SPOTLIGHT ON GUILT AND GINATAAN!

 This fall, readers can expect the next deliciously deadly installment in Agatha Award-winning author Mia P. Manansala’s Tita Rosie’s Kitchen Mysteries.

 

Lila Macapagal lives in small town Shady Palms, Illinois, where she and her best friends run the Brew-ha Cafe. They serve delicious Filipino-inspired treats, and they solve crimes on the side. In GUILT AND GINATAAN (Berkley Prime Crime Trade Original; on sale November 12, 2024), the fifth highly anticipated novel in Manansala’s series, homicide follows Lila and her pals to the annual Shady Palms Corn Festival—and Lila will have to put on her sleuthing cap to find the true killer when one of her BFFs is framed for murder. 

 

Fall festivities are in full swing in small-town Shady Palms—but with the arrival of scary season comes a new and deadly mystery for Lila to solve. During the annual Shady Palms Corn Festival, Lila and her Brew-ha Café gals Adeena and Elena set up a booth selling corn-themed treats. It’s all fun and games until the trio embark on a competition through the corn maze—and Adeena is found holding a knife beside a corpse. 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, and it’s up to her and her crew to clear Adeena’s name and put the real murderer behind bars. 

 

Just as readers were craving more diverse voices in the mystery space, Manansala whipped up Arsenic and Adobo (2021), offering up a delectable first taste of an entirely original mystery series. Manansala’s books embrace the conventions of the cozy genre while also expanding them, introducing readers to a modern Filipina heroine who faces real, relatable issues as she solves mysteries. GUILT AND GINATAAN offers no exception.

 

GUILT AND GINATAAN is perfect for readers of Jesse Q. Sutanto and Roselle Lim, and for fans of cozy mysteries!

Rocco and Chazz spotlight MRS. ODBODDY AND THE CONNIVING CANDIDATE!

Today we are turning the spotlight on the fifth Ms. Odboddy book, Mrs. Odboddy and the Conniving

Candidate!

the Story:

As the war continues to rage in Europe, Election Day approaches in Newbury. Among other inequities,

 the Newbury City Council makes it difficult for local women to obtain business licenses even for home-bases 

businesses. Mrs. Odboddy decides to run for the vacant city council seat, but she has no idea what political 

obstacles she will face. The trouble starts, first with disasters in her home, to violence and racism against 

her friends, and then theft charges are filed against her!

To make matters worse, her granddaughter’s old boyfriend has returned to town declaring his unwanted, 

undying love. His heroic responses to multiple adverse events affecting the family make it difficult for 

Katherine to send him packing.

Agnes suspects her political opponent is behind all the trouble, including the state’s attempts to remove 

their beloved ward, Mattie. It seems that Agnes is up against a conniving opponent who will stop at nothing

to prevent her winning the election. How can she prevail against such sinister deeds? Is winning an 

election worth it when her family is at risk?

Join Agnes as she faces overwhelming odds in her efforts to bring much needed change to Newbury.

ROCCO:  Both Chazz and I thought that this was a very timely story, considering all that is going on in the world today!  Mrs. Odboddy fans will not be disappointed and new fans will love to follow along with Agnes! (and of course, there are cats Shere Kahn and Ling Ling!)

CHAZZ:  Politics is truly a dirty business and Mrs. Odboddy finds that out first hand!  Fans will cheer right along with Agnes as she attempts to get to the bottom of things and clear her name!  Agnes is a very strong character you can't help but admire and cheer for.  the only thing that would have made this book better were more of the cats, Ling-Ling and Shere Kahn.  LOL.

ROCCO:  We both agree - this book answers the question is winning an election worth it!  I thought the ending very timely and fitting indeed.   Available at Amazon and other fine retailers now in paperback and e-book format.

Sales Link:

https://www.amazon.com/Mrs-Odboddy-Conniving-Candidate-shenanigans/dp/B0DJNVGB2Q/ref=sr_1_1?crid=23EJIWV2GDMZI&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.Hn6nOmMlx2R5wzLqfE7ZOZ57ITg8Q16VfZCj3zeN4MWuDy9j48RiaLOBhJYjmTV6TtBLVCCysRg0RMaG70Y18A.mDXIlBlr6FoMud0nWOIbW2tzTgekPsnmpaalVVye7Tw&dib_tag=se&keywords=Mrs.+Odboddy&qid=1730132749&s=books&sprefix=mrs.+odboddy%2Cstripbooks%2C296&sr=1-1