Bookblog of the Bristol Library: Peking Duck and Cover by Vivien Chien

Bookblog of the Bristol Library: Peking Duck and Cover by Vivien Chien:   Reviewed by Jeanne Asia Village is gearing up to celebrate the Lunar New Year with a series of events designed to bring customers in t...

Jeanne Reviews: Hot and Sour Suspects by Vivien Chien

Lana Lee is a little reluctant to host a speed dating event at the Ho-Lee Noodle House, her family’s restaurant, but it is her best friend Megan asking and business has been a little slow, so. . . . The turnout is much better than expected, with even Rina Su, a nearby business owner, turning up.  Even more amazing, Rina takes up with one of the men and leaves the restaurant with him, despite Lana expressing misgivings.  It could still turn out to be a happy ending—

Except that the guy turns up dead and Rina is the prime suspect.

Feeling guilty, Lana and Megan start to do a little sleuthing and find out pretty quickly that the guy had a reputation as a womanizer who left a trail of angry exes, not to mention some other unsavory dealings.  Their investigation is hindered by Rina’s refusal to cooperate, but the women are not discouraged. Not even their sometime friend Kimmy Lee’s over-the-top efforts to help will keep them from finding out the truth.

I started at the beginning with this series and have enjoyed each one. It’s a great treadmill book, with interesting characters, intriguing mentions of food, and decently executed plots.  I especially enjoy Lana’s family dynamics, with her over-achieving sister Anna May, her exacting mother, doting father, and the extended family of Asia Village.  The Mahjong Matrons are sure to drop by with some interesting bit of gossip, and there are the other employees who form a family as well. Not to mention Lana’s handsome boyfriend. . . .

For me, I really like the glimpses of another culture, especially as seen through the eyes of an Americanized daughter. The narration is light and breezy, and the author keeps the story moving along at a steady pace.  No cat in this one—in fact the narrator says she is a dog person through and through—but I made do with Kikkoman the pug. I’ve also enjoyed watching Lana grow in her position, unwanted though it was, and discover that sometimes what you are running from is what you should be running toward.

Books in the series:

Death by Dumpling

Dim Sum of All Fears

Murder Lo Mein

Wonton Terror

Egg Drop Dead

Killer Kung Pao

Fatal Fried Rice

Hot and Sour Suspects

Jeanne Reviews: The Noodle Shop Mysteries by Vivien Chien

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)