Lila Macapagal has had a tumultuous couple of years since leaving the big city (and her terrible fiancé) and returning home to Shady Palms. Alongside the successes of opening a business—the Brew-ha Cafe—with her two best friends, helping her family through some hard times, and falling in love, there have been a lot of, well, murders. Death and Dinuguan doesn’t disappoint on that front, with a solid mystery for readers to puzzle through alongside amateur sleuth Lila and her quirky group of friends and family. This time, a string of burglaries targeting successful women-owned businesses has been plaguing the small town. When the owners of the new innovative woman-owned chocolate shop called Choco Noir are attacked, one of them dies and the other falls into a coma. Given the Shady Palms Police Department’s general ineptitude, Lila decides to team up with former detective Park to solve the murder before anyone else gets hurt.

One thing I love about this series is how open Manansala is about how dangerous it is for a regular person to investigate crimes. There are lots of tongue-in-cheek comments delivered through various characters who remind Lila to be careful and think about her safety. In fact, Lila’s character has evolved a lot in this regard, which makes it more enjoyable to follow her investigation because she’s not simply repeating the same mistakes she made in the past. The result is that her sleuthing skills have improved in a believable way and she’s not making classic rookie moves that could have the effect of cheapening the mystery or compromising the story. Nope, Manansala has really allowed this character to grow and change across the series and the result is a rich and enjoyable mystery.

Perhaps my absolute favorite dimension of Death and Dinuguan is that it continues the work of representing diverse characters which Manansala has been doing across the entire series. The stories feature a variety of queer characters (and no, they’re not just there to replicate the “bury your gays” trope, either), racial and ethnic minorities, and immigrants—many of them occupying central roles and returning in multiple books in the series. This specific book’s premise (that women-owned businesses are being targeted) allows Manansala to highlight some of the issues small business owners face, especially those who are women, queer, and/or minorities. This kind of representation, depicting real-life challenges faced by and discrimination against non-dominant groups, adds depth and substance to this cozy mystery.

As much work as Manansala does to fully represent her diverse cast of characters, she also created quirky characters to populate the eccentric town of Shady Palms. There’s a range of personality types, from the quiet dentist Jae Park (who people love to share TMI with) to the comically ambitious Adeena Awan (who’s pretty much always ready to have a latte art throw down), the characters are believable and so very lovable. Death and Dinuguan portrays friendships you’ll want to be part of, small-town rivalries you’ll laugh at, and sympathetic characters you’ll root for to the last page.

You’ll also fall in love with Shady Palms right alongside the fantastic characters who live there. Location is practically its own character in cozy mysteries, and Manansala delivers in droves with Shady Palms and nearby Shelbyville. The two small towns feel distinct from one another even as the scrumptious descriptions of food will make the foodies out there want to spend a weekend eating their way through the two communities. (Too bad Shady Palms isn’t real….)

And true to the cozy form, Manansala has once again included tasty recipes at the back of the book. (I tried one and it was delicious!) Happily, the recipes have direct ties to the story, so if your mouth starts watering as you read, there’s a good chance you can experience the treats on the page if you’re willing to put in the leg work.

At the end of the day, Death and Dinuguan just might be my favorite book in the series. This is partly because I found the mystery itself to be the most engrossing (that’s just my humble opinion). The mystery was hard to guess, but featured believable red herrings along the way, some great suspenseful moments, just the right amount of danger, and some solid sleuthing. This was also partly because, as the last book in the series, there was a wonderful sense of closure to this final installment. Manansala struck the perfect balance between indicating what the future might hold for the main characters and leaving some things to the reader’s imagination.

Whether you’re a dedicated reader of cozies or new to the subgenre, here’s a whole list of recent cozy mysteries to explore. For more cozy mysteries with a culinary twist, here are some cozy foodie mysteries to make your mouth water while you sleuth.