In Blackmail and Bibingka, there is a mysterious death in the small town of Shady Palms. Lila co-owns a coffee shop with her best friends specializing in creative baking and coffee with Filipino flavors. Her family’s Filipino restaurant happens to be next door, providing an easy hangout spot to gather, eat, and gossip about town business.
A reconnection in the family turns out suspicious, as expected, when Lila’s cousin, Ronnie, returns home after being away for fifteen years.
Ronnie had left without so much as a word, to start a winery with his business partners. Lila and the family pick up on some weird energy as it comes to light that Ronnie’s investor ends up dead, having been poisoned through some of the company’s wine. What once looked like a chance to rebuild trust and connection is now convoluted. With Ronnie suspected of the murder, Lila seeks to find out the truth of what happened and why Ronnie came back, what other trouble he might be in, and who really committed the murder.
One of the most enjoyable things about reading this young adult novel is the way the author Manansala is able to make the reader imagine the smells and tastes of these recipes Lila and her business partner come up with. Infusing calamansi, ube, and salabat into desserts or coffee… I found myself wishing I had a beverage and snack from the Brew-ha Cafe the entire time I was reading.
I also felt fully drawn in as the characters made progress on the murder investigation, either professionally through the police, or on their own time as family and friends, on the murder Ronnie is suspected of.
There was such suspense waiting to know more that at the end of each chapter that it wasn’t easy to put the book down. The exciting way that Manansala writes, while taking us on detours to imagine a snack, visualize dogs hanging out in a cafe or family passing around traditional Filipino dishes, makes this book an energizing and tasty, suspenseful read. Manansala encourages the reader to think about so many complex facts of life, such as the meaning of family and what healing can look like in different relationship dynamics. The reader will find themselves shocked throughout the book, questioning more and more about all the characters and what else there is to know, perhaps what they’re hiding.
I recommend this book to anyone looking for a thrill and something exciting to read. Folks wanting to know more about Filipino food and traditions will find this book interesting in the way it helps them imagine new flavor profiles and the smells of the different foods. I found this to be an easy and fun read, and I look forward to reading other novels from Manansala.
