Barbacoa, bomba, and betrayal

Frankie Corzo returns to narrate the third installment in Reyes's "Caribbean Kitchen" mystery series (after Calypso, Corpses, and Cooking) following food anthropologist Miriam Quiñones-Smith. As in the first two titles, Corzo fully realizes the characters of Miriam and her BFF Alma, two savvy women who find themselves island-hopping in the Caribbean. This time, they become entangled in an FBI investigation. Corzo moves seamlessly between English and Spanish during conversations between the two friends and others. As a result of her thoughtful voicings, background characters are easily identifiable. Corzo's rapid-fire delivery works in tandem with her taut pacing, which is especially effective during action scenes centered around Puerto Rico's Three Kings Festival. Her delivery is nimble, slowing down and warming when Miriam speaks with her son on the phone, only to tense up when Miriam angrily hears details about embedded colonialism in Puerto Rico. Alma's disappointment when she learns that her new boyfriend is not what he claims to be is almost heartbreaking. Recipes for dishes mentioned in the story are included. VERDICT A fun and vibrant mystery, perfect for enjoying at the beach or on vacation.--Stephanie Bange

Food anthropologist Miriam Quiñones-Smith discovers that even the colorful world of Caribbean cuisine has its dark side. Awaiting the birth of her second child, Miriam is thrilled when her husband buys her a ticket to the Dominican Republic, where her parents manage a small vacation rental property. Even though she's disappointed that Robert's business doesn't allow him to accompany them, she's pleased that their son, Manny, can visit his grandparents in person before the arrival of his sibling. But things in Punta Palma are not all papayas and crema. Broken water pipes, algae in the pool, and a dead rat on the property have some of the guests up in arms. Before she can get settled in at her folks' place, Delvis, the producer of Miriam's TV cooking show, Abuela Approved, ends her to nearby Puerto Rico to report on the island's Three Kings celebration, leaving her parents to wrangle Manny. Arriving in San Juan, she's met by Delvis' cousin Welmo, who's lost his job as a police officer because of austerity measures imposed by the Financial Oversight Board on the mainland. Traveling with Welmo, she enjoys the rich food culture of Puerto Rico but also sees the privation these measures inflict on much of the island's population. She also sees the threat posed by gentrification, which encourages developer-financed restaurants to put high-quality Mom and Pop eateries out of business. Miriam takes the bitter with the better until the host of her guest house, elderly Doña Santos, is attacked and ends up in the hospital, the latest casualty of an enterprise built on greed that doesn't hesitate to get nasty. Crime and cuisine really do mix. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.