A review by bookishmillennial
Arsenic and Adobo by Mia P. Manansala
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
disclaimer: I don’t really give starred reviews. I enjoy most books for what they are, & I extract lessons from them all. I hope my reviews provide enough information to let you know if a book is for you or not. Find me here: https://linktr.ee/bookishmillennial
Gosh, if you are looking for a silly, goofy, cozy, diverse murder mystery, look no further! I am FilAm so my opinion is a bit biased because I adore the representation of the Filipino American community and family dynamics in this book. I related to Lila a lot, and thought she was hilarious.
This book is written in first-person, past-tense POV from Lila’s POV & it was perfect to set the tone of being comedic and still high stakes as Lila tries to unravel the murder so that her family business, Tita Rosie’s kitchen, can reopen. Someone (Lila’s insufferable high school ex) dies while eating at their restaurant and all signs point the detectives to Lila and her family, which does not bode well for their financial security or their future.
The dog is named Longanisa, Nisa for short, so honorable mention to that adorable name 😂 All of the food descriptions made me so hungry for my parents’ or grandparents’ home cooking. I think I cook Filipino food well but there’s still nothing like the food you grew up with, made by the people who raised you.
Overall, if you love cozy mysteries, give this one a try!!!
Gosh, if you are looking for a silly, goofy, cozy, diverse murder mystery, look no further! I am FilAm so my opinion is a bit biased because I adore the representation of the Filipino American community and family dynamics in this book. I related to Lila a lot, and thought she was hilarious.
This book is written in first-person, past-tense POV from Lila’s POV & it was perfect to set the tone of being comedic and still high stakes as Lila tries to unravel the murder so that her family business, Tita Rosie’s kitchen, can reopen. Someone (Lila’s insufferable high school ex) dies while eating at their restaurant and all signs point the detectives to Lila and her family, which does not bode well for their financial security or their future.
The dog is named Longanisa, Nisa for short, so honorable mention to that adorable name 😂 All of the food descriptions made me so hungry for my parents’ or grandparents’ home cooking. I think I cook Filipino food well but there’s still nothing like the food you grew up with, made by the people who raised you.
Overall, if you love cozy mysteries, give this one a try!!!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism and Murder