Customer Review
Reviewed in the United States on March 22, 2022
Raquel V. Reyes writes stories with Latina characters.
Mango, Mambo, and Murder; A Caribbean Kitchen Mystery is a most enjoyable read. The main character, Miriam Quiñones-Smith has a fascinating background as a Food Anthropologist. Her knowledge sprinkled through the narrative of the story adds an interesting cultural angle. I love books that teach me a thing or two while they entertain me.
The multicultural multilingual Miami experience is present and believable. I felt like I had driven down to Hialeah; the Spanish phrases, comments added throughout the story are such that non-Spanish speakers will understand through context, and readers may learn a word or two.
Miriam’s growth and transformation as a reader had me cheering for her success and how she learned to stand up to her most unpleasant mother-in-law. There is a nice balance of comically exaggerated and lovely, pleasant examples of characters in every culture represented in the story.
I found myself laughing, cheering, and in a spicy fun cooking mood. I look forward to the next mystery and to reconnecting with Miriam, Alma, and all the other colorful characters in this delightful read.
The multicultural multilingual Miami experience is present and believable. I felt like I had driven down to Hialeah; the Spanish phrases, comments added throughout the story are such that non-Spanish speakers will understand through context, and readers may learn a word or two.
Miriam’s growth and transformation as a reader had me cheering for her success and how she learned to stand up to her most unpleasant mother-in-law. There is a nice balance of comically exaggerated and lovely, pleasant examples of characters in every culture represented in the story.
I found myself laughing, cheering, and in a spicy fun cooking mood. I look forward to the next mystery and to reconnecting with Miriam, Alma, and all the other colorful characters in this delightful read.
I bought the book at Murder on the Beach, Mystery Bookstore in Delray Beach, Florida.
Raquel V. Reyes writes stories with Latina characters. Her Cuban-American heritage, Miami, and the Caribbean feature prominently in her work.
Mango, Mambo, and Murder is the first in the Caribbean Kitchen Mystery series.
The New York Times book review wrote “…it executes its mission — mixing standard tropes,
memorable characters, the importance of family and murder in unexpected quarters — with panache.”
Raquel’s short stories appear in various anthologies, including Mystery Most Theatrical, Midnight Hour,
and Trouble No More. She is a co-chair for SleuthFest, a writing craft conference.
Find her across social media platforms as @LatinaSleuths.
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