango, Mambo, and Murder has me looking forward to the next book. After years of living in New York, Miriam moves back to Coral Shores (Miami) with her husband and son. Thrilled to be back in the area she grew up, Miriam is quickly thrust into a
mystery: What happened to the woman at the luncheon? And how to prove that her best friend didn't murder the woman? Reyes writes the Miami setting and Cuban culture with authenticity, bringing the reader into that world easily. I'm looking forward to more from this author.

Food anthropologist Miriam quinones smith move from New York to coral shores, misusing puts her young son. Gracious to her best friends Nina. As she gets a short term job as a Caribbean cooking expert on a Spanish language morning tv show. But when alma attends a woman’s club luncheon a socialite at her table suddenly falls face first into the chicken salad. When a second woman dies soon after suspicions turn to controversial. Cuban herbalists dr Fuentes especially after the morning shows host collapses while interviewing him. Deceive pull,man is not happy to find Miriam at every turn. After he catches her help breaking into the doctors apothecary her enlists her help as eyes band earns to the places he can’t access namely the Spanish speaking community and social scene of coral shores. As the ingredients to the deadly scheme blend together Minaj is on the verge of learning how and why the women died. Her snooping may turn out to be a recipe of her own murder.

<b> 4.5/5 </b>

<blockquote> “Holding onto a grudge is like holding onto an anchor and jumping into the sea.” </blockquote>

Now that an inspiring quote has made an appearance, let's begin!

<b> What I liked/loved: </b>

- Characters! I feel like authors don't get enough credit for creating NEGATIVE characters./ antagonists. There were a few of those in this book that made my blood boil. (Which translates to Raquel doing a fantastic job in bringing them to life!) Since I have mentioned the antagonist, I cannot take the spotlight away from the MC.
<b> Miriam. </b> She was a likable character and her affection for her family and best friend seemed genuine. I admired her self-control when experiencing racism.
<b> Manny. </b> What a delight!!! Are toddlers really like that? (My guess is going to be no, haha.)
<b> Robert. </b> Being in an interracial relationship, it was admirable how he welcomed her culture and they worked together. I was rooting for them throughout!
So many amazing characters, I wonder how book 2 would go about it!

- Writing style. Despite being around 300+ pages, I was able to finish the book within a day. Written in the first person past tense, the author was able to capture my attention with her engaging plotline and dialogues. I cannot stress how much I LOVED being introduced to the Caribbean culture. It's so beautiful. The food, history, and family structure.

-Bilingual aspects. Mainly written in English, it included a few Spanish dialogues and words. It made it feel more authentic even when there were a few instances where I found myself trying to translate the words, haha.

-Recipes at the end? Hell yes! That was such an added bonus! I am very keen on the papaya smoothie.

<b> What could've been better? </b>

- Miriam and Detective Frank Pullman's relationship. It lacked authenticity once she had turned into an informant.

- I was hoping someone else was the "killer" though there was a good amount of information and research involved to create a good distraction. While it was expected, sort of, I wasn't bored reading through Miriam's thought process or the events that occurred in her life.

- <blockquote> It took about three minutes of turning the water off and on, flushing the toilet and opening and closing the hall bathroom door to stir Manny. </blockquote>
Okay, not necessarily an issue, my personal opinion on here. Why was she doing this? Her husband was an environmentalist! And I thought she was too. When these lines popped up, I WAS SHOCKED! Why Miriam, whyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy?!

Overall, I loved the book! Can't wait to read more from the author!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC. Really enjoyed this author's writing and stories. All her characters feel real and not one dimensional. Loved the mystery.

Fast paced, easy read, cozy mystery.
Miriam recently moved back to Miami with her husband and infant son. Her best friend, Alma, drags her to some club meetings and such to try to get her to be involved. But when two women suddenly drop dead, and Alma is the prime suspect, Miriam becomes determined to figure out who is setting up her friend.
The story had some great characters, funny lines, and yummy food. I was not a fan of the way her husband treated Miriam, even after he explained in the end, and how he never stood up to his mom for her. The story has dialogue in English and Spanish, which was ok at first, but tended to become a bit frustrating at times as I didn't know what the characters were saying. While the murderer was not hard to figure out, I enjoyed the simple plot. Overall a fun read.

The book was fun to read and entertaining. I enjoyed Miriam as the amateur sleuth. Adding Manny, her cute toddler, to the entire book made it more fun.. Although I figured out the whodunit, I did not mind; it made the story more enjoyable. The characters brought the story to life. However, the dialogue switches from Spanish to English. The experience was not bothersome to me. Miriam's job was something I had never encountered in a cozy mystery, as was her cooking job at the Spanish TV station. It made the book worth it to read.

Thank you Crooked Lane Books and Netgalley for the ARC of this book. This was an honest review.

I enjoyed the fact that this book featured a different culture from my own, and I really liked Miriam and her voice. But I didn't buy the way she put up with stuff from her husband, and the idea that he would do all this stuff without telling her just all felt wrong to me, even when he explained why. So I didn't quite buy it, and it made the character feel like a different person than who I thought she was. But I loved her and her passion for Cuban and Caribbean food. Three and a half stars.