Lila is a baker who thought she escaped her tiny hometown, but she's called back to help her Tia Rosie save the family restaurant. Lila thinks putting her life on hold is the worst part of returning home, at least until a horrible restaurant critic, Lila's ex-boyfriend, suddenly dies while eating at Tita Rosie's restaurant. When Lila finds herself and her family at the center of the investigation into his death, she decides to embark on her own investigation, leveraging family ties, petty grudges, and a lifetime of small-town history, in an attempt to clear her own name.

First things first - Longanisa is the perfect name for a dachshund and I will broker no arguments to the contrary.

This book is a charming and funny mystery with fun characters and an interesting undercurrent of family dynamics that impact the story in meaningful ways. That intertwining of cultures was the best part of the story for me because it not only drove the story, but it informed some of the character beats in ways that made them more grounded in reality.

That being said, I did find myself frustrated with Lila, which is a difficult way to feel about the main character. When her family members, especially Tia Rosie, who were not born here and were immigrants to the area, would talk to the police, I understood where that impulse was coming from, as misguided as it sometimes was. It's a common default among some immigrant communities. But when Lila, born and raised in this town, whose longtime friend/possible love interest who just so happens to be a lawyer is telling her to wait for him and not say anything (completely reasonable and appropriate advice!!!!), and she starts spilling her guts without much prompting...ugh. I can usually turn off my lawyer brain and suspend disbelief for stories involving law enforcement, but this one just nagged at me.

In the end, I get it. This is meant to be fun and somewhat lighthearted, and not taken too seriously. But it made it difficult to jump back in and root for the truth to come out, at least from my perspective. However, for people who love cozy mysteries and questionable decision-making, this is a perfectly charming and entertaining option.