Join a book club that is reading Arsenic and Adobo (A Tita Rosie's Kitchen Mystery)!
Community Reviews
What Bookclubbers are saying about this book
✨ Summarized by Bookclubs AI
Readers say *Arsenic and Adobo* is a delightful, culturally rich cozy mystery blending Filipino, Hispanic, Pakistani Muslim, and Korean influences. Th...
Unlike my previous dread for finishing Moonflower Murders by Horowitz, I was delighted by the humour, intrigue, cultural references, and unexpected conclusion of this crime detective novel.
I'm accustomed to reading this genre in an English setting, from London to the Shires. However, I was raised with Caribbean heritage running through my veins, and reading about cultural values and norms that I am accustomed to, as a daughter (and only child) in an immigrant household, was indeed comforting. In the book we have a fusion of Filipino, Hispanic, Pakistani Muslim, and Korean cultures, just to name a few, coming together in this tight knit community, with food being a common denominator.
First-generation-American-born folks like myself are handed down the value of food as a love language, thanks to our older generations. Now that I'm in college, I find myself cooking for my small handful of friends, when time permits, or bringing food and sweets because no one should study on an empty stomach. Most of the time I'm asked why I always do that— it simply makes me happy to see y'all enjoy good food!
That being said, winter break gets me depressed and delusional, since I don't see the knuckleheads— the only people I associate with—until the semester begins once again. Reading this story reminded me that I needed to spend time with the only two people in my world who'd never not want my company. In an immigrant household, there's always some love-hate relationship regarding our responsibilities as kids; sometimes we just have to put that aside. Surprisingly, I had an awesome Christmas, and I want to continue having awesome days with my parents, especially with senior year and grad school around the corner.
I was absorbed by the personal lives of Lila and Co., but it didn't stop me from trying to follow the murder case. I would say the clues were a tad bit scattered, and the suspect took me by surprise, as it probably should. I'm not fond of modern (Agatha Christie inspired) murder mysteries, because AC Doyle spoiled me with almost perfect pieces of evidence that made clear sense when Holmes came to a deduction. Connections were, in a sense, loose. Regardless, it was a passable mystery.
The audiobook was fantastic and didn't take forever to get through. I finished it in a day. I needed this so much, and will be reading the next book very soon!
I'm accustomed to reading this genre in an English setting, from London to the Shires. However, I was raised with Caribbean heritage running through my veins, and reading about cultural values and norms that I am accustomed to, as a daughter (and only child) in an immigrant household, was indeed comforting. In the book we have a fusion of Filipino, Hispanic, Pakistani Muslim, and Korean cultures, just to name a few, coming together in this tight knit community, with food being a common denominator.
First-generation-American-born folks like myself are handed down the value of food as a love language, thanks to our older generations. Now that I'm in college, I find myself cooking for my small handful of friends, when time permits, or bringing food and sweets because no one should study on an empty stomach. Most of the time I'm asked why I always do that— it simply makes me happy to see y'all enjoy good food!
That being said, winter break gets me depressed and delusional, since I don't see the knuckleheads— the only people I associate with—until the semester begins once again. Reading this story reminded me that I needed to spend time with the only two people in my world who'd never not want my company. In an immigrant household, there's always some love-hate relationship regarding our responsibilities as kids; sometimes we just have to put that aside. Surprisingly, I had an awesome Christmas, and I want to continue having awesome days with my parents, especially with senior year and grad school around the corner.
I was absorbed by the personal lives of Lila and Co., but it didn't stop me from trying to follow the murder case. I would say the clues were a tad bit scattered, and the suspect took me by surprise, as it probably should. I'm not fond of modern (Agatha Christie inspired) murder mysteries, because AC Doyle spoiled me with almost perfect pieces of evidence that made clear sense when Holmes came to a deduction. Connections were, in a sense, loose. Regardless, it was a passable mystery.
The audiobook was fantastic and didn't take forever to get through. I finished it in a day. I needed this so much, and will be reading the next book very soon!
Full disclosure: some may consider this review biased because I saw myself and my family in this book. So take that as you will. I LOVED THIS BOOK SO MUCH. However, I do think others will too!
Growing up, the only time I ever read anything with a Filipino character was a very troubling True Crime book about a mail-order-bride that I’m not sure how it got on our bookshelves and I was probably way too young to be reading it. Big yikes.
Over the past few years, I have made a concerted effort to consume more works by Filipino authors. My focus was on non-fiction and some poetry. Manansala’s novel is the first fiction written by a Filipina starring a Filipina that I’ve read! Ah, let me tell you, it made me so incredibly happy!
Not only was the depiction of Lila’s family so painfully accurate (the comments on appearances and always making sure everyone is well-fed!), the murder mystery was exactly what I’ve come to expect with cozy mysteries featuring food such as the Hannah Swensen Series by Joanna Fluke and the Ice Cream Parlor Mystery Series by Abby Collette. Fans of cozies will find this to be right on par with others in this genre. Some other notable things in this book are-- the appreciation of food from all different backgrounds and cultures, a very interesting love triangle, a badass best friend, a delicious restaurant and accompanying recipes, and a very cute puppy! I cannot wait for what’s to come with this series.
Full review can be found on my blog: here
Growing up, the only time I ever read anything with a Filipino character was a very troubling True Crime book about a mail-order-bride that I’m not sure how it got on our bookshelves and I was probably way too young to be reading it. Big yikes.
Over the past few years, I have made a concerted effort to consume more works by Filipino authors. My focus was on non-fiction and some poetry. Manansala’s novel is the first fiction written by a Filipina starring a Filipina that I’ve read! Ah, let me tell you, it made me so incredibly happy!
Not only was the depiction of Lila’s family so painfully accurate (the comments on appearances and always making sure everyone is well-fed!), the murder mystery was exactly what I’ve come to expect with cozy mysteries featuring food such as the Hannah Swensen Series by Joanna Fluke and the Ice Cream Parlor Mystery Series by Abby Collette. Fans of cozies will find this to be right on par with others in this genre. Some other notable things in this book are-- the appreciation of food from all different backgrounds and cultures, a very interesting love triangle, a badass best friend, a delicious restaurant and accompanying recipes, and a very cute puppy! I cannot wait for what’s to come with this series.
Full review can be found on my blog: here
A fun and engaging read on a whodunnit, this book was a lighthearted murder mystery read blended with a vibrant touch of Filipino culture. I really enjoyed the flow of the story and the ease of the read. I would read this author again. This book would make a great read for AAPI week, a book club or vacation.
Arsenic in the Dobo tells a story of a mid 20s filipino woman who comes back to her hometown after several years of being away following a nasty break up with her boyfriend.
Lila is trying to find herself again and mend her broken heart while working at her aunts, restaurant and reconnecting with her aunties and her cousins and her grandmother. Things aren’t easy as her ex-boyfriend, now the small towns food critic, Derek, is targeting her family restaurant for, it would seem, no good reason.
But one day when he visits the restaurant he ends up, passing out while eat and is sent to the hospital. Later Lila finds out that he has passed away, and that the main detective on the case is targeting her and her aunt’s restaurant for wrongful death charges.
As Lila tries to get to the root cause behind Derek‘s death, she finds out that not only was her restaurant being targeted with nasty reviews, but a whole slew of other restaurants in the town were also targeted.
She dives deep into Derrick’s life to figure out where to figure out why he was doing all of these nasty reviews around town. And who was actually behind his death to save her aunt’s restaurant and clear her name. There’s a lot of lies, secrets, and insidious intentions that are connected to Derek’s death. And Lila is just beginning to scratch the surface of them.
Reading this book, I really enjoyed the character development, the way the friendships and family characters storyline is woven into the main story.
I love that Lila is trying to find herself after coming back to her hometown and re-integrating with her family and extended family. I was cautious about giving this a full five star rating just because Detective Park was so annoying and he really did harass Lila and her family. It wasn’t really just about the case.
He had her as his main suspect and did everything he could to twist all of the other situations that happened following the death of Derek against her and her family. But things that happened outside of his investigation really cinched it for me, as a cozy, mystery reader. I found the narrative to be intriguing, funny, mysterious, and it’s a great book for other foodies and food lovers.
I loved Lila and Adeena’s enthusiasm when it came to food and trying out new recipes. That was something that I really could relate to as a novice Baker and cook myself.
Lila is trying to find herself again and mend her broken heart while working at her aunts, restaurant and reconnecting with her aunties and her cousins and her grandmother. Things aren’t easy as her ex-boyfriend, now the small towns food critic, Derek, is targeting her family restaurant for, it would seem, no good reason.
But one day when he visits the restaurant he ends up, passing out while eat and is sent to the hospital. Later Lila finds out that he has passed away, and that the main detective on the case is targeting her and her aunt’s restaurant for wrongful death charges.
As Lila tries to get to the root cause behind Derek‘s death, she finds out that not only was her restaurant being targeted with nasty reviews, but a whole slew of other restaurants in the town were also targeted.
She dives deep into Derrick’s life to figure out where to figure out why he was doing all of these nasty reviews around town. And who was actually behind his death to save her aunt’s restaurant and clear her name. There’s a lot of lies, secrets, and insidious intentions that are connected to Derek’s death. And Lila is just beginning to scratch the surface of them.
Reading this book, I really enjoyed the character development, the way the friendships and family characters storyline is woven into the main story.
I love that Lila is trying to find herself after coming back to her hometown and re-integrating with her family and extended family. I was cautious about giving this a full five star rating just because Detective Park was so annoying and he really did harass Lila and her family. It wasn’t really just about the case.
He had her as his main suspect and did everything he could to twist all of the other situations that happened following the death of Derek against her and her family. But things that happened outside of his investigation really cinched it for me, as a cozy, mystery reader. I found the narrative to be intriguing, funny, mysterious, and it’s a great book for other foodies and food lovers.
I loved Lila and Adeena’s enthusiasm when it came to food and trying out new recipes. That was something that I really could relate to as a novice Baker and cook myself.