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Murder At The X-Mas Eve Tamale Party
Meet Mercedes de la Cruz
Former crime reporter, now owner of the newest tamale shop, the Hot Tamale Mama.
Nothing heats up a fiesta like platters of tamales and pitchers of margaritas. And Mercedes has provided plenty of both at her annual Christmas Eve Tamale Party. Friends and family fill the house shouting to be heard over the trumpets and violins of the Mariachis.
But everyone will remember this Christmas Eve party — and not because of the tamales. Someone’s been murdered. Strangled with a string of chile lights in Mercedes front yard.
Mercedes’s brother Rudy, who argued with the victim, lies to police, and then disappears.
Now, against the advice of her boyfriend, Cisco Valdez, Mercedes is determined to use her years of experience as a crime reporter to solve this murder and prove her brother innocent.
With the help of some wannabe gang members, Mercedes follows a trail of secrets, lies, and betrayals. And discovers some members of this tight knit community are not what they seem—including her own brother.
Former crime reporter, now owner of the newest tamale shop, the Hot Tamale Mama.
Nothing heats up a fiesta like platters of tamales and pitchers of margaritas. And Mercedes has provided plenty of both at her annual Christmas Eve Tamale Party. Friends and family fill the house shouting to be heard over the trumpets and violins of the Mariachis.
But everyone will remember this Christmas Eve party — and not because of the tamales. Someone’s been murdered. Strangled with a string of chile lights in Mercedes front yard.
Mercedes’s brother Rudy, who argued with the victim, lies to police, and then disappears.
Now, against the advice of her boyfriend, Cisco Valdez, Mercedes is determined to use her years of experience as a crime reporter to solve this murder and prove her brother innocent.
With the help of some wannabe gang members, Mercedes follows a trail of secrets, lies, and betrayals. And discovers some members of this tight knit community are not what they seem—including her own brother.
247 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 2, 2014
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6 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
February 8, 2018
Well, with a title and cover like that, you know pretty much what you're going to get in terms of story. At least, that's what I thought when I started this book.
From the first page, I was drawn into the life of Mercedes, a former crime reporter who quit to pursue her dream - opening a tamale shop called Hot Tamale Mama. She is witty, smart, and industrious, as evidenced by the preparations she makes for the annual Christmas Eve tamale party, a new tradition that involves her (very large) family and many friends.
But, as the title suggests, tragedy strikes. A man is murdered in her very own backyard, leaving Mercedes shaken and with a mountain of suspects, including her very own brother Rudy. However, once a crime reporter, always a crime reporter, right? Against the wishes of her boyfriend Cisco, Mercedes follows her nose from clue to clue, all while desperately trying to keep her tamale business from imploding.
Ms. Santoscoy has crafted each of her characters with love and care, giving all of them their own distinct personalities (and there are a LOT of them). The setting, the great city of Phoenix, comes to life as real street names and places are used to set the scene, which I loved. I kept turning page after page to answer the burning question - whodunit?
And if you happen to love tamales, keep reading after the story ends: Ms. Santoscoy has provided several tamale recipes that may just make you want to take them on!
From the first page, I was drawn into the life of Mercedes, a former crime reporter who quit to pursue her dream - opening a tamale shop called Hot Tamale Mama. She is witty, smart, and industrious, as evidenced by the preparations she makes for the annual Christmas Eve tamale party, a new tradition that involves her (very large) family and many friends.
But, as the title suggests, tragedy strikes. A man is murdered in her very own backyard, leaving Mercedes shaken and with a mountain of suspects, including her very own brother Rudy. However, once a crime reporter, always a crime reporter, right? Against the wishes of her boyfriend Cisco, Mercedes follows her nose from clue to clue, all while desperately trying to keep her tamale business from imploding.
Ms. Santoscoy has crafted each of her characters with love and care, giving all of them their own distinct personalities (and there are a LOT of them). The setting, the great city of Phoenix, comes to life as real street names and places are used to set the scene, which I loved. I kept turning page after page to answer the burning question - whodunit?
And if you happen to love tamales, keep reading after the story ends: Ms. Santoscoy has provided several tamale recipes that may just make you want to take them on!
May 30, 2015
excellent!
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews