This is such a fun series. In addition to the cozy mystery, I like the characters, the Filipino culture and all the food and drink references. Lila is such a likable character and I am always rooting for her and Jae.

There are always enough clues to give me a good guess of who did it as Lila works to solve it. I love the friendship represented by Lila and her friends and the calendar crew. There is a lot of support shown in the books. It has a great balance of personal life and sleuthing. All the great descriptions of food made me so hungry.

For anyone, like me, not familiar with Filipino, there is a glossary of characters, food and words in general to refer to that helped me with pronunciation and to remember everything. And while I have not yet tried any, I also love the recipes at the end. This would be a perfect book club book where you could try a recipe or two for the meeting.

I flipped back and forth between reading and listening to this one and loved Danice Cabanela’s narration. It was high octane and made the story that much more enjoyable. I was almost sad when I was somewhere I could not listen.

This is a great cozy series that highlights Filipino culture and perfect not only for cozy fans, but for those trying to diversify their reading.

This was a good cozy mystery. It was a cute story and focuses a lot on family and food. Almost too much at times because I felt that the descriptions of the foods/ meals kind of got to be too much and took away from the main plot of the story.

This is the fourth book in the Tita Rosie’s Kitchen Mystery series and can be read as a standalone, but there are so many characters right away in the first chapter to keep track of that made it difficult for me to get into the book so I would highly recommend reading at least one of the previous books before diving into this one.
I did read the previous books in the series, but there were still so many characters even I struggled to remember who was who!

Other than that, It is a cute book and everything is tied up nicely in the end. I did like the cultural aspects in the book- it enjoyed reading about the Macapagal family and learning about some of their traditions (and foods of course!). I thought the mystery was well done and was trickier to figure out than some of the previous books in the series.

Overall, I enjoyed the book, but I thought it wasn’t anything particularly spectacular. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys cooking, reading about food, and a clean whodunnit mystery.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary advance review copy of this book which I received from Netgalley and Let’s Talk Books promo. All opinions are my own.

Murder and Eamon is the next installment in the Tita Rosie's Kitchen Mystery #4.

This foodie mystery brings together the Lila and her extended family and friends to solve the murder of her cousin. Their sleuthing uncovers not only the killer but an underground gambling hall at the competing laundry mat of her aunties business. I enjoyed reading more of Lila and Jae's romance.

Strongly suggest readers read this series in order to understand the characters and relationships.

There is a lot of eating and drinking in this story, often bogging down the flow of the story - note recipes are in the back of the book.

Thank you Berkley publishing for the complimentary copy.

Lila Macapagal is back and with her eccentric godmothers known as the Calendar Crew, finds herself entangled in a murder investigation when the grand opening of their new laundromat takes a tragic turn. As they navigate the shady secrets and gossip-filled lives of Shady Palms residents, Lila must uncover the truth before the killer strikes again. This is a very engaging and fast-paced story that will keep readers guessing until the very end. With its blend of humor, heartwarming moments, and an intriguing whodunit plot as well as a concise description of family elements, Filipino culture, and the character's clever dialogue, a must-read for fans of cozy mysteries, diverse representation, and unforgettable characters.

What I love about this book and the entire series is the unique blend of mystery and cultural authenticity. I adore the seamless incorporation of Filipino traditions, language, and food into the narrative, which makes it so familiar and homey.

Murder and Mamon is the first book I read in the Tita Rosie’s Kitchen mystery series - a cozy mystery series featuring Filipino-American characters and lots of yummy Filipino food. I spent a month in the Philippines as a teenager but never appreciated the culture and food as much as I did in this story. This is the first book I read featuring that culture, and I loved exploring it further as an adult who can appreciate it more.

Lila Macapagal and The Calendar Crew - April, Mae, and June - aka Lila’s godmothers - are personally attacked in this latest installment of the series, and no one is more invested in finding the killer of one of their own than they are, no matter the risks. I loved the family bonds shown so bright and strong in this story. It’s not just a mystery but a look at the importance of family and what holds them together in good and bad times.

I also loved meeting the main character, Lila. She is a relatable character- a young Filipino woman trying to keep her business afloat, her family healthy, and her culture alive- all through the yummy treats she sells and her role in the family dynamics.

The mystery was a fun puzzle to solve, but I must admit that I picked up on a relevant early clue and misinterpreted it, so I wasn’t even close to solving the murder. Luckily, Lila read it correctly and kept her family safe in the end. There are plenty of red herrings to keep any reader guessing and a bunch of recipes at the end to allow all to enjoy the yummy treats mentioned in the story.

Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley for the advanced reader copy and to PRH Audio for the complimentary audiobook. These opinions are my own.

We are back with Lila investigating another murder. The tone for this book was more similar to the first of the series. It again has Lila and her friends at the amazing Brew-Ha Cafe and all the amazing foods. Plus it was fun and cozy throughout.

In this book, we focus even more than usual on the calendar crew: April, Mae, and June. They are starting a new laundromat business, and the mystery is centered there with vandalism and a murder. So of course, Lila helps to figure out what is going on.

I love all of the characters in this series. And I really enjoyed that this book took a special look at the power of gossip and words. It was a great read, and I am pleased to see the series continue.

Danice Cabanela narrated incredibly well. The audiobook even includes recipes that provide more info on the characters.

Murder and Mamon by Mia P. Manansala takes us back to Shady Palms where there is controversy surrounding the opening of the Calendar Crew’s laundromat. The highlight of the story is the characters. The characters are complex and relatable. I like that they continue to develop as the series progresses. I like Lila, her friends, and her extended family. The murder of Divina, Ninang April’s recently arrived niece from the Philippines, shocks Lila, her friends, and her relatives. When the police do not make progress on the case, Ninang April asks Lila for her help. Lila must turn the spotlight onto the Calendar Crew. She will need to ask some uncomfortable questions, but Lila knows that the tiniest detail could be important to discovering the identity of the killer. Readers can join Lila as she asks questions and gathers clues. There are a several suspects and a red herring or two. There was a detail I caught early in the story that sent me on the trail of the killer. Other clues along the way solidified my decision. I liked the action in the story that kept things lively. There is a good wrap up at the end. I enjoyed learning about the Filipino culture and their food. There are some interesting flavor combinations. The rich descriptions of the food will have your mouth watering. I do feel that there is too much detail at times as the ingredients of each drink and food item are listed. Murder and Mamon is the fourth A Tita Rosie’s Kitchen Mystery. It can be read as a standalone for those new to the series. Lila and Jae’s romance is moving along at a leisurely pace which is my preference for cozy mystery romances. Tita Rosie and Jonathan are a cute couple. I think Jonathan’s post-retirement career will prove helpful. I found the pronunciation guide very useful and there are recipes for some of the dishes mentioned in the book. Murder and Mamon is a cute cozy with an imaginative niece, a defaced laundromat, delightful Filipino fare, an intimidating message, a senseless slaying, and thoughtful family and friends.

✨ Review ✨ Murder and Mamon by Mia P. Manansala

This is book 4 in the Tita Rosie's Kitchen Mysteries series. I enjoyed the book but felt like it was more of the same -- Lila and her friends ate food, worked together to solve a mystery, did good in the community, etc. etc. I definitely loved the discussion of food (including all the cool flavor innovations), and loved that this centered the Calendar Crew (Lila's three aunties), but ultimately, I wished for just a little bit more.

I did appreciate that Lila worked this case with her friends and family, and it was less of her sneaking around while they all yelled at her to stop snooping. I really liked the cooperation, though this also removed some sense of urgency or drama.

It's definitely another cozy and delicious mystery read, but I'm hoping the next one deviates a bit from the expected!

⭐️⭐️⭐️
Genre: Mystery / Thriller
Setting: small town Illinois
Pub Date: 19 Sep 2023

Read this if you like:
⭕️ books filled with descriptions of food
⭕️ amateur sleuthing
⭕️ even more food!

Thanks to Berkley and #netgalley for advanced copies of this book! #berkleypartner #berkleybookstagram

This was a very strong offering after two fairly uneven ones in this cozy murder-mystery series. The mystery in these type of books is always pretty predictable (even here, I'd guessed who the killer might be well in advance) but the wide cast of characters made it an enjoyable read. They've each had growth and change in their narrative arcs since book 1 and it's good to see, when series can feel a little repetitive. And, of course, don't read this on an empty stomach; even on a full stomach it will make you want to full-time snack. The food descriptions can feel like overkill, but the author really knows her stuff, and one of the things I enjoy about this series is the true melding of cultures and cuisines (especially cultural relationships with food), and the ways in which blood family as well as found family can interact and intersect.

Hands down, this is one of my favorite series! I just adore the characters, the setting, the plot, the food- literally EVERYTHING about it! You have to read these books!

I’ve been enjoying this series and seeing that there would be another one was good news!

The book is told from one point-of-view and it comes from Lila Macapagal. She is back again for another mystery when one of her auntie’s has a niece visit Shady Palms and ends up dead. Nothing is ever dull in this town and Lila is drawn in once again!

Lila is always ready to help family. They have been there from the beginning and they bring a lot of life to the story. Each person can be a little whacky but it has been nice to get to know them throughout the books even if they don’t always have a big part.

The mystery plot for this one was okay but it wasn’t my favorite out of the series. It was slow at first to build up, but it still just needed something to keep my attention. I also didn’t think that it was super intriguing and maybe because it was just kind of wild but not in the best of way. Everything had escalated quickly and I just wasn’t convinced by the end.

Overall, it was good for a cozy mystery. It’s an easy read and I liked reading about these characters once again.

This bright, fun cover drew me right in, as a cover lover I picked this one up to read on a day knowing it would brighten me up. I have been lucky to read each of the titles in Manansala's Tita Rosie's Kitchen mystery series, and was thrilled to be able to read and review this one for The Gloss Book Club! I have to say, while I have loved each book, I think this one just may be my favorite, as the characters come together in another Shady Pines mystery full of unexpected surprises, drama and food-loving family.

This is one of the more charming, youthful, and vital series in the cozy universe, combining many traditional cozy elements – cooking, coffee, a dog, family dynamics – and giving all these elements a new kind of flair through the cultural background of the main character and the diversity of the cast. Series heroine Lila Macapagal now has her own place, the Brew Ha café, next to her Tita Rosie’s restaurant. Her large Filipino family makes for a rich setting for the books, and in this installment, her extended gaggle of aunties – called the “Calendar Crew” are starting their own business venture: a laundromat. They are getting set to open during the town Spring Clean event.

Staying with one of the aunties is a cousin, Divina, about Lila’s age. It’s unclear quite what Divina is doing there but it seems to be tied to parental displeasure in some way, and they’ve sent her to the US from her home in the Philippines. Divina, a recent art school graduate, is hoping to own her own gallery some day, though how to go about it seems a mystery to her at the moment. Luckily the calendar crew ladies put her to work, and soon she’s running errands all over town for them.

The laundromat is suffering some setbacks however: it’s been vandalized, and the women are getting threatening letters every day. When one of the family is killed and another is put in the hospital, Lila and her friends get into the investigative action, with the help of recently retired from the police force Jonathan (now dating Tita Rosie) and Lila’s boyfriend, Jae, the town dentist and Jonathan’s brother.

Much of the mischief, if not the murder itself, seems to spring from the aunties “speaking their minds” – aka gossiping about everyone in town, spreading helpful “facts” that often turn out to damage or hurt the people involved. They’ve been instrumental in breaking up a marriage, causing a woman to lose her job, etc. The aunties insist that they’re just telling the truth but – the truth hurts, and Manansala actually has a point to make about the dangers and damage of gossip. Inside a fun and cozy read, there’s a message.

In a mystery, the writer can go one of two ways with the victim: the victim can be someone universally hated and disliked, pegged from the first page as deserving of their fate; or the victim can be someone sympathetic, even beloved. Manansala goes with door number two, and that choice adds some extra emotional heft to the story she’s telling.

There’s also a wonderful scene where Lila hires a non-binary server to work at her café. This is something that simply would not have been included in a mystery novel ten – or even five – years ago. Manansala continues to blow some fresh air through this genre. It’s also obviously a genre she loves. This is not a revolutionary cozy, really, but it’s one reflecting attitudes and mores of a new generation. This is truly one of the pleasures of the series.

The other pleasures: wonderful characters - and the food! Everyone in this book is constantly eating incredibly delicious sounding Filipino food. There are recipes at the end and if I’m not enough of a baker to bake a chiffon cake (the mamon of the title) I’m sure there’s a reader who is. The mystery itself is cleverly assembled with enough clues and red herrings to make the resolution a satisfying one. It seems like this series is settling in for a nice long run.

In the fourth book in Tita Rosie's Kitchen Mysteries, the aunties are attempting to open a laundromat. But it's vandalized, and the aunties are called out on their gossipy ways. Meanwhile, beautiful yet exiled textile artist and niece of one of the aunties, Divanda, is murdered after just a few short weeks in Shady Pines. Lila can't help but investigate, this time with the help of former detective Jonathan (and her boyfriend's older brother) and tries to determine whether there's a connection between the crimes.

I think this is my favorite book of the series yet. I can't quite put my finger on why, but this one felt more natural, like the prose, story, and character development all flowed more seamlessly. And maybe that's what happens after several books! I also thought the murder unveiling was interesting. I predicted the killer, but not much sooner than Lila--although, strangely, I had a totally different motive--and most of the book certainly kept me guessing. The food descriptions in this book were off-the-charts (perhaps, at times, a bit overwhelming), but it is a kitchen mystery! It had my mouth watering, for sure.

Thanks to Berkley, Let's Talk Books, and the author for my eARC and finished copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

5 stars - 9/10

When murder mars the grand opening for Lila Macapagal’s aunties’ new laundromat, she will have to air out all the dirty laundry in Shady Palms to catch a killer.
This is an interesting book in that it has jargon I'm not used to. But the story is very good.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley. This in no way affects my opinion of this book.

I was so excited when I first saw there would be a fourth installment of the Tita Rosie's Kitchen Mystery series, and Murder and Mamon did not disappoint! Like its predecessors, the book combines a cozy murder mystery with descriptions of mouth-watering Filipino food. Lila Macapagal, baker extraordinaire and amateur sleuth comes to the aid of her aunties (aka the "Calendar Crew") when their new laundromat is vandalized and a dead body is discovered there. This is the fourth murder in the small town of Shady Palms, and while you may be wondering why anyone would stay given the murder epidemic, the series' loveable cast and the offerings at the Brew-ha Cafe would have me calling Shady Palms home.

I was pleased that Adeena and Elena were more prominent in this book since the last one left me missing them. I was also pleasantly surprised that I was not able to figure out who the murderer was until right before the big reveal, and even then I was second-guessing myself. I definitely will read the next installment in this series if there is one!

This review is based on reading a complimentary advance reader copy of this book from NetGalley.

Thank you so much to Berkley for the chance to read and review this book prior to release!

This is the fourth book in the TITA ROSIE'S KITCHEN MYSTERY (TRKM) series and I've enjoyed all of them. While this probably could be read as a standalone, I'd recommend starting with book one, ARSENIC AND ADOBO and falling in love with all the fun and crazy characters in Shady Palms.

Of course, it wouldn't be a a TRKM without a murder right off the bat! Once again, the gang gets involved to try to get to the bottom of the case! I did feel that this one felt a little less plot heavy than the previous books, and things seemed to wrap up nicely and easily at the end, but that didn't stop it from being the light and fun cozy mystery that I was needing.

As always, I love that these books come with pronunciation guides and recipes in the back!

If you're a fan of Finlay Donovan or The Thursday Murder Club series, I think these would be a hit for you!

This book will be available for purchase on September 19th!

3.5 Stars

Shady Palms forever! Take me to Brew-Ha cafe and I'll die happy. These mysteries are oh so cozy, though I think we need some people to STOP dying soon. Maybe some robberies or other crimes instead?

Lila is back on her detective game as she tries to solve the murder of her cousin Davina. In this installment, we get to learn more about the Calendar Crew and all of the hot Shady Palms gossip. And don't worry, there's no shortage of amazing Filipino dishes to drool over (and Mia P. Manansala hooks us up with the recipes as usual). I'd be interested to delve into some of the other family drama we hear about in this book, or maybe take a vacation up to Chicago for a bit! If you need some cozy in your life, you'll never regret diving into this series. My fiancé reads them for the food and I read them for it all.

*Thank you to Berkley and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review*

This was another fun addition to the Tita Rosie’s Kitchen mystery series. I loved coming back to this town and see the mystery the family fell into this time.

I love seeing how everyone knew that Lila would dive into the investigation and start questioning the people involved. I loved seeing how her friends, family and boyfriend helped.

Of course the murder and mystery were wild and over the top. But the fact that the story is a little silly makes this book fun and enjoyable. Basically a very entertaining read.

Murder and Mamon by Mia P. Manansala is an engaging cozy mystery that takes readers on a delightful and delectable journey. This smartly written novel not only entertained me but also left me yearning for sweet and savory treats as I immersed myself in its pages.