Quiz Arsenic and Adobo Mia P. Manansala

Arsenic and Adobo: 20-Question Quiz

Quiz Questions

  1. Plot/Sequence – Multiple Choice
    At the start of the book, why does Lila Macapagal return to Shady Palms?
    A. To attend her mother's funeral
    B. To take over Tita Rosie's restaurant
    C. She walked in on her fiancé cheating and needed a fresh start
    D. She was fired from her Chicago café job

  2. Plot/Sequence – Multiple Choice
    What happens to Derek Winter while he is eating at Brew'd Café?
    A. He chokes on a bone and dies
    B. He collapses after eating ginataang bilo‑bilo and later dies
    C. He has a violent allergic reaction to coconut
    D. He storms out after arguing with Lila and is hit by a car

  3. Plot/Sequence – Short Answer
    What substance is initially found in the dishes from Tita Rosie's Kitchen, leading to suspicion of poisoning?

  4. Plot/Sequence – Multiple Choice
    During the police search, what incriminating item is discovered in Lila's locker at the restaurant?
    A. A bag of arsenic-tainted jasmine rice
    B. A duffel bag full of cash and pills
    C. A threatening note signed by Derek
    D. A knife stained with Derek's blood

  5. Plot/Sequence – Multiple Choice
    Who is the actual murderer of Derek Winter?
    A. Kevin Conoway
    B. Mr. Long
    C. Yuki Sato
    D. Mrs. Long

  6. Plot/Sequence – Short Answer
    What is the true cause of Derek Winter's death, according to the final reveal?

  7. Plot/Sequence – Multiple Choice
    After being arrested, Lila is released on bail. What does Tita Rosie put up as collateral?
    A. Her savings account
    B. The family house
    C. The restaurant's equipment
    D. Her jewelry

  8. Plot/Sequence – Multiple Choice
    Who attacks Janet Spinelli and leaves her in a coma?
    A. Terrence
    B. Kevin
    C. Mrs. Long
    D. Akio Sato

  9. Character Motivation – Multiple Choice
    Why does Lila decide to investigate Derek's murder herself, despite Amir's objections?
    A. She wants to prove she is smarter than the police
    B. She believes her family is being framed and needs to clear their name
    C. She is bored and looking for excitement
    D. She wants to impress Jae

  10. Character Motivation – Multiple Choice
    Why does Yuki Sato have an affair with Derek Winter?
    A. She was blackmailed by Derek into the relationship
    B. She fell in love with him after he helped her bribe a health inspector
    C. She wanted to hurt her husband Akio
    D. She hoped Derek would invest in her restaurant

  11. Character Motivation – Short Answer
    What is Adeena's secret that she hides from Lila for most of the novel, related to substance abuse?

  12. Character Motivation – Multiple Choice
    Why does Ninang June compile a list of suspects for Lila?
    A. She wants to meddle and feels the police are incompetent
    B. She actually suspects Lila and wants her to confess
    C. She is trying to distract Lila from her own guilt
    D. She is secretly working with Detective Park

  13. Character Motivation – Multiple Choice
    Why does Mrs. Long ultimately kill her husband, Mr. Long?
    A. He was planning to leave her for another woman
    B. He poisoned Derek and framed Lila, and she wanted to stop his crimes
    C. She wanted to inherit his money and the restaurant deed
    D. He was physically abusive, and she acted in self-defense

  14. Theme/Symbol – Multiple Choice
    In the book, what does food primarily represent?
    A. A source of conflict between generations
    B. A love language and a way to build community
    C. A symbol of Lila's weight gain
    D. A means to compete with other restaurants

  15. Theme/Symbol – Short Answer
    Name one Filipino value or concept that drives Lila's sense of obligation to her family.

  16. Theme/Symbol – Multiple Choice
    The Author's Note warns readers about scenes that mirror real‑world police brutality. Which real‑world context does the note reference?
    A. The Philippine National Police's enforcement of President Duterte's drug war
    B. The Chicago police's handling of food critic complaints
    C. The FBI's investigation of small‑town drug rings
    D. The Illinois state police's crackdown on health code violations

  17. Theme/Symbol – Multiple Choice
    What does the dachshund statue, which goes missing from Janet's office, symbolize in the story?
    A. Lila's childhood toy
    B. A key piece of evidence linking to the killer
    C. The family's restaurant mascot
    D. Derek's favorite pet

  18. Synthesis – Short Answer
    How does Lila's relationship with her ex‑fiancé Sam influence the way Detective Park views her as a suspect?

  19. Synthesis – Multiple Choice
    Which of the following best describes the overall message of the book regarding justice?
    A. The legal system always works if you are innocent
    B. Community and family loyalty can overcome a flawed system
    C. Murder is never justified, even in revenge
    D. Cozy mysteries should not address serious social issues

  20. Synthesis – Multiple Choice
    At the end of the novel, Lila decides to stay in Shady Palms permanently. What motivates this decision?
    A. She fails to get a job in Chicago
    B. She inherits both the restaurant and Java Jo's, and wants to open a café with Adeena
    C. Jae asks her to stay
    D. She realizes she cannot afford to leave

Answer Key

  1. C – Lila returns after catching Sam cheating, a rom‑com cliché she narrates in Chapter One.

  2. B – Derek collapses after eating ginataang bilo‑bilo and later dies; paramedics take him away.

  3. Arsenic – Adeena's lab friend confirms the dishes tested positive for arsenic in Chapter Twelve.

  4. B – A duffel bag of cash and pills is found in Lila's locker, leading to drug trafficking charges.

  5. A – Kevin confesses to killing Derek out of revenge for his sister Jo's overdose (Chapter Forty).

  6. Nicotine poisoning – Derek died from liquid nicotine, not arsenic, as revealed in Chapter Forty.

  7. B – Tita Rosie puts up the family house to post bail (Chapter Sixteen).

  8. B – Kevin attacks Janet for blackmail, leaving her in a coma (Chapter Forty).

  9. B – Lila believes her family is being framed and wants to clear their name; she tells Amir this in Chapter Seven.

  10. B – Yuki's affair began after Derek helped her bribe a health inspector (Chapter Thirty‑eight).

  11. She was addicted to drugs – Adeena's secret is hinted at in Chapter Seventeen; later evidence shows her struggle.

  12. A – Ninang June compiles the list because she distrusts the police and wants Lila to investigate (Chapter Ten).

  13. B – Mrs. Long killed her husband to stop his poisoning and framing schemes (Chapter Forty‑one).

  14. B – Food is repeatedly shown as a love language and community builder (e.g., ube crinkles, family dinners).

  15. Utang na loob (debt of gratitude) or family obligation – This is a key cultural value discussed in Chapter Four.

  16. A – The Author's Note explicitly references the PNP's enforcement of Duterte's drug war.

  17. B – The missing dachshund statue is a clue Lila notes after Janet's attack; it later helps identify the killer.

  18. Detective Park uses Lila's past involvement with Sam's illegal supplies as evidence of a pattern of criminal behavior (Chapter Twenty‑four).

  19. B – The book shows that community and family loyalty help Lila clear her name despite police bias.

  20. B – Mrs. Long deeds both the restaurant and Java Jo's to Lila, and she partners with Adeena and Elena on a café plan (Chapter Forty‑one).

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