Book review: Miami author’s Caribbean Kitchen series mixes mystery, food and family
‘Barbacoa, Bomba, and Betrayal’ by Raquel V. Reyes. Crooked Lane, 320 pages, $29.99
Miami author Raquel V. Reyes continues to whip up the right concoction that shows how food and culture influence the other in “Barbacoa, Bomba, and Betrayal,” the third satisfying — and entertaining — installment in her Caribbean Kitchen series.
The multi-award winning novelist uses her character’s background as a food anthropologist to explore ancestry, backgrounds and families. The result is a culinary series that readers are craving, drawn in by Reyes’ brisk plots and appealing characters.
The move back to the Miami area has worked out well for Cuban-American Miriam Quiñones-Smith, her husband, Robert, and their adorable 4-year-old son, Manny. Robert’s work is going well while Miriam has become a bit of a celebrity as the host of two popular cooking shows, “Cocina Caribeña” and “Abuela Approved.” Their family is about to expand as Miriam is five months pregnant.
“Barbacoa, Bomba, and Betrayal” also works as a bit of a travelogue as Robert surprises Miriam with plane tickets so she and Manny can visit her parents, who now live in Punta Cana. But Miriam has barely arrived in the Dominican Republic when her TV producers ask her to take a side trip to Puerto Rico to film a Three Kings Day special. Her parents welcome the alone time with Manny, but her trip to Old San Juan is not smooth.
The 400-year-old guesthouse where she’s staying seems haunted, she stumbles on a crime scene her first day and odd events suggest Miriam has a stalker. Back in Punta Cana, the vacation rental property that her parents manage is being hit by a series of vandals that are increasingly violent.
And there’s that unexplained duffle bag full of money.
Reyes’ energetic storytelling enhances “Barbacoa, Bomba, and Betrayal” while she makes Miriam’s involvement organic and believable to the plot.
As is typical of culinary mysteries, Reyes includes a few recipes, which she also ties back to the plot. Reyes continues to be on the cutting edge of the new trend in culinary mysteries in which authors are using this subgenre to showcase their culture.
Meet the author
Raquel V. Reyes will sign “Barbacoa, Bomba, and Betrayal” from 1 to 3 p.m. Nov. 11 at the Barnes & Noble, 11820 Pines Blvd., Pembroke Pines, 954-441-0444.