Reviews with content warning for Violence - Arsenic and Adobo

This was enjoyable and entertaining, which is all I really ask of a “cosy mystery”. I was really pleasantly surprised that this one went deeper by bringing in a complicated family dynamic: Lila felt a lot of tension over wanting to support her elders in thanks for their sacrifices, while also wanting to be independent and do her own thing. I also love how much food was centred in the story. It was mouthwatering to read about and themed the narrative well.

The plot itself was investigation-focussed with multiple avenues being explored at once, which was fantastic for me as it drove the story and also meant I could speculate and form different theories. The resolution ended up being well-suited.

The characterisation was excellent. This book has a large cast but each character felt distinct, including Lila the MC who was stubborn, loving, and confused about what she wanted. She was a realistic depiction of a 25 year-old, as someone who is very nearly 25. I do think that her character development could have been better realised, though, as it felt a little quick.

I have two other criticisms. The first is that the romance (in the form of a love triangle) was totally unnecessary, and there was also no chemistry whatsoever with either LI. The second is that Lila was smart enough to have figured out more of the mystery on her own, but instead we got a little villain monologue.

But overall, as I said before, I enjoyed this read. I definitely want to continue with the series!

Rep: Filipina-American MC, Filipino-American SCs, Muslim Pakistani-American LI, biracial white/Korean-American LI, lesbian Muslim Pakistani-American SC, biracial white/Korean-American SC, sapphic Mexican-American SC, Black SC, Japanese-American SC

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auudrey's review against another edition

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mysterious relaxing fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

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bubblegirl858's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful lighthearted mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

This book was an absolute delight to read. It was witty, mysterious, and made me soooo hungry! I just wanted to eat everything they talked about in the book. I really enjoyed how the plot unfolded and I cannot wait to read the next books. I need to know which man (if any) she ends up dating! I really enjoy small town mysteries and this one was comfy and family oriented while still being high stakes and being a murder mystery. It was a joy to read and I would recommend it to anyone looking for a fun read. Don’t read while you are hungry though! Unless you want to cook the recipes supplied in the back, which was such a great addition as well.

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mbmayo's review against another edition

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mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.25

This is a cozy mystery that opens with the main characters old boyfriend dying suddenly in her family's restaurant. Lila must investigate to clear her name and save the family restaurant.

I'll be honest, I considered DNFing this book about a third of the way through. I found the main character, Lila, to be very grating and combative. She was more like a sullen teenager than an adult woman. Some of the side characters saved it for me until the plot sped up enough. I liked that the mystery was more than just a murder and we could slowly uncover how

Spoiler

the health inspector scam, the drug ring, and the murders were connected.

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spinesinaline's review against another edition

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lighthearted tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

I listened to this one on audio and the narrator was great but I found many of the characters annoying. The main character acted very immature for her age and the detective performed his job so poorly. Everyone acted like he was the best detective in all the land when he missed simple things like checking alibis and having evidence against someone before charging them.

I also had some hesitation over the non-Filipino characters, particularly the sole Black woman, as they felt they were verging on stereotypes but I would want to see other readers’ opinions on this.

Food in books is always a win for me so the inclusion of these recipes and having a Filipino family at the heart of the story were definite positives for me but other parts needed work.

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meagangrace's review against another edition

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medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.5

I feel like I read this at the wrong time for me. I struggled to connect with the main character Lila, and I did not enjoy the vibes as much as I wanted to. The story felt very drowsy in it's structure/pacing. Stuff was happening, but I had trouble connecting to it and caring for the characters. The plot turned out to be actually kinda nonsensical imo. One thing I found interesting is that this is the first time I have read a mystery where the amateur sleuth is actually amateur and doesn't have a special knack for solving crime. Not sure if it was entirely on purpose on the author's part, but as a mystery fan and it was kind of refreshing to see.

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bellebriones's review against another edition

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funny lighthearted mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

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