Hey, you! 🍨
Just a few months after Arsenic and Adobo, Mia P. Manansala is back again with her second cozy mystery, Homicide and Halo-Halo.
Times are exciting for Lila, our amateur detective, as she is about to open her Brew-Ha Café in Shady Palms with her bff. At the same time, she has been asked to guest judge Miss Teen Shady Palms, a local pageant she won as a teenager in fact. This is the perfect opportunity for them to get people to know their new café when suddenly.... someone is found dead.
Beauty pageants aren't my thing, but anyone who is Filipino will tell you how big they are in the Philippines. Like the food, it is part of our culture.
While Arsenic and Adobo was purely a cozy mystery to me, I thought Homicide and Halo-Halo had a little twist. It is darker and a bit heavier and I think it is important to read the author's note before diving into the book.
Lila and her family are a refreshing reflection of our times and Filipino families living abroad. It's one of those books where I find myself smiling from beginning to end because I can relate. Sadly for the victim, I didn't really care for the murder and the whodunnit aspect of the book. I just loved reading the family dynamics, the Pinoy wit, and oh my gulay - the food!
It's an enjoyable series worth reading and I look forward to reading Blackmail and Bibingka when it comes out. Yay 🎉🎉
Book Club Questions:
What did you think of the title?
What did you think of the writing style?
What were the main themes of the book?
How did the book make you feel? What emotions did it evoke?
Have you read Arsenic and Adobo by the same author?
Have you tried Halo-Halo? If not, would you like to try this Filipino dessert?
What did you think of the new characters?
Were there times you disagreed with a character’s actions? What would you have done differently?
What surprised you most about the book?
Is there someone you have a similar relationship with as Lila and Bernadette's?
Are you Team Amir or Team Jae?
Did the ending answer all your questions? Did you think it was believable or too farfetched?
What do you think will happen next to the main characters?
Would you recommend the book to a friend? How would you summarize the story if you were to recommend it?
If you could talk to the author, what burning question would you want to ask?
xoxo Elodie
☀️ Amazon Links:
↳ Arsenic and Adobo: A Tita Rosie's Kitchen Mystery, Book 1 : https://amzn.to/3Hc7J9g
↳ Homicide and Halo-Halo: A Tita Rosie's Kitchen Mystery, Book 2 : https://amzn.to/3Hcn3Ts
↳ Blackmail and Bibingka: A Tita Rosie's Kitchen Mystery, Book 3 : https://amzn.to/3U9xKhl
↳ Murder and Mamon: A Tita Rosie's Kitchen Mystery, Book 4 : https://amzn.to/3tJbjV9
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