The Lady from Burma by Allison Montclair

December 29, 2023

The Lady from Burma by Allison Montclair

Iris Sparks and Gwen Bainbridge operate The Right Sort Marriage Bureau. While they have their share of unusual clients, their most recent client is one of the strangest. She is terminally ill, and she wants Sparks and Bainbridge to find a wife for her husband, so that he won't be alone after she dies. But then their client is found dead in a wooded area. Suicide or murder?

The fifth mystery in the Sparks & Bainbridge series. The mystery is clever, but I have to say, I find Gwen and her crying and her ongoing tribulations, to be rather boring, and I wish the author would write her out of the series. I tend to skim over the parts about Gwen and the lunacy court, her interactions with her nasty in-laws, her unethical lawyers, the greedy board members at her late husband's company, etc. Everybody is out to get Gwen. Iris Sparks is a lot more interesting. 3 stars because of Gwen's constant weeping.

Coleoptera (beetle), which plays a part in the story

A Murder in Hollywood by Casey Sherman

December 27, 2023

A Murder in Hollywood by Casey Sherman

Lana Turner and her boyfriend Johnny Stompanato had a tumultuous relationship. Actually, Lana had tumultuous relationships with almost all of her eight (!) husbands and many boyfriends. She had notoriously bad taste in men. The story of Johnny's murder has been overshadowed by many other sensational Hollywood crimes, such as the Black Dahlia murder. Lana was a victim of the masculine privilege and misogyny that so many actresses were victims of, and continues to the present day. At least women are speaking up today about how male studio heads, agents, actors, producers and others abuse their positions of powers.

Things you probably don't know about Lana Turner:

- Evita Peron, wife of Argentinian dictator Juan Peron, was obsessed with Lana and modeled her look after Lana, to an extent that bordered on creepy;

- Lana was indirectly responsible for the death of actress Carole Lombard: Lana was doing a film with Clark Gable, Lombard's husband, and Lombard was afraid that Gable was having an affair with Lana (he had a well-known weakness for blondes); Lombard was in the Midwest doing a war bonds tour, and instead of traveling home with the rest of the tour which would have taken 2-3 days, she decided to fly home which would get her back to Los Angeles by that evening; Lombard's plane crashed into a mountain killing everyone on board; 

- Lana was rumored to be bi-sexual and to have had a steamy affair with Ava Gardner, one of her best friends;

- Sean Connery's first major film role was in a movie produced by Lana's production company, Lanturn Productions; the movie was a flop, but Sean's career took off;

- Lana was Rh-positive; although she was pregnant at least three times, only her daughter Cheryl Crane survived.

Many thanks to Edelweiss and the publisher for providing an eARC for review.

Lana Turner, Johnny Stompanato, and Lana's daughter Cheryl Crane

Giovanni's Room by James Baldwin

December 23, 2023

Giovanni's Room by James Baldwin

David is an American expatriate living in Paris in the 1950s. David's girlfriend Hella, another American, is in Spain trying to figure out what is going on in their relationship. David is strongly attracted to other men and is doing his best to fight/hide his inclinations, which are more acceptable in Paris than in America. When he becomes involved with a beautiful young Italian man named Giovanni, he begins a downward spiral that threatens to destroy both their lives.

I have been meaning to read this for a long time. I felt emotionally drained and sad at the end of the book. The two main characters struggle to come to terms with their identity, their masculinity, their sexuality. David knows on an intellectual level that he should fit into the expectations of society, his father, and his girlfriend, yet he is unable to resist Giovanni. His self-loathing prevents him from accepting Giovanni's love and seeking the life he secretly longs for, while Giovanni is willing to throw everything away for David. Daring for its time, still a classic today.

Paris in the 1950's

Thirst by Marina Yuszczuk

December 21, 2023

Thirst by Marina Yuszczuk

A female vampire escapes from Europe and arrives in Buenos Aires, Argentina. She describes her fight to survive, and as she watches the city change over the centuries, she decides to imprison herself in a deserted mausoleum in an old but famous cemetery. In the present day, a woman who works for a publishing house is trying to deal with her mother's terminal illness. After her mother gives her the deed to a mausoleum and a key, the woman finds herself inexplicably returning to the cemetery repeatedly. As they face fear, loneliness, and longing, the two women find themselves drawn to each other.

I am not a huge horror fan and this novel is not something that I normally would pick up, but once I started reading Thirst, it was hard to put down. The writing and the translation are both excellent. Set in two different timelines, it's a vampire story combined with feminist themes. The author is one of the new voices in Latinx literature. More sensitive readers should be aware that there are some erotic/explicit scenes.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an eARC for review.

- 

Recoleta Cemetery in Buenos Aires - Eva Peron is interred here 

A Fire at the Exhibition by T. E. Kinsey

December 17, 2023

A Fire at the Exhibition by T. E. Kinsey

Lady Emily Hardcastle and her maid/sidekick/BFF Florence Armstrong are enjoying the May Day festival in their village of Littleton Cotterell, which includes the inaugural May Day art exhibit. In addition to artworks created by the local residents, there are pieces from the local museum and a few pieces borrowed from Sir Hector Farley-Stroud, plus a priceless volume of Shakespeare's plays. But shortly after the exhibition opens, thick black smoke rolls through the exhibit hall, causing the building to be evacuated. When the smoke clears, several pieces of art (including the Shakespeare volume) are missing. A few days later, following the local bicycle race, one of the riders is found dead.

The tenth adventure for Lady Hardcastle and Flo. There are three mysteries here: the art theft, the murder, and a possible secret treasure. Love the puns, witticisms, and malapropisms between Lady H. and Flo. Fun and relaxing.

Example of a ladies' cycling costume, circa 1920

Behind the Seams: My Life in Rhinestones by Dolly Parton

December 16, 2023

Behind the Seams: My Life in Rhinestone by Dolly Parton

Dolly Parton shared pictures of her fabulous costumes, from the start of her career when she was 18 through 2022. This is a coffee table sized book, weighing at least ten pounds. From the start of her career, Dolly had people who preserved and curated her costumes, accessories, and hairpieces. Fun to page through, even if you don't read the accompanying text. Interesting to watch how her style has evolved (and stayed the same) over the years. We hear from her designers, hair stylists, and the people who do the actual embellishments on her gowns.

In addition to her clothes, Dolly's sense of humor is also on display. She talks about modeling her style on the woman known as the "town tramp" when she was growing up. Recommended to Dolly Parton fans or anyone who enjoys fashion.

One of Dolly's iconic gowns (there's a lot of Dolly on display)

Being Henry: The Fonz...and Beyond by Henry Winkler

December 15, 2023

Being Henry: the Fonz...and Beyond by Henry Winkler

Memoir by Henry Winkler, best known for his role as the Fonz on the 1970s sitcom Happy Days. He talks honestly about his dyslexia (unheard of when he was a child), his unhappy childhood with his demanding, social climbing parents, and the consequences that made connecting with his wife and children a constant effort, as well as the difficulty of moving past an iconic role and finding other acting work.

Henry Winkler is reputed to be the nicest man in Hollywood, and this memoir bears that out. Sweet and easy to read. (Note: Henry at 70+ bears a striking resemblance to my best friend from a high school, who is now a retired judge and frequently gets mistaken for the Fonz.)

Henry Winkler in his iconic role as the Fonz

Vera Wong"s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers by Jesse Q. Sutanto

December 12, 2023

Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers by Jesse Q. Sutanto

Vera Wong is a lady of a certain age who owns a failing tea shop in San Francisco's Chinatown. She adheres to a strict daily regimen of rising early and opening the shop, even though she has only one regular customer. This leaves her plenty of time to follow (read: stalk) her only son online. But one morning when she comes downstairs to open the tearoom, Vera finds a dead body on the tearoom floor.

Heartwarming cozy mystery. Vera is a nosy older woman who had advice for everyone, whether they want it or not. She's correct that 20 somethings tend to be self-focused and dramatic - I base that statement on the 20 somethings in my own family. Very enjoyable.

San Francisco's Chinatown

Making It So by Patrick Stewart

December 8, 2023

Making It So by Patrick Stewart

Legendary actor Sir Patrick Stewart writes about his long acting career as well as his personal life. This is a wonderful memoir, one of the best that I read in 2023. While he takes his craft seriously, he doesn't take himself too seriously and tells wonderful anecdotes about his life and career. Patrick Stewart has been one of my secret crushes since I saw him as Sejanus in the BBC production of I, Claudius in the 1970s (my other secret crush for the last 40 years is Joe Montana, the star quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers). I was never that much of a Star Trek fan (I know - gasp!) but I saw enough of ST: TNG to be familiar with the characters and the storyline.

Lots of great pictures. He is very honest about losing his hair by the time he was 20, his love affairs and marriages, and his relationships with other actors and directors. Highly recommended to fans of Star Trek or Sir Patrick's other work.

Patrick Stewart as Sejanus in I, Claudius

The Lost Van Gogh by Jonathan Santlofer

December 6, 2023

The Lost Van Gogh by Jonathan Santlofer

In Paris in 1944, an artist paints a portrait of his wife over a Van Gogh painting, hiding the original work from the Nazis. Over 75 years later, the picture resurfaces in upstate New York, where a woman named Alex Verde buys it at an antique store. When they discover the hidden Van Gogh, Alex and her boyfriend Luke Perrone, an artist and art history professor, can't figure out how the painting got there. They enlist the help of an INTERPOL agent and follow him to Amsterdam, where the police and INTERPOL are trying to catch a major dealer in stolen art looted by the Nazis.

I didn't enjoy this book that much because it's more of an espionage novel than a book about art theft, and I can never figure out what's going on in spy books. Everyone has a code name, everyone is spying on everyone else and double-crossing them. The reader gets quite the tour of Amsterdam, complete with a visit to the Anne Frank House, plus we get a lecture on looted Nazi artwork. Some of the main characters appeared in Santlofer's previous novel The Last Mona Lisa. Overall, just meh.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an eARC for review.

Amsterdam

Set for Life by Andrew Ewell

December 4, 2023

Set for Life by Andrew Ewell

A nameless creative writing professor who is on a deadline to get something (anything, really) published has major writer's block. He is a failure at writing, at teaching, at being a husband, at life in general. His wife is a successful novelist and she encourages him at every turn. In typical male midlife crisis fashion, he begins an affair with one of his wife's friends, thinking that this is the answer to all of his problems. When his now-estranged wife publishes another novel with a character based on him, his envy knows no bounds and he feels he is entitled to some kind of compensation. After he manages to implode his entire life, he retreats to Florida where his parents (who he has always looked down on as failures) own a small beachside hotel.

All of the characters in this novel are unlikeable, with the exception of Carlos, the visiting writer. The main character is immature and a complete snob - everyone and everything is beneath him, and he feels that success should be just handed to him rather than having to work for it. It's always someone else's fault. Also, the main character drinks WAY too much, in fact many of the characters drink almost constantly. It's fairly obvious that he is depressed and everyone knows it but him, and several of the characters try to throw him a lifeline (including the department chair, who he despises, who not only doesn't press charges after the main character almost burns down his office, but he tries to help him find a new job). The writing is good, there is some dark humor, and it's a quick read - like a train wreck, you can't look away. I sincerely hope this novel isn't autobiographical.

Is it just me or does anyone else think this is a really boring cover?

Many thanks to Edelweiss and the publisher for providing an eARC for review.

Maude Horton's Glorious Revenge by Lizzie Pook

December 1, 2023

Maude Horton's Glorious Revenge by Lizzie Pook

After being informed of her sister's death while on an Arctic voyage on the ship Makepeace, Maude Horton demands answers about what happened to Constance. The ship was supposed to be searching for an Arctic explorer who went missing with his ship, but Maude discovers that there was another purpose for the voyage. Meanwhile, Edison Stowe, the Makepeace's scientific officer, is deeply in debt and concocts a scheme to make a great deal of money by capitalizing on the Victorian fascination with murder and executions.

This is a well-researched historical novel about revenge, but the plot moves slowly. Much of the book is spent setting up the final scenes and a lot of time is spent explaining little-known aspects of Victorian life. It reminded me of The Square of Sevens in that way. Learning about the Victorian fascination with executions and that there actually were excursions to watch executions outside London was quite interesting. There are some gaps, since we don't find out what happened to a number of the characters or the fate of the rubies that Stowe was after. Sensitive readers should be aware that there are a number of scenes of animal cruelty. 

Many thanks to Edelweiss and the publisher for providing an eARC for review.

In the Victorian age, executions were a source of public entertainment

The Twist of a Knife by Anthony Horowitz

November 30, 2023

The Twist of a Knife by Anthony Horowitz

Anthony Horowitz is having his first play produced in London's West End theatre district. It's a crime comedy (think Deathtrap) set in a psychiatric hospital. Although it has a good cast and did well outside of London, on opening night, the Times theatre critic pans the play. The next morning, she is stabbed to death at her home. The police arrest Anthony because his fingerprints were on the weapon, a souvenir dagger. After his detective friend Hawthorne bails him out of jail, they have 48 hours to figure out who killed the critic.

This is the fourth book in Horowitz's Hawthorne mystery series, in which the author himself is a character. This one has a definite Agatha Christie vibe: there are interviews with the suspects which reveal a surprising number of people who had a motive, seemingly irrelevant clues and information, and a final grand reveal at the end with all of the suspects gathered together. These are fun literary mysteries with Horowitz playing Watson to Hawthorne's Holmes. Recommended for readers who enjoy clever mysteries.

London's West End theatre district, where much of the action is set

The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store by James McBride

November 29, 2023

The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store by James McBride

In 1972, just before Hurricane Agnes sweeps through, the Pennsylvania State Police find a skeleton at the bottom of an old well in the Chicken Hill district of Pottstown, PA. They question Malachi, an old Jewish man who lives near the site and has lived in the area since the 1930s, because some Jewish artefacts are found with the bones, but he claims to know nothing about it. After the hurricane destroys most of the neighborhood, Malachi is gone and the police never learn who the skeleton is.

Loved the author's two previous novels The Good Lord Bird and Deacon King Kong, and I greatly enjoyed this novel as well. Set between the two world wars, the story focuses on the residents of the Chicken Hill neighborhood, a low-income area populated mainly by Jews and African Americans but with a recent influx of Italian immigrants, and how they manage to co-exist and interact, helping each other out. The story reads almost like a collection of short stories, where a character is the main actor in one story, but may be a peripheral character in another (think Olive Kitteredge). It's the neighborhood of Chicken Hill that is the connecting factor that brings them all together. Some readers have complained about the large number of characters, but that didn't bother me at all. Be advised, the mystery of the skeleton plays very little part in the story (although you do find out at the end who it is) - I had a good idea about halfway through. One of the best books of 2023. Highly recommended for readers of literary fiction.

Pottstown, PA - I couldn't find a good picture of Chicken Hill, although there are some online archives

The Museum of Failures by Thrity Umrigar

November 24, 2023

The Museum of Failures by Thrity Umrigar

Remy Wadia has traveled back to India, the country he left a decade earlier, to adopt a baby. He plans to meet the baby's mother, visit his estranged mother briefly, and then return home to the United States. But things take a sudden turn when he learns among other things that his mother is seriously ill and in the hospital.

I love Umrigar's fiction. She writes about universal topics from a new angle (not necessarily an Indian angle). Beautiful language. Highly recommended to anyone who enjoys literary fiction.

A Mumbai street market/shopping district (the author still refers to Mumbai as Bombay)

Murder Most Royal by SJ Bennett

November 18, 2023

Murder Most Royal by SJ Bennett

December 2016. The Queen and Prince Philip have just arrived at their home in Sandringham to celebrate Christmas with their family, when news arrives that a severed hand has washed up on a nearby beach. Not wanting to spoil the holiday, the Queen asks Rozie Oshodi, one of her private secretaries, to quietly monitor the situation and keep her updated.

I really enjoy this charming cozy mystery series featuring the late queen and Rozie. This third installment was a little disappointing, partly because Rozie isn't in it that much, and partly because the who aristocracy and inheritance thing is complicated and quite honestly archaic. But it's central to the mystery so it has to be explained to those of us outside of that realm. I also figured out who the killer was about halfway through the story but kept reading to make sure I was right. Hoping for better on the next book.

Sandringham Estate in Norfolk - to quote the Three Stooges, reminds me of the reform school

Picasso's Lovers by Jeanne Mackin

November 16, 2023

Picasso's Lovers by Jeanne Mackin

Pablo Picasso changed women like some men change their clothes. Nobody was off limits, and he didn't care if he hurt his wife Olga or whoever was his current mistress. He looked upon these women as his muses, his inspiration, and if he was going to paint a woman, he was also going to have sex with her. When aspiring journalist Alan Olsen receives an assignment from an art magazine to write something new about Picasso, she gets more than she bargained for.

I really liked Mackin's previous book The Last Collection, about Elsa Schiaparelli and Coco Chanel. I didn't find this one quite so compelling, probably because I'm not a huge Picasso fan. I found the last third of the book to be predictable, no surprises here, and I found myself doing a lot of skimming. If you're a big Picasso fan or read only historical fiction, you'll probably enjoy this one. If you're a woman, you'll probably think Picasso was a real jerk who used women and then tossed them aside. Just saying.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an eARC for review.

Irene Lagut, an artist who was a contemporary of Picasso and also one of his lovers

The House is on Fire by Rachel Beanland

November 9, 2023

The House is on Fire by Rachel Beanland

On December 26, 1811, a packed house watches a play followed by a pantomime at the Richmond Theatre in Richmond, VA. Sally Campbell and her sister-in-law are watching the entertainment from a crowded third floor box, when someone shouts "the house is on fire!" A stampede to exit the building ensues with men trampling women to escape. When the staircase down from the third floor collapses, the women are trapped.

Based on the true story of the Richmond Theatre fire in 1811. There are four narrators: Sally, a white society lady; Cecily, a slave attending the play with her mistress Maria; Gilbert, a slave who helps rescue people from the theater; and Jack, a stagehand with the theatre company. During the pantomime, a lit chandelier was raised to the ceiling above the stage and the cords holding the fixture caught fire, which spread to the scenery and the hangings. The structure was essentially a large wooden barn and it went up like dry tinder. 72 people died in the fire, with about 2/3 of them being women and girls. Many died when they jumped from the second or third floors. The Richmond Theater fire remains one of the worst fire disasters in U.S. history. Well-researched, will appeal to readers of history as well as historical fiction.

Etching of the Richmond Theatre fire

The Coworker by Freida McFadden

November 7, 2023

Dawn Schiff and Natalie Farrell both work for Vixed, a nutritional supplement company. Natalie is their top sales associate, while Dawn works as an accountant. Dawn is a bit eccentric, adhering to a very strict schedule, eating monochromatic meals, and obsessing over turtles, but an excellent employee. When she doesn't show up for work one day and doesn't call in, Natalie is concerned, particularly since Dawn scheduled two meetings and didn't show up for either one. She stops at Dawn's house to do a wellness check and is even more concerned when she finds a huge blood stain on the floor. 

Remember that saying about revenge being a dish best served cold? Keep that in mind when reading this novel. Dawn is definitely on the spectrum, possibly has Asperger's. Fast paced psychological fiction with good plot twists and no one is who they seem. Should appeal to readers who enjoyed Gone Girl, The Maid's Diary, and the fiction of Rachel Hawkins and Lucy Foley.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an eARC for review.

Madame Pommery, Creator of Brut Champagne by Rebecca Rosenberg

November 4, 2023

Madame Pommery, Creator of Brut Champagne by Rebecca Rosenberg

After her husband's sudden death, Madame Alexandrine Pommery discovered that they were seriously in debt. To support her family, she decided to sell off her husband's wool business and focus on the winery that he owned as a side business. But instead of making the blended red wine he always sold, she decided she would focus on making a new type of champagne, a vintage that was less sweet and more refreshing, that could be consumed anytime rather than only with dessert.

Fascinating look at a lesser known historical figure, a woman who changed the world of champagne making and how we enjoy champagne today. Before Madame Pommery began her winery, the champagne of her day was more like what we call asti spumanti today. I really enjoy sparking wines like pro secco and champagne, so I found this fictional biography quite interesting. On the cover of the book, note that she is leaning against a champagne coupe - today we usually drink sparkling wine from flutes.

The real Jeanne Alexandrine Pommery

The Pommery Winery in Reims in the Champagne region of France - Madame Pommery wanted a building that looked like a Scottish castle

Pommery champagne - technically only sparkling wine bottled in the Champagne region can legally be called champagne (American vineyards don't pay much attention to this)

The Dead Cat Tail Assassins by P. Djeli Clark

October 31, 2023

The Dead Cat Tail Assassins by P. Djeli Clark

Eveen is a member of the Dead Cat Tail Assassins guild, and an undead contract killer. During the annual Festival of the Clockwork King, she accepts a commission from an anonymous patron to ship (read: kill) a target in a wealthy district. Expecting some old mobster or shady businessman, Eveen infiltrates the building with no difficulty, but when she reaches the bedchamber, she finds a young woman who looks suspiciously familiar. Realizing that she has been set up, Eveen has until dawn to figure out how to beat her enemy and save herself. And her doppelganger.

I love P. Djeli Clark's fantastical fiction, and this novella does not disappoint. I especially enjoy his female characters: strong, smart and snarky. The ending is open enough that there could be a sequel (I hope, I hope!).

Many thanks to Edelweiss and the publisher for providing an eARC for review.

Dark goddesses

The Lost Girls of Willowbrook by Ellen Marie Wiseman

October 27, 2023

The Lost Girls of Willowbrook by Ellen Marie Wiseman

Sage Winters has always known that her twin sister Rosemary died of pneumonia when they were children. But at age 16, Sage learns that her sister didn't die and is living at the Willowbrook School, a school for children with special needs. She learns that Rosemary vanished from the school a few days earlier, and Sage is determined to go to the school to find her twin.

Based on a true story. My hair stylist's oldest sister was a resident at Willowbrook in the 1970s, which was how I originally heard about it. The first third of the book is mostly about how terrible the conditions were at the school, and it takes a while for the plot to get moving. The main character is pretty dense for someone who is supposed to be street smart. I started with this novel as an audiobook, but I switched to the ebook version because I could skim over the slower parts. The story moves a lot slower than in Wiseman's earlier books. Geraldo Rivera did a prize-winning expose about living conditions at the school, which were truly horrible, with most of the residents contracting hepatitis and other diseases due to the filthy living conditions and lack of care. Definitely has a YA feel to it. Meh.

Willowbrook State School, New York

Kismet by Amina Akhtar

October 26, 2023

Kismet by Amina Akhtar

Ronnie Khan moves from Queens, NY, to Sedona, AZ, to follow her friend, wellness fanatic and wannabe guru Marley Dewhurst. Ronnie wants to escape her family and pursue her own wellness journey. But Ronnie hates every minute of the wellness regime and almost everything about the desert, except the birds. Early one morning while the two women are out on a hike, they find human remains out in the desert. It turns out to be a well-known wellness coach, and Marley sees it as an opportunity for her to grow her following and get free publicity. But that's not the only body that turns up, and Ronnie starts to wonder if there is a serial killer on the loose.

This was an Amazon First Reads freebie, and fairly typical of the monthly offerings. I rarely download any of the free books, but this one sounded like a decent thriller and something that I would enjoy reading. I hesitate to call this a thriller or suspense, since there wasn't any. Overall it was disappointing, since none of the characters are likeable and appear to be caricatures, and they are all shallower than a puddle. I really didn't care what happened to any of them. Not recommended.

Scenic Sedona

The Heiress by Rachel Hawkins

October 23, 2023

The Heiress by Rachel Hawkins

When she was a toddler, Ruby McTavish went missing from a family picnic in the mountains near their North Carolina home. Missing for almost a year, there was always speculation whether the child who was returned to the family was really Ruby. Almost 70 years later, Ruby's adopted son gets an email telling him that it's time for a reckoning and he needs to come home.

Psychological suspense with multiple plot twists. Just when you think you know what's going on, there is a twist in the story. Also, all of the narrators are unreliable! I like this novel much more than the author's previous book The Villa. If you liked The Maid's Diary with its twisty plot, multiple narrators, and dual timeline, you'll enjoy Hawkins' upcoming book.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Edelweiss and the publisher for providing an eARC for review.

North Carolina mountains

Murder and Mamon by Mia P. Manansala

October 19, 2023

Murder and Mamon by Mia P. Manansala

Lila Macapagal and company are back for another cozy mystery set in Shady Palms, Illinois. Her three godmothers April, Mae, and June (aka the Calendar Crew) are opening a laundromat, which has started a war with the owner of the only other laundromat in the town. Just in time for their grand opening, April's niece Divina arrives from the Philippines, and the aunties figure they'll put her to work at the laundromat to keep her busy. But someone doesn't want them to open and vandalizes the laundromat, and the suspect list is long, since the aunties have offended most of the town residents at some point with their nosiness and gossip. Then disaster really strikes a few days later when Divina is found dead next to a washer.

The fourth adventure in the Tita Rosie's Kitchen cozy mystery series, complete with recipes. This entry is not as strong as some of the earlier books, with a lot of filler about food and meals. The romantic relationships are progressing slowly. There are recipes in the back for some of the yummy dishes. I worked for many years with Mia's mom, and I am so glad to see that Mia is fulfilling her dream of being a writer. 

Mamon cakes, a fluffy chiffon-y cake often made with coconut