It’s a week before Halloween. The house doesn’t have a single decoration. My darling four-and-a-half-year-old son can’t stop talking about pumpkins and dressing up. He wants a costume for his calico kitten, Camo. I’ll have to check where I can get one. Miriam, prioritize! Get some faux pumpkins and call it a win. And—all of my shoes are suddenly unbearably tight. It feels like I have a pair of pythons constricting my feet. It’s probably the Miami humidity. It’s still hot here, in the high 80s. We are, after all, on the doorstep of the Everglades, which is swamp and gators and eighteen-foot-long snakes. There aren’t any monstrous forked-tongued creatures in my Coral Shores neighborhood unless you count my mother-in-law. I can’t believe that came out of my mouth.

Ay, Caridad, that was not a nice thing to say. But to be honest, she is always criticizing my Cuban heritage with passive-aggressive quips. And the woman does not respect boundaries. Case in point, she just appointed me the role of menu planner for the Women’s Club Gala, a huge event that is only a few weeks away! And by appointed, I mean that she assigned me the task and made it seem like she was doing me a big favor. “You’re a celebrity cook, aren’t you? Plus, it’s for your people. You should be grateful for the opportunity.” Grateful. I am grateful. I’m grateful for my new cooking show career on the Spanish language network. And for my video channel show, Abuela Approved, where I get to talk about the origins of the dishes we eat in the Caribbean. That show is in Spanglish—mostly English with some Spanish sprinkled in. But I’m not grateful for another item added to my already long to-do list. Plus, the last time I went to a Women’s Club meeting it ended with a death.

Most of the club’s members are old, very rich, and expecting to be entertained for their generous donation to the hurricane relief fund. But I think we have an idea for how to do it and make it fun, young, and hip—Food Trucks! We are going to have food trucks representing different Caribbean cuisines. Tell them who we are. Oh, by we, I mean me and my girlfriend squad. That’s my BFF—Alma, Pepper—my new friend whose daughter is besties with my son, Sally—my wonderful sister-in-law, and Marie—my friend from high school that I’ve recently reunited with. Marie runs one of the food trucks. It was actually her brilliant idea. Her truck is named Fritay All Day and serves Haitian food. Her pikliz—a spicy slaw made with Scotch Bonnet peppers— is the best I’ve ever tasted.

“Babe, are you ready?”

“One more minute, mi amor.”

Sorry, I have to run. It’s a busy corre-corre day. Our family must get to the Fall Festival to set up before the gates open. My husband and I each have a booth. It’s a community event, and I’m told the whole town will be there.

“Mi amor, have you seen my Chef Vampira apron?”

“No. But I have a problem. My Frankenstein screw keeps falling off.”

“Mami, can Camo come with us? Por favor.”

Ay, ay, ay. Caridad, help me get through this day without something going wrong.

Calypso, Corpses, and Cooking, A Caribbean Kitchen Mystery #2
Genre: Cozy
Release: October 2022
Purchase Link

It’s time for a savory soirée—but something sinister is stewing—in Raquel V. Reyes’s second delightful Caribbean Kitchen mystery, perfectly delicious for fans of Mia P. Manansala.

Fall festivities are underway in Coral Shores, Miami. Cuban-American cooking show star Miriam Quiñones-Smith wakes up to find a corpse in her front yard. The body by the fake tombstone is the woman that was kicked out of the school’s Fall Festival the day before.

Miriam’s luck does not improve. Her passive-aggressive mother-in-law puts her in charge of the Women’s Club annual gala. But this year, it’s not canapes and waltzes. Miriam and her girlfriends-squad opt for fun and flavor. They want to spice it up with Caribbean food trucks and a calypso band. While making plans at the country club, they hear a volatile argument between the new head chef and the club’s manager. Not long after, the chef swan dives to his death at the bottom of the grand staircase.

Was it an accident? Or was it Beverly, the sous chef, who is furious after being passed over for the job? Or maybe it was his ex-girlfriend, Anastasia?

Add two possible poisonings to the mix and Miriam is worried the food truck fun is going to be a major crash. As the clock ticks down and the body count goes up, Miriam’s life is put in jeopardy. Will she connect the dots or die in the deep freeze? Foodies and mystery lovers alike will savor the denouement as the truth is laid bare in this simmering stew of rage, retribution, and murder.

About the author
Raquel V. Reyes writes Latina protagonists. Her Cuban-American heritage, Miami, and Spanglish feature prominently in her work. Mango, Mambo, and Murder, the first in the Caribbean Kitchen Mystery series, won a LEFTY for Best Humorous Mystery and was nominated for an Agatha. The New York Times Book Review wrote, “it executes its mission—with panache.” Raquel’s short stories appear in various anthologies, including The Best American Mystery and Suspense 2022. Find her across social media platforms as @LatinaSleuths and on her website LatinaSleuths.com.

All comments are welcomed.