Arsenic and Adobo by Mia P. Manansala is a fun debut cozy mystery series to dive into (3.5/5 stars)

Arsenic and Adobo by Mia P. Manansala is a fun new cozy mystery series to dive into, and the author’s debut novel.

I listened to the audiobook, which clocks in at nine and a half hours and is narrated wonderfully by Danice Cabanela.

I have a feeling I’m going to really enjoy this cozy mystery series set around a Filipino restaurant in a small town. Our heroine Lila recently moved back home in order to help her aunt run their family restaurant, but Lila’s ex-boyfriend and restaurant critic dies unexpectedly during the dessert course. Lila starts her own investigation, along with her queer best friend Adeena, in order to clear her name and to protect the family restaurant which means so much to them.

The twists in the book weren’t too surprising but I still really enjoyed it. The food descriptions in this book are great and make me crave Filipino food. I’m interested in seeing which love interest will win out in the end for Lila. Will it be her charismatic high school crush and current lawyer Amir–who happens to also be her best friend’s brother–or will it be hot and sweet dentist Jae? I also want to see what happens with Adeena and her new girlfriend.

Tropes in this book include: amateur sleuth, asshole victim, family restaurant, heroine who bakes, small town, queer best friend

CW: fatphobia, drug abuse, evidence planting, police intimidation, (implied) domestic violence, racism, fatphobia/ableism/misinformation about diabetes* (you can see a list of these CWs and a note about the last one on the list on the author’s website).

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The Tita Rosie’s Kitchen Mystery Series includes:

• Arsenic and Adobo
• Homicide and Halo-Halo
• Blackmail and Bibingka
• Murder and Mamon
• Guilt and Ginataan
• Death and Dinuguan (expected 2025)