Reviews with content warning for Infidelity - Murder and Mamon

Lila is back to sleuthing in this next installment of Tita Rosie’s Kitchen Mysteries. This time the focus is on the Calendar Crew-Lila’s three godmother and it looks like their love of gossip may have gone too far. I love it in series when side characters get some attention! This time the Crew is starting a new laundromat in Shady Palms and they are having Apri’s niece, Divina, from the Phillipines to help out. Yet the reasons for Divina’s immigration are mysterious. Not long before the opening of the laundromat, there’s vandalism and then murder with Divina’s body found with a threatening message nearby. This is another great mystery to follow Lila as she tries help her godmothers and get justice for Divina!

With this one, I found myself reflecting on the themes of gossip and how it affects both those who gossip and those who are gossiped about. Fortunately, the Calendar Crew’s information is accurate so we don’t have to worry about them slandering anyone. One character brings up, “If they don’t want to be gossiped about, they shouldn’t do bad things,” but everyone makes mistakes, bad choices, and perhaps decisions in order to survive, and has to live with them. And it’s especially embarrassing for everyone to know and judge for those actions. We are told what happens to some characters that the Crew talks about, some are able to move on, some even find their lives better and some…well you’ll have to read to see what happens to them.

Lila says she doesn’t want to deal with any more dead bodies early on in the book, but I’m so glad to read more of her sleuthing! I’d be happy to read many more books in Tita Rosie’s Kitchen Mysteries, but maybe one day someone Lila loves will be involved in a much less lethal crime, and thus Lila will step in to save them from a frame up. We’ll have to see!

Content Warnings

kshertz's review

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funny lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

It’s always an interesting read for these culinary cozy mysteries. They’ve all been so unique and so entertaining. It’s definitely a light fluffy situation where you can’t overthink it too much and you have to get lost in that world but I always do and I definitely enjoy it. Even though it makes me hungry

Content Warnings

kirstym25's review against another edition

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lighthearted mysterious fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

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bookishmillennial's review

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challenging dark funny lighthearted mysterious sad fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

disclaimer: I don’t really give starred reviews. I enjoy most books for what they are, & I extract lessons from them all. I hope my reviews provide enough information to let you know if a book is for you or not. Find me here: https://linktr.ee/bookishmillennial

Gosh, I simply ADORE this series. I never, ever want it to end. This was yet another banger by MPM and I will follow Lila’s mysteries to the ends of the Earth! If you haven’t tried this series yet, PLEASE DO! They are the coziest, goofiest mysteries, and I love the FilAm representation 🤎🇵🇭

Content Warnings

uranaishi's review

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adventurous hopeful lighthearted mysterious reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

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