Murder Lo Mein by Vivien ChienISBN-10: 1250129192 Mass Market Paperback $7.99
Publisher: St. Martin's Paperbacks (March 26, 2019),304 pages.
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
The blurb: Lana Lee’s stake in her family’s Chinese restaurant is higher than ever now that she’s been made manager. So when she enters Ho-Lee into Cleveland’s Best Noodle Contest, Lana makes it her business to win―at all costs. But when a local food critic receives a threatening note in a fortune cookie and is later found dead, face-down in a bowl of lo mein, all bets are off. . .
Now, along with her sweet-and-sour boyfriend Detective Adam Trudeau, Lana decides to take matters into her own hands and dig into the lives of everyone involved in the contest. But when she receives an ill-fated fortune, Lana realizes that in order to save the reputation of her restaurant, she needs to save herself first. . .
My review:
Lana Lee is an unlikely sleuth but she's an endearing one. She works at their family restaurant in an Asian style strip mall in the Midwest. Their restaurant's main chef has entered a noodle contest and has a strong chance of winning, but things have gotten complicated.
One of the judges to the contest is found brutally murdered at a crowded restaurant/karaoke bar. Lana was there at the time - so were most of the contestants and owners of the participating companies. Lana's boyfriend is assigned the case and he does not want Lana getting involved. Lana has other ideas and can't help but try to solve the puzzle in front of her, death threats notwithstanding.
In Murder Lo Mein, Vivien Chien creates an interesting and engaging character within a tightly knit and likable community. I'm looking forward to reading more in this series!
About the Author:Vivien Chien was born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio where she grew up in a mixed-race home, making for some very interesting cultural experiences. She found her love of books and the written word at an early age while writing short stories about her classmates in elementary school. Currently, she writes side-by-side with her toy fox terrier who refuses to sit anywhere else. When she’s not writing, Vivien enjoys frequenting local Asian restaurants, frolicking in the bookstore, and searching for her next donut.
She is the author of the Noodle Shop Mystery series, including Death By Dumpling.
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