Reviews with content warning for Fatphobia - Arsenic and Adobo

This is the first cozy murder mystery I have read and I thought it was nice. There were times where it felt like Lila was not truly investigating, but simply happening upon clues. This is fixed in the next book.

Content Warnings

ashwaar's review against another edition

Go to review page

lighthearted mysterious medium-paced

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

3.5

Content Warnings

marysbookinit's review against another edition

Go to review page

3.0

Content Warnings

ccrtb's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous mysterious medium-paced

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

3.0

I found it incredibly funny and unrealistic how Lila and her family were already financially struggling and yet Lila kept eating out at restaurants with friends or by herself. Like, girl, where are you getting all that food money??

Anyway, this was a very easy read. It has a medium pace, but really things pick up quickly. There are just a lot of things that happen. Mostly predictable. But if you want to read a murder mystery that isn't complicated, then this one is a good choice.

I found that despite all the crimes that Lila walk into, she doesn't really have a hard time doing her detective work. She gets most of her information with no problem because apparently people in Shady Palms like to talk and aren't wary. She only ever gets in real trouble when confronting Kevin because he becomes violent, but even he just reveals everything all along like a cartoon villain.

Lila's reaction to these deaths are also strange to me. Is it really realistic that just because you had a busy day helping out at your best friend's cafe that you'd completely forget about seeing one of your schoolmates' bloody, assaulted body in her office? She's never really shaken, which I found strange for her character since she's pretty empathetic in other aspects. I don't think her characterization of being a person who makes a habit of running from her problems translates to "completely forgets about gruesome crimes."

Content Warnings

fanique87's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous funny mysterious reflective fast-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? Yes

4.25

Content Warnings

iwinatcookie's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous dark emotional 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

2.5

Content Warnings

sicilyjoy's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted mysterious reflective relaxing sad tense fast-paced

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

5.0

Content Warnings

renpuspita's review against another edition

Go to review page

funny mysterious 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? No

3.5

When my friend hold a reading challenge with foodies as a main topic, I know that I have that one particular title that I always want to read. Arsenic and Adobo is my choice. I remember I bought this because I always love to read a cozy mystery with foodies elements, hence why almost of my cozy mystery collections are about food. Arsenic and Adobo is the debut book by Mia P. Manansala. With the story unfold and how I know the main character and the family that surrounded her, this book kinda have same setting and premise with Dial A for Aunties, by Jesse Q Sutanto. Both books also published in the same year (2021), although I'm not read Sutanto's book yet although we both Indonesian.

Reading Arsenic and Adobo make me feel connected with our sharing cultures. Manansala provide the glossary and some of the Tagalog language is pretty much the same with Indonesia. That's why, although Manansala provide how to pronounce them in English/American way, I just said it with my Indonesian tongue because they sound the same. Like, "anak", "tito", "tita", etc. Even the food also have lumpia, which is a staple of snack in my country. I also liked that Manansala provide trigger warning and content warning in the first page, despite this is cozy mystery so sometimes things can be triggering of sort, but she's so thoughtful to provide it in the first place. Although, she made some slip regarding inappropriate diabetic jokes that she already apologize for in her website. Arsenic and Adobo feels different compared to some cozy mysteries I read this year and year before. First, of course it's diverse and also queer (Lila's close friend, Adeena is a lesbian). Two, it's point to some of millenial discourse, with Lila herself is in her twenty five, so basically she's in the same age with my sister that nine years younger than me (myself is also millenial, though). And then, it deal with some personal struggle and joked (mostly in sarcasm manner) about the family culture of Filipino folks. The last thing make me amend to that, maybe because it's Asian thingie.

I feel like the mystery, while well-written, kinda not as main focus and the focus more like in Lila's personal development and her struggle regarding her family circumstances and close friends, not to forget some of potential love interest. Also, a parade of description about Filipino dishes. From ube cookies, ginataang bilo - bilo (that the victim, Derek, eat before his death), lumpia, almondigas (like Vietnam's pho), ensaymada, coconut jam, etc. Reading this book make my mouth is watering, ngl. I also like that both of Lila's potential love interests is not the police or detective, although I'm more inclined for Lila to be Jae's girlfriend although Jae is Jonathan's little brother, the detective who pretty much gung ho to ensure Lila to go to jail. The culprit is not what I'm expected at all. Sadly, the adobo is pretty much just a pun and not a main course of this book despite its become the title of the book.

So, is Arsenic and Adobo a mystery book about food? Or a foodies book about mystery? Imho, it can be both and I'll look forward to Lila's adventure for both the mysteries and delicious foods.

Content Warnings

More...