Guilt and Ginataan is the fifth installment to the Tita Rosie’s Kitchen Mystery series and is filled with the usual town gossip, delicious food descriptions, and of course—a mystery. This time around it was with Fall as our backdrop and our main character Lila’s best friend as the main suspect and it was endearing to see the lengths Lila continues to go to prove her loved one’s innocence. I especially loved that we got front row to the ups and downs that best friends and business partners go through when you add in a murder.

As always, I look forward to reading about the traditional and modern takes on Filipino food, dessert, and drinks and I love that recipes are always included at the end of every book.

Guilt and Ginataan is book 5 in the amazing Tita Rosie's Kitchen Mystery series by Mia P. Manansala.

It was so great being back in Shady Palms with Lila Macapagal.

Talk about a fun cozy mystery to devour!
Lila Macapagala continues to bring us naturally diverse cast of characters. Which I absolutely loved.
Adeena Awan and Elena Torres were are wonderful and I enjoy getting to know them more and more with each book. Very well written and flawed like regular people.
Oh the town of Shady Palms is as charming and atmospheric as they come.
This book has all the same fun family dynamics and intriguing mystery plot.
Mia's descriptions are once again brilliantly written.
The mystery was well also well written and had me guessing until the last couple chapters.
Every time I open her book up I know I’m going to get the same characters, fun recipes, and an interesting mystery to solve.

I could NOT put it down and I read the whole thing in two gos. I loved every second of it.

"I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."

Berkley,
I can’t thank you enough for another chance to read and review book five! It’s been an absolute honor!
Thank You for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!
I will post my review to my blog, platforms, BookBub, B&N, Kobo and Waterstone closer to pub date.

Shady Palms, Illinois is celebrating their 35thannual Corn Festival, and The Brew-ha Café team is eagerly participating withtheir mix of Pakistani and Filipino treats. Owner Lila Macapagal and her business partners Adeena Awan and Adeena’sgirlfriend Elena Torres have created corn-enhanced twists on their traditionaldesserts, even adding a Korean corn tea to their mais ube sandwich cookies, andcorn ice candy.  The Korean flavors comefrom Lila’s boyfriend Dr. Jae Park, who is as attractive as he is supportive (Lilaisn’t too surprised that he is known around town as the Hot Dentist).  Lila’s going to need that comfort when theydiscover a body in the enormous corn maze, with Adeena collapsed next to itwhile holding a bloody knife. This isn’t the first time Lila and her friends have encountereda murder, but Adeena being a primary suspect certainly ramps up the stakes.  The victim certainly had her share of enemiesthough, as Yvonne being the wife of Shelbyville's Mayor Reyes means thather influence and political rivalries could be behind a plethora ofmotives.  Shelbyville residents also tendto look down upon their lower-income neighbors, so even Shady Palms’ Mayor Gundersoncould have had reasons for wanting his fellow mayor gone.   This 5th in the series focuses on thefriendship between Lila, Adeena, and Elena. Despite being in a surprisingly healthy relationship herself, Lila isfeeling like a bit of a third wheel now that her childhood best friend Adeenahas someone else she goes first for love and comfort.  Her very relatable adjustment to having her longtimefriendship change is empathetically handled as Lila learns how to communicate andbetter share her concerns.  Lila’sadorable Calendar Crew godmothers Ninang April, Ninang Mae, and Ninang June –all hilarious and who even have their own book series –  only briefly appear, but their absences aremore than made up for by the rest of her family and friends  Lila of course takes the time to walk andcare for her cuddly dachshund Longganisa, who is appropriately named after atraditional Filipino sausage.  While foodis of course central to Lila and her family’s business, this latest in theseries tackles small town politics and intrigue.  An outstanding element of these novels hasbeen the inclusion of Filipino, Pakistani, and Korean traditions, with their foodbeing a seductive entry point to their cultures’ traditions and beliefs.  Tantalizing recipes such as Lola Flor’sGinantaang Mais Sweet rice and corn porridge are included at the end, while atthe beginning of the book are Filipino definitions and pronunciation guides forcommon phrases woven in throughout.  Lilacontinues to be an extremely likable and engaging lead character, whose intelligenceis as elevated as her love of pop culture. This multi-ethnic mystery delivers a stellar mystery while also servingas a fun and easy entry point for readers to encounter fascinating new culturesand traditions.

I'm always a bit nervous starting a series this far in but I had absolutely no problem jumping in with this one and getting the who is who stuff all figured out. I enjoyed all the fall fun happening in during the corn festival and the murder was an intriguing one. The victim had some people who might have wanted to end her life and then there's her wife's position of mayor in the neighboring town to consider. All Lila knows is that it was not her best friend Adeena who ended the mayor's wife's life in the middle of a corn maze even if she was found clutching the bloody knife. The real question is who had the strong enough motive.

The investigation was interesting with small town politics and personal secrets to be dug through as well as a motive for murder to be found. I did struggle a bit with the writing style. I like a good food description but the description of everything felt a bit bulky and slowed the pace down. As well, I had a hard time warming up to Lila and Elena (especially Elena). Luckily, I liked Adeena, Jae and the Aunties enough to make up for it. This wasn't my favorite cozy I've read this year but overall, I did enjoy it and liked that it dealt with a cuisine I'm not that familiar with. This is a series I'll continue with though it may not be at the top of my list.

First off, thank you to Mia and NetGalley for an advanced reading copy of Guilt and Ginataan. I was so excited to go back to Shady Palms, ever since I read Arsenic and Adobo I immediately became hooked to this series. Mia’s books are comfort read for me because these books hit close to home, minus the murders, lol.

It’s Shady Palms annual corn festival and the brew-has have set up shop to sell their delicious baked goods and coffee. But nothing can be this easy for Lila and her friends right? After Lila, Elena, and Adeena agree to some fun competition through the corn maze disaster happens when screams are heard in the corn maze. Lila and other townspeople find Lila’s bff Adeena lying over Shelbyville’s Mayor’s unalived wife!

Like the others, I enjoyed this book and like always Mia keeps me guessing throughout the entire book. This book really showed another level of Mia and Adeena’s friendship, because even though there were some obstacles (Elena.. who I USUALLY love) and limited evidence and resources Mia never quit on her bff.

If you’re into cozy mysteries and as always delicious foods and recipes, read this! I can’t wait for the next one!

Thank you for the free book @penguinrandomhouse and @berkleypub #penguinrandomhousepartner #berkleyIG #BerkleyBookstagram.

So happy to be back to the town of Shady Palms! The Tita Rosie’s Kitchen Mystery is probably one of my current fave series and I look forward to reading every new installment!

As a Filipino, this series is near and dear to my heart for obvious reasons but omg guys dont read this on an empty stomach because the food features in this book does not disappoint!

I love cozy mysteries and it was so much fun to be back to one of my favorite fictional small towns with the nosiest set of characters ever 😅

So in this fifth book from the series, we have the Shady Palms Corn Festival going on so lots of Fall things!!! And because this is a cozy mystery, we now have again another murder case to solve.

I love seeing the growth from the characters I’ve enjoyed since book 1. I do miss seeing more of the titas (aunties) though. They took a backseat in this one. And this also has some political undertones so I wasnt able to fully enjoy it the way I usually do with the other books from the series. But still, this book was very bingeable and I loved the feel of sleuthing minus the stress from a typical thriller (why i love cozy mysteries😅).

Highly recommend for if you want a fall themed murder mystery book to read!!

💭 Where do you get inspiration for what you cook everyday?
☕️ We’re currently subscribed to HelloFresh and it honestly makes the meal prepping better. Plus I dont have to think about what to cook anymore 😅

Cafe owner Lila Macapagal is excited to participate in her hometown of Shady Palms’ thirty-fifth annual Corn Festival. She and her business partners Adeena Awan and Elena Torres have been busy cooking up various beverages and baked goods that feature corn, to be offered at the booth they’ve set up for the festival. Their wares are received enthusiastically, especially after Mayor Judy Reyes of the neighboring town of Shelbyville gives them a public endorsement, causing their booth to sell out of both food and drink in record time.

With this unexpected surplus of free time now on their hands, the three friends decide to make a competition of the festival’s famed corn maze, splitting up to see who will finish first. But as they’re each navigating the delightfully creepy maze, Lila hears an ear-splitting scream. Her immediate instinct is to run towards the source and offer help. She’s shocked to discover Adeena, of all people, passed out in the corn maze, clutching a bloody knife next to the stabbed corpse of the mayor’s wife.

Unsurprisingly, Adeena swiftly falls under suspicion of murder, especially since the dead woman had been openly flirting with Adeena’s girlfriend Elena only hours earlier. Given their prior experiences with the Shady Palms’ police department, Lila and her friends are unwilling to leave the investigating to the authorities. But their efforts are stymied by an unusual obstacle: a newfound friction between the three owners of the Brew-ha Cafe. While Elena wants to protect Adeena at all costs, Lila just wants to charge in and get answers to clear her best friend’s name. Worse, neither of them is really listening to Adeena. Even if they manage to find the real killer, will all of their relationships survive this ordeal?

I really enjoyed this clever culinary cozy mystery that also takes a good hard look at the complexities of friendship and betrayal. It’s been so great to follow along as Lila’s rebuilt her life and community since moving back to Shady Pines from Chicago. Mirroring Lila’s own increased maturity and more assured style of detection, this fifth installment of the Tita Rosie’s Kitchen mystery series felt like a confident move into the future.

There were four recipes included here, all featuring both corn and either Lila’s Filipina or Elena’s Mexican heritage. Corn can be a hard sell for my family, so I decided to try out the simplest of these dishes:

QUOTE
Lola Flor’s Ginataang Mais

½ cup glutinous rice (sometimes called “sweet rice” or “sticky rice”)
2 (14-ounce) cans coconut milk (light or full-fat)
Pinch of salt
1 ½ to 2 cups fresh or frozen corn OR 1 (12-ounce) can whole corn kernels, drained
½ cup granulated sugar

Put the rice, coconut milk, and salt in a medium pot and bring to a boil.

Lower the heat and simmer the mixture for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring often so the rice doesn’t stick together or to the bottom of the pot.

Add the corn and sugar, stirring everything together, and simmer for another 5 to 10 minutes until the rice is cooked to your desired softness and the coconut milk has reached your desired thickness. Don’t forget to stir occasionally!

Let cool slightly and serve. The coconut milk will thicken as it cools. If the mixture gets too thick, add some water, milk, or coconut milk, and reheat slowly. Enjoy!
END QUOTE

This was tasty and, barring the amount of time spent standing over the stove and stirring (which I did while reading a book,) was quite easy to prepare. My corn-indifferent family liked it well enough, though we did have plenty of leftovers to share with our neighbors. I might make this again with raisins (my eldest child’s suggestion) or cranberries (my own idea) as the sticky rice and coconut base mixture with sugar is super delicious. If you do like corn, I recommend using canned instead of frozen, as it will cook faster and thus require that much less stirring.

Next week, we whip up another sweet treat while attempting to clear another best friend’s name in a brand new series debut. Do join me!

Lila Macapagal and the gang are back in this 5th installment of Tita Rosie’s Kitchen Mystery series. This time it is her best friend Adeena Awan who’s the main suspect. She is accused of murdering the wife of the mayor of the neighboring town! It is up to Lila and her friends to clear Adeena’s name and find the real culprit.

As with the previous books, I had a grand time reading this cozy murder mystery. It is my comfort read not only because it adequately represents a typical Filipino community, but it also features a lot of yummy Pinoy dishes which makes my tummy rumble every single time a dish is mentioned! I especially loved that Lila’s recipes are the fancier versions of what I typically cook!😍 I truly hope that this series would continue for a long time, though we’d probably run out of suspects and dead bodies from Shady Palms!🤪

***Thank you @berkleypub for my providing my ARC.

Thank you to Berkley Pub for the advance reader copy and to PRH Audio for the complimentary audiobook. These opinions are my own.

We are back with Lila and her friends in Shady Palms. This book is perfect for those looking for fall vibes, as it is centered around a corn festival and a corn maze. I have to be honest; it will make me wary of the next corn maze I do. I'll be sticking with friends until I come out the other side.

In this book, we focus just as much on Adeena, Lila's best friend as on Lila herself. I really appreciated that the book explores their relationship and how Lila felt being the third wheel in their collaboration on the Brew-ha Cafe.

And it felt appropriate that we expanded the intrigue beyond the borders of Shady Palms to a nearby small town. After all, how many major crimes can one small town have?

I loved the little dachshunds and all the food. This series always makes me hungry. The characters are some of my favorites, and I enjoyed seeing them all together again on their crime solving adventures. I did end up guessing who the villain was. And I enjoyed every step of the journey to learn who.

Danice Cabanela continued her narration of the series with an audiobook performance just under 9 hours. I always appreciate her pronunciation and that the hardcover and ebook versions come with a pronunciation guide.

I have been a fan of this series since it first came out, and I always look forward to each new installment! I really enjoyed being back in Shady Palms for book five--the culture, the characters, the mystery and mayhem, and the series' trademark mouth-watering Filipino food. And this one also has wonderful, cozy fall vibes!

Set during the town's annual autumn Corn Festival, Lila must prove the innocence of her best friend, Adeena, who is found unconscious in a corn maze next to a dead body and holding a bloody knife.

This was fast-paced and fun. The aunties didn't play a big role in this one because the focus was more on Lila and her friend group, and much of the action takes place in a nearby town, as the victim was the wife of that town's mayor. But we did get to know Lila's friends better. I appreciated that Manansala wrote scenes where the stress of the situation entered the dynamic between the friends, which lent a realistic aspect.

Lila continues to grow as a sleuth and business owner, as well as with community involvement. I also enjoy her relationship with her boyfriend, Jae, and was happy to see him take on a more significant role in the investigations. The mystery is intriguing and well-plotted, with enough red herrings to keep you guessing. An entertaining whodunnit with an engaging cast of diverse characters and a lovely exploration of Filipino food and culture, this is one that cozy mystery fans will want to check out!

Thank you to Berkley Publishing and Netgalley for the gifted ARC!

It's time for the Shady Pines corn festival, and Lila and her friends/co-workers are buys whipping up delicious corn-centric treats for the occasion. Unfortunately, only shortly into the festivities, a dead body is discovered--with Lila's BFF, Adeena, perched right over it! Lila is determined to figure out the true killer and clear Adeena's names, but the festival, local politics, and butting heads with Adeena's girlfriend make things harder than they should be.

I love the idea of a corn festival, as it's such a versatile ingredient and a great way to showcase the author's passion for food. It also made such a fun, fall setting for the crime to take place. I didn't quite follow why the three main women couldn't just communicate and work together, but I guess we have to have conflict somewhere. This is a fun cozy mystery series, and another solid installment.

Thanks to Berkley for my eARC and Get Red PR for my finished copy! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

4 stars - 8/10

Sometimes returning to a favorite series is just the kind of comfort that you need, and that was the experience I had with this one. While I would have loved a little more of Lila's family in this one, there was a nice focus on how friendships change and reestablish themselves as people pair off, get into business together, or just generally the growing pains of getting older.

I am still so charmed by Mia P. Manansala's cozy mystery series starring Lila Macapagal and all of her delightful friends and family in Shady Palms. Lila is still quippy and fun, and I really love her fierce and determined she is when solving murders in her town (this is seriously getting to be a Cabot Cove level of small town murder rates). This time it's her best friend Adeena who is suspected when she is found passed out next to a dead body in a corn maze, and Lila is on the case. The mystery is well laid out, the cozy mystery aesthetic is super cozy, and once again we get some great recipes that I want to try out. A perfect November read.

Thank you, @berkleypub, for an advanced copy of this book!

Guilt and Ginataan have me both hungry and entertained, all while reminding me why I adore this series! The three co-owners of the Brew Ha Café are back at it, once again tangled in a thrilling murder mystery. With the annual corn festival on the horizon, Lila and her Brew-ha team are busy selling corn-themed treats when everything turns dark. Lila becomes the prime suspect after her best friend is found unconscious in a corn maze next to a dead body—one clutching the murder weapon. Determined to clear her name and uncover the natural killer, Lila and her friends are on high alert, all while navigating the complications of the investigation.

Guilt and Ginataan is a delightful mystery with a rich cultural backdrop that will captivate readers from start to finish. One of the standout elements of this book is how Manansala delves into the dynamics of friendship. As Lila and her friends unravel the truth, we also see how the investigation strains relationships within the Brew-ha group and the victim's circle. I appreciated how the author explored these complex connections, adding emotional depth to the story.

Though the culprit's identity became pretty straightforward as the plot progressed, the book skillfully throws in enough red herrings to keep you guessing until the end. And, of course, a review of this series would only be complete with mentioning the mouthwatering food! The vivid descriptions of Filipino dishes—especially the maja blanca—will have you craving comfort food with every turn of the page. I also loved the mix of drama and humor woven throughout, giving the story a lighthearted tone even amidst the tension.

Some new characters add an extra layer of intrigue, romance, twists, and a new dachshund to charm Lila's already colorful life. While the investigation leads to a dramatic resolution, the story leaves a few unanswered questions, which I found abrupt. This time, there's more focus on Lila's friendships and less on the aunts, which was a refreshing change of pace.

This series continues to delight and amuse, and I'm eagerly looking forward to more works by Mia P. Manansala.

Guilt and Ginataan by Mia P. Manansala is an enjoyable cozy mystery. Shady Palm’s Corn Festival is underway with a plethora of corny treats and a crafty corn maze. I like the characters in this series. They are realistic and relatable. I like the close family ties and friendships. The food and drink descriptions will have your mouth watering (there are recipes at the end of the book). The mystery was fun but a tad predictable. Lila and her friends set out to prove that Adeena did not commit the crime. There are several suspects along with a red herring. There was plenty of drama. The whodunit ended abruptly, and I was left with unanswered questions. This time around, there was less time with aunties, but more with the friends. I enjoyed the humor sprinkled throughout the story. Guilt and Ginataan is the fifth book in A Tita Rosie’s Kitchen Mysteries. It can be read as a standalone for those new to the series. I am looking forward to the next book in this charming series. Guilt and Ginataan is a corntastic cozy with fantastic food, delightful drinks, an alarming corn maze, a friend in need, clever crafts, nosy aunties, and a killer to catch.

This is the fifth book in the series but the first one that I read. I recommend reading the series in order. I was lost when it came to character relationships and didn’t really connect to the characters at all The mystery plot was okay but not as suspenseful as I would have liked.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC.

I love this series so much and it just gets better and better. This one deals with politicians (I know I know it's a tough time for that), but focuses on the awesome things being done for the community. I also really appreciated how this book focused on the friendship between Lila, Adeena, and Elena. It makes them all examine how they treat each other and sometimes put their own feelings / priorities above the needs of the person they are trying to help. This is so unique to a cozy mystery and I loved the internal work they are tying to do and how they are learning to communicate these things even when it's hard. Also I am hoping Lila and Elena's relationship will grow stronger and not be in a subconscious competition over who knows Adeena better.
The mystery was fabulous and I love how each of the trio approached the investigation and the dramatics it revealed. The ending was heart-pounding and fabulous as usual and OF COURSE this book made me soooo hungry. I love love love the entrepreneurial spirit always embodied in these books.

Note: I listened to this audiobook (as I have the entire series) and it was fabulous as usual!

I really like this series, but this may be my least favorite of the set. There was just a lot of arguing in this one, especially between the friends and I felt like the FMC could be a little insensitive at times. This doesn't mean I'll stop reading the series, because I do love the characters, I just wish there was less miscommunication in this one. I understood why it was there, it was just a little over the top. I also feel like we missed out some of the usual characters as it seemed the Calendar Crew, Tita Rosie and Lola Flor only made minimal appearances. I love the FMC's interactions with them and wish they could have been more involved (besides the Calendar's Crew brief assistance in the beginning). Overall, I still enjoy this series, this addition just wasn't my favorite.

"Autumn is in full swing for the town of Shady Palms--the perfect time for warm drinks, cozy cardigans, and...dead bodies?"

What to expect:
🌽corn festival
🌽fall vibes & corn treats
🌽murder in a corn maze
🌽rival towns (gave me Pawnee vs Eagleton vibes)
🌽navigating change in friendship dynamics
🌽Filipino recipe at the end

I loved coming back to Shady Palms and joining Lila as she sets out to clear her best friend's name, who has been accused of murder. I love the show Parks & Rec so the small town rivalry was drama I was here for! All of the food and unique coffee descriptions sounded delicious as always, and adding in the speciality olive oil shop was fun. All of my guesses for who the true murderer was were wrong, but I also wasn't trying too hard to solve the mystery. This is one of those book series where I just join along for the ride. This is book 5 in the Tita Rosie's Kitchen Mystery series and is very much a comfort series for me. You can read this as a stand alone, but there are a lot of characters that we've gotten to know from previous books, so I could see it being a little challenging to keep track without that background knowledge. So on that note, I enjoyed cameos from characters in previous books and getting updates on them now. I got the impression that this series may still continue, and I'll be just as excited for that next book!

Guilt and Ginataan by Mia P. Manansala, the fourth installment in the Tita Rosie's Kitchen Mystery series, is a delightful, cozy mystery that blends Filipino culture with a compelling whodunit. Set once again in Shady Palms, the story follows our charming sleuth, Lila Macapagal, as she tackles a new murder mystery while also preparing for her aunt's restaurant opening.

This time, Lila is roped into helping organize a local culinary festival. The event promises to be a hit until one of the organizers is found dead—right after having a heated argument with Lila's cousin. With a mix of humor, family dynamics, and mouthwatering Filipino dishes (like ginataan), Manansala captures both the warmth and tension that come with close-knit communities.

Manansala’s hallmark wit and love for Filipino food culture shine in this book, making it as much a cultural experience as it is a mystery. Fans of the previous books will appreciate the continued growth of Lila's character, her relationships, and her evolving sense of community responsibility. The mystery itself is well-paced, with a satisfying balance of suspense, lighthearted moments, and delicious food descriptions that may have readers craving Filipino cuisine.

Guilt and Ginataan is a quick, enjoyable read that combines mystery, culture, and family in a way that feels both comforting and intriguing—perfect for fans of cozy mysteries and lovers of Filipino food!

Thank you for this ARC. I throughly enjoyed this novel.