Food has always played a role in literature, with food as poison a recurring motif, from the Greeks to Shakespeare to contemporary mystery novels.
One such novel is Arsenic and Adobo, the first book in the Tita Rosie’s Kitchen Mystery series by Filipina American writer Mia Manansala, published by Berkley for Penguin Random House.
Arsenic and Adobo by Mia P. Manansala is her debut cozy mystery thriller. Charming and well-written, it will keep readers turning the pages while being introduced to the wonderful world of Filipino food. (Photo from www.miapmanansala.com)
This is a charming and well-written mystery. When Lila Macapagal moves back home to recover from a breakup with her high school boyfriend, Derek Winter, her life seems to follow a rom-com trope. She is tasked with saving her Tita Rosie’s struggling Filipino restaurant. Moreover, she has to deal with her matchmaking aunties, who shower her with love and judgment. The aunts, named April, May and June, are collectively called the Calendar Crew.
But when a nasty food critic drops dead moments after a quarrel and a meal at Lila’s restaurant, her life takes a drastic turn. Detective Park, the lead investigator, also happens to be a good friend of Tita Rosie. Ironically, he and the other officers treat Lila as the prime suspect. Meanwhile, the shady landlord pressures her family, threatening to evict them and resell the storefront.
With no other choice, Lila launches her own investigation. Armed with her nosy auntie network, her barista best friend, her cousin at town hall, and her loyal dachshund, Longganisa, she takes on the case.
The novel features a lively cast of characters. Lola Flor, the family’s grand matriarch, is an excellent cook but not a shrewd businesswoman. Tita Rosie inherited her culinary skills but also shares her soft heart for business and her tendency to overfeed customers. But for all of them, family comes first.
The story moves swiftly between past and present, from Lila’s relationship with Derek to her complicated life now. “I wanted to go to Chicago for school. He wanted me to stay in Shady Palms, where we’d get married, have kids, and live blandly ever after.” She is young and filled with dreams, longing for the big city and its endless possibilities.
Detective Park’s brother, Dr. Jae Park, is described as “an Asian Adonis” and works as the new dentist in town. Lila likes him but finds him frustratingly dense. As she puts it, “The men in my life were denser than my grandmother’s rice cakes.” There’s also a sharp and handsome lawyer, as well as his sister, Lila’s best friend. All of them have meddlesome Asian families who poke their noses into their lives under the guise of concern, an all-too-real dynamic.
The book introduces several possible suspects, most of them owners of restaurants that Derek harshly criticized in his food reviews. There’s Stan’s Diner, an all-American eatery owned by Stan Kosta and his wife, Martha. There’s a Japanese restaurant owned by Mr. Sato and his wife, Yuki, who is having an affair with Derek. El Gato Negro, a Mexican restaurant run by Elena and her mother, faces harassment from racists. There’s also a restaurant owned by George and Nettie, and, of course, Tita Rosie’s Filipino restaurant.
The pages fly by, and Manansala knows how to tell a compelling story. The tone shifts between moody and wistful, especially when Lila longs to leave her small hometown, and lighthearted and witty, reminiscent of the best rom-coms and sitcoms. The novel also touches on dark themes, including the opioid crisis, blackmail, and multiple murders.
One minor flaw is that some characters’ reactions could have been more nuanced, particularly those under suspicion. At times, they feel like caricatures from a TV drama, raising their eyebrows too high or darting their eyes suspiciously after a shady act.
I won’t reveal more, as this is a cozy mystery thriller. But at the end of the book, readers will find a delightful selection of recipes, including not just adobo but also ube crinkles and other Filipino culinary treats, hopefully all kitchen-tested.
Mia Manansala’s next novel, Homicide and Halo-Halo, promises to be another delicious read. Tuck in.
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Danton Remoto has published Riverrun: A Novel and The Heart of Summer: Stories and Tales with Penguin Southeast Asia. His books are available at Fully Booked Online and www.acrephils.com. He teaches creative writing online to students ranging from ages 6 to 76.
