Calypso, Corpses, and Cooking

Calypso, Corpses, and Cooking (A Caribbean Kitchen Mystery , Book 2) by Raquel V. Reyes
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A fierce woman squad, a drone, a gala, and bodies dropping. A recipe for a good cozy read.

We pick things up from Mango, Mambo, and Murder with Miriam thriving on her cooking show and Marjorie still being a pill. Marjorie stepped over the line in her passive-aggressiveness, scaring Manny a bit. 

Oh and it is around Halloween.

At times it felt like a kitchen sink but the feeling passed quickly. A couple of red herrings (small ones) and lots of side plots. While you didn’t necessarily need to read the first book to enjoy this story because details were provided when brought up, you may want to. 

There is a reference (or two) to British mysteries which I enjoyed being a British mystery reader as well.  

Noticed that Miriam referred to her husband as Robert and not Roberto. Also, there seemed to be less Spanish. Possibly a nod to the fact that Manny was in school and conversing in English with others. Or because there was Creole, Russian, British, and Jamaican thrown in. I enjoyed all the that was going on.

Speaking of Manny, still my favorite character despite the fact he is just a wee one.

I think there were a few loose ends when the story wrapped but they didn’t have a huge bearing on the outcome.

Love the food info, along with the references to Jessica Fletcher and Veronica Mars.

Happy Reading!

Plot Summary:

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.