Guilt and Ginataan by Mia P. Manansala

 Guilt and Ginataan

Book Summary

Autumn is in full swing for the town of Shady Palms—the perfect time for warm drinks, cozy cardigans, and…dead bodies?

The annual Shady Palms Corn Festival is one of the town’s biggest moneymakers, drawing crowds from all over the Midwest looking to partake in delicious treats, local crafts, and of course, the second largest corn maze in Illinois. Lila Macapagal and her Brew-ha Cafe crew, Adeena Awan and Elena Torres, are all too happy to participate in the event and even make a little wager on who can make it through the corn maze the fastest—but their fun is suddenly cut short when a dead body is found in the middle of the maze…and an unconscious Adeena lies next to it, clutching a bloody knife.

The body is discovered to be a local politician’s wife, and all signs—murder weapon included—point to Adeena as the culprit. But Lila knows her best friend couldn’t have done this, so she and her crew put on their sleuthing caps yet again to find the killer who framed Adeena and show them what happens when they mess with a Brew-ha…

My Thoughts

Guilt and Ginataan by Mia P. Manansala is an enjoyable cozy mystery.  Shady Palm’s Corn Festival is underway with a plethora of corny treats and a crafty corn maze.  I like the characters in this series.  They are realistic and relatable.  I like the close family ties and friendships.  The food and drink descriptions will have your mouth watering (there are recipes at the end of the book).  The mystery was fun but a tad predictable.  Lila and her friends set out to prove that Adeena did not commit the crime.  There are several suspects along with a red herring.  There was plenty of drama.  The whodunit ended abruptly, and I was left with unanswered questions.  This time around, there was less time with aunties, but more with the friends.  

Ginataan 

I enjoyed the humor sprinkled throughout the story.  Guilt and Ginataan is the fifth book in A Tita Rosie’s Kitchen Mysteries.  It can be read as a standalone for those new to the series.  I am looking forward to the next book in this charming series.  Guilt and Ginataan is a corntastic cozy with fantastic food, delightful drinks, an alarming corn maze, a friend in need, clever crafts, nosy aunties, and a killer to catch. 

Guilt and Ginataan is available from Amazon*.  You can find the first four books in A Tita Rosie’s Kitchen Mysteries here.  If you follow Mia P. Manansala on Amazon, they will send you an email when she has a new book release.  Death in the Cards is Mia P. Manansala's young adult debut and it will be out on May 13, 2025.  It is a young adult mystery that sounds intriguing (I put it on my wish list).  Thank you for stopping by today. I will return on Thursday with I'll Be Home for Mischief by Jacqueline Frost.  It is the fifth book in A Christmas Tree Farm Mysteries.  I hope that you have cheerful day!  Take care and Happy Reading!

Kris

The Avid Reader

*I voluntarily read an advanced copy of this book.  I am not required to leave a review.  The comments and opinions expressed are strictly my own.

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