Hello, Crooked Lane Books and Netgalley.

The file that came into my Kindle has all of the paragraphs without indentions. Thus, the reading process of this arc is not easy on the eyes or enjoyable.

Unfortunately, I found this poor formatting with several of the cozy mystery tiles from Crooked Lane books.

The only two that were formatted correctly and readable were A Christmas Candy Killing and A Good Day To Pie, both of which I loved. I will post reviews for those books later this Fall on my blog and include the links.

List of Crooked Lane Books that are incorrectly formatted are;

Death by Margins
Dead Men Don’t Decorate
The Game Is A Footnote
Calypso, Corpses, and Cooking
Streetcar Named Murder
Snuffed Out
Hidden in the Pines
Canter With A Killer

Thank you Netgalley for a copy of this book. Calypso, Corpses, and Cooking is the second book in the Caribbean Kitchen mystery series, and it picks up right where the first book left off, so I strongly recommend reading the first book in the series first.
Miriam Quinones-Smith is the mother of one, food anthropologist and has her own cooking show on local tv network. She has also habit of running into murders and is uncapable of leaving crime solving to the police. I like the realistic take on family life the book offers: it’s hard to combine family life, work and investigating. The main focus in the books is Miriam’s family life, work, friends and cooking. There’s a lot of Cuban and Caribbean culture and food as well as a bit of Spanish introduced in the book, which I like very much.
This series is excellent for all lovers of cosy crime and food.

A great cozy mystery, with interesting characters and a fast moving storyline. I look forward to reading more in this series.

Disclaimer: I received an advanced reader copy (not the final book) in exchange for an honest review.

Similar to the first book, Calypso, Corpses, and Cooking begins in the calm of the storm. In the run up to Halloween, it doesn’t take long for truly disturbing events to occur… right in Miriam’s backyard. Miriam—only a little bit deterred by the combined pace of motherhood, her job as a TV chef on UnMundo, and gala-planning responsibilities (thanks Marjory)— can’t help but be drawn into the mysteries, which are even more twisted than before.

And throughout the mysteries, delicious-sounding sensory experiences (meals) are peppered in, with an emphasis on Haitian dishes this time. Between the ingredients and textures described, CC&C makes me want to cook— and includes several tempting recipes at the end.

The mysteries were more complicated this time around, which I really enjoyed. The actual ending and explanations did feel a little rushed, but I like how a few threads are left hanging from both books, leaving room for tie-ins in the next ones. If you’re hungry for a cozy culinary mystery, Calypso, Corpses, and Cooking is a delicious read!

Miriam is more comfortable with who she is and the position she is in. She knows who she can count on and how she can make some positive changes. This really made the small town cozy part of this mystery into a very strong part of this story. I loved this part of the story.
The mystery has several twists that I didn’t expect. The solution was unexpected as well. The sleuthing was well done because it was reasonable in comparison with the other things going on with Miriam. I liked the mystery part.
The mystery in this one is related to the first book. I think you can figure out what happened in book 1 based on conversations, but you will probably want to read book 1. And those conversations were well done because they were not just info dumps. The way that the two books connect makes whole lot of sense and the implications of that connection really drive this story. I can’t wait to see what happens with all this in book 3.
Thank you to NetGalley.

After thoroughly enjoying Mango, Mambo and Murder I was really looking forward to the book and was not disappointed. I am fond of Miriam, the main character. She is Cuban-American and that plays a large role in the series set in Miami, Florida. I also appreciate that this book has a focus on family rather than dating and finding new romance.

Calypso, Corpses and Cooking continues from the first book when one of the people ends up a victim so I would recommend reading the series in order.

About halfway through the book my attention began to wander away from the story because it felt complicated but overall I enjoyed it.

Thanks to NetGalley and Crooked Lane for access to a copy of an eARC so I could give an honest review.

A body is found on Miriam's front lawn. Not a great start to the fall season. But there is more to come and once again Miriam is caught up in an investigation. Calypso, Corpses, and Cooking is the second in A Caribbean Kitchen mystery series. If you haven't read the first one in the series this one might be a little confusing as it continues on with some of the storyline from the first book. There are new murders which might or might not be considered part of one big mystery so let's just say it's more complete having read them in order.

I enjoyed the first third of the book. It starts off at Halloween and there is a wonderful creepy moment that perfectly fits a Halloween theme. The reaction to the moment though was not enough. And as far as the Halloween theme goes it's limited to the lovely cover and the beginning of the story. After that it's more of a fall theme but since it takes place in Miami it doesn't quite feel like it.

After the first third and the discovery of the body on Miriam's front lawn the story loses focus or, rather, splinters in a number of different directions as things unfold. For a while you don't even know what the mystery really is, if any, due to the thin focus on certain points. Threads are started and then dropped, never to be mentioned again until it no longer matters. When they were originally brought up they appeared to be important parts of the story.

Miriam's mother in law, Marjory, is a pain to read about. She is over the top, far more so than last time. I understand there are people like that in real life but Marjory is bordering on being a cartoon villain. One incident in particular was not realistic at all. No matter how nasty someone is people do not do that. I hope not anyway. How characters react to Marjory is frustrating. People's responses to her are up and down and play out at convenient times. The consequences for her behavior are not fully shown or believable, at least in regards to her beloved son, Miriam's husband.

The reveal of the killer is abrupt. There is no reason to think something is about to go down. Miriam, understandably so for the most part, has nothing to do with it. I don't like how the confrontation with the killer plays out. Miriam's reaction isn't right. Without giving spoilers, one would think she would do her best to avoid what eventually happens. The wrap up is done by a character that isn't as involved as others and still left me confused.

I think a lot of readers are not going to be happy with the amount of Spanish in the book. There is more than last time and while I usually enjoy the opportunity to learn some phrases, or least not mind, it does make it difficult if you want to know everything the characters are saying.

Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read.

A fun & light hearted Murder Mystery Book which makes a great read if you have to commute to work by Bus or Train ,or if you have a flight Booked . Miriam gets asked by her Mother in Law to arrange the Food for the Country Clubs annual Gala , her Mother in Law thinks Miriam will mess it up because she's not English ,she Latina & when people from the Country Club start dying Miriam has to investigate . The Book also gives the Recipes for some of the dishes mentioned which I think is a brilliant idea. #NetGalley, #GoodReads, #FB, #Instagram, #Amazon.co.uk, #<img src="https://www.netgalley.com/badge/358a5cecda71b11036ec19d9f7bf5c96d13e2c55" width="80" height="80" alt="100 Book Reviews" title="100 Book Reviews"/>, #<img src="https://www.netgalley.com/badge/ef856e6ce35e6d2d729539aa1808a5fb4326a415" width="80" height="80" alt="Reviews Published" title="Reviews Published"/>, #<img src="https://www.netgalley.com/badge/aa60c7e77cc330186f26ea1f647542df8af8326a" width="80" height="80" alt="Professional Reader" title="Professional Reader"/>.

Well, I’ll just say that this was a joy to read and I loved meeting back up with Miriam and the folks of Coral Shores. Reyes has not only written a mystery with just the right balance of clues & red herrings to keep you guessing but she’s given us a great cast of diverse BIPOC characters. And, sigh, the food… it all sounds just so darn yummy that you will for sure be hungry for all the delicious Latinx and Caribbean recipes, so you’ve been warned. This is the second book in the Caribbean Kitchen Mystery series and you should definitely read book one, Mango, Mambo, and Murder, first as there are spoilers to that mystery in this book.

This was a bit different than other cozies I've read, and I enjoyed that. I loved how Spanish was incorporated into the book seamlessly and the Cuban and Haitian culture that were present. It was a fun mystery with great characters.

Okay, this book is now one of my favorites after the author mentioned curry crab and dumplings from Trinidad and Tobago, specifically Tobago, my country, and our iconic dish. I like how the author highlighted the racism that was deeply rooted in their community and how the ladies dealt with it. Miriam and her friends had an energetic style that made this Caribbean flavor cozy mystery a delight, and Marjory was a pain in you know what, but she helped the story to be exciting. It had a great storyline with equally great characters. It was refreshingly intriguing and captivating.

I've become a fan of the A Caribbean Kitchen Mystery Series. It all started with the first book of the series, Mango, Manbo, and Murder. The book was so popular, I had to give it a try for myself.

I wasn't disappointed with this book, everything I liked from the first book was there. This series is something different, with it's own flavor and identity that makes it popular. The setting, story, and character made this book another enjoyable read for me. If you haven't already, check out the first book in this series as well!


My thanks to Crooked Lane Books and NetGallery for a digital copy of this book for my review. Here's to reading more of this series!

A second fun installment to the series. There were a few pacing issues that led the ending to feel rushed, but I enjoyed meeting these characters again and was entertained by their interactions. Especially satisfying was Miriam's suegra finally beginning to experience consequences for her actions. I enjoyed all of the gossip about the residents of Coral Shores and will likely continue to read the series as more are published.

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC for an exchange for an honest review.

I thought it was a good cozy mastery book, enjoyed it.

Miriam Quinones-Smith trained as a food anthropologist, but now has her own ethnic cooking show in Miami. There's something strange going on in her neighborhood, but she figures it is just Halloween mischief, until someone winds up in the hospital, and someone later dies unexpectedly. Miriam is stuck running a charity fundraiser for her horrible mother in law's country club, and she mostly says nothing, but I liked that she finally told the bigoted old bat off, not that it made any difference. I liked the south Florida setting, Miriam and her assortment of multi-ethnic friends and their favorite foods (with recipes included), and that she spoke Spanish to her young son. I enjoyed this cozy mystery, and would recommend it to fans of the genre. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.

This fast-paced and well-written drama have me immediately immersed in all aspect, quickly becoming a page-turner as I had to know how this was going to end. The author knows how to set the stage that kept me in the game with a solid mystery plot and a smattering of suspects that left nothing to chance. When I thought I had a handle on who was doing what to whom, the author changed direction all to increase my reading pleasure. As the story progressed, we learned more about the victim and how the suspects fit into their lives. It was the little bits here and there of the puzzle, that would eventually lead to the killer’s identity and the motive. What I liked best was the visually descriptive narrative, the engaging dialogue and the close-knit friends and family that helped Miriam as she sought clues in her search for a killer, while the conversations made the book come alive for me. A great read and I look forward to the next book in the delightfully entertaining series.

The second book in the Caribbean Kitchen mystery series! Miriam is excited for all the fall festivities that are underway until an almost dead body appears in her front yard one day. After that, bodies and problems keep popping up. Miriam must find out the culprit(s) before she's next!

I hadn't read the first in this series, and I think that made a difference here. A LOT of things from the first book are referenced so if you haven't read it, you will miss out a little like I did. It still is a solid mystery, although I did think the ending/whodunit was a little overcomplicated. Again, I think part of that might have been missing out on the context from the first book.

I received my copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is a cozy mystery set in Miami. While I enjoyed the book overall, it was not as good as the previous book. This mystery is set around Halloween, and started out great. Seemed to drag a bit in the middle. Enjoyed the ending though so I was glad I kept reading. My biggest downfall with the book is there is a lot of Spanish, which I do not speak. It starts to distract from the story after awhile.
Overall a fun, cozy mystery. Great characters and plot.
I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Fall festivities are underway in Coral Shores, Miami. Cuban-American cooking show star Miriam Quiñones-Smith wakes up to find a corpse in her front yard. The body by the fake tombstone is the woman that was kicked out of the school's Fall Festival the day before. This is the second in the Caribbean Kitchen mystery series and even better than the first. So many colorful characters and the locale is described in a way that just puts you there. And it will make you hungry! Can't wait for the third book. Thank you netGalley for the advanced readers copy for review.

I read Caribbean and Calypso and thought, great! I am from the Caribbean and grew up with Trinidadian calypso, so this should be good. However, I am from the English speaking Caribbean so the language and food and customs in this book not at all familiar to me, and I don't speak a word of Spanish, so that really detracted from the book. I didn't enjoy the setting, the characters or the plot, however, I see from the reviews that there are people who really enjoyed this, I did not, so to be fair I will rate it 3 stars.

Thanks to NetGallery for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review.