by Meghan Mazzaferro
Content warnings: substance abuse, gambling addiction, infidelity, emotional abuse, police corruption, family abandonment, physical violence, mentions of suicide, murder
Blackmail and Bibingka is the third book in the Tita Rosie’s Kitchen Mystery series following Lila as she struggles to juggle her new business, a new relationship, and preparations for the town’s Winter Bash. To top it all off, Lila’s shady cousin is back in town with some mysterious business partners and a scheme that Lila doesn’t trust for a second. When Ronnie becomes a murder suspect, Lila knows she has to investigate. Tita Rosie may be ready to welcome back her prodigal son, but Lila will not let Ronnie, or anyone else, hurt her family.
This series continues to be cozy, full of powerful female friendships, beautiful family bonds, and so much good food. Lila is a fantastic main character, and this mystery is different from the others in this series; Lila herself observes that while the previous two mysteries were motivated by passion and emotion, this new case is premeditated and seems to be driven only by greed, making the culprit much less sympathetic in her eyes.
Each of the new characters introduced in this book is flawed, and I appreciated the way Lila was both pragmatic and compassionate. She was suspicious and not overly naive, but she was still understanding of the struggles of the people she was investigating. Each of the characters in this world feels so fleshed out and real, and it could have been easy to have these new additions feel hollow or underdeveloped with their flaws and selfish motives, but Manansala did an excellent job of making them feel grounded and well developed even when they weren’t always likeable.
I enjoyed how the clues were laid out in this book, though I did find the mystery a bit predictable. The puzzle pieces were clear to me very early in the book; however, I did still enjoy the way Lila’s investigation played out, and I was pleased with the way the mystery wrapped up. The clues gave me a good grasp of what would unfold, but there were a few pieces I didn’t put together until the big reveal.
Where these books really stand out to me are the character relationships and dynamics, and this book doesn’t disappoint. Lila’s friends and family are all so vivid and fun, and I love reading about the ways they push and support each other. I will say that the characters all act so real and fleshed out that it sometimes makes the dialogue feel a bit clunky and unnatural, but that didn’t take away from my enjoyment at all.
I also enjoyed the way this book treated the previous two mysteries; while it felt like the first two books needed to be read in order, because of the way book one’s resolution affects Lila’s mental state in book two, this book was very vague about the previous two mysteries. While I still recommend reading the books in order, I appreciate the work this book put into being able to be read on its own.
Overall, while I found the mystery a bit predictable, there is something about these books that I find so cozy and delightful to read. Lila is a wonderful main character surrounded by an excellent supporting cast, and her investigation kept me interested the entire time. And where the mystery may have fallen a bit short, I got to enjoy this series’ countless descriptions of delicious food, which, as always, left me hungry and satisfied. I would definitely recommend the Tita Rosie’s Kitchen Mystery series as a fun and cozy read, and this book is an enjoyable installment.
Thank you too Penguin RandomHouse for a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.