Content warnings: alcohol, alcoholism, cheating, death, murder, poisoning

Lila Macapagal is back in the third installment of the Tita Rosie's mystery series in her beloved town of Shady Palms, Illinois. Set around the Christmastime holidays, both Tita Rosie's Kitchen and the Brew-Ha Cafe are doing well. But when Rosie's son, and Lila's cousin, Ronnie dares to show up after fifteen years of radio sense, tension and drama run high. Rosie welcomes her son back with open arms but the rest of the family is still hesitant, even when Ronnie announces he has bought the local winery with his two best friends in an attempt to be more stable and around. But when the wife of their investor dies, Ronnie is a prime suspect. Can Lila help to find the truth if her cousin is a murderer?

Another joyous cozy mystery filled with family, food, and intrigue. Lila is more calculated with her sleuthing, having learned lessons from the previous two scandals to rock shady palms (Arsenic and Adobo and Homicide and Halo-Halo). Gone are the days of do now, think later. While I can appreciate the growth of Lila as a character, some of what I love about her has to do with her spontaneous decision making. Speaking of Lila's growth, she is more confident in her abilities. In the first two books, Lila was overcoming a rough breakup, reuniting with her family, and depression, all of which she has become stronger for.

Perhaps I am more tuned into Manansala's writing and clues but the mystery in this book wasn't as intricate. One of the final reveals I had pegged early on but the other was a nice surprise of a I didn't see that coming vibe. All in all, I love the world of Lila Macapagal that Manansala has created. And I will unabashedly read anything in this universe as soon as I can get my hands on it! And want to try every single thing that Lila comes up with (as long as there isn't any coconut)!