Guilt and Ginataan

Guilt and Ginataan (2024) Mia P. Manansala (Tita Rosie’s Kitchen Mystery #5)

There is so much to love about this series: food, queer rep, smart female character, mental health rep, and few white characters.

Yet, the mysteries always fall a little flat for me. I don’t know why. (In the earlier books it was because Lila did a lot of stupid things.)

Which is why I read the last book in the series before coming back to read this one. Because this one finally went on sale.

The Shady Palms Corn Festival is a joint event between the cities of Shady Palms and Shelbyville, and on the opening day of the festival the wife of Mayor Judy Reyes is murdered and Adeena is found lying next to the body in the corn maze.

This story has a lot of strife between the recurring characters, as Elena and Lila butt heads of how to help Adeena, and Detective Park is hired by the mayor to find out who killed her wife.

“Shouldn’t your job be making sure there’s no bias in the investigation whatsoever?” Elena asked.

He shook his head. “Investigations are run by human beings, so there will always be bias involved, whether we’re aware of it or not. A good investigator acknowledges that and does their best to work past it.”

I do really like that Lila is smart in this story–across the board.

I headed to the bar with him, and after he put in my order, he said, “You didn’t have to follow me here. It’s not like I’m going to put anything in your drink.”

“Oh, I didn’t think anything like that.” Of course I did. I was a woman accepting a drink from a strange man.

I like how mental health is repeatedly addressed in the story.

Yet somehow I just don’t love these stories.

Characters: Lila Macapagal, Elena Torres, Adeena Awan, Amir Awan, Dr. Jae Park, Detective Jonathan Park, Lola Flor, Tita Rosie, Ninang April, Ninang Mae, and Ninang June, Leslie, Mayor Gunderson, Mrs. Gunderson, Beth Thompson, Valerie Thompson, George and Nettie Bishop, Mayor Judy Reyes, Yvonne Reyes, Zack, Quinn Taylor, Michelle, Ben, Marcus Martinez, Sharon Cuneta, Wilson Philipps, Helen Kowalski, Yuki, Chuy Torres, Sana Williams, Naoko Williams, Xander Cruz, Felice, Father Santiago, Kimberly Johnson, Millie Barnes, Detective Nowak, Ronnie, Izzy, Councilman Frank Foster, Jessica Maldonado, Bernadette, Gladys Stokes

Cover by Vi-An Nguyen

Publisher: Berkley Prime Crime

Rating: 7.5/10

• Browse the archives:
  
• The Lights on Knockbridge Lane » »
• « « Something Extraordinary