"Dominoes, Danson, and Death" by Raquel V. Reyes - 5 Stars**
"Dominoes, Danson, and Death" is a masterful blend of mystery, humor, and cultural richness that keeps readers on the edge of their seats from start to finish. Raquel V. Reyes crafts a captivating narrative that is both engaging and thought-provoking, showcasing her talent for weaving intricate plots with relatable characters.
The protagonist is wonderfully fleshed out, and her journey through the twists and turns of the mystery is both thrilling and heartwarming. Reyes’ sharp wit shines through the dialogue, making for some genuinely laugh-out-loud moments that balance the darker themes of the story. The setting is vividly described, immersing readers in a vibrant world filled with family dynamics and cultural nuances that resonate deeply.
What truly sets this book apart is Reyes' ability to tackle serious issues with grace and humor. The exploration of community, loyalty, and the consequences of our choices adds depth to the story, making it more than just a typical cozy mystery. The pacing is spot on, with each revelation building tension and keeping the reader guessing until the very end.
Overall, "Dominoes, Danson, and Death" is a delightful read that combines an intriguing plot with rich character development and a strong sense of place. Raquel V. Reyes has delivered a standout novel that will resonate with fans of the genre and anyone who appreciates a well-crafted story. This book is an absolute must-read!

Cozy reading time with the next installment in the Caribbean Kitchen Mystery series by Raquel V. Reyes: Miriam Quiñones-Smith's three-year streak of avoiding dead bodies ends when human bones are found at her husband's construction site, and a fake skeleton with a threatening note washes ashore. As she unravels the crimes, Miriam juggles her roles as a mom, wife, culinary anthropologist, and cooking show host, making her one of the most dynamic cozy-mystery heroines.
This installment is packed with twists and turns, and Reyes keeps you guessing until the end. Highlights include a lively scene on Miami's Calle Ocho and rich cultural details, from Cuban-American traditions to the Orishas. Frankie Corzo's excellent audiobook narration, seamlessly blending English and Spanish, adds authenticity to the story.
With its vibrant mix of food, family, and danger, this series continues to impress. Don't read on an empty stomach-those food descriptions are irresistible!
Highly recommend - these books just whisk you to Southern Florida!

Thanks to #Netalley and #Raquelvreyes for a free ARC of this title, first off this is the first book of this author I have listened to on an audiobook but will definitely not be the last. I dont think you need to read the titles in order to understand both the family dynamic or the story lines. The family and friends are wonderful to read about. There is more than one mystery in this book and all are very engaging. One of my favourite finds of 2024.

This series gets better and better! I loved seeing Miriam and her family again. This book jumps ahead a few years and I loved seeing her kiddos growing up, especially Mani and his love for cooking and food! Roberto is also growing on me, though I honestly don't envy Miriam hehe. I loved all the fun facts about food anthropologist and how similar dishes are slightly altered in different cultures and boy did this book make me SO HUNGRY. This book is even more in depth that the summary implies and I love how the author handles the different cultures and ancestors involved in this book with such respect and care. Miriam is so accepting and open minded and I love her so much. I was hooked by the story and cannot wait for more!

Note: I LOVE LOVE these audiobooks and you really should listen them to truly enjoy these fabulous characters to the fullest.

(3.75 stars, rounded up)
The fourth book in the Caribbean Kitchen Mystery series revolves around a discovery of bones at the local country club in Miami, during a construction project. Of course all work stopped so they could be investigated. I found the information about the original native population of south Florida fascinating - just enough information to entice me to read a bit more about them! We also get a lovely introduction to Calle Ocho, the famous “little Havana” neighborhood in Miami. Miriam Quiñones Smith is still doing her “Abuela Approved” tv segments, focusing on Caribbean specialties and one segment is filmed in that area. There is a tour guide (a pretty obnoxious one) who has been murdered at a historic art deco movie theater in that neighborhood. On top of all this, Robert’s father is a judge and is getting threatening notes. Are these things connected in any way?

Miriam gets involved in the investigations because her boss Delvis is a suspect in the tour guide’s murder, and Miriam’s husband Robert is the one in charge of the golf course project. Her background in anthropology (especially foodways) also comes in handy here. Miriam’s parents have moved in with her and her husband, and help with the two children, but it makes for a very busy household!

I appreciated that we got to see a little bit of a softer side to Miriam’s snooty mother-in-law in this story. I’m hoping for further thawing of that relationship in future volumes.

As aways, there’s lots of talk about and descriptions of food, so don’t be surprised if you get hungry while reading this! If you enjoy reading about the various ethnic foods, don’t miss the recipes at the end of the book.

Miriam once again really tried NOT to act as an amateur sleuth. I love her relationship with the local detective, Pullman. He teasingly refers to her as either Veronica (i.e., Veronica Mars) or Jessica (i.e., Jessica Fletcher) or Velma (as in Scooby Doo).

Warning: there is a lot of Spanish sprinkled throughout this book. Even if you know absolutely no Spanish, you will mostly get the meaning through context. Some of it is directly translated (i.e., repeated, but in English), but some of it is not. I listened to the audiobook version for the most part and Frankie Corzo did a beautiful job with all the voices and accents, but unfortunately for this English speaker with a smattering of Spanish, the Spanish was unintelligible to me, so I had to get the meaning by context or by the English translation which frequently followed. At least when reading, I could more easily make out the Spanish words and understand a lot of them, but on the audio, I missed a lot of the actual Spanish words.

While this is the fourth book in the Caribbean Kitchen Mystery series, I think it would work as a standalone. The author provides enough backstory information for new readers.

Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for the opportunity to read an advance readers copy of this book and to Dreamscape Media for the opportunity to listen to an advance copy of the audiobook. All opinions are my own.

Dominoes, Danzón, and Death is the fourth book in the Caribbean Kitchen mystery series by Raquel V. Reyes. It has been a few years since Quiñones-Smith's last investigation. She is still excelling at her cooking show and loving time with her husband and two children. Things change when bones are discovered at her husband's work site further delaying a problem project for his construction company. Local tribal representatives and archeologists are called to the site along with a very annoying professor to investigate the site for potential historical significance. Miriam must become involved to investigate this mystery and another possibly related threat to her husband's family.

I really love this series. I'm glad they did.a slight jump forward in time to age the baby up a little to make Miriam's sleuthing a little less complicated. The multi layered mystery was really interesting with this one. Miriam is such a great lead. She is smart, warm and driven. I'm so excited to read the next book in this series.

I have read all of the books in this series on audio. Frankie Corzo is a great narrator.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the ALC in exchange for an honest review.

This is a great addition to the Caribbean Kitchen Mystery series! Miram is not your average cozy-mystery heroine and I love it. She’s a wife and a mother as well as a crime-solver and has a cooking segment for a Spanish-language tv studio. She’s also a culinary anthropologist. I love seeing her interactions with her friends and family. There’s one particular scene where she takes her husband, kids, and parents to Miami’s Calle Ocho for dinner, dancing, and dominoes. It’s full of family energy and low-level chaos.

The mystery itself was interesting. This time around, Miriam comes across multiple crimes within the space of a few days, so part of the mystery is piecing together which events are connected and which are not.

Similar to the rest of the series, this book incorporates Miriam’s Cuban-American culture as well as day-to-day life in Miami. I liked learning about Calle Ocho and was intrigued by the parts about the Orishas.

The audiobook is narrated by Frankie Corzo. She did a great job bringing Miriam and her adventures to life. I especially appreciate the way she delivers the dialogue, which frequently slides from English to Spanish and back again. It felt very real and natural, and made the whole audiobook feel authentic.

NOTE: This is the 4th book in the Caribbean Kitchen mystery series and should be read in order. Book 1 is Mango, Mambo, and Murder.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this book!

What a great book!! I always enjoy Raquel Reyes books! I always finish them in one sitting and this one was no different. She has amazing writing style!! This one is a YESSS for me.

I loved this next installment in the Caribbean Kitchen Mystery series. It’s always fun seeing what Miriam is up to and following along with her family and friends. They are a great cast of characters.

I also love that the Raquel V Reyes effectively wove together two different mysteries. The consistent exploration of the cuisines of different cultures is something that keeps me interested in this series too.

I can see how the use of Spanglish may be hard for some to follow, but I enjoy it, and I find it important in creating the atmosphere in the book. The narrator did a fantastic job too!

Thank you to #NetGalley and #DreamscapeMedia for an ALC in exchange for an honest review. I can’t wait for the next installment!

This one was not for me. The storyline didn’t flow well and I could not connect with the characters.
****Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC in exchange for my honest review****

The thing that always catches my eye and makes me want to read a murder mystery is either a catchy title or having an animal/food on the cover. This book had both, so I instantly wanted to read it! Something interesting that I actually enjoyed about this book, is that there are multiple mysteries going on. Another aspect that was a bit different from other mysteries, was that the first body was not a body, but a set of bones.

This story takes place in Miami, Florida. Miriam is the main character and her family has come to live with her. Her family members are so fun and vibrant and it made reading about them enjoyable. I personally loved the mix of Spanglish in the book and I was quite surprised with how much Spanish I actually remembered. Another aspect about this book that I loved was the food. Miriam is a cook, so it was nice hearing about all of her dishes or meals that her family was having.

Thank you to Netgalley, Dreamscape Media, and Raquel V. Reyes for an ARC of this audiobook. This review is my own honest opinion.

A lot has changed for Miriam Quinonas Smith. Her parents have moved in, her mother in law had moved on or at least been temporarily exiled from the family,, and her business projects are thriving. She hasn’t had any life and death moment in over 3 years. Her husband Robert’s hotel project has been riddled with delays. Bad quickly moves to worse when skeletal remains are unearthed at the hotel site. Are they part of an archeological find or something more sinister? To protect her family Miriam with a cast of loveable characters seek to discover the truth. Spoiler alert there are a couple of mysteries running simultaneously with the original storyline, but you won’t mind one bit. Great story and I look forward to reading more from the author. Thank you for the ARC. .
#DominoesDanzónandDeath #NetGalley.