Trini has just started seventh grade in Denver when her mom loses her job. Money is scarce and they lose their apartment too. The girl must go live with her grandparents in Alamosa until her mother can find work and a place for them to live. She has always considered her grandparents’ house a second home, but the day her mom leaves her there she feels homeless.
Grandma Lydia and Grandpa Frank, who ride motorcycles and listen to rock, are the best, but Trini misses her mom and dreads being the new kid at school. Gradually she adjusts, making another best friend and setting her sights on a cute boy. And when her grandmother discovers Trini can’t cook, she begins teaching her granddaughter how to make traditional Mexican dishes. Through the cooking lessons, the girl learns more about her family, including her dad, who died when she was young, and why her mom doesn’t cook.
This warmhearted and entertaining novel about overcoming challenges will resonate with readers facing their own problems with family and friends. Recipes for the meals made by Trini and her grandparents—including tostadas, green chile enchiladas, calabacitas and albóndigas—are included and will encourage young people to begin their own adventures in the kitchen while learning the value of creating magical dishes for loved ones.
Praise for Felicity Carrol and the Murderous Menace:
“This colorful, action-filled mystery presents a novel twist.”—Kirkus Reviews
“[An] entrancing sequel…Fans of Laurie King and Jacqueline Winspear will be thrilled by this capable, independent female protagonist.”—Publishers Weekly
“Felicity retains her feisty spirit and wit and once again has to battle for acceptance and credibility in a male-dominated society. Readers will look forward to her next adventure.”—Library Journal
“There is…plenty of action and suspense, the mystery is satisfying, and the identity and psychological justification for the actions of Jack the Ripper are certainly plausible.”—Historical Novels Review
Praise for Felicity Carrol and the Perilous Pursuit:
“Readers who hunger for more portraits of independent women determined to make their ways in a stultifying society will take the heroine to heart.”—Kirkus Reviews
“This new series is off to a good start with a strong, intelligent main character who struggles to overcome the cultural structures of her time. For fans of cozy Victorian mysteries and admirers of Robin Paige, Elizabeth Peters, and Deanna Raybourn.”—Library Journal
“Marcantonio brings her characters to life through vivid storytelling [and] really does an excellent job of keeping her protagonist one step ahead of the reader.”—New York Journal of Books
“[Felicity] is a combination of Sherlock Holmes and Indiana Jones…Recommended to those looking for a female superhero out to right wrongs and defy convention to do so.”—Historical Novels Review
“A must read. It has it all, an intelligent heroine, a compelling plot and plenty of Victorian atmosphere to keep you entertained to the very last page.”—Emily Brightwell, New York Times bestselling author of the Mrs. Jefferies Mysteries
“A smart and likable heroine, and a story that flies along at a cracking pace.”—Stephen Gallagher, author of The Kingdom of Bones
“If you like Victorian era mysteries, you’ll love this book…The story did keep me glued…through the last page.”—Midwest Book Reviews
“The fractured fairy tale gets cool Latino flavor in this lively collection of 11 fresh retellings, with witty reversals of class and gender roles.”—Booklist (starred review) on Red Ridin’ in the Hood and Other Cuentos
PATRICIA SANTOS MARCANTONIO is the author of Best Amigas (Fitzroy Books, 2023), Under the Blood Moon (Dark Ink, 2022), Felicity Carrol and the Murderous Menace (Crooked Lane Books, 2020), Felicity Carrol and the Perilous Pursuit (Crooked Lane Books, 2019), Verdict in the Desert (Arte Público Press, 2016) and Red Ridin’ in the Hood and Other Cuentos (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2005). She lives and works in Boise, Idaho.
