Sisters in Crime’s Jacq Ellem gives the Murder Monday treatment to American cosy crime writer Raquel V. Reyes, author of the Caribbean Kitchen Mystery Series featuring Latina sleuth, Miriam Quiñones-Smith.
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Raquel’s early childhood has been described as not unlike an I Love Lucy rerun with a heavy-accented, handsome Cuban father and a red-headed Southern mother whose smile brightened the room.
These days Raquel specializes in writing Latina protagonists. Her Cuban-American heritage, Miami, and ‘Spanglish’ feature prominently in her work. Her 2021 debut novel, Mango, Mambo, and Murder, introduces Cuban-American cooking show star Miriam Quiñones-Smith who becomes a seasoned sleuth. It won a LEFTY for Best Humorous Mystery. It was also nominated for an Agatha Award and optioned for film.
The sequel, Calypso, Corpses and Cooking, followed a year later. The series draws on the knowledge of her stepmother Elena, who taught her how to cook many of the recipes that feature in her novels – without referring to recipes herself.
Raquel’s short stories appear in various anthologies, including The Best American Mystery and Suspense 2022. Raquel is a co-chair for SleuthFest.
The next novel in the series, Barbacoa, Bomba, and Betrayal, is out with Penguin in November?
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Murder Monday interviews are available on Sisters in Crime’s YouTube channel at 6 pm once a month on a Monday.
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