Please welcome back to the blog Jeanne of the Bristol Public Library today with her latest review. For more reading suggestions, make sure you checkout the Bookblog of the Bristol Public Library.
The
Noodle Shop Mysteries by Vivien Chien
Monsoon season seemed to be in full swing here earlier
this year, which meant walking on the treadmill. Luckily for me, I had picked up the first two
books in the Noodle Shop Mysteries
by Vivien Chien to start after trudging through a so-so book.
Death by Dumpling
introduces the reader to Lana Lee, a young woman recovering from a broken
romance and employed—temporarily, she assures the reader—in her family’s
Chinese noodle shop. The Ho-Lee Noodle
House is situated in Asian Village, a shopping area which boasts stores,
restaurants, etc. in exotic East
Cleveland. Pressed into making a
delivery to Thomas Feng, owner and developer of Asian Village, she drops off
his food and heads back to face the lunch crowd. The next thing she knows, Feng
is dead, apparently killed by his meal.
Everyone knew he has a seafood allergy, so suspicion grows that that his
death was a deliberate murder and Peter, the Ho Lee Noodle House chef, is a
prime suspect.
Of course there is a handsome detective who seems to
have it in for Lana (she did deliver the lunch, after all), a cute pug named
Kikko, a best friend, an annoying sister, and a mother who is sure she knows
what is best for Lana. But just like a
good dish, when the cook is good common ingredients become something delicious. The plot was pretty good, and the characters
carried it along nicely. Even when I
knew where something was headed, it was still fun to watch unfold. That’s a great start for a first in series
book, many of which bog down with introductions and situations.
Encouraged I moved right along into the next book, Dim
Sum of All Fears. Set just a few
weeks after the first book, Lana finds a new friend in a young woman who has
opened a nearby shop with her husband.
Even more exciting is that Lana has a promising job interview that
should get her out of the noodle shop and back into an office where she thinks
she belongs. Alas, her plans are in
jeopardy when her parents announce they are going to Taiwan to visit relatives
and are leaving the restaurant in Lana’s hands. And then there’s the murder. .
. .
The second book was just as much fun. I zipped through it and two more in the
series, and am currently reading book five.
Lana is a spirited character and I like the relationships built
throughout. Her boyfriend, while paying
lip service to telling Lana not to investigate, gradually realizes that a
girl’s gotta do what a girl’s gotta do.
I like that, while he worries and wants to protect her, he understands
he has to accept her as she is. Meghan,
her roomie and bestie, is a cheerful sidekick and occasional instigator while
her adoring father—well, adores her. Her
mother, like many parents, is sure that “Mommy knows best” and is looking for a
suitable boyfriend while she encourages her daughter to eat. Lana’s older sister, a law student, is the
golden girl of the family and Lana feels that she just doesn’t measure up. These are fun tales well told, even if Lana
does rush headlong into situations.
There are no recipes, which doesn’t bother me in the
least. However, I never thought I would ever say this about a cozy series but I wish
there was more description of the food.
I don’t need to know how to make it, but I would like some sensory
details. (Pause while I channel
Gollum: “Is it tasty, my precious? Is it crunchy?”)
If you need a new cozy, by all means check out Chien’s
books. I hope the weather clears up soon
because I only have one and a half books to go until I am caught up!
Series in order:
Death by Dumpling
Dim Sum of All Fears
Wonton Terror
Murder Lo Mein
Egg Drop Dead
Killer Kung Pao
Fatal Fried Rice
(due out March 2021)
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