Arsenic and Adobo

Arsenic and Adobo is a contemporary mystery novel that blends culinary intrigue with amateur detective work. Tita Rosie's Kitchen, a Filipino restaurant in San Francisco run by protagonist Lila Macapagal, becomes the unlikely setting for murder when a prominent food critic dies under suspicious circumstances. Lila, a former lawyer who has turned to cooking, finds herself investigating the death despite the police's insistence on her guilt.

The novel combines Filipino-American cultural detail with the mechanics of traditional whodunit mystery. Lila must navigate family secrets, restaurant rivalries, and her own complicated past while uncovering the truth. Manansala's debut weaves together themes of identity, belonging, and culinary tradition with a plot driven by credible motive and opportunity rather than coincidence.

This is the first book in the Tita Rosie's Kitchen mystery series, introducing readers to a cast of family members and restaurant staff whose dynamics prove central to the investigation. The narrative incorporates Filipino food culture authentically, making the restaurant setting integral rather than decorative to the mystery's development.

• Debut mystery novel published in 2021
• Set in San Francisco's Filipino-American community
• Features amateur detective protagonist with culinary background
• First in the Tita Rosie's Kitchen series
• Blends cultural storytelling with traditional mystery plot structure

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