Tita Rosie's Kitchen Mysteries are exactly what they sound like: cozy mysteries. In this latest installment, the book follows a familiar formula, much like the others in the series. While there’s nothing new or groundbreaking about it, there’s a certain comfort in returning to these characters and the cozy world they inhabit.

I enjoy revisiting the cast, but I have to admit that I do get frustrated with them at times. Specifically, Lila, our lovely friend, who, to be honest, I find to be the worst. Her antics often get under my skin, and while the group sticks together despite the tension, it can be a bit irritating.

Ultimately, the charm of the Tita Rosie's Kitchen Mysteries lies in its cozy atmosphere and engaging mysteries. As a fan of the genre, I appreciate the comfort of returning to these books, but I’m still on the fence about continuing the series. While the mysteries themselves are always enjoyable, I’m not sure if I’m invested enough in the characters to keep going. It’s a solid choice for cozy mystery lovers, but whether or not I’ll pick up the next one remains undecided.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Publishing Group for the arc in exchange for my honest review.

This is a great fall Tita Rosie mystery! I love that Longanisa has a new friend in this one, and I love that the storyline focuses on how friendships change and endure life changes.

Guilt and ginataan?! I have them all the time except ginataan is a special sweet dish from the Philippines that all whoever lived in the country enjoyed it. I’ll review the book and hopefully I’ll be able to prepare this sweetened dish made of coconut milk, fresh fruits of plantain + ube + shredded coconut meat + taro + yam or sweet potato + jackfruit, bilo-bilo or glutinous balls, sago or tapioca/bobba, plenty of sugar and some water.

When I first came across reading Mia Manansala’s Brew-ha cafe, I fell in love with her funny and cozy-thriller story. This one is another LOL sarcastic book while figuring out where, what and why that dead body existed in the maze. Nobody messes with Lila especially her BFF amiga Adeena. I enjoyed the funny dialogues, the recipes, the places and mostly the heartwarming moments of being a Filipino-American in the tight knit community. definitely felt the homesickness and the kabarkada (group of friends). I know if the author keeps writing, I will keep reading—it simply feels like watching a funny and silly sleuths in a soap or telenovela series.

3.5 Stars

Lila Macapagal and her friends and business partners Adeena Awan and Elena Torres are excited that their cafe will have a booth at the Shady Palms Corn Festival. They’re hoping to draw attention and new customers to the Brew-ha Cafe through the delectable foods and drinks they’re offering there. During a break from their hard work, the friends explore the corn maze where Adeena discovers the body of Yvonne, who is the wife of a neighboring town’s mayor. Adeena is then found unconscious holding the murder weapon, and understandably becomes the prime suspect. Lila and Elena, who is Adeena’s girlfriend, won’t stop until they find the real killer and prove Adeen’s innocence.

Guilt and Ginataan is the fifth book in the Tita Rosie’s Kitchen Mystery series featuring a Filipino-American family living in a small town outside Chicago. Several different Filipino dishes are mentioned in the story and some of the recipes can be found at the end of the book. In spite of the name of the series, Lila is the main character of the book. Her aunt Rosie is one of my favorite characters, but unfortunately she barely makes an appearance this time. Lila and her boyfriend Dr. Jae Park, a successful dentist, make a great couple.

In this book, there are tensions between Lila and Elena since both want to be the one to help Adeena. Throughout the book, Lila feels like a third wheel around the couple and at times this affects the investigation. I’m glad their feelings were eventually addressed but was disappointed that we found out the three women had talked instead of being a part of that conversation since we had read so much about the conflicts.

The investigation itself held my interest with plenty of red herrings and a solution that was hinted at, but that I didn’t expect. I don’t always like how Lila’s relatives disrespect her and make comments about her weight, but that has been toned down as the series has progressed. If you enjoy this author, then you will like the latest installment in this series.

~ Christine

I’m a big fan of this series, and this was better than the previous one. Full of fun Pilipino food references, family, and mystery. But, there are moments where it felt like the author had to write a minimum # of words with unnecessary details like a gluten free order from a customer (who is never mentioned again) or how they want to change Jae’s drink. The actual mystery was still interesting, but these small unnecessary details that added nothing were corny and detracted from me enjoying the book. The author also makes too many references to people (how many times does the ex boyfriend need to be qualified? E.g, “Sam, my ex boyfriend.”) There are also way too many references to corn this time (bc of the town’s corn festival). Like, we get that this is a festival happening!

This is the fifth book in Mansala’s Tita Rosie’s Kitchen Mysteries. This time a murder occurs in a corn maze during the annual Shady Palms corn festival. Lila and the Brew-ha crew must work to solve it and clear the name of one of their members. It’s an interesting mystery and as with the others in the series the story is replete with descriptions of delicious food.

Another wonderful visit to Lila and her friends and family. I love the mystery elements, of course, but I also love seeing these characters grow and learning more about them. Also, the food content is amazing and makes me incredibly hungry. I look forward to the next installment!

This is a fun culinary series! Guilt and Ginataan was a great addition to it. The biggest draw is that the characters are Asian or really Filipino.

Guilt and Ginataan is the fifth installment in Mia P. Manansala’s Tita Rosie’s Kitchen series, and I will never tire of reading about Lila, Adeena, Elena, the Calendar Crew, and - of course - Longganisa.

Shady Hollow townsfolk find Adeena unconscious next to a body, holding a knife. Can Lila solve the mystery before Adeena finds herself charged?

I absolutely adored this addition to my favorite cozy mystery series. It takes place during a corn festival in the middle of a brisk midwestern autumn, making it the perfect fall read. There is friction between the three female friends as they learn how to balance the nonromantic friendships with the romantic relationship between Adeena and Elena. The author does a great job of making the statement that neither relationship type is more valued or worthy than the other.

At this point, I will read anything and everything that Manansala writes. Cannot wait for the next installment in Lila’s story!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the free advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

The latest installment in the Tita Rosie’s Kitchen Mystery series, Guilt and Ginataan does a superb job balancing mystery, character, and humor. The stakes in the investigation were realistic and we get straight to the mystery after the murder is discovered. This cozy mystery boasts excellent character development in Lila that builds on the work done in previous books and expands on her relationships with her friends/business partners, and I appreciated just how much of the dynamic between Lila and her besties that we get.

Am I only reading this for the fun and delicious Filipino food, desserts, and drinks?! It's still a good Millenial age cozy mystery and i for sure appreciate all of the recipes at the back of the book. This one had some Pakistani food so that was fun and I liked the Corn Festival - very midwestern. We didn't get to see as much of the dachsund so hopefully that will be brought back more into the story line for next book.

Autumn in Shady Palms is all about cozy vibes, warm drinks, and...murder mysteries? In "Guilt and Ginataan", the latest in Mia P. Manansala's Tita Rosie's Kitchen Mysteries series, the town's annual Corn Festival takes a chilling turn when Lila Macapagal's best friend Adeena is found unconscious next to a dead body in the middle of Illinois' second-largest corn maze - clutching a bloody knife. With all evidence pointing to Adeena as the culprit, Lila springs into action to clear her friend's name, unraveling political secrets and dangerous motives along the way.

This fast-paced cozy mystery had everything: mouth-watering Filipino recipes, witty banter, and a sprinkle of romance. The blend of small-town drama and culinary delights was addictive. While the ending could have used more detail, fans of the series will devour this installment like I did. A big thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing, as well as author Mia P. Manansala, for the ARC for this book - Lila's adventures never fail to deliver!

Lila and her Brew-ha Cafe best buddies have a booth at the Corn Festival, selling delicious food and drinks. But when they decide to race through the corn maze, one friend is found unconscious, next to a knife and a very dead woman. Now Lila, and her friends and family, have to solve the crime and prove their friend innocent.

This, along with the Laura Child’s Tea Shop series, might just be my favorite cozy mystery series, and one of my favorites series out there. The characters are so vibrant and wonderful, and you become completely invested in them and their lives. The setting comes alive and feels like a place you want to visit. The romance is weaved in beautifully, and all the platonic and romantic relationships are great. And the food! I want to eat it all! The mystery is always really good as well. I highly recommend this book.

Have you read any of this series? You really need to pick it up if you like fun, great BIPOC representation, and/or cozy mysteries. There is a great supporting cast of characters and a little romance. And I almost forgot, there are recipes. The books always make me hungry and I want to try one of those savory corn muffins they kept mentioning.

There is a little less of Lila’s family in this one but a lot of her boyfriend Jae and her dog Longganisa. Her business partner Adeena is framed for a murder in a corn maze and Lila isn’t going to let her take the blame. Lila does her normal sleuthing and putting herself in danger as she works to clear Adeena’s name.

What a fun time catching up with Lila, the Brew-ha cafe and its crew, and meeting the new characters while also trying to figure out the villain before Lila did. I can’t wait to see what’s next for Lila!

This is a cozy mystery that definitely inspires nostalgia and brings me to the food and celebrations of my culture. I think in general I've found that cozy mysteries are hard for me to grasp. - but that again is more of a me thing than anything. I think that in the right mood - someone would definitely enjoy this one!

Another book I’ve read in the middle of the series. This is book five of the 𝑇𝑖𝑡𝑎 𝑅𝑜𝑠𝑖𝑒’𝑠 𝐾𝑖𝑡𝑐ℎ𝑒𝑛 𝑀𝑦𝑠𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑦 series No worries. Although this is my first time meeting our FMC Lila, it was easy to fall into this cozy mystery! Quite entertaining with trying to figure who, if anyone, framed Adeena since she was found passed out next to a dead body in the Shady Pines corn festival maze. This one screams all things fall and food reading about fall activities and sceneries! It took me back to my days of living in the Midwest during the fall! I loved listening to all the talk about the Filipino food and the recipes! Definitely made me hungry along the way and wait to try it all.

Now I need to back track and read books 1-4! I was able to connect with the FMC and really feel her personality through the story.

Manansala does not disappoint! I really enjoyed this one. With cozy mysteries sometimes there is not character development in the story. However our main character Lila grew so much with this story. I also enjoyed the focus on Adeena, Lila’s best friend as opposed to the mystery somehow always centering Lila. My only gripes with this is that we really did not get to see much of the “aunties” which was a bit disappointing as that is what I look forward to. I also thought that the mystery was a bit easy to guess. I usually cannot guess with these books but I did guess about 20% of the way in which was disappointing. All in all, I truly cannot wait for the next installment!

I’m always happy to read a new Tita Rosie’s kitchen mystery. I remember when the first book, Arsenic and Adobo, was published, and it was so exciting to see more diversity in cozy mysteries pushing up against some more complicated themes. Those characteristics have held true, with new and interesting characters, into the fifth book of what is for me a very “comfort read” series!

It's time for the annual Shady Palms Corn Festival, home to the second largest corn maze in Illinois, and this year, the festival is put on jointly by Shady Palms and neighboring Shelbyville, a larger and wealthier municipality. Yvonne, the wife of Shelbyville’s mayor, spends much of the first day of the festival flirting with Elena, Lila’s business partner and Adeena’s girlfriend. When the trio finally get a break at the end of the day, they bet on who can complete the corn maze first, each starting from a different location.

Their friendly wager is forgotten when Lila hears screams coming from another part of the maze. As usual, she runs towards trouble, and in the middle of the maze, finds Yvonne, dead by a knife wound, and an unconscious Adeena holding the bloody weapon. Circumstances couldn’t be more damning for Adeena, but Lila is confident in Adeena’s innocence and undertakes one of her investigations to find the true guilty party.

GUILT AND GINATAAN has all the elements that make the series beloved—Lila’s family and meddling godmothers, her adorable dachshund, and handsome dentist boyfriend as well as the Brew-ha Café. By expanding to a new town, though, the book contains additional settings and characters.

In addition to the central mystery, the book has a triangle—one between Lila, Elena, and Adeena, and how the three can manage the communication challenges and jealousies that come from Lila and Adeena being BFFs while Elena and Adeena are in a relationship. This to me was a very relatable part of the book!

Four recipes appear at the end of the book—every time I read one, I think, “This time, I’ll try one!” Maybe for the sixth book!

I really wanted to love this latest instalment in this series, because I love the series and its characters so much! There was lots that was great about this book, including the same familiar characters and their community, and the deliciously autumn-cozy feel of the mystery. I'm here for the queer representation that allows the queer characters to have experiences that don't revolve around their queerness and it being the central issue for them, but who are three-dimensional characters with flaws and life experiences and meaningful relationships, not just being sidekicks. That's why I was so excited that this latest novel was Adeena-centric! But sadly, it fell a little flat for me. I thought we would learn more about Adeena and her family and her story, but because it was still all coming through Lila's lens, it ended up being Lila feeling sorry for herself that she wasn't more important to Adeena, which felt like a bit of a missed opportunity to flesh out Adeena's character and her relationship with Elena. I will definitely still look out for the next book in this series, because I continue to love it!

While we hang onto the fall season with the paranormal, we might as well with the normal: a corn maze. Well, perhaps not so normal, as the corn maze in Mia P. Manansala’s fifth addition to her “Tita Rosie’s Kitchen Mystery” series, “Guilt and Ginataan” (Berkley, $19), turns deadly. As autumn blankets the charming town of Shady Palms, the vibrant hues of falling leaves signal not just sweater weather, but the kickoff of one of the community’s most beloved events — the annual Corn Festival. The centerpiece of the festival is an impressive corn maze that stands as the second largest in Illinois. Lila Macapagal, owner of the charming Brew-ha Cafe, joins forces with her closest friends and fellow cafe staff, Adeena Awan and Elena Torres, to partake in the festival’s delights, making a playful bet on who will conquer the maze first. The discovery of a body at the heart of the labyrinth, however, causes the lighthearted atmosphere to take a sinister turn.

As the initial shock subsides, the reality sets in — the victim is none other than the wife of a prominent local politician, and the scene is rife with incriminating evidence. All signs point toward Adeena as the prime suspect in this shocking murder case, who was found unconscious next to the body, knife in hand. Lila’s intuition tells her that Adeena could never commit such a heinous crime, and determined to clear her friend’s name, she embarks on a perilous journey to reveal the truth.

Lila and her Brew-ha crew begin unweaving a tangled web of secrets, hidden motives and swirling rumors that threaten to engulf the quaint town. With each new clue, Lila uncovers not only the complexities of the townsfolk’s lives but also the darker undercurrents that lie beneath Shady Palm’s charming facade. This exhilarating, cozy mystery beautifully weaves themes of friendship, loyalty and the indomitable spirit of small-town life amid the thrill of a chilling whodunit.