Publisher: Berkley Books / Penguin Audio
Published: February 8, 2022
Source: Print – Paperback via GetRedPR / Audio via Library
Summary:
Death at a beauty pageant turns Tita Rosie’s Kitchen upside down in the latest entry of this witty and humorous cozy-mystery series by Mia P. Manansala.
Things are heating up for Lila Macapagal. Not in her love life, which she insists on keeping nonexistent despite the attention of two very eligible bachelors. Or her professional life, since she can’t bring herself to open her new café after the unpleasantness that occurred a few months ago at her aunt’s Filipino restaurant, Tita Rosie’s Kitchen. No, things are heating up quite literally, since summer, her least favorite season, has just started.
To add to her feelings of sticky unease, Lila’s little town of Shady Palms has resurrected the Miss Teen Shady Palms Beauty Pageant, which she won many years ago – a fact that serves as a wedge between Lila and her cousin-slash-rival, Bernadette. But when the head judge of the pageant is murdered and Bernadette becomes the main suspect, the two must put aside their differences and solve the case – because it looks like one of them might be next.
My thoughts:
This is the second book in Mia P. Manansala’s Tita Rosie’s Kitchen Mystery series and I have to say I am really glad I decided to give this series a go. I’m also really glad I read book 1 first, as it gave me a better appreciation for this book though you could read this one as a stand-alone if you choose to do so.
I loved being back with Lila and the gang and while there is once again a murder to be solved that Lila somehow gets herself roped into helping figure out, I loved that this installment really puts a lot more emphasis on Lila herself. There is so much character development and if you know anything about me, you know that is my favorite aspect when it comes to reading series. We see so much growth with Lila here and I loved how this book shows just how important having a strong support system is and how it’s not a sign of weakness to rely on them.
As in the first book, there are lots of mentions of the Filipino culture infused into the book, especially when it comes to food. Lila and her friends are busy trying to get their cafe ready for the grand opening and it was fun hearing about all the different recipes they were trying out…but be forewarned – this book is best consumed on a full stomach or you will be grabbing anything within reach!
I cannot wait to see what adventures await Lila next. This really is such a fun series and even though this particular installment was a little heavier than the last, I’m very eager to continue on.
Audio thoughts:
I was thrilled to see that Danice Cabanela was back as the narrator for this one. When it comes to series, I just love when there is consistency with narrators, when it makes sense as it does here, and Danice just does such a phenomenal job with the character’s voices and accents. Her pacing and intonation were spot on and I really do hope she stays on as the narrator for as long as the series continues.
Books in this series:
- Arsenic and Adobo
- Homicide and Halo-Halo
- Blackmail and Bibingka – due out October 2022
