Dominoes, Danzón, and Death

This is the fourth book in the Caribbean Kitchen cozy mystery series, featuring Miriam Quiñones-Smith, a Cuban-American food anthropologist and amateur sleuth. Miriam hosts two Caribbean culinary shows: a Spanish version called Cocina Caribeña on the morning program UnMundo and an expanded English version called Abuela Approved on YouTube.

Miriam and her husband, Robert Smith, live in the Coral Gables enclave of Miami, Florida, and have a six-year-old son, Manny—who loves to cook—and an almost three-year-old daughter, Sirena—who adores seafood. The Smiths have a lovely home, which they now share with Miriam’s parents, who previously managed a hotel resort in the Dominican Republic. A good part of the book focuses on Miriam’s colorful family, friends, and co-workers, which adds extra fun to the narrative.

The Smiths are happy in Coral Gables, though the major downside is that they reside near Robert’s mother, Marjory—a snobby racist who looks down on Latinx people, including her daughter-in-law. Robert has finally read his mother the riot act, but Marjory still has a hard time being civil to Miriam.

In the past, Miriam has helped the Miami police solve crimes, and Detective Frank Pullman likes to call her Jessica Fletcher, Veronica Mars, or Velma, sobriquets that some of Miriam’s friends have picked up. To this, Miriam responds, “I am more Jessica than Veronica or Velma. Bodies just show up in my vicinity. I don’t go looking for them.”

In this story, Miriam’s sleuthing instincts kick in when human bones are found at a building site. Miriam’s husband, Robert, an environmental engineer, is overseeing the construction of a boutique hotel at the edge of Coral Gables Golf Course when bones and a pottery shard are uncovered at the location. The remains are thought to be Tequesta Indian, in which case they must be returned to the tribe, but not before Miami police investigate the age of the bones and the circumstances of the interment.

With Robert’s encouragement, Miriam takes an interest in the bones, and she meets Dr. Gregory Vander Bell, an anthropologist who heads Miami’s Grove College Museum, which has a large collection of Tequesta artifacts; Dr. Alice Cypress, from the Tribal Historical Preservation Office; and Dr. Victoria Bustinza, a forensic archaeologist.

When it turns out the golf course bones aren’t ancient but belong to a twentysomething Indian man murdered two to three decades ago, Miriam helps the police uncover the killer. The novel also features two subplots. In one, Miriam’s director at UnMundo, Delvis Ferrer, gets into an altercation with a pushy tourist, who is later found murdered. The police suspect Delvis, and Miriam is determined to clear her boss’s name. In another storyline, someone is threatening the life of Robert’s father, Judge Smith, who has made some unpopular rulings on the bench. Robert’s mother, Marjory, comes down from her high horse to ask Miriam to investigate.

Besides being a good mystery, the book is liberally sprinkled with Caribbean folklore and Spanglish. For instance, Miriam’s investigations are assisted by Oyá, the Yoruba orisha (god) of graveyards and the wind. Miriam’s dad builds a shrine to Oyá in the backyard, where Miriam leaves spicy dishes like black-eyed pea soup with sweet potato and coconut milk. Miriam then beseeches the orisha, “Oyá, por favor, acepta esta comida en gratitud por tu guía y tu protección.” In return, Oyá guides Miriam’s amateur sleuthing.

The novel is enhanced by the inclusion of snippets about Florida history, West Indian culture, and Caribbean foods, which are a mélange of African, Spanish, Mexican, and indigenous cuisine. At the end, the book includes recipes for Frita Cubana (Cuban hamburger), Bocaditos (appetizer sandwiches), Tortilla Española (quiche), Palmeras (cookies), and Cuban Natilla (custard).

I’m a fan of this multicultural series and look forward to Miriam’s next adventure.

Thanks to NetGalley, Raquel V. Reyes, and Crooked Lane Books for a copy of the book.