It’s Christmastime in Shady Palms, but things are far from jolly for Lila Macapagal. Sure, her new business, the Brew-ha Cafe, is looking to turn a profit in its first year. And yes, she’s taken the first step in a new romance with her good friend Jae Park. But her cousin Ronnie is back in town after ghosting the family fifteen years ago, claiming that his recent purchase of a local winery shows that he’s back on his feet and ready to contribute to the Shady Palms community. Tita Rosie is thrilled with the return of her prodigal son, but Lila knows that wherever Ronnie goes, trouble follows.
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She’s soon proven right when Ronnie is suspected of murder, and secrets surrounding her shady cousin and those involved with the winery start piling up. Now Lila has to put away years of resentment and distrust to prove her cousin’s innocence. He may be a jerk, but he’s still family. And there’s no way her flesh and blood could actually be a murderer . . . right?
Release Date: Oct 4, 2022
Series:Â Tita Rosie’s Kitchen
Book:Â 3
Publisher:Â Penguin Group
Imprint:Â BerkleyÂ
Price: $11.99
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Things are going well for Lila Macapagal who is running the Brew-ha Cafe along with her two friends Adeena and Elena. Then her cousin Ronnie returns to town after leaving fifteen years ago and cutting off all contact with his family. With Ronnie’s history, Lila can’t help but worry. Ronnie and his business partners have purchased a local winery, and Ronnie assures the family he has changed his ways from when he was a trouble-making teen. However, when one of the investors in his new business is murdered, Ronnie is the prime suspect. Lila’s family depends on her to prove Ronnie’s innocence, so between baking and trying to spend time with the dentist she is dating, Lila launches an investigation.
Blackmail and Bibingka is the third book in the Tita Rosie’s Kitchen Mystery series which features a Filipino-American family living in a small town outside Chicago. What makes this series stand out is the wonderful group of diverse characters which creates a book that is relatable to a wide range of readers. In addition, Lila and her friends use modern slang and expressions which will appeal to a younger audience than many cozies. The main characters are all much more likable to me than in prior books. However, much of the focus of this book is on Ronnie. Even when it looks like he is being falsely accused, he’s not the most sympathetic character because of his immaturity and sense of entitlement. By the end, it seems like he may be growing up a little, which is good if he ends up playing a part in future books.Â
There are a lot of side characters introduced in this book related to the winery and the murder and it took me several chapters to keep them straight. It doesn’t help that most of them are unlikable. This is a culinary cozy so information about cooking is expected and fun to read. However, there are a few too many details about ingredients and testing new flavors in multiple scenes which slow the pace of the story. These extra scenes and all the new characters make it hard to focus on the murder mystery at times. When Lila is investigating, things are more interesting. As she gets closer to identifying the killer, there is a dramatic showdown and unexpected ending. This book would work well as a standalone, but for those who have read the other books, the overall tone of this one is much more upbeat. I enjoyed how much more positive it is and how much more supportive Lila’s friends and family are in this latest book. Rounding out the book are a few recipes at the end, including one for the Bibingka (a type of spongy rice cake) from the book’s title. Overall, this is an enjoyable book in a unique, well-written cozy mystery series.
~ Christine
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