A review by blackbiracialandbookish
Guilt and Ginataan by Mia P. Manansala

adventurous emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

3.25

๐Ÿฎ ๐Ÿ…ฑ๐Ÿ…พ๐Ÿ…พ๐Ÿ…บ  ๐Ÿ†๐Ÿ…ด๐Ÿ†…๐Ÿ…ธ๐Ÿ…ด๐Ÿ†† ๐Ÿฎ

Mia P. Manansala plops down murder and mayhem in the town of Shady Palms with her fifth installment in her Tita Rosie Kitchen Mystery. In ๐™‚๐™ช๐™ž๐™ก๐™ฉ ๐™–๐™ฃ๐™™ ๐™‚๐™ž๐™ฃ๐™–๐™ฉ๐™–๐™–๐™ฃ, the main suspect is too close for comfort when Lilaโ€™s BFF Adeena is found unconscious in the corn maze with a bloody knife next to a dead politician.  Amateur sleuth Lila once again feels the urge to put on her detective hat and find out who has framed Adeena and why? During the murder plot, readers see tensions rise and collide from within the friend group of Lila, Elena, and Adeena.

I am not too thrilled with how the new cozy mystery unveiled itself this time around. While there always seems to be some suspicious  family members (outside the Calendar Crew aunties and friends) or shady politicians in Shady Palms, I could count on the series to provide an interesting plot, developed characters, some Filipino culture and recipes, and an overall message.  In this book, I think all of that was scattered in the wind with so many different things occurring that it didnโ€™t feel cohesive and just ended too neatly. 

Also, I missed the humor and wit of the Calendar Crewโ€”there was hardly any involvement with them. They bring a unique โ€œje ne sais quoiโ€ to the series that was missing.  The murder plot involving the politician and her staff, along with other indiscretions and conflicts with Lila, Elena, and Adeena, failed to captivate my interest. I yearned for more action and a satisfying resolution.  Iโ€™m guilty of wanting organized mayhem in my murder plot and mysteries. 

Iโ€™ve thoroughly enjoyed all the books in the series, but this one stands out as my least favorite. Nevertheless, it doesnโ€™t mean you canโ€™t find a valuable lesson, a nugget of wisdom, or a satisfying recipe to enjoy. Iโ€™ll continue to support the cozy mystery series by Manansala and eagerly anticipate Book #6, which I hope brings more drama, action, mayhem, sarcasm with a touch of humor, and perhaps even some romance. 

Thank you to @getredprbooks, @berklerypub, and @prhaudio for the gifted copy and audio access.

Rating: ๐ŸŒฝ ๐ŸŒฝ ๐ŸŒฝ (3.25 stars) 

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