Lila Macapagal, Shady Palms’ favorite amateur sleuth, is back for another cozy mystery adventure! It’s been a few months since her last investigation, but Lila isn’t thinking about crime at all. Instead, she and her fellow Brew-Ha owners (best friend Adeena Awan and Adeena’s girlfriend Elena Torres) are planning their menu for Shady Palms’ upcoming corn festival! As the name would suggest, the festival celebrates all things corn, and includes the state’s second-largest corn maze! The three friends agree to have a friendly competition – a race to the center of the corn maze – with bragging rights for the winner. But while Lila is making her way through the maze she hears screaming, and when she and Elena run into the center of the maze they find not only a dead body, but an unconscious Adeena holding the bloody knife.
Guilt and Ginatann is above all else a celebration of female friendship, and also an exploration of the tensions that can arise when a romantic relationship appears to threaten that friendship. While Lila and Elena are good friends, Adeena is their connection, and they both want to do whatever they can to prove her innocence, which often results in them arguing over the best way to do that.
The mystery is a fun one, with lots of red herrings sprinkled along the way, and even has Lila “going undercover” as part of the investigation. And, as with all the other books in the Tita Rosie’s Kitchen mystery series, there are delicious descriptions of traditional Filipino foods and all the fun new variations that Lila and her friends cook up. And, as always, there are a few recipes included at the end of the book. If you’re in the mood for a cozy mystery with a strong autumn vibe, Guilt and Ginataan is the book for you.
