Book Review: Death by Dumpling (A Noodle Shop Mystery #1) by Viven Chien

Death by Dumpling (A Noodle Shop Mystery #1) by Vivien Chien
My rating: ðŸŒŸðŸŒŸðŸŒŸðŸŒŸ  (4 stars)
Publisher: St. Martin's Paperbacks


This isn't just another cozy mystery with a plucky heroine with a food theme. This new series is told from the perspective of 27 year old, Asian American, Lana Lee. She's working at her parents' restaurant and a delivery order has gone awry and ended up with a dead customer. An investigation ensues and suspicion is cast about so Lana's got to figure this all out before anything worse happens.



This was a very enjoyable read. The mystery is well done and Lana's voice was clear and she had a wonderful sense of humor. Her BFF Megan was the perfect sound board & co-investigator and cute factor is upped with a pug named Kikko (after Kikkoman soy sauce). I quite liked Lana's parents and want to know more about sister, Anna May. I liked the setting of the Asian Village with all the shops and colorful characters coming and going. The Mah Jongg Mavens need an expanded role at some point because a pack of gossiping older ladies is an asset in cozy mystery-ville. Dishy Detective Adam Trudeau even won me over in the end. If I'm honest, I want to know more about "he who shall not be named" if for no other reason than that guy had such a profound affect on Lana's life.

I read a fair number of cozies and I don't come across many with PoC main characters so I'm glad I happened upon this. I am definitely looking forward to the next in the series and I'm going to do my best not to call in an order to my favorite takeaway to have theme nibbles to read by. Recommended.


Summary: Welcome to the Ho-Lee Noodle House, where the Chinese food is to die for. . .
The last place Lana Lee thought she would ever end up is back at her family’s restaurant. But after a brutal break-up and a dramatic workplace walk-out, she figures that a return to the Cleveland area to help wait tables is her best option for putting her life back together. Even if that means having to put up with her mother, who is dead-set on finding her a husband.
Lana’s love life soon becomes yesterday’s news once the restaurant’s property manager, Mr. Feng, turns up dead―after a delivery of shrimp dumplings from Ho-Lee. But how could this have happened when everyone on staff knew about Mr. Feng’s severe, life-threatening shellfish allergy? Now, with the whole restaurant under suspicion for murder and the local media in a feeding frenzy―to say nothing of the gorgeous police detective who keeps turning up for take-out―it’s up to Lana to find out who is behind Feng’s killer order. . . before her own number is up.
                            

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