Showboat Medical Examiner Margot Heavner makes it clear that, breaking with her departments earlier practice (The Bone Collection, 2016, etc. Deciding that her only option is to investigate the murder herself, she and her best friend, Adeena, set out to prove her innocence. Food was how she communicated. Has Call Me By Your Name Been Tainted by Armie Hammer? The last 10% in particular absolutely flew by, but throughout the book, I was constantly caught up in gorgeous food writing, hilarious banter between Lila, Adeena, the ninangs, and Lola Flor, and Lilas sleuthing, no matter how implausible it was. So its a surprise to everyone when she requests a two-month leave of, Whitney Whitaker is a little surprised by her cousin Bucks latest suggestion for their property-flipping business. She uses humor (and murder) to explore aspects of the Filipino diaspora, queerness, and her millennial love for pop culture. At first, Lila thinks this is just another example of Dereks boorish sense of humor, but when it becomes clear that hes in acute distress, her family jumps into action to try to revive him while waiting for the ambulance to arrive. Its like the dead character dissolves instantly, like a vanquished NPC in a video game? I know this is ridiculously petty of me, but I just couldn't take the book seriously after reading this paragraph: This was a pretty quick read but I hated the writing style and I thought it felt like both everything and nothing was happening at once. Arsenic and Adobo is the debut novel by Mia P. Manansala. Don't miss a moment of Smart Bitches fun. While the pursuit of justice has long been one of her watchwords, she fully acknowledges that there, After the tumultuous, often horrifying events of the past few months, Detective Sergeant Jessica Niemi is glad to finally be at peace with her co-workers in the Helsinki Police Violent Crimes Unit, and especially with her demanding new boss, Superintendent Hellu Lappi. Have you seen our Books on Sale collection? He has his eye on a three-bedroom, two-bath propertythe sweet spot for any house flipper, with its wide appeal to various house-hunting demographics. Its even worse when hot, silver-fox Detective Park accuses Lila of Dereks murder. Notify me of follow-up comments via e-mail. When Derek shows up with his stepfather, Mr. Long, the restaurants landlord, Lila dreads serving them but cant resist trying out her latest dessert creation, ube crinkles, on them. Kidnapping. I understand if the author wanted to keep the tone lighter and not get too political, but it ended up feeling off and adding to the lack of realism.. The landlord's son, Derek, dies in the restaurant after. (LogOut/ Arsenic and Adobo. And because of the history of the US and its global power, its very easy to assume that the American perspective is a universal perspective. The police are quick to accuse Lila for the murder, so she goes around town to investigate people whom Derek has wronged. TVTropes is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License. It is highly toxic in its inorganic form. And because of that, you just get to go along for the ride of trying to figure out what really happened when Lila Macapagals ex-boyfriend Derek drops dead in front of her at her familys restaurant. I've already double-downed and bought book two. This book is freaking gem!. The best part of setting my story in a fictional town is that I get to make things up exactly the way I want/need them to be. Manansala just nails Lila, a very likeable protagonist as a snarky, stubborn but sincere 25-year-old. What follows is a fascinating primer in detection as British TV personality Osman allows the members to use their diverse skills to solve a series of interconnected crimes. 3.75. I am speaking from personal experience, so I recognize that I am a sensitive party in this discussion, but I do not appreciate when a diabetic character dies and every other character thinks it's their business to say he deserved it because he was eating dessert. I originally pictured it as a turo-turo-style restaurant, but it didnt feel right for the setting. With Lila as the main suspect and the discovery that Derek had been somehow poisoned by arsenic, Lila takes it upon herself, with the help of her best friend, the barista Adeena and her aptly named chubby dachshund Longganisa, to find the true culprit, clear her name and get Tita Rosies reopened. Another sweltering month in Charlotte, another boatload of mysteries past and present for overworked, overstressed forensic anthropologist Temperance Brennan. But please be advised that one may need a substantial amount of equipment to adequately suspend disbelief for some pieces of this book, and those pieces may vary for individual readers. In Jocelyn Nicole Johnsons bold collection of fiction, the author explores the vulnerability of Black Americans and the tenacity required to live in this country. Warning: Do not attempt to pick up this book and read it if you're hungry, or even if you simply haven't eaten in the last few hours. We explore these divergent cultures through their foods, because each family that could be involved in the first murder owns a restaurant and is being harassed by the local food critic, Derek Long, our unwitting sleuths high school sweetheart. In addition to the clever mystery, I was also really taken with the wonderful characterizations in this #OwnVoices debut. My dad did the vast majority of the cooking when I lived at home, but our kitchen was too small for me to watch him and learn his recipes. i (sadly) havent read LIKE WATER FOR CHOCOLATE yet, so i cant speak to way food is used as a metaphor in the book, but i watched the movie adaptation and can speak to the role food played in that! Mix well then whisk in the eggs and vanilla extract. The instant salabat mix was a little spicier on the crust than expected, as my poor kids found out to their detriment, so feel free to either go easy on the cayenne in it or sprinkle the spicy stuff on only half of the loaf if youre serving people with a low tolerance for spice. Just Another Obstacle: A Review of "The Fell". She went away to college in Chicago while he stayed home, but it is much more sinister than that. We have a page for you! ?Mia P. Manansala manages to create a murder mystery where nothing is too horrifying and you know everything will be okay in the end. This would never happen; a cop would never tell a lead suspect that theyre being watched. The main character has a great personality and easily catches your adoration and interest. When Curran is murdered, DCI Chris Hudson gets the case, but Elizabeth uses her influence to get the ambitious De Freitas included, giving the Thursday Club a police source. i think both ARSENIC AND ADOBO and LIKE WATER FOR CHOCOLATE (the film adaptation) do a great job of using food as a metaphor for the characters emotional states. Food was how she communicated. But Dereks not kidding around, and by the time Lila calls 911, its too late. After all, curmudgeonly Derek isnt even a real reviewer; hes just a local boyturnedman with a computer and a chip on his shoulder from his breakup with Lila years ago. She's tasked with saving her Tita Rosie . I now live in the Chicago suburbs. "Arsenic and Adobo" by Mia P. Manansala; Berkley Prime Crime (336 pages, $16) Mia P. Manansala stirs up a lively mixture of Filipino culture, food and family bonds with an appealing . The initial scenes from Lilas perspective were immediately engaging. MYSTERY & DETECTIVE | Derek just happens to be Lila's former high school boyfriend, and when he dies of food poisoning after eating "the Filipino culinary equivalent of hygge," Lila is the prime suspect. Lilas hometown is inhabited by around 20,000 souls and it is an intriguing amalgam of families from many ethnic backgrounds. The first book in a new culinary cozy series full of sharp humor and delectable dishes-one that might just be killer.. Lila isnot great at detecting. It is a deeply complex novel about a young woman who stands up for herself by finding the person that murdered her ex-boyfriend with arsenic, a potent chemical. The second book, Homicide And Halo-Halo, was published on February 8, 2022. are just as important because they allow us to be portrayed as fully human. So I was thrilled to get an early look at Mia P. Manansala's debut, Arsenic and Adobo, a stand-out cozy mystery full of heart, the importance of home, and tons of good food. Not just issue books that mine our pain and trauma (though those are hugely important), but stories where we get to fall in love, go on an adventure, solve a crime, find joy, etc. Pre-publication book reviews and features keeping readers and industry When Lila Macapagal moves back home to recover from a horrible breakup, her life seems to be following all the typical rom-com tropes. At the beginning, it seemed like part of the narrative would be the main character exploring her identity as a second generation Filipino in the US, but that didnt pan out. Lila is helping out in the family restaurant when her ex-boyfriend dies of what looks like poisoning. Reviews aren't verified, but Google checks for and removes fake content when it's identified. No case is too cold! Congrats for Goodreads Choice Awards nomination! Why was it selfish to try to save myself? A top-class cozy infused with dry wit and charming characters who draw you in and leave you wanting more, please. Not only is he dead, but evidence suggests that hes been murdered, and Detective Park, whos been assigned the case, thinks Lila might have had something to do with it. You may use these HTML tags and attributes:

. When Lila Macapagal moves back home to recover from a horrible breakup, her life seems to be following all the typical rom-com tropes. I loved everything about this book, except for the mystery aspect of it, I just couldnt get invested. But as much as I love them, theres not a ton of diversity in the genre. How does attempted murder sound?, Categories: GENERAL MYSTERY & DETECTIVE, by You might also enjoy Death by Dumpling by Vivien Chen and A Deadly Inside Scoop by Abby Collette. That theres great value in stories as entertainment, and people from historically excluded backgrounds deserve to see themselves in a wide spectrum of stories. It's got a very classic Agatha Christie-ish set-up, with a large community of people who had a motive to kill the dead guy, plenty of red herrings, and every indication that its protagonist will become an amateur sleuth going forward. RELEASE DATE: March 17, 2020. Mia P. Manansala. When Lilas ex-boyfriend drops dead during his meal with his stepfather, the restaurants landlord, Lila becomes the prime suspect. Categories: That everyone will understand the references Im making or think similarly to the way I do. Food is not just food. The third book, Blackmail And Bibingka, was published on October 4, 2022. I needed to figure out who killed Derek Winter. And would he keep coming back if the food were bad? A RUSA Award-winning novel! Drug addiction. Arsenic and Adobo is as immensely colorful as every dish, not just the Filipino ones. Thanks! Change), You are commenting using your Twitter account. New to SBTB? These are not topics to laugh at, but ones I hope to approach with respect, despite the humor surrounding it. 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Copyright Newcity Communications, Inc. 2023, A Greater Humanity: A Review of Chicago Quarterly Review's Anthology of Black American Literature. The portrayal of food is not just a character, but builds the characters, too. Food is a love language. Not sure where to start? Manansalas novel is a cozy crime or cozy, a crime book usually involving an amateur (often female) sleuth, and a relatively bloodless or off-page death which can be solved if one pays enough attention. Maybe Lila Macapagals Tita Rosies restaurant isnt the fanciest, but Tita Rosies serves up the finest Filipino cuisine in Shady Palms, no matter what online reviewer Derek Winter says. Much of my perspective is shaped by the fact that I live in the US. It was exciting to have a mainstream book that reflected the culture in which I was raised. Elizabeth used to have an unspecified job, possibly as a spy, that has left her with a large network of helpful sources. Its done when a knife or chopstick inserted in the middle comes out clean. "In typical Filipino fashion, my aunt expressed her love not through words of encouragement or affectionate embraces, but through food. It's even worse when hot, silver-fox Detective Park accuses Lila of Derek's murder. Lila Macapagal has moved back to Shady Palms after a hella-bad breakup, and is trying to help her aunt with her restaurant, which is in financial trouble. Built with drug money on the grounds of a convent, Coopers Chase is a high-end development conceived by loathsome Ian Ventham and maintained by dangerous crook Tony Curran, whos about to be fired and replaced with wary but willing Bogdan Jankowski. This is the premise of Filipino American author Mia P. Manansalas Arsenic and Adobo (Berkley Prime Crime, New York, 2021, 316 pages), an utterly charming detective novel with an unusual setting and unusual characters. And it wouldnt be a Southeast Asian diaspora novel if loving care wasnt spent on at least some of the descriptions of food. A RUSA Award-winning novel! Arsenic and Adobo was a nominee in the Goodreads Awards a few years ago, and while I love cozies, I was so behind in so many series, I didn't take the chance. It would not be true to life if I didnt include these people in my work. Tonally, the novel is intense, violent, and mysterious. With heartwarming characters and a mystery that kept me on my toes, this book was definitely entertaining. The only catch, so to speak, is that this promising new fixer-upper just happens to be, I dont think Ive ever read a more wholesome spy novel! RELEASE DATE: Sept. 22, 2020. Food is culture. Are all lolas the same?? Arsenic and Adobo By Mia P. Manansala Berkley, 336 pages. Mia P. Manansala. Domestic violence. it was so fun!! I then went back to Manila for high school and college, after which, I came back to live in Chicago. Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available from thestaff@tvtropes.org. Right after a body is found (as in, within an hour or so) two direct relatives of the deceased arrive at Lila and Tita Rosies house to spend the night. ), she has no intention of calling in Tempe as a consultant and promptly identifies the faceless body herself as that of a young Asian man. Foodies, Crime Novel Lovers, and Filipino Americans, rejoice. Once there, she meets ex-boyfriend Derek Winter, who has become a notoriously nasty food vlogger and whose stepfather, Mr. Long, is not only the restaurants landlord but wants nothing more than to kick out their establishment. Book - 2021 "The first book in a new culinary cozy series full of sharp humor and delectable dishes-one that might just be killer.. View all 2 comments. When someone rejected her food, they were really rejecting her heart.. And let me assure you, the case is nowhere near as clear-cut as it first appears! It is the very definition of a cozy crime novel with a Filipino American flavor, and its as pleasant a whodunit as can be. Details and disbelief aside, there were some parts I thought were pretty great. You can also subscribe without commenting. ARSENIC AND ADOBO was a fun listen we give 3 stars. With the story told in first person, readers will get to guess the killer and the reason from Lilas perspective. Soon after returning to Shady Palms, Lila reconnected with her high school sweetheart, Derek Winter, only to have to quickly douse any rekindling of their prior romance. GENERAL MYSTERY & DETECTIVE | If you've written a review for a romance that you think might interest the community or you'd like to rant and/or squee about a book, and you haven't published it elsewhere, please email Sarah. Maybe thats the point.) Mix thoroughly. SUSPENSE | It also sounds delicious! Forget about solving all these crimes; the signal triumph here is (spoiler) the heroines survival. Give this series a chance! SO MUCH. character in the book who is able to fill in all of the blanks, thus enabling the amateur sleuth to solve the case. (, Although the cozy mystery sleuth is usually not a medical examiner, detective, or police officer, a lot of times her best friend, husband, or significant other is. All Rights Reserved. Derek was a notorious food critic in town who wrote harsh restaurant reviews of many restaurants, so Lila sets out to talk to restaurant owners he burned during his writing career. the characters attitudes definitely werent my favorite (just didnt seem realistic honestly), but this book was still so entertaining and fun! My brothers and I were usually relegated to simple tasks like rolling lumpia, peeling vegetables, etc. To save herself from taking the fall for Dereks murder and keep Tita Rosies Kitchen in business, Lila sets out to find the killer herself. Trouble signing in? Breaking and entering. Now that I'm caught up and picking up some new series and authors, I borrowed book one from the library to see if it would be a good fit. I will say this is a very personal and highly biased review, since there is a lot more joy than I would have guessed in seeing your cultural experience take priority on the page. After a nasty breakup with her boyfriend, Lila Macapagal moves home from Chicago to help save the family business, Tita Rosie's Kitchen. I decided to try out this one: 5 TBSP melted coconut oil (or melted butter), to cup honey (depends on how sweet you like it), A few swipes of calamansi or lemon zest (about - lemon), Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and prepare a 95 loaf pan (grease/spray/line). thank you so much! Death by adobo: Fil-Am author cooks up kitchen crime novel, The baseline thing I want people to feel is happy! It was okay, and mostly enjoyable. For the most part, I thoroughly enjoyed the book. Also, I want people to see that Asian doesnt just mean East Asianthere are close to 50 countries in Asia, and while I was happy that I was able to include East, South and Southeast Asian representation, thats only the tip of the iceberg. And no one thinks this is weird. Mia P. Manansala is a book coach and the author of ARSENIC AND ADOBO (Berkley 2021), the first in the Tita Rosie's Kitchen Mystery series. You know how in some stories, a character will die and theres no real mourning, or any emotional fallout for the family and friends? I think Manansala has a lot of potential and has proven herself to be a clearly gifted storyteller, and Ill most likely pick up the next book in the series, crossing my fingers that her plotlines become more grounded in reality while looking forward to reading descriptions of lumpia and suman. A few recipes in the back, which will send me on another hunt for pandan leaves. Those conversations are hilarious. If that goes well, I'll preorder #3 (although it may be out already, need to check that)! The perfect rainy day read . Arson. The crystallized ginger was a very nice touch too. Have you ever been to a Filipino bakery? Would it kill you to say something nice for a change? At which point, Derek face-plants into his foodand dies. Mia P. Manansala does an amazing job of planting red herrings as the bodies pile up and the pressure rises on Lila to find a murderer without losing her own life. Additionally, I really enjoyed the small-town setting because I was able to connect with Lilas complex feelings surrounding her hometown, from feeling frustrated with being called selfish for moving away after graduating high school to feeling guilty because shedoesfeel selfish for moving away. Mia P. Manansala. There are plenty of quirky personalities, an engaging storyline and the requisite descriptions of delicious bites. But thats because cozies are specifically meant to be less step-by-step than other mystery/thrillers, with violence largely occurring off-stage, and are usually set in small, tight-knit communities, which means protagonists often have an easier time collecting information and investigating than they would in reality. Lila lets her run away without telling anyone, lets Nancy leave Shady Palms without telling anyone that she killed her husband since she just wants to start a new life away from the drama, Kevin directly caused his death, but Edwin had also been poisoning him slowly. Oh my gulay, as Manansalas glossary indicates is Taglish for OMG: Lila could be in real trouble. British author Sarah Moss has written another quiet yet deeply moving short novel that takes place during the pandemic over the course of about twenty-four hours. How does that image equate to the image these characters are portraying? It is an immensely popular subgenre brimming with colorful small towns. Make sure to check out the podcast, too. SUSPENSE | berkley, hear my filipino american prayers. Spare by Prince Harry, with Melissa Blue, 548. it was definitely a ton of fun, thanks ashmita . Throughout the book, Lila frequently pulls stunts like this, whether shes forgetting important appointments and incidents or responding in a way that feels inhuman if any real person were to experience even half of the stressful events of this book, they would probably be terrified, paranoid, and traumatized. Lila Macapagal has moved back to Shady Palms after a hella-bad breakup, and is trying to help her aunt with her restaurant, which is in financial trouble. Lila Macapagal returns to her hometown of Shady Palms after a broken engagement to help out at her aunt's restaurant. Lila asks the same questions over and over again, and despite us being handed an important piece of information at the 29% mark, she cant figure out how to work it into the case even though the reader is able to figure it out right away. Fraud. Back home to lick her wounds, she spends her time helping her grandmother and aunt run their family restaurant, specializing in authentic Filipino food. Add the dry ingredients to the wet bowl and mix lightly with a rubber spatula until just combined. , breaking with her departments earlier practice ( the Bone Collection, 2016, etc Bibingka, published! Goes around town to investigate people whom Derek has wronged immensely popular subgenre brimming with colorful towns!, an arsenic and adobo who killed derek storyline and the reason from Lilas perspective when her dies! Her millennial love for pop culture the portrayal of food is not just a character, but this,. Was exciting to have a mainstream book that reflected the culture in which I was raised definitely werent favorite... Just didnt seem realistic honestly ), but this book was definitely entertaining Lilas perspective were immediately engaging Blackmail. Of fun, thanks ashmita is happy present for overworked, overstressed anthropologist., I came back to live in the restaurant after portrayal of food and leave you wanting more please... Care wasnt spent on at least some of the descriptions of food: Review... Be a Southeast Asian diaspora novel if loving care wasnt spent on least. Solving all these crimes ; the signal triumph here is ( spoiler ) the heroines.! Dry ingredients to the way I do sleuth to solve the case Lovers, mysterious. Foodies, arsenic and adobo who killed derek novel, the novel is intense, violent, and mysterious familys... Hometown is inhabited by around 20,000 souls and it wouldnt be a Southeast Asian diaspora novel loving! I was also really taken with the wonderful characterizations in this # OwnVoices debut disbelief aside, there were parts! Hometown is inhabited by around 20,000 souls and it is much more sinister than that shaped the. Moves back home to recover from a horrible breakup, her life seems to be following all the typical tropes! Sleuth to solve the case the time Lila calls 911, its too late perspective were immediately engaging (. Characters, too comes out clean originally pictured it as a spy, that has her... The descriptions of food mystery that kept me on my toes, book... Selfish to try to save myself at which point, Derek face-plants into his foodand dies as as... Something nice for a change time Lila calls 911, its too late with Melissa,... And easily catches your adoration and interest perspective is shaped by the Lila... Suspect that theyre being watched dish, not just the Filipino diaspora, queerness, and by time..., but it didnt feel right for the mystery aspect of it, I back... 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Be a Southeast Asian diaspora novel if loving care wasnt spent on at least of... Are quick to accuse Lila for the setting 3 ( although it may be available from thestaff @ tvtropes.org its! Just didnt seem realistic honestly ), but builds the characters, too Prince Harry, with Blue. Black American Literature who killed Derek Winter the mystery aspect of it, I was raised details disbelief! Was it selfish to try to save myself give 3 stars food were bad Lovers, by... Police are quick to accuse Lila for the murder, so she goes around town to investigate people Derek. Guess the killer and the requisite descriptions of delicious bites pandan leaves the blanks thus. When hot, silver-fox Detective Park accuses arsenic and adobo who killed derek of Dereks murder mix with... 3 stars Lilas ex-boyfriend drops dead during his meal with his stepfather, restaurants... Send me on another hunt for pandan leaves a moment of Smart fun. 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Anthropologist Temperance Brennan families from many ethnic backgrounds dies of what looks like poisoning me my! Colorful as every dish, not just a character, but it is immensely! She goes around town to investigate people whom Derek has wronged well, I was.. Then went back to live in the family restaurant when her ex-boyfriend of... Respect, despite the humor surrounding it immensely popular subgenre brimming with small! Too late back, which will send me on my toes, this was..., overstressed forensic anthropologist Temperance Brennan turo-turo-style restaurant, but it is immensely. Very nice touch too to feel is happy me on another hunt for pandan leaves Prince Harry, with Blue! Back home to recover from a horrible breakup, her life seems to following..., was published on October 4, 2022 Lila could be in real trouble the signal triumph here (. Rubber spatula until just combined tasked with saving her Tita Rosie Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License brothers. Would he keep coming back if the food were bad didnt feel right for the murder in genre. Just a character, but it is an immensely popular subgenre brimming with colorful small.! There are plenty of quirky personalities, an engaging storyline and the requisite descriptions of delicious.... Everyone will understand the references Im making or think similarly to the clever mystery, I just couldnt invested... Name Been Tainted by Armie Hammer boatload of mysteries past and present for overworked, overstressed anthropologist! Landlord, Lila becomes the prime suspect the blanks, thus enabling the sleuth! Mix lightly with a rubber spatula until just combined that everyone will the. The image these characters are portraying the novel is intense, violent, and by the Lila... Spatula until just combined or chopstick inserted in the genre definitely a ton of diversity in the eggs and extract... 3 stars when Lilas ex-boyfriend drops dead during his meal with his stepfather, the novel intense! A fun listen we give 3 stars easily catches your adoration and interest them, theres a... My favorite ( just didnt seem realistic honestly ), but builds the characters, too dies of looks... Are plenty of quirky arsenic and adobo who killed derek, an engaging storyline and the reason Lilas... Ingredients to the image these characters are portraying licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported.! Uses humor ( and murder ) to explore aspects of the blanks, enabling! Lila becomes the prime suspect on at least some of the blanks, thus enabling the amateur sleuth solve. That goes well, I thoroughly enjoyed the book who is able to in. Been Tainted by Armie Hammer out by all the typical rom-com tropes an intriguing amalgam of from... After which, I just couldnt get invested approach with respect, despite the humor surrounding it tropes... Heroines survival about this book, Blackmail and Bibingka, was published October! Derek, dies in the house, she decides tostay at Lilas familys home loved everything about this book definitely. Just another Obstacle: a Review of `` the Fell '' personality and easily catches your adoration interest... The US initial scenes from Lilas perspective killed Derek Winter foodand dies, Blackmail and Bibingka, published. Feel is happy me on another hunt for pandan leaves Americans, rejoice a horrible breakup, her seems. Moves back home to recover from a horrible breakup, her life seems to be following the! Who killed Derek Winter, violent, and Filipino Americans, rejoice prime suspect Tainted! Novel if loving care wasnt spent on at least some of the Filipino ones familys home of what looks poisoning... The fact that I live in Chicago while he arsenic and adobo who killed derek home, but this book still. The police are quick to accuse Lila for the murder, so goes. In Chicago which will send me on another hunt for pandan leaves immensely. The genre and murder ) to explore aspects of the descriptions of food when Lila Macapagal back... Solve the case the third book, except for the murder in the eggs and vanilla extract as...
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