South Florida Sun-Sentinel (Sunday)
Cooking up adventures in Miami, plus movie magic, murder
As she proved in her 2021 debut, Miami author Raquel V. Reyes has found the right recipe for an engrossing, light mystery that blends Cuban-American culture, a love of food and appealing characters.
“Calypso, Corpses, and Cooking” continues Reyes’ adventures with Cuban-American Miriam Quiñones-Smith, a food anthropologist who recently moved back to the Miami area with her adorable 4-year-old son, Manny, and her husband, Robert. Their relocation was prompted by Robert’s work, but also allows Miriam to settle into a very satisfying new job — and a bit of local stardom — as the host of two popular cooking shows, “Cocina Caribeña” and “Abuela Approved.” But no matter how successful she is, nor how devoted she is to her family, her judgmental mother-in-law, Marjory, constantly belittles Miriam and her culture in front of others.
As the town of Coral Shores gears up for its Fall Festival, Miriam is pulled into two investigations. The body of a belligerent woman is found among the Halloween decorations on the front yard of Miriam’s Coral Shores home. A couple of days later, the country club’s new head chef falls to his death from the grand staircase. Miriam’s involvement evolves naturally as both deaths involved her. Miriam has more than enough on her plate, between her shows, family and investigations when Margery demands she be in charge of the Women’s Club annual gala. Margery, of course, doesn’t like any of Miriam’s exciting ideas, nor her tasty food, and continues to undermine her.
The briskly paced
“Calypso, Corpses, and Cooking” features believable twists enhanced by Reyes’ affinity for sculpting real characters. Miriam has grown and regained her confidence since Reyes’ debut, “Mango, Mambo, and Murder,” which won several awards. Miriam’s strong marriage, loving relationship with Manny and deep friendship with her best friend, Alma Diaz, enhance the characters, despite that unlikable mother-in-law. And, yes, there are recipes.
Culinary mysteries have been around for decades, but have taken a turn during the past 10 years as more authors of color have lent their voices — and recipes — to this category of mysteries. Reyes is among those authors leading that much-needed change.
‘A Killing in Costumes’
Folded into the delightfully light plot and on-point humor of “A Killing in Costumes: A Hollywood Treasures Mystery” are larger themes of friends who become family, unconditional love, never-ending grief over lost ones, and fabulous costumes — so many wonderful over-thetop costumes. Zac Bissonnette adds to his energetic fiction debut a look at how the joy of collecting can preserve the lore and legend with movie memorabilia.
Best friends since middle school, Cindy Cooper and Jay Allan were the married darlings of a popular soap opera, noted for their singing and acting skills as well as their onscreen chemistry. But when they discovered their true sexuality and came out publicly as a gay man and a lesbian, their TV career ended as did their marriage, but not their friendship or love for each other.
They now run Hooray for Hollywood, a memorabilia store in Palm Springs, Calif. While they still have customers wanting a vase from “A Star Is Born” or a rotary phone used in the original “Perry Mason,” business is struggling. Selling 90-year-old retired actress Yana Tosh’s massive costume collection would keep them afloat. But Cindy and Jay go from probable sellers to potential suspects when an auction company executive who was vying for Yana’s collection is murdered.
Bissonnette’s breeziness
punctuates the lively “A Killing in Costumes,” featuring numerous references to movie memorabilia. As Yana describes her passion for collecting, “We’re caretakers, preserving cultural heritage for eternity. It’s a sacred thing.”
Cindy and Jay’s relationship feels authentic and elevates the plot. Cindy reinvented herself as a financial adviser and married, but her wife died; Jay built a Las Vegas act but still mourns the end of a five-year relationship with a boyfriend. More than ever, the friends need each other.
Readers will welcome Bissonnette’s next adventures with Cindy and Jay, and may be inspired to
visit the real newly opened Academy Museum of Motion Pictures on their next trip to Los Angeles.
Meet the author
Raquel V. Reyes will discuss “Calypso, Corpses, and Cooking” with author Chantel Acevedo, a professor of English and director of the MFA program at the University of Miami, at 6:30 p.m. Oct. 11 at Books & Books 265 Aragon Ave., Coral Gables. The in-person event is free, but reservations required. Visit booksandbooks.com.
Raquel V. Reyes and Alan Orloff (“I Play One on TV”) will discuss “Mysteries in the Neighborhood” during an in-person panel moderated by Oline H. Cogdill as part of the Prime Expo at 1 p.m. Oct. 30 at the Boca Raton Marriott, 5150 Town Center Circle, Boca Raton. The South Florida Sun Sentinel’s Prime Expo is a one-day free indoor event running from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., offering education for adults ages 50 and older with seminars as well as in-person chef demonstrations, food and wine tasting, music and more than 40 exhibitor booths and interactive activities. The event is free with registration. Visit SunSentinel. com/PrimeOnline for more information.