Home > Author > Mia P. Manansala
81 " Detective, this is outrageous. You’re grasping at straws trying to paint my client as some drug kingpin, but you have no proof.” Amir put his hand on my shoulder. “If you’re done insulting Ms. Macapagal and wasting our time, we’d like to leave now. "
― Mia P. Manansala , Arsenic and Adobo (Tita Rosie's Kitchen Mystery, #1)
82 " Sweating is healthy and helps us cool off. Removes toxins from the body, too. Though it does do a number to my hair,” she said, dabbing at her edges. "
― Mia P. Manansala , Homicide and Halo-Halo (Tita Rosie's Kitchen Mystery, #2)
83 " That was my sister, Jo. She’d worked so hard to get clean, and once she got her life together, she moved here to Shady Palms to start over. But then she met Derek. And he got her using again. Using and selling, actually. This place was their base of operations. After she died, I moved down here to find out what happened to her. She left me this place, so I took it over to learn more. "
84 " You wouldn’t understand. Asians do not go to therapy. We don’t even acknowledge that mental health issues exist. It’s considered a sign of weakness, that we couldn’t work things out for ourselves. And a sign of shame, that we even needed help in the first place. Tita Rosie is the kindest, most loving "
85 " Derek knew she was a recovering addict, but he didn’t care. They killed her. They may not have pulled the trigger, but they sure as hell gave her the gun. And they got what they deserved. "
86 " Ah, so that explained why Mary Ann behaved the way she did. One of the reasons I hated the pageant was because the winners who stayed in Shady Palms acted like they deserved special treatment, as if they were above everyone else. Though according to Bernadette, I’d acted that way even before winning the crown. I wished she were here with me now. She was way better at putting people in their place than I was, and I had little interest in playing nice with any of these women. "
87 " Why do you act like this is specifically a race thing? As if this society doesn’t push this mental health stigma on everyone? You think Black families love having relatives who are in therapy? That hasn’t stopped me.” “You’re in therapy? "
88 " must’ve looked like one of those shoving-popcorn-in-mouth GIFs as I leaned forward, eager to learn more about this sordid tale. "
89 " In typical Filipino fashion, my aunt expressed her love not through words of encouragement or affectionate embraces, but through food. Food was how she communicated. Food was how she found her place in the world. When someone rejected her food, they were really rejecting her heart. It crushed her. "
90 " So your family taught you to not talk about your problems and throw yourself into your work to avoid dealing with them? Does that sound healthy to you?” I shrugged. “It’s what we do. "
91 " Even though it wasn’t publicly announced, most of the town knows Rob slept with his wife and got him kicked off the panel. On top of that, his business is struggling and that position would’ve come with free advertisement and other perks. He probably wanted to ruin something he knew Rob cared about. "
92 " I did! I’m saving up to get a 3D printer so I can start designing more pieces and sell them on Etsy.” She lit up, pleased that I’d noticed. “You have a nice style, too. Just . . . dark. Jewel tones would go well with your tan skin "
93 " I hate seeing someone unsatisfied with their food. It means they’re going unnurtured. Unfed. "
94 " We both turned to watch Joy laughing across the room with her friends, and my heart went out to her. I wondered what was worse: to grow up without your parents or to have parents who didn’t give you the time of day? Or to be like Katie and not even know who one of your parents was? "
95 " don’t trust him, either. I think we should keep an eye on him and make sure he’s never alone with the girls for any of the events. And the minute we see something shady, we report him to the committee. He may be her brother, but Valerie would back us up. "
96 " She’s pretty old-school, but my dad stepped in before it became an issue. As a compromise, I moved to a building that’s only five minutes away. I let them think I was making a big sacrifice, but I do like being closer to them in case of emergency. I just don’t need to, you know, actually live in the same place. "
97 " You know, wild things like decent pay and benefits. They also hated that I got a master’s in women’s studies and wanted to teach at a community college before taking over the company. A waste of time and money, according to them. Still, they might’ve gotten over it if . . . "
98 " hated to admit it, but she was right. She’d risked her job standing by me last time, and if nothing else, I prided myself on paying my debts. I usually avoided conflict, but there was something about my family that fired me up every time. Though if I was back in the sleuthing game, I knew I couldn’t do it alone. Guess it was time to go next door and beg forgiveness so we could get the gang back together. "
99 " The inside lacked the musty carpet smell most clinics had, and all of the magazines were less than a year old—a sure sign of quality. "
100 " But was it meant to convey I know the people in this town will judge me if I look too perfect after my husband’s death or Look at this poor grieving widow who’s been without sleep since losing the love of her life, of course she’s not a killer? I couldn’t overlook either option. "
