• Arsenic and Adobo

  • A Tita Rosie's Kitchen Mystery, Book 1
  • By: Mia P. Manansala
  • Narrated by: Danice Cabanela
  • Length: 9 hrs and 20 mins
  • 4.2 out of 5 stars (871 ratings)

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Arsenic and Adobo

By: Mia P. Manansala
Narrated by: Danice Cabanela
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Publisher's summary

A RUSA Award-winning novel!

The first book in a new culinary cozy series full of sharp humor and delectable dishes - one that might just be killer....

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….

©2021 Mia P. Manansala (P)2021 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

One of CrimeReads' "Most Anticipated Crime Books of 2021"!

One of BookRiot's "Most Anticipated Books of 2021"!

One of Bustle's "Most Anticipated Books of Spring 2021"!

"Even though I tend to write dark, hardboiled stories in which people get hit in the face with tools, I love to read a well-written and quirky cozy mystery. Manansala has created just that with her debut novel, a tale full of eccentric characters, humorous situations and an oh-so-tricky mystery. Check this one out for the poetic prose and the mouth-watering recipes that are integral to the plot." (The Washington Post)

“This book hits the exact right spot.... Mia P. Manansala manages to create a murder mystery where nothing is too horrifying and you know everything will be okay in the end. And because of that, you just get to go along for the ride of trying to figure out what really happened when Lila Macapagal’s ex-boyfriend Derek drops dead in front of her at her family’s restaurant. I’ve heard it described as a 'cozy mystery' and that’s exactly what it is, a perfectly cozy puzzle to solve. Also, it will make you very hungry for Filipino food - and then it delivers with recipes in the back!” (Taylor Jenkins Reid, New York Times best-selling author of Malibu Rising

"This breeze-right-through-it mystery mystery follows baker Lila Macapagal as she investigates the murder of her ex-boyfriend, the town's too-mean food critic, after he dies over a meal in her aunt's flailing Filipino restaurant. Finding out whether or not Lila can solve the crime and save the restaurant is as satisfying as it is climactic with just the right amount of drama." (Bon Appetit)

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What listeners say about Arsenic and Adobo

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  • Overall
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Filipina detective!

Fun cozy mystery in an unusual American immigrant community. It was very entertaining to learn about the aspects of Filipino culture that are maintained in the diaspora. Lots of luscious food descriptions.

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Loved it!

such a wonderful story that comes togeather so perfectly! can't wait for the second book!

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  • Overall
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I need more books by Mia!

Loved everything about this book. I am a Baker so that really resonated with me. It was so many twists and turned. I loved every bit of it. Read/listen to this now. I am reading for the second book and more books from Mia!!

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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I’m hungry now…

…for some good Filipino food and for some more of Mia’s books! The performance of this narrator was wonderful and she had a fun, exciting piece of fiction to work with! Super light fun read but I gasped a few times! Just enough hints of things to keep you guessing a bit but enough clues to figure things out if you’re paying attention. Can’t wait to read Homocide and Halo-Halo.

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  • Overall
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Interesting murder mystery while learning about Pillipino life.

Great cooking mystery and great recipes. Help my interest and made me want to keep reading…

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This book made me hungry, & I loved the narration!

This was such a fun book. The plot moved along quickly and kept me engaged. There was so much talk of filipino food that it had me yelping the nearest filipino restaurant on several occasions. The narration in particular was really great. Her interpretation brought each of the characters to life and she also found the humor in the story. I would highly recommend this book to anyone, especially as a low-stress mystery to read in the midst of the pandemic.

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A Must Read/Listen

The local restaurant reviewer shows up at the family restaurant. All his reviews of the restaurant have been bad but he keeps coming back. Now after eating he falls head down in a bowl of dessert. I liked all the characters, especially Lila. This doesn't seem like it's a debut book but it is. If this was Mia P. Manansala debut I know I'll be reading anything ashe writes. I can't wait for the next book in this series.

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    3 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

So whiny

The plot was pretty lame and like thousands of other cooking mysteries. Clueless woman whose only skills are baking cookies just HAS to solve mystery herself, because she believes herself way more competent than actual law enforcement. Spoiler... she is not. But for whatever reason, every eligible guy in town is falling all over her. So, total unrealistic chick fantasy. The narrator can only differentiate older women's voices as whiny, more whiny, or WAY whiny. Half of the book is describing food. If you are really interested in it for cultural/culinary reasons, I recommend reading a copy instead of audio. You could then see the recipes, and not be tormented by all the whiny unrealistic accents.

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Lovely story

Love this book the character, story and plot lines can’t wait too see what they get up too next the aunts are so funny.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars

Fun and easy read

Cute and fun, loved the Filipino references though at times it felt forced. A bit clunky. Characters could use more depth though and at some points the writing felt corny. Overall a good read though.

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