Arsenic and Adobo by Mia P. Manansala Review

Title: Arsenic and Adobo 

Author: Mia P. Manansala 

Age Group: Adult 

Genre: Cozy Mystery 

Series: Tita Rosie’s Kitchen Mystery, book one 

Star Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

I chose this book as my Book of the Month pick in April of 2021. 

TW: Racism. If this topic is triggering for you, I would not suggest reading this book. Your mental health matters! 

I decided to take most of my library books back in order to focus on the books within my own home library, and I decided to start Arsenic and Adobo because I needed something light to go along with The Drowning Kind. Mysteries and thrillers are some of my favorite genres, but they have to be done right in order for me to enjoy them. I’ve never read a cozy mystery, but this one was absolutely fantastic! 

Lila Macapagal moves back home to the small town of Shady Palms, Illinois, recovering from a bad breakup. She works in her Tita Rosie’s kitchen, cooking and baking with her family. With the weight of saving the restaurant on her shoulders, she also has to deal with her pack of rude but well-meaning aunties and their constant dating setups and comments about her appearance. When her ex-boyfriend, Derek Winter, who also happens to be a nasty, hard-to-please food critic, quite literally drops dead in their restaurant, Lila realizes she must find the killer, or she’ll be the next person on the chopping block... 

I really, really liked this book! Lila’s voice was fresh and funny, and despite the simple premise, the book moved at a breakneck pace. I loved the way that food was a major focus of the book, and I was super happy and grateful when I saw the glossary for Filipino foods and words at the front. It didn’t take me long to figure out the big twist, but I was having so much fun investigating alongside Lila that I didn’t mind. I loved almost all of the characters, especially Adeena, Elena, Jae, and Amir. This book was short, but it is definitely one of my very favorites of the year! It was funny, fresh, and snappy, like a breath of fresh air, and I loved that this book was an introduction to the cozy mystery genre! I would highly recommend this book, though if racism triggers you, I would avoid it. Honestly, this book made me super happy that I’m in the Book of the Month club! The bottom line: Funny, fresh, and not at all gory or scary, I loved Arsenic and Adobo! It might be one of my favorite books of the year! Next on deck: The Kingdom of Back by Marie Lu and Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo!