Homicide and Halo-Halo, published on February 8, 2022, is the second book in Tita Rosie's Kitchen Mysteries by Mia P. Manansala.
As Lila Macapagal prepares for the soft opening of the Brew-ha Cafe with her friends, she agrees to serve as a judge in the freshly resurrected Miss Teen Shady Palms Beauty Pageant in exchange for promotion of the cafe. But when the head judge is found murdered and her rival cousin Bernadette is labeled a suspect, she must put aside her feelings to help Bernadette clear her name. All the while, she struggles with baker's block as she tries to come up with her share of recipes for the cafe.
This page may contain unmarked spoilers for Arsenic and Adobo.
Homicide and Halo-Halo contains examples of:
- Clear Their Name: Bernadette becomes a major suspect in Rob Thompson's murder, and Lila puts aside the rivalry to help her out.
- Joggers Find Death: Lila and Sana are on a jog when they find Rob's body floating by the bridge.
- Love Triangle: Lila tries to put off choosing between Amir Awan and Dr. Jae Park. By the end of the book, Amir writes himself out of the triangle.
- Red Herring: The would-be saboteur, Oskar Weinman, is discovered thanks to handwriting samples but claims not to be related to the murder. He then commits suicide, leaving a note confessing to the murder. It turns out Winnie Pang was the actual killer and let Oskar take the fall.
- Sequel Non-Entity: Terrence Howell gets only a passing mention in the second book, as does his fiancée Janet.
- Teeth-Clenched Teamwork: When Bernadette gets accused of murder, Lila investigates to clear her name, though the rivalry gets in the way at times.
- Therapy Is for the Weak: Lila resists Detective Park's recommendations for therapy because it's not a family thing to talk about one's problems. Her friends explain why therapy would be beneficial, and she eventually concedes by the end of the book.
