Calypso, Corpses, and Cooking

A Caribbean Kitchen Mystery #2

by Raquel V. Reyes

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.

Genres: Mystery, Cozy Mystery, Fiction, Cozy, Audiobook, Mystery Thriller, Food

336 pages, Hardcover

First published November 8, 2022

About the author

RAQUEL V. REYES writes Latina protagonists. Her Cuban-American heritage, Miami, and Spanglish feature prominently in her work. Mango, Mambo, and Murder, the first in the Caribbean Kitchen Mystery series, won a LEFTY for Best Humorous Mystery and an International Latino Book Award. It was nominated for an Agatha Award and optioned for film. Raquel’s short stories appear in various anthologies, including The Best American Mystery and Suspense 2022.

Reviews

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

This is the second book in the 'Caribbean Kitchen' mystery series, featuring a Hispanic amateur sleuth and her circle of friends and relatives. Miriam Quiñones-Smith and Robert Smith, both natives of Miami, met and married when they were at NYU in New York. The couple and their now four-year-old son Manuel (Manny) recently returned to Miami, where they live in a toney enclave called Coral Shores.





The Smiths have a lovely home, the major downside being that they reside near Robert's mother Marjory - a snobby racist/classist who looks down on LatinX people, including her daughter-in-law.



Marjory is always sniping at Miriam, and insists on calling Manny by his middle name Douglas....which irritates Miriam no end.

Robert works for a land acquisitions and development company (which seems to involve a lot of playing golf with clients 🙂), and Miriam - a Cuban-American with a Ph.D. in food anthropology - does two cooking shows, a Spanish version called 'Cocina Caribeña' on the morning program UnMundo, and an English version called 'Abuela Approved' on YouTube. Miriam shares recipes from all over the Caribbean, including Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, Jamacia, Trinidad and Tobago, and Mexico.



As the story opens, Halloween is approaching and Miriam and Robert are decorating their home and preparing the family's costumes. Soon afterwards, at a Halloween festival sponsored by little Manny's preschool, Robert is assailed by a socialite named Lois Pimpkin, who blames the Smiths for her daughter being in jail. Things go from bad to worse when Lois is later found unconscious and badly injured near a Halloween tombstone in the Smiths' yard. A bolt from Robert's 'Frankenstein' costume is nearby, and he (briefly) becomes a suspect in Lois's assault.



Though amateur detective Miriam has helped police investigations before, her assistance in the Lois Pimpkin case is discouraged by Detective Frank Pullman, who jokingly calls Miriam 'Veronica' (for Veronica Mars) or 'Jessica' (for Jessica Fletcher).



Miriam is able to get a bit of inside information anyway, because Robert's cousin Gordon is a cop, and he often drops by the Smiths' home.

Right now, though, Miriam has little time to investigate crimes. She's the primary caregiver for Manny, has a job, AND her mother-in-law Marjory has 'volunteered' Miriam to organize the annual Women's Club fundraiser at the Coral Shores Country Club. Miriam recruits her friends to assist, and they arrange for food trucks that serve Caribbean fare, a calypso band to provide music, and appearances by famous Latin singers.









While Miriam and her amigos are making arrangements at the country club, the facility's head chef is pushed off a balcony, and dies from the fall.

To add to the string of casualties, Miriam's neighbor is poisoned, and a shady dentist is murdered. Miriam believes all these unfortunate events are related, and makes up her mind to find the perpetrator, endangering her own life along the way.

This is a multicultural cozy, with some Spanish dialog sprinkled throughout. This didn't bother me because the meaning is usually clear from the context.

Miriam is a bold, appealing character who (usually) takes the high road with her difficult mother-in-law; prepares delicious Caribbean dishes; sticks up for her friends; and deftly bridges Miami's multiethnic culture.



I like that the author sprinkles scenes of the Smiths' everyday life between the mystery elements of the story. My major quibble with the book is the overcomplicated solution to the crimes, which requires too much explanation and doesn't quite gel.

A fun aspect of the novel are the many food references and the recipes at the end. Numerous delicious-sounding dishes are mentioned, including Soup Joumou, Tomato Medley Salad, Caldo Gallego, Ackee and Saltfish, Pollos San Marcos, Pumpkin Flan, Senorita Pastry, Pastelitos de Guayaba y Queso, and more.


Soup Joumou


Tomato Medley Salad


Caldo Gallego


Ackee and Saltfish


Pollos San Marcos


Pumpkin Flan


Senorita Pastry


Pastelitos de Guayaba y Queso

Thanks to Netgalley, Raquel V. Reyes, and Dreamscape Media for a copy of the book.

You can follow my reviews at https://reviewsbybarbsaffer.blogspot.com

[Madison Warner Fairbanks · Rating 4 out of 5]

Calypso, Corpses, and Cooking by Raquel R Reyes
A Caribbean Kitchen Mystery #2. Cozy mystery. Can be read as a stand-alone. Significant Spanish included, most of which is easily translated in multiple ways by Miriam, such as answers to questions or restating the situation so the phrase is understood. It’s is not a one-to-one translation but listening to sentences immediately following will give you the context.

Once again, Cuban-American cooking show star Miriam Quinones-Smith wakes up to find a corpse in her front yard. Since it’s her neighbor, she feels justified in snooping around, asking questions and searching for answers. In the midst of that, she is also put in charge of the Women’s Gala at her mother-in-law’s insistence and Miriam ends up in the middle of a second death investigation. All this, while still filming her cooking show and finding out she’s in the first trimester of pregnancy.

Lots of family interaction and delicious sounding cooking even when it’s the cause of poison, revenge or more innocent for the show or family. Most of the dual language is through her four year old son as he speaks Spanish with Miriam and English with his father. I found her “pregnancy brain” thoughts to herself a bit off the mark, although they did add a bit of humor. A lot going on in Miami apparently.
Entertaining and educational. I put together the poison clues and really loved the husband’s reaction when Miriam actually stood up to her mother-in-law.

Since several other reviews posted they had trouble understanding the Spanish, I feel it’s important to restate this:
Significant Spanish included, most of which is translated in multiple ways by Miriam, such as answers to questions or restating the situation so the phrase can be understood. It’s is not a one-to-one translation but reading or listening to sentences immediately following the Spanish will give you the context.

[beachbum bookworm · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a really fun series! I love the characters, the culture, the location all of it...well everything except the MOTHER IN LAW!! She was my vote for most atrocious character in a cozy!
This book takes place @ halloween, but would be great for anytime of year!
I recommend this book to any cozy mystery lover!
I received an arc of this book in exchange for a honest review. I would like to thank netgalley, the author Raquel V Reyes, and the publisher for the opportunity to review this book!
My review on YouTube shorts:
https://youtube.com/shorts/WVnZuags4n4

[Linden · Rating 4 out of 5]

Miriam Quinones-Smith trained as a food anthropologist, but now has her own ethnic cooking show in Miami. There's something strange going on in her neighborhood, but she figures it is just Halloween mischief, until someone winds up in the hospital, and someone later dies unexpectedly. Miriam is stuck running a charity fundraiser for her horrible mother in law's country club, and she mostly says nothing, but I liked that she finally told the bigoted old bat off, not that it made any difference. I liked the south Florida setting, Miriam and her assortment of multi-ethnic friends and their favorite foods (with recipes included), and that she spoke Spanish to her young son. I enjoyed this cozy mystery, and would recommend it to fans of the genre. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.

[Deanne Patterson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I haven't read the first book in this series, though I would love to but I don't feel like I am missing part of the story. This is such a fun,high energy book.
With Fall vibes emanating from each page we have our main character Miriam Quiñones-Smith a star of the Miami. Cuban-American cooking show.
I loved the authentic feel for the area with many passages of the book being in Spanish and descriptions of the foods native to the area.
Being that there is a food anthropologist we get a well researched history of native foods (especially fruits) and information about different cultures.
Thanks to her mother in law, Miriam is busy planning the Country Club’s annual gala, of course her mother in law hadn't asked her just volunteered her for it. If this isn't enough to keep this anthropologist busy she also wakes up to find a body in her yard and is sleuthing to solve another murder.
I loved this Foodie cozy mystery with it's vibrant take on Cuban culture and food.

Pub Date: 11 Oct 2022
I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.

[The Sassy Bookworm · Rating 2 out of 5]

⭐⭐ -- 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. 🤦🏻‍♀️ The racist mother and Miriam's husbands lack of backbone to stand up to her. Miriam herself is annoying...I could go on, but why?

**ARC Via NetGalley**

[Judy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I missed the first in this series, but jumped in with the second. Miriam Quiñones-Smith has is married and has a young son. She is a food anthropologist and has a cooking show in Miami. She wakes up to find a dead woman in her front yard. She recognizes her as the woman who was thrown out the of local school's Fall Festival the day before. Also, Miriam's mother-in-law has drafter her to be in charge of the annual gala at the Women's Club. This turns up another body when attending a planning session at the club, an argument is overheard between the new head chef and the club's manager. The chef's body is found shortly after at the bottom of a staircase - did he jump or is something else going on? Then there are a few poisonings. Miriam seems to be at every location. Is she a suspect?

This was a fun cozy mystery and I enjoyed the characters. I did have a little trouble with some of the Spanish thrown in as I'm not a Spanish-speaker and only know a little of the vocabulary. I enjoyed the food descriptions and recipes. The plot was good, but a little hard to follow at times.

Thanks to Crooked Lane Books through Netgalley for an advance copy. This book will be published on October 11, 2022.

[Ms. Woc Reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

https://womenofcolorreadtoo.blogspot....

[Janice · Rating 3 out of 5]

A 3.5 star read for me.

[Louise · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very enjoyable follow-up to Mango, Mambo and Murder, which was the first book in the Caribbean Kitchen Mystery series.

The main character, Miriam Quiñones Smith, is a Cuban-American food anthropologist with a concentration on the foods of the Caribbean, so there’s a lot of talk about food and some interesting background on some of the dishes Miriam prepares. She and her non-Latino husband and young son have recently moved back to Miami from NYC. They live in a snooty area called Coral Shores (presumably based on the real village of Miami Shores), because Miriam’s annoying, interfering (and racist/classist, frankly) mother-in-law has helped them buy a house there. The area is rife with social pressure and there’s a big emphasis on the local country club and the local Women’s Club. Luckily, her BFF from their school days, Alma, lives in the area. Alma hooked Miriam up with what was supposed to be a temporary gig on the Spanish-language network, filling in for a cooking pro who is on maternity leave.

There’s a lot of talk about Halloween and costumes, as the main action takes place just before and after Halloween. I enjoyed the descriptions of all the organizational work that goes into putting on a gala fundraiser (which Miriam’s mother-in-law roped her into). The mystery was a good one and there was more than one death to figure out in this story. Miriam really tried NOT to act as an amateur sleuth this time. I love her relationship with the local detective, Pullman. He teasingly refers to her as either Veronica (i.e., Veronica Mars) or Jessica (i.e., Jessica Fletcher).

While it’s not totally required to have read the first book to enjoy this one, I think that it would be better because there are a lot of references to things that happened in the first book and people who still have an impact on this story.

Warning: there is a lot of Spanish sprinkled throughout this book. Even if you know absolutely no Spanish, you will mostly get the meaning through context. Some of it is directly translated (i.e., repeated, but in English), but some of it is not.

Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for the opportunity to read an advance readers copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

[Maria · Rating 2 out of 5]

If you’re going to use phrases in another language, please translate them. I understood them but if you don’t speak Spanish, how are you supposed to know if these are important to the story? Some are in context but it’s nice to know for sure. Also, for a food cozy, if you’re going to use food names in Spanish, then it makes sense to expand on it and at the very least translate it so people don’t have to be taken out of the story trying to figure out what it is. The idea is to educate and promote the culinary treats of a different region and how can you do that if the readers don’t know what it is you’re showcasing? This is the main reason this series will never get higher than 3 stars despite being a good story. My other issue with this story is that it has to be read in order. If you missed the first one, there’s no point now, as the plot is rehashed in this one and the guilty party outed. Add in the unlikeable characters and weak ending, as much I loved the idea of the theme, I don’t think I will continue with the series.

I received a copy from #NetGalley and #DreamscapeMedia for an honest review.

[Carey · Rating 2 out of 5]

From the very beginning, something about this book felt off. The opening chapters are heavily laden with socio-political messaging that often comes across as forced, disrupting the flow of the narrative. This is particularly evident in the dialogue, where characters repeatedly assert odd viewpoints - for example there is a pretty strong messaging throughout that is very pro-policing - in ways that feel abrupt and unnatural. As a result, both the character interactions and the main character’s internal narration often came off as awkward and overly scripted.

Beyond the writing style, the plot itself was problematic. There is an intriguing and promising beginning to the story following a series of attacks in Miriam's neighborhood, but it soon veers wildly off course. As the story progresses, it seems to be breaking off into all of these different pieces, with threads introduced and then forgotten about only to resurface as convenient red herrings forcefully woven into the story when convenient. For much of the book, it’s not even clear what the real focus of the story is because it seems like a series of unfortunately awful events. This scattered approach left me wanting more from both the mystery aspects and the lackluster investigation where Miriam posits hundreds of theories to varying degrees of nonsense. Eventually, this results in a rushed and baffling conclusion, where the big reveal needed an elaborate explanation that was still confusing to follow. It left me wondering what purpose all the story’s disjointed elements were meant to serve.

Characterization was also a major stumbling block. Miriam’s mother-in-law is portrayed in such a dramatic way that she feels more like a caricature than a believable antagonist. While the intent may have been to highlight real-world issues like racism and xenophobia, her exaggerated behavior undermines the message and makes the situation feel more theatrical than authentic. Compounding this is Miriam’s husband, who consistently enables or excuses his mother’s behavior, making it hard to sympathize with him — or to root for their marriage. In this book, he is off playing golf for most of the book when he's not defending mommy dearest. Frankly, I wouldn’t be surprised (or disappointed) if they divorced in a future installment. I cannot understand how or why Miriam fell in love with her husband or stays in this marriage. At a certain point, it becomes difficult to have any emotional investment in characters who feel so rigidly static and aren't receiving more characterization as the series progresses.

On a more positive note, I did enjoy the sections focused on the history of food, cooking, and the community Miriam is trying to build now that she has settled more into the town. Those moments brought warmth and groundedness that the rest of the story often lacked. Unfortunately, they weren’t enough to balance out the overall experience. In the end, while there were elements of this book that showed potential, I found the execution lacking. Between the uneven plot, stilted dialogue, and frustrating characters, this isn’t a series I plan to continue.

[Christine · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book has such an intriguing premise, but I ended up disappointed. It could be because I hadn't read the first book in the series, so I started out feeling confused. The complicated plot of this book didn't help. I enjoyed the numerous Spanish phrases, but if I didn't have a basic knowledge of Spanish, I think it may have detracted from the story.

I enjoyed the main character, Miriam's relationship with her son but was disgusted by the way she was treated by her snobby mother-in-law and that Miriam's husband didn't stand up to her. Miriam's family is very likable so that helps things. Since I was sometimes confused by the mystery and investigation, so I appreciated the detailed explananation at the end. I like the Miami setting, and I think the series has potential. However, in spite of the positives, I didn't find the story to be engaging.

Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for the advance copy of this ebook. My review is voluntary and unbiased.

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sometimes you just really need a feel-good cozy mystery book. Bonus if it's filled with diverse, likable characters and TONS of seasonal Fall vibes.

I hadn’t read the first book in this series yet but it gave me all the Tita Rosie's Kitchen Mystery series vibes I've come to love and crave by Mia P Manansala.

Full of great recipes, relatable characters and a likable amateur sleuth. Much thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early audio copy in exchange for my honest review!!

If you haven't yet discovered this Cuban American mom amateur detective series set in Miami, Florida you are missing out!! Plus Frankie Corzo does an EXCELLENT job narrating the audiobook!!

[Tomes And Textiles · Rating 4 out of 5]

I started this one right after Mango, Mamo and Murder and liked it SO MUCH MORE. I'm glad I stuck with the series because several of the things I did not care for in the first book were absent in this one. there was even MORE food, character and plot development and this ended up being the perfect book to read the weekend before Halloween because the story takes place during the week leading up to the holiday, so there were lots of costumes, decorations and generally ghoulish murders,

[Sue Em · Rating 4 out of 5]

Start with an charming heroine bridging the gap between her Hispanic family and her husband's incredibly annoying stick-up-her you know what mother. Add uniquely Miami settings. Stir in few suspicious deaths and you have a delicious mystery. Funny without being madcap and peopled with unique characters, this book is a winner. Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Rachaelbookhunter · Rating 2 out of 5]

A body is found on Miriam's front lawn. Not a great start to the fall season. But there is more to come and once again Miriam is caught up in an investigation. Calypso, Corpses, and Cooking is the second in A Caribbean Kitchen mystery series. If you haven't read the first one in the series this one might be a little confusing as it continues on with some of the storyline from the first book. There are new murders which might or might not be considered part of one big mystery so let's just say it's more complete having read them in order.

I enjoyed the first third of the book. It starts off at Halloween and there is a wonderful creepy moment that perfectly fits a Halloween theme. The reaction to the moment though was not enough. And as far as the Halloween theme goes it's limited to the lovely cover and the beginning of the story. After that it's more of a fall theme but since it takes place in Miami it doesn't quite feel like it.

After the first third and the discovery of the body on Miriam's front lawn the story loses focus or, rather, splinters in a number of different directions as things unfold. For a while you don't even know what the mystery really is, if any, due to the thin focus on certain points. Threads are started and then dropped, never to be mentioned again until it no longer matters. When they were originally brought up they appeared to be important parts of the story.

Miriam's mother in law, Marjory, is a pain to read about. She is over the top, far more so than last time. I understand there are people like that in real life but Marjory is bordering on being a cartoon villain. One incident in particular was not realistic at all. No matter how nasty someone is people do not do that. I hope not anyway. How characters react to Marjory is frustrating. People's responses to her are up and down and play out at convenient times. The consequences for her behavior are not fully shown or believable, at least in regards to her beloved son, Miriam's husband.

The reveal of the killer is abrupt. There is no reason to think something is about to go down. Miriam, understandably so for the most part, has nothing to do with it. I don't like how the confrontation with the killer plays out. Miriam's reaction isn't right. Without giving spoilers, one would think she would do her best to avoid what eventually happens. There are so many other things she could have tried. Then we have the wrap up which is done by a character that isn't as involved as others and still left me confused.

I think a lot of readers are not going to be happy with the amount of Spanish in the book. There is more than last time and while I usually enjoy the opportunity to learn some phrases, or least not mind, it does make it difficult if you want to know everything the characters are saying.

Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read.

[Bobbie Kirkland · Rating 5 out of 5]

In exchange for an honest review, I received a free copy of CALYPSO, CORPSES, AND COOKING (Book 2 of the Carribbean Kitchen Mysteries) by Raquel V. Reyes. I enjoyed this book as well as the first. Miriam's poor relationship with her mother-in-law is not aided when the MNL drops the responsibility for planning a fundraising event on Miriam with scant weeks before the event. Miriam's latest trip to the country club for a planning session ends with another dead body. With other people attached to the country club going missing or getting sick, Miriam finds herself attempting to balance her work and family life with a healthy amount of murder investigation. I really liked this book and recommend it to fans of cozy murder mysteries with food/family/publicity themes.

#CalypsoCorpsesandCooking #NetGalley

[Marissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kindle Copy for Review from NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books.

I received a free, advance copy of this book and this is my unbiased and voluntary review.

Miriam finds herself put in charge of the annual Women’s Club gala for the fall festival by her hard to please mother-in-law. She decides to do more of a casual menu than the high end cuisine that her mother-in-law wants.

She’ll have more to worry than the menu when a body is found by a fake tombstone. Who wanted the person dead and why?

A delightful read that will have you guessing till the end.

[Alicia (PrettyBrownEyeReader) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read the first book in the series and was excited to get a copy of the second one. I enjoyed checking in on the characters in Coral Shores, Miami. As life progresses for the characters, murders and mishaps occur. Cooking show star, Miriam Quiñones-Smith seeks to get to the bottom of what’s going on around her. Like the previous book, the author incorporates Caribbean food, language and culture in the story. This is a pleasurable cozy mystery read.

Thanks to Kaye Publicity for an advanced copy of the book for review and Netgalley for the audiobook.

[June Price · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like Miriam. I think I'd enjoy having her as a friend. It might even bring back my neglected Spanish. That said, although new to this series, I was pleasantly surprised to find that after being thrown off my reading stride initially by the frequent use of Spanish, much of my Spanish came back to me. I wonder how much that might impact those who know little or no Spanish, however. To the author's credit, she makes no apologies for its use. Miriam notes that she and her non-Hispanic husband have made a real effort to raise a bilingual child, Manny. Having lived in Florida much of my life, I can attest to how valuable such a skill can be. Most was usually either indirectly restated or easily figured out, I'll note. Heck, we even learn a few words in Kreyol, such as "wi" means "yes"and "Mesi" means "thank you".

Fun with languages aside, however, the book takes an unflenching look at not just the different cultures that exist in South Florida but the pre-conceived notions and expectations of each. Miriam is a positive force, I should note, working to bring the people and communities together. She uses being delegated by her, uh, well, overbearing, superior-aired mother-in-law to organize the Women's Club's annual gathering at the upscale country club to bring in food and music from various cultures, something totally alien to the event until now. Unfortunately, Miriam, alas, seems to be a bit of a dead body magnet. She's there when the country club's head chef takes a header off the balcony at the club and dies. Another later dies. And that is just the beginning. Toss in foreign mafia/scheming, greed, racist snobbery, and more and you've gotten an idea of how complex the situation becomes.

Why was there a body stretched across the fake grave/tombstone in Miriam's yard? That wasn't part of their Halloween decorations? Is the vandalism of her house connected? What role does that cute little kitty, Camo, play? What sort of test does Miriam take? Is the MIL as hateful as she seems? Well, yeah, seems so. How does a costume malfunction cause more serious problems? What exactly does a culinary anthropologist do? Is it just Miriam's imagination that potentially dangerous people from the past keep popping up? Octopus? Would you like to try some octopus for dinner? What....oh, never mind. Enough teasers. Despite the slow-to-me start and my concerns over how the frequent use of Spanish will impact non-bilingual readers, I like Miriam and her crew/posse and am looking forward to her next adventures.

Thanks #NetGalley and #CrookedLaneBooks for letting me spend some time in my ol' stomping grounds of Florida. Hope to visit again real soon. 3.5 rounded to 4.0

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's Halloween and Miriam has her hands full. Her horrid mother-in-law, who should dress up for Halloween as the Wicked Witch from the Wizard of Oz, ropes her into putting together the Women's Club Fall Festival Gala. In the past it had always been a rather stiff event but with Miriam in charge it will be Caribbean flavored but she hadn't put murder on the menu.
First she finds that her front yard Halloween decorations has something added - a real corpse and she is known to Miriam. The next corpse comes on stage when the country club chef bites the dust. From then on things get very, very complicated. Miriam is a murder magnet but she also has a knack for investigating. First off, how are the deaths connected? As if the Gala and the deaths weren't enough to deal with her mother-in-law is detestable and Miriam finally stands up to her.
Aside from the mother-in-law I like the recurring characters. The setting of Coral Shores, Miami and the Cuban-American background make this series stand out. It also makes me hungry. Miriam has a PhD in food anthropology and a food segment on a Spanish language morning show. The food sounds awesome. The mystery is excellent, too. It's an entertaining puzzle from start to finish.
My thanks to the publisher Crooked Lane and to NetGalley for giving me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

[Mary Allison · Rating 4 out of 5]

In book 2 of the Caribbean Kitchen Mystery series, thanks to her dreadful mother in law, Miriam has been put in charge of the Women’s Club’s annual Fall Festival gala.

The event becomes the least of her worries when a body is found by a tombstone Halloween decoration. Who would have wanted this person dead and why?

— I really enjoyed this book! It was a cozy mystery that is perfect for going into fall! It was different from my typical thrillers and romances, but was a fun read. The setting was great and I loved the addition of the recipes!

Thank you NetGalley, Crooked Lane Books, and the author for this eARC in exchange for my unbiased, honest review.

[Sheridan Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley for this eARC! I thought this book was really good! I loved the main character in the book and thought that she was really relatable! Even though this book was a mystery, it felt like just sitting and talking to a friend, which I really enjoyed! This book is the second in a duology and I didn’t read the first book but I wasn’t lost or anything, so I was able to enjoy the book! I found myself completely sucked into this book everytime I would start reading it since it was so personable, and the mystery aspect of the book kept me guessing till the end! Overall, this book was really great!!

[Toni · Rating 5 out of 5]

Aqui Vamos - back to the Cape Shore area of Miami in the second in the Caribbean Kitchen Mystery series., and the reading fun continues. I've read the 1st in the series and was excited to see the series continue. After reading this one I hope it continues for a long long time.
I was hooked right from the start! It's the Halloween season and Miriam's domineering mother-in-law has "volunteered" her to work for the Women's Club Fall Festivals. Miriam brings along with her a younger,diverse group of women to the Club - I loved that!
Similarly to book one there is a fair amount of Spanish and I really feel it adds and emphasizes the Latin mood the book has. The reader, whether they know Spanish or not, will still be able to understand what's being said.
The mystery was a solid one and I really enjoyed trying to figure it out as I read..

I'd like to thank NetGalley, Crooked Lane Books and the author for the opportunity to read and review this

[Andrea · Rating 5 out of 5]

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

[Tina · Rating 2 out of 5]

Due to the numerous Spanish phrases in this book, I had to give up on it. A story without numerous Spanish phrases would have been more enjoyable. In my opinion, though, it would have detracted from it if I had no basic understanding of Spanish.


Translations of phrases in another language should be provided if you plan to use them. You may not know if these are relevant to the story if you don't speak Spanish. If you're planning to use food names in Spanish, you might want to translate them into English so people aren't taken out of the story.

In exchange for an honest review, I received a copy from #NetGalley and #DreamscapeMedia.

[Cherry London · Rating 5 out of 5]

Okay, this book is now one of my favorites after the author mentioned curry crab and dumplings from Trinidad and Tobago, specifically Tobago, my country, and our iconic dish. I like how the author highlighted the racism that was deeply rooted in their community and how the ladies dealt with it. Miriam and her friends had an energetic style that made this Caribbean flavor cozy mystery a delight, and Marjory was a pain in you know what, but she helped the story to be exciting. It had a great storyline with equally great characters. It was refreshingly intriguing and captivating.

[Sheyenne Price · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed every part of this book! There are murder mysteries mixed with Caribbean cooking, and even dual languages mixed in. I don't speak Spanish, but the story leaves enough detail to get the basic understanding of what's being said. I haven't read the first book, but Reyes covers what has happened throughout the book. While I now know the ending of the first book, I'd still consider reading it, but read them in order if that's a deal-breaker for you. All in all, this is a fun mystery and worth the read!

Thanks to NetGalley for the e-copy to review.

[Jess · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like this series a lot! The sense of community is great and they never fail to make me hungry, even when there's you know, poisoning on page.