Arsenic and Adobo is a five-star recipe for sweet, murder-mystery fun. Mia P. Manansala’s debut novel is the first of three so far, in a series titled The Tita Rosie’s Kitchen Mystery Series. In this first book, Lila has just dropped out of college and left a cheating ex-boyfriend behind in Chicago to go home to help her aunties with the family restaurant. The 25 year old Filipina heroine briefly reunites with her high school boyfriend, Derek, before her aunties find out and a family fight ensues. They explain how Derek has been writing nasty reviews about the already struggling restaurant. Lila breaks it off, but this doesn’t stop Derek from frequenting the restaurant to pick fights. This is where our story starts.
‘Oh come on, would it kill you to say something nice for a change?’ He responded by convulsing violently, then face-planting right into the dish.
—Chapter 2 of Arsenic and Adobo by Mia P. Manansala
When Derek dies after eating Lila’s ube cookies, Lila is accused of murder. Things get worse when the restaurant is forced to close, arsenic is found in ’s bloodstream, and Lila is arrested for drug trafficking and homicide. Lila and her best friend, Adina, decide they have no choice but to investigate in order to clear Lila’s name and save the family business. They are aided by Amir, Adina’s brother, who is a lawyer (and who Lila has had a crush on since childhood).
So what are the ingredients that make Arsenic and Adobo so delicious? The constant intrigue, interesting relationships, a dash of drama and romance, and satisfying rising tension all played a part. The food descriptions are yummy and punctuate emotional moments. The ending was genuinely exciting and surprising. Manansala also explores meaningful themes in a fun way. The protagonist, Lila, has been away from home for three years and she missed some pretty important moments in the other characters’ lives. This tension rises and rises until Adina and Lila are forced to confront the changes in their lives and relationship. Family and friendship, as well as serious topics like discrimination and drug use, are explored in a thoughtful way that make this story stand out from other cozies.
I adored Adina and Amir. Adina is just such a delight. She’s outspoken and funny, and has a life of her own. She has her own dreams and problems (unlike some romcom or cozy mystery “best friend” characters who seem to only care about the romantic life of the main character). Adina is Pakistani Muslim, vegetarian, proudly out as a lesbian, and wants to open her own coffee shop. Amir is a little more reserved than Adina. He’s smart, sweet, respectful, and shows up for Lila when she needs him.
Although it is not the focus of Adina’s life or the book, there is a cute romantic subplot. A bit of a love triangle emerges between Lila, Amir, and a dentist. The most romantic moment is when Amir shows up with reinforcements to help Lila and her family out of a mess. I won’t spoil it, but it’s very sweet.
Speaking of sweet… I found Tita Lola’s constant efforts to perfect vegetarian recipes for Adina to be so outrageously heartwarming. I am not really accustomed to kind depictions of vegans and vegetarians in fiction. Veganism is often used by lazy writers as a way to depict women as irritatingly difficult or snobbish (and to showcase how chill and cool the protagonist is in comparison for liking chicken wings and pizza). Growing up in the 90’s and 2000’s, if I was offered meat and said “No thanks, I don’t eat animals,” I was generally met with hostility. So to see Adina’s vegetarianism be treated with such respect from the author and characters was so moving.
Arsenic and Adobo understands the significance of food culturally, emotionally, and spiritually. Food is how Lila’s family shows love. Their kitchen is their sanctuary. It’s how they show up for their community. And it’s how they keep the memory of Lila’s deceased parents alive.
In typical Filipino fashion, my aunt expressed her love not through words of encouragement or affection and embraces, but in food.
—Chapter 2 of Arsenic and Adobo by Mia P. Manansala
The importance of family is the heart of this book. Mia P. Manansala explores the complex ways first and second generation immigrants experience familial obligation. This includes complicated relationships, cousins in competition with each other, age and gender differences, and Lila’s constant internal struggle with the “family first” values she was raised with and her desire for support in chasing her own dreams. This tension also extends to the family’s attitude with law enforcement. Aunties who think they have nothing to hide are willing to trust the police, while others know the justice system isn’t fair for people like them.
This is the first cozy mystery I’ve read with POC characters having a realistic and sensible mistrust of the police. I was right there with Amir saying “don’t talk to the detective without your lawyer!” This divide within the family and the discussions about possible corruption or bias were so refreshing to see in a cozy mystery. It also added just the right amount of realism and tension. The stakes continue to rise throughout the story, but no matter how bad things look for Lila, it never becomes unbearable because Manansala doesn’t let you forget that you’re in a cozy mystery world and things will ultimately be okay.
Arsenic and Adobo is a delightfully cozy read, but no book is perfect. So what parts of this book might readers not enjoy? Lila’s dialogue while interviewing the other restaurateurs was very cheesy, but hey, this is a culinary cozy mystery, so it’s on theme. Also, the cheese factor is nothing a romcom lover can’t stomach. I have also seen some readers complain about the focus on food being obnoxious, but again, this is a culinary cozy mystery. It’s a staple of the genre. This book has also received some critique for diabetic representation, so if diabetes is a part of your life, be aware that there will be conversations in this book that may be frustrating to read because the characters aren’t perfect. Manansala does provide trigger warnings in her author’s note, so readers may know what they are getting into, if they so choose.
Possible flaws aside, Manansala has written a remarkable debut culinary cozy and I am already eating up the sequel, Homicide and Halo-Halo. The second book is a little different in tone, as Lila is under quite a bit of stress (good and bad) but it’s just as exciting as the first book. A third installment of the series was just released earlier this year, Blackmail and Bibingka, and it looks like the perfect winter holiday themed cozy. The trilogy would make a terrific holiday gift for any other book-lovers on your list. The books also include recipes, and I’m sure the ube cookies would pair deliciously with the books.
Just, maybe let the recipient know the cookies are absolutely definitely 100% arsenic free.
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