Arsenic & Adobo

At Peruse, we are well aware that "Mystery/Suspense" covers a wide array of books, from serious and intense thrillers (we're looking at you When the Stars Go Dark) to lighter more humorous rides (Finlay Donovan is Killing It had us rollling).

This month, we tried a new segment of the Mystery genre - The Cozy Mystery.

Cozy Mysteries were not something that I was very familiar with as it's own category, but as I learned, it is defined as the gentlest subset of the mystery/crime literary genre. Typically they are set in a small town, and the protagonist/detective is a regular citizen.

Arsenic and Adobo was such a fun way to step into this genre. This book definitely has a mystery at it's core - a murder occurring in a restaurant - but the feel of the book is fun and fresh. Arsenic and Adobo is full of warm visuals, delicious sounding recipes, and a loving Filipino family.

"When Lila Macapagal moves back home to recover from a horrible breakup, her life seems to be following all the typical rom-com tropes. She’s tasked with saving her Tita Rosie’s failing restaurant, and she has to deal with a group of matchmaking aunties who shower her with love and judgment. But when a notoriously nasty food critic (who happens to be her ex-boyfriend) drops dead moments after a confrontation with Lila, her life quickly swerves from a Nora Ephron romp to an Agatha Christie case.

With the cops treating her like she’s the one and only suspect, and the shady landlord looking to finally kick the Macapagal family out and resell the storefront, Lila’s left with no choice but to conduct her own investigation. Armed with the nosy auntie network, her barista best bud, and her trusted Dachshund, Longanisa, Lila takes on this tasty, twisted case and soon finds her own neck on the chopping block…"

Have you read Arsenic and Adobo yet? What are your thoughts on the "cozy mystery" genre? And most importantly... Have you tried Lila's Ube Crinkle recipe yet?