Calypso, Corpses, and Cooking by Raquel V. Reyes

Welcome Back, Booklovers! I've been enjoying cozy mystery series this fall and I was excited to continue the Caribbean Kitchen Mystery Series. I am here for the mouthwatering food and the drama.

One of the things I like about this series is how it highlights how Caribbean culture is so interconnected through food. Whether the island speaks Spanish, English, or Kreyol they have so many staple vegetables that are the same throughout. Miriam being a food anthropologist is fascinated by the similar dishes and is quick to share the origins of some of them. Some recipes are included at the end but there are a few dishes I looked up to try and recreate as well.

I really enjoyed the girl squad she had surrounding herself that consisted of cousins, friends, and her sister-in-law. Especially now that's she's settled in since the move. Her son is in daycare, her relationship with Robert is stable again and her cooking series have really taken off. Her mother-in-law is still a pain especially when she puts her in charge of the woman's group gala. But she also has other family members around to keep her grounded. And I liked her Tia and the Santeria rituals as well as Miriam exploring other religions outside of Christianity. 

There were some parts where we got a little too much explanation on issues within the community such as colorism and anti-Blackness.

The mystery felt a little more complicated with so many power players involved. I definitely did not figure out everything. And I was a little scared for Miriam since the Russian mafia was entangled in this. She was moving extra reckless at some points. But this book did something different in that the inciting incident isn't out outright murder but an attempted murder.

While I would usually say you can read a cozy mystery series out of order this is one of the few times I insist you read book 1 first as it references events from that book including who the murderer was and their are parts that tie in.

Overall it was a good read. I cheered for Miriam standing her ground when it came to her awful mother-in-law, chastised her when she made stupid moves, but still rooted for the gala to go well.