Readers could jump straight into Manansala's latest installment in the "Tita Rosie's Kitchen Mysteries" series (after Homicide and Halo-Halo and Arsenic and Adobo) without reading the prior novels, but they'd be missing the special joy of experiencing the growing community of Shady Palms. This book finds Lila Macapagal caught up in another mystery, this time trying to prove her cousin, Ronnie, innocent of murder. Fans will immediately feel immersed in the family and friends of the series, happy to see characters from earlier novels firmly a part of the fold. Manansala's diverse cast of characters and their appreciation of one another's cultures--and food!--make Shady Palms a most welcome place. Series narrator Danice Cabanela honors Manansala's warm Filipino American community with her narration. Throughout the series she's created voices so memorable that the first time each character speaks, it feels like unexpectedly encountering an old friend. Well, an old friend whose long-lost cousin may have committed murder. Around the sleuthing there are chuckles and discussions of food that will have listeners immediately searching for nearby places where they can taste such wonders. VERDICT A solid entry to an own-voices series that every library should own.--Matthew Galloway

Lila Macapagal and the gang at and around Tita Rosie's Kitchen return for a third round of murder most savory. Even before he left the home of his mother, Lila's Tita Rosie--the most celebrated Filipina restaurateur in Shady Palms, Illinois--Ronnie Flores was nothing but trouble. Now that he's breezed back into town with plans to open a winery specializing in Filipino vintages, he promises more of the same, as an anonymous note about "Ronnie Flores and Co." demanding $50,000 from Tita Rosie "or the world will know what they did in Florida" darkly hints. This time, though, the trouble seems to be centered on the "they" Ronnie's gathered around him: his engaged partners, charming Isabel "Izzy" Ramos-Garcia and taciturn Pete Miller; his principal backers, Xander Cruz and his fiancee, Denise Sutton; and their assistants, Olivia and Quentin March, who also happen to be Denise's stepchildren. Wasting no time after their arrival, Denise concludes a welcome party by collapsing with a dose of alcohol poisoning that Det. Jonathan Park suspects is something even worse. He's right, of course: Denise has been treated to a fatal dose of methanol, and it's up to Lila to take time out from her nonstop baking for her Brew-ha Cafe to mingle with the suspects, ask nosy questions, and figure out which of them most wanted Denise defunct before anyone else follows. The mystery, as in Lila's first two cases, is upstaged by a parade of food and drink so exquisite that most readers, even before peeking at the four sumptuous recipes that are the real climax of this drama, would happily share Denise's last libation even if it meant risking her fate. Hands down the tastiest whodunit you'll consume this year. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

In Agatha Award winner Manansala's cheeky third culinary cozy (after Homicide and Halo-Halo), the trouble begins with the return of restaurant owner Lila Macapagal's prodigal cousin, Ronnie Flores, during the annual Winter Bash in Shady Palms, Ill. After a 15-year absence and a suspicious stay in Florida, the "king of get-rich-quick schemes" has heady plans to buy a nearby winery and hawk a line of traditional vintages, especially a potentially lethal lambanog. He has lined up a group of out-of-town investors, including the "expensively beautiful" Denise Sutton and her suave fiancé, Xander Cruz. Things go awry quickly when Denise imbibes too much and dies. Denise's twin stepchildren immediately suspect Xander of money-grubbing. But when Lila's aunt, Tita Rosie, receives an email threatening to expose what happened in Florida with the claim that "Ronnie and Co. have blood on their hands," amateur detective Lila widens the net. The sleuthing sometimes takes a back burner to food tastings, but Manansala's breezy style makes for another brisk entry in this flavorful series, recipes included. Readers will be hungry for more. Agent: Jill Marsal, Marsal Lyon Literary. (Oct.)