Mango, Mambo, and Murder (A Caribbean Kitchen Mystery)
Cuban-American cooking show star Miriam Quiñones-Smith becomes a seasoned sleuth in Raquel V. Reyes's Caribbean Kitchen Mystery debut, a savory treat for fans of Joanne Fluke and Jenn McKinlay.
Food anthropologist Miriam Quiñones-Smith's move from New York to Coral Shores, Miami, puts her academic career on hold to stay at home with her young son. Adding to her funk is an opinionated mother-in-law and a husband rekindling a friendship with his ex. Gracias to her best friend, Alma, she gets a short-term job as a Caribbean cooking expert on a Spanish-language morning TV show. But when the newly minted star attends a Women's Club luncheon, a socialite sitting at her table suddenly falls face-first into the chicken salad, never to nibble again.
When a second woman dies soon after, suspicions coalesce around a controversial Cuban herbalist, Dr. Fuentes--especially after the morning show's host collapses while interviewing him. Detective Pullman is not happy to find Miriam at every turn. After he catches her breaking into the doctor's apothecary, he enlists her help as eyes and ears to the places he can't access, namely the Spanish-speaking community and the tawny Coral Shores social scene.
As the ingredients to the deadly scheme begin blending together, Miriam is on the verge of learning how and why the women died. But her snooping may turn out to be a recipe for her own murder.
Food anthropologist Miriam Quiñones-Smith's move from New York to Coral Shores, Miami, puts her academic career on hold to stay at home with her young son. Adding to her funk is an opinionated mother-in-law and a husband rekindling a friendship with his ex. Gracias to her best friend, Alma, she gets a short-term job as a Caribbean cooking expert on a Spanish-language morning TV show. But when the newly minted star attends a Women's Club luncheon, a socialite sitting at her table suddenly falls face-first into the chicken salad, never to nibble again.
When a second woman dies soon after, suspicions coalesce around a controversial Cuban herbalist, Dr. Fuentes--especially after the morning show's host collapses while interviewing him. Detective Pullman is not happy to find Miriam at every turn. After he catches her breaking into the doctor's apothecary, he enlists her help as eyes and ears to the places he can't access, namely the Spanish-speaking community and the tawny Coral Shores social scene.
As the ingredients to the deadly scheme begin blending together, Miriam is on the verge of learning how and why the women died. But her snooping may turn out to be a recipe for her own murder.
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Community Reviews
I’m a little upset that I just recently found this book/series. There were a lot of things that I enjoyed about the book:
*Miriam and Alma’s friendship.
*The way Miriam was actually and actively concerned about the victims of the book as well as the loved ones they left behind.
*Miriam’s strong belief in ensuring her son has a connection to his Cuban heritage early and only speaking to him in Spanish.
*The comradely way Detective Pullman and Miriam were as the case(s) investigation progressed. AND for once we have a detective willing to listen to external input and NOT blindly toss the blame at the main character.
*And of course Miriam’s son, Manny!! He single handily stole the spotlight in a lot of the scenes in this book; a pure delight.
On to the few things I found hard to tolerate mostly had to do with the non melanin members of the community, mainly Miriam’s mother-in-law.
I found her to be very crude, passive aggressive, disrespectful, dismissive, stuck up and racist when it came to her and others of the Latinx diaspora that resides in the community.
Especially considering they are in Florida with such a mixed culture community. But I did love seeing Miriam adapt to this new environment of her home being close to her mother-in-law and her husband‘s family. Although she grew up in Coral Shores, when she was younger, the readers joking Miriam reacclimatize herself to the area—which is clearly a challenge.
I also loved seeing that while she is relocating herself to the area and opportunity to become this cooking show host with all of her extensive knowledge on food and food history.
In my opinion, other cozy readers will appreciate the pacing of mango mambo and murder. As we get equal amounts of Miriam, adjusting to her new life and home in Coral Shores, and then being picked up by the cooking show, and the women’s club in Coral Shores, and all of the community’s social politics that goes along with it.
With a bonus bit of marriage-drama between her and her husband, Robert, thrown into the mix as Miriam finds herself turning into a modern day Veronica Mars to clear the name of her childhood friend, Alma.
The clever and nuanced details on race, ethnicity and micro aggressions not only towards Miriam but others in the community that the author has included in this book brings the story to the present day world.
It’s not often that the cozy type books touch on things like that. And when they do bring up these specific topics they feel forced and awkwardly thrown into the narrative at random moments. In my opinion, Mango, Mambo and Murder handles these issues very well.
I cannot wait to move on to the next books in this series and see what else Miriam finds herself wrapped up in.
*Miriam and Alma’s friendship.
*The way Miriam was actually and actively concerned about the victims of the book as well as the loved ones they left behind.
*Miriam’s strong belief in ensuring her son has a connection to his Cuban heritage early and only speaking to him in Spanish.
*The comradely way Detective Pullman and Miriam were as the case(s) investigation progressed. AND for once we have a detective willing to listen to external input and NOT blindly toss the blame at the main character.
*And of course Miriam’s son, Manny!! He single handily stole the spotlight in a lot of the scenes in this book; a pure delight.
On to the few things I found hard to tolerate mostly had to do with the non melanin members of the community, mainly Miriam’s mother-in-law.
I found her to be very crude, passive aggressive, disrespectful, dismissive, stuck up and racist when it came to her and others of the Latinx diaspora that resides in the community.
Especially considering they are in Florida with such a mixed culture community. But I did love seeing Miriam adapt to this new environment of her home being close to her mother-in-law and her husband‘s family. Although she grew up in Coral Shores, when she was younger, the readers joking Miriam reacclimatize herself to the area—which is clearly a challenge.
I also loved seeing that while she is relocating herself to the area and opportunity to become this cooking show host with all of her extensive knowledge on food and food history.
In my opinion, other cozy readers will appreciate the pacing of mango mambo and murder. As we get equal amounts of Miriam, adjusting to her new life and home in Coral Shores, and then being picked up by the cooking show, and the women’s club in Coral Shores, and all of the community’s social politics that goes along with it.
With a bonus bit of marriage-drama between her and her husband, Robert, thrown into the mix as Miriam finds herself turning into a modern day Veronica Mars to clear the name of her childhood friend, Alma.
The clever and nuanced details on race, ethnicity and micro aggressions not only towards Miriam but others in the community that the author has included in this book brings the story to the present day world.
It’s not often that the cozy type books touch on things like that. And when they do bring up these specific topics they feel forced and awkwardly thrown into the narrative at random moments. In my opinion, Mango, Mambo and Murder handles these issues very well.
I cannot wait to move on to the next books in this series and see what else Miriam finds herself wrapped up in.
Cuban-American Food Anthropologist Miriam Quiñones-Smith just earned her PhD in New York. Yet, her husband Robert accepts a new job, so they and their four-year-old son move from their tiny apartment to a luxurious home near Miami. While Miriam prepares to navigate the elite social circles, a young woman collapses at her first luncheon event. When she is later pronounced dead, Miriam realizes that there’s more to this affluent neighborhood than she thought. Mango, Mambo and Murder by Raquel V. Reyes is a cozy murder mystery that will give you chills and make your mouth water at the same time.
Read my entire review on The Nerd Cantina website.
Read my entire review on The Nerd Cantina website.
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