Calypso, Corpses, and Cooking
Reviewed By Janet Mawdesley October 11, 2022
Author Raquel V. Reyes’s
Distributor: Penguin Random House
ISBN: 9781639101061
Publisher: Crooked Lane Books
Release Date: October 2022
Website: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com
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Murder and food somehow, sometimes seem to go together at least in Miriam Quinones-Smith life anyway, but not because she goes looking for trouble, just the opposite; all she wants to do is be a good mother, enjoy hosting her own ethnic cooking show and settling into her new life in South Carolina with her husband.
Halloween seems to be full of fun, ghoulish goings on and mad dress-up costumes but when Halloween turns out to be all to ghastly with a ‘body’ turning up in her own back yard, Miriam begins to wonder why her, again!
The family is still in an uproar over the last murder investigation she was involved in and life is anything but pleasant within the confines of her husband’s family.
Having been almost bullied into helping out at the prestigious Women’s Country Club Gala by her overbearing mother-in-law, Miriam reluctantly attends the first meeting but before the meeting begins the head chef falls to his death from the staircase.
This sets off a train of events which wind throughout the daily life of Miriam, her friends and family which only get worse as their neighbour, who turns out to be the part owner of the Club is found poisoned in his own home.
But who is behind the murders, there does turn out to be more than one and attempted murders, is anyone’s guess as there seem to be links to the Mob, drugs, and family members with some serious scores to settle.
Meanwhile the Gala event has planned to include a wide range of ethnic food trucks, as with the head chef dead, life at the Country Club is anything but normal and as a very last minute rescue attempt the ’Foodie’ community of Coral Shores have come together to create a true Gala festival.
Woven in amongst an excellent plot line is a tilt at racism, which sadly is still alive and well today, a good smattering of Spanish, which while not helpful to none Spanish speaking peoples adds authenticity to the storyline and great cast of very believable characters all with their own stories to tell.
Calypso, Corpses and Cooking is a great cozy murder read which while the second book in the A Caribbean Kitchen Mystery series ties in nicely with Mango, Mambo, and Murder, Reynes first book, and sets the scene for mystery number three. Don’t forget the fabulous recipes at the end of the book either to really taste the Caribbean.