Calypso, Corpses, and Cooking
Ratings3
Average rating3.7
15
Ratings3
Average rating3.7
It’s time for a savory soirée—but something sinister is stewing—in Raquel V. Reyes’s second delightful Caribbean Kitchen mystery, perfectly delicious for fans of Mia P. Manansala. Fall festivities are underway in Coral Shores, Miami. Cuban-American cooking show star Miriam Quiñones-Smith wakes up to find a corpse in her front yard. The body by the fake tombstone is the woman that was kicked out of the school's Fall Festival the day before. Miriam's luck does not improve. Her passive-aggressive mother-in-law puts her in charge of the Women's Club annual gala. But this year, it's not canapes and waltzes. Miriam and her girlfriends-squad opt for fun and flavor. They want to spice it up with Caribbean food trucks and a calypso band. While making plans at the country club, they hear a volatile argument between the new head chef and the club's manager. Not long after, the chef swan dives to his death at the bottom of the grand staircase. Was it an accident? Or was it Beverly, the sous chef, who is furious after being passed over for the job? Or maybe it was his ex-girlfriend, Anastasia? Add two possible poisonings to the mix and Miriam is worried the food truck fun is going to be a major crash. As the clock ticks down and the body count goes up, Miriam's life is put in jeopardy. Will she connect the dots or die in the deep freeze? Foodies and mystery lovers alike will savor the denouement as the truth is laid bare in this simmering stew of rage, retribution, and murder.
Featured Series
3 primary booksA Caribbean Kitchen Mystery is a 3-book series with 3 primary works first released in 2021 with contributions by Raquel V. Reyes.
Reviews with the most likes.
Miriam is more comfortable with who she is and the position she is in. She knows who she can count on and how she can make some positive changes. This really made the small town cozy part of this mystery into a very strong part of this story. I loved this part of the story.
The mystery has several twists that I didn't expect. The solution was unexpected as well. The sleuthing was well done because it was reasonable in comparison with the other things going on with Miriam. I liked the mystery part.
The mystery in this one is related to the first book. I think you can figure out what happened in book 1 based on conversations, but you will probably want to read book 1. And those conversations were well done because they were not just info dumps. The way that the two books connect makes whole lot of sense and the implications of that connection really drive this story. I can't wait to see what happens with all this in book 3.
Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books
⭐⭐ – Cute cover on this one!
I quite enjoyed the first book in this series and was excited to dive into this one. Unfortunately, there was very little I liked about this one. For a book being set at Halloween, there was very little mention of the holiday. The pace was slow. The plot was all over the place. Where as the spanish didn't bother me in book one, in this one there was just too much without any translation or explanation. The plethora of pregnancy old wives tales.
3.5 Rounded to 4
I love cozy mysteries and always look for new ones to check out. One of my favorite things about them is that despite being a series, they can most often be read standalone. Calypso, Corpses and Cooking is the 2nd book in the Caribbean Kitchen Mysteries. It's a fun and delightful read.
I absolutely love all the different cultures and food (love me some food
