National Network for Equitable Library Service

Death at a beauty pageant turns Tita Rosie's Kitchen upside down in the latest entry of this witty and humorous cozy mystery series by Mia P. Manansala. Things are heating up for Lila Macapagal—though not in her love life, which she insists on keeping nonexistent despite the attention of two very eligible bachelors. Nor in her professional life, as she struggles to open her new café following the unsettling events that recently occurred at her aunt's Filipino restaurant, Tita Rosie's Kitchen. Rather, it’s the literal heat of summer, her least favorite season, that’s making her uncomfortable. On top of that, Lila’s town, Shady Palms, has revived the Miss Teen Shady Palms Beauty Pageant, which she herself won many years ago—a fact that creates tension between her and her cousin-slash-rival, Bernadette. However, when the head judge of the pageant is murdered and Bernadette becomes the prime suspect, the two must join forces to solve the case—because it seems one of them could be the killer’s next target.