海角大神

Romance, identity, and murder combine in this culinary mystery

When Lila Macapagal moves back to her small hometown, she has no idea she鈥檒l have to solve a murder mystery in order to save her aunt鈥檚 restaurant. 

鈥淐ozy mysteries,鈥� already a niche subgenre of crime fiction, contain yet another level of specialty: culinary cozy mysteries. For those just catching up to these labels, 鈥渃ozies鈥� are a gentle antithesis to hardboiled fiction 鈥� violence happens off the page, the hero-sleuth is no professional, and she (because the heroes are often women) lives in a small community, most often with a trusty pet, where everyone knows everyone else. Think Agatha Christie鈥檚 Miss Marple or Rita Mae Brown鈥檚 Mrs. Murphy series. Add in the toothsome culinary aspect, complete with recipes, and true satisfaction awaits. Debut author Mia P. Manansala鈥檚 鈥淎rsenic and Adobo鈥� has all that and more 鈥� but maybe don鈥檛 read it on an empty stomach.聽

Meet Lila Macapagal, Manansala鈥檚 accidental detective-in-the-making in the first of her 鈥淭ita Rosie鈥檚 Kitchen Mystery鈥� series. Lila is 25 and recently single. One too many bad decisions have reluctantly pushed her out of the big city to return to her insular hometown of Shady Palms, Illinois, two hours outside Chicago. She鈥檚 working at Tita Rosie鈥檚 Kitchen, which specializes in delectable Filipino cuisine. The eponymous Tita Rosie also raised Lila after she lost her parents at a young age, supported by her grandmother, Lola Flor, and the Calendar Crew, her 鈥渂evy of gossiping aunties鈥� named April, Mae, and June. Despite the delicious fare, Tita Rosie鈥檚 is suffering, the interior needs updating, and the rent bill is overdue. Lila鈥檚 fancy degree in hotel and restaurant management 鈥� which she hasn鈥檛 quite finished, ahem 鈥� was supposed to save the family business. Still, she鈥檚 holding on to her own someday dream of opening a hip caf茅, featuring her 鈥渂ewitchingly delicious baked goods,鈥� with her barista best friend, Adeena, who鈥檚 currently working across the street at Java Jo鈥檚.聽

And then in walks Derek Winter, Lila鈥檚 high school sweetheart. 鈥淭oo bad he鈥檇 aged into a ridiculous jerk with a puffed-up sense of importance and weird vendetta against my family,鈥� she fumes. In the three years since Lila鈥檚 been away, Derek has built quite the reputation as the meanest food critic in town, indulging at all the local joints and then trashing them online. He鈥檚 been trying to shut down Tita Rosie鈥檚 鈥渙n a weekly basis,鈥� but he can鈥檛 seem to stay away from the delicious meals. He鈥檚 back, this time with his stepfather who also happens to be the landlord, demanding his favorite table at a restaurant he鈥檚 publicly, repeatedly impugned. After stuffing himself and making plenty of rude comments, Derek face-plants onto his dish. Uh-oh.

When Derek dies soon thereafter, Tita Rosie鈥檚 Kitchen gets shut down as a crime scene and Lila becomes prime suspect #1. Detective Park, famous even far beyond their small-town borders for busting a murderous drug-smuggling ring, adores Tita Rosie (and her cooking), but he鈥檚 got no patience for Lila. Since he鈥檚 already decided she鈥檚 guilty, Lila鈥檚 only way to avoid prison is to find the killer herself 鈥� not to mention getting Tita Rosie鈥檚 reopened! Of course, BFF Adeena has signed on as sidekick, and her older brother Amir is already working his legal expertise. Yet somehow Lila always seems to be around when more bodies fall ... making Detective Park only more determined to bring her to justice. Meanwhile, Lila鈥檚 sumptuous treats 鈥� especially appreciated by her chubby dachshund Longganisa (yes, as in the sausage!) 鈥� keeps everyone well-nourished.

Chicago-based, self-described 鈥減rocrastibaker鈥� Manansala clearly loves her characters 鈥� even the bad guys 鈥� imbuing so many of them with rich, detailed, diverse stories of their own. Adeena and Amir are Pakistani Muslims: Adeena is queer, on the verge of maybe falling in love; Amir, too, might be looking at a bit of 鈥� let鈥檚 say, distanced for now 鈥� romance, as well. Detective Park is Korean American; his younger dentist brother is getting plenty of attention, too. Each of the Derek-victimized restauranteurs have tasty backgrounds. And, of course, Lila鈥檚 sprawling family members have oh so much drama of their own.聽

Clever with the never-saw-that-coming twists and turns, Manansala nimbly stays at least a few steps ahead, never letting complacency settle on the page. Just desserts await at the book鈥檚 end 鈥� literally and culinarily!聽