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    Death by Dumpling: A Noodle Shop Mystery
    Death by Dumpling: A Noodle Shop Mystery
    Death by Dumpling: A Noodle Shop Mystery
    Ebook351 pages5 hours

    Death by Dumpling: A Noodle Shop Mystery

    By Vivien Chien

    3.5/5

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    About this ebook

    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 helping 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.


    “Vivien Chien serves up a delicious mystery with a side order of soy sauce and sass. A tasty start to a new mystery series!” —Kylie Logan, bestselling author of Gone with the Twins

    "Death by Dumpling is a fun and sassy debut with unique flavor, local flair, and heart.” —Amanda Flower, Agatha Award--winning author of Lethal Licorice

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherMacmillan Publishers
    Release dateMar 27, 2018
    ISBN9781250129161
    Author

    Vivien Chien

    VIVIEN CHIEN (she/her) 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. When she’s not writing, Vivien enjoys frequenting local Asian restaurants, frolicking in bookstores, and searching for her next donut. She is the author of the Noodle Shop Mystery series, including Death by Dumpling and Misfortune Cookie, which was nominated for the Lilian Jackson Braun Award.

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    Reviews for Death by Dumpling

    3.5/5

    135 ratings16 reviews

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    • 3/5
      Really tried my best to like it because I love a good cozy mystery series. The first thing that started to make me lose interest is that there too many characters to keep track of. The story just drags on without much anticipation.

      However, I d like to add that the author has a very descriptive and detailed writing style. I really don’t have anything bad to say about the writing because the author did an amazing job. This story or this particular book just wasn’t for me.
    • 3/5
      More of a 3.5 than a 3. A very plausible tale, well told and a well-developed plot.
    • 5/5
      After breaking up with her boyfriend, Lana returns to work in her parent’s restaurant in the Asian district. She’s still adjusting to everything when one of their regular customers succumbs to a food allergy after eating the restaurant’s dumplings. Now, infused with the purpose of clearing the restaurant of any wrong-doing, Lana sets out to investigate. This cozy, first in the series, is filled with colorful characters, and the intriguing plot will keep readers engaged in the story. The audio version is a delight. I especially liked the play between Lana and her mother. A great start to a promising series.
    • 4/5
      I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This did not affect my opinion of the book or my review itself.Lana Lee is back working at her family's restaurant, but when their property manager is found dead after eating dumplings from said family restaurant, Lana finds herself embroiled in a mystery that forces her to question what she thought she knew about the place she calls home.Lana is a great, strong, funny, relatable protagonist and narrator. She stands up for herself, but also tries to meet her family halfway, and refuses to give up on solving a mystery that directly affects her. She's surrounded by a unique cast of characters who all matter in some way to the story-her best friend is especially great.And the (budding) romance! I was rooting so hard for Lana and a certain character (who I won't name so as not to spoil anything) to get together. I need the next book now so I can see their relationship develop.It's also a great mystery. I honestly did not see the reveal of the murderer coming.Honestly, this is a cozy mystery it's hard to find fault with. I just really enjoyed it and wanted to keep reading it.This is a great first entry in a really promising cozy mystery series. I definitely recommend it.
    • 4/5
      After seeing this series recommended by several readers whose opinions I trust, I thought I'd introduce myself to Lana Lee. Going in, I knew it was going to be a dicey proposition because I am definitely not a fan of characters whose main purpose in life is browbeating their offspring into marriage. Fortunately, the matchmaking moved from center stage once the investigation into Mr. Feng's death went into full gear. As someone who prefers little-to-no romance in my mysteries, I also liked the fact that the budding attraction between Lana and the police detective was very lightly done.Death by Dumpling is a nice, solid, even excellent, beginning to Vivien Chien's Noodle Shop series. The mystery did keep me guessing, which is always a plus. However, the characters just didn't grab me, but keep in mind that I certainly seem to be in the minority here!
    • 4/5
      Death By DumplingByVivien ChienWhat it's all about...Lana Lee is without a job so she is working in her family’s Chinese restaurant...specializing in oodles of noodles...and dumplings. On one fateful day Lana Lee makes a lunch delivery to a prominent Chinese businessman...nothing out of the ordinary...but...he eats the dumplings and dies! This becomes a huge mystery with tons of suspects. Lana Lee herself becomes a major suspect. Since Lana Lee isn’t dating or doing anything major with her life...she gets involved in solving this crime along with her roommate Meghan. And that’s where this mystery gets really interesting. Why I wanted to read it...The title and the premise of this book sounded like a fun book to read. Lana Lee’s mother is always pushing her to date while feeding her noodles. There are tons of characters who are constantly in and out of the restaurant...sleazy Ian who wants to date her, Peter the Chef who is another murder suspect, the Mahjong Ladies who are in every day and Detective Trudeau...tall dark and handsome and forever warning Lana Lee to stay out of this case.What made me truly enjoy this book...The cast of characters in this book is delightful. I love cozy mysteries where I have not a clue in the world who might have been the murderer. Lana Lee was a well developed character who carried the book. I hope this author has more plans for Lana Lee...Private Eye.Why you should read it, too...Readers who love unique cozy mysteries should be delighted with this book. However...be prepared to crave a noodle bowl in the middle of this adventure! I received an advance reader’s copy of this book from St. Martin’s Press through NetGalley and Amazon. It was my choice to read it and review it.
    • 3/5
      Death by Dumpling by Vivien Chien is the first book in A Noodle Shop Mystery series. A series of incidents (bad break up, quitting her job, and her parents losing a full-time server) has Lana Lee once again working at her parent’s restaurant Ho-Lee Noodle House in Fairview Park, Ohio. Lana takes lunch over to Mr. Feng, the owner of Asia Village and overhears Kimmy Tran yelling at him. A short time later, Esther Chin rushes in with the news that Mr. Feng is dead. Detective Adam Trudeau arrives to question the restaurant staff and informs them that Mr. Feng died from an allergic reaction to shrimp dumplings. Mr. Feng ordered pork dumplings. All the residents of Asia Village knew about Mr. Feng’s shellfish allergy and the Ho-Lee cooks even use special pans to prepare his food. Lana and her family are shocked when Detective Trudeau arrests Peter Huang, Ho-Lee’s cook, for Mr. Feng’s murder. Lana knows Peter did not harm Mr. Feng and sets out to dish up the truth. Death by Dumpling is the first Asian cozy mystery that I have read (I have not seen one before). I like the authors unique premise of an Asian shopping center in Northeast Ohio (Cleveland area). The village sounded unique and a place I would love to visit. There are mouthwatering descriptions of the delicacies served at Ho-Lee Noodle House (had me craving Chinese). Lana Lee is a typical late twenties female character who fails to think things through completely, says the wrong thing, clumsy and gets tongue tied around handsome men (sounds like the main character in several books that I have read recently). I felt that Lana lacked depth as did the other characters in the book. Lana has a typical relationship with her sister, Anna May (she is the older sister and going to law school). I found Death by Dumpling to be nicely written and have smooth transitions, but the pace was a little slow. I also felt the book was too long at 352 pages. Fifty or so pages could have easily been edited out. There are two love interests for Lana (of course). Is there a rule that cozy mystery authors must include a romantic entanglement for their main character? The mystery was straightforward, and it lacked surprises. I wanted a good twist. The culprit can easily be picked out early in the story. The investigation consists of Lana and her roommate, Megan Riley questioning people and speculating on who could have committed the crime. There needed to be some action which would have helped the pacing. My rating for Death by Dumpling is 3 out of 5 stars. A Noodle Shop Mystery series has potential, and I hope the author ups her game in the next installment which is Dim Sum of All Fears.
    • 4/5
      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.
    • 5/5
      Death by Dumpling by Vivien Chien is a 2018 St. Martin’s Press publication. Brilliant beginning for this new cozy mystery series!! I kept hearing about this book and was desperate to try it out, but my local library did not have a copy. But, thankfully, my non-resident Overdrive library sponsor accepted my recommendation of this book and I profusely thank them for buying a copy. Was it worth the wait and extra effort I had to go through in order to read it? Absolutely!! This is one of the best debut cozies I’ve read in a long time. When Lana Lee experiences a brutal breakup and then loses her job in quick succession, she returns home to lick her wounds and regroup. She works in her parent’s restaurant, and maybe enjoys it more than she wants to admit, even if she has to put up with her mother’s constant nagging about finding a husband. Yet life turns on a dime, yet again, for Lana when the restaurant’s property owner dies from anaphylactic shock after consuming shrimp dumplings cooked at “The Noodle Shop” and hand delivered by Lana herself. When the cook is arrested, and Lana is on the hot seat with the local authorities, she realizes that unless she discovers the truth about Mr. Feng’s death, an innocent man could go to prison. Cozy fans are going to love Lana Lee! Her self-deprecating humor is contagious, and the entire cast and crew is stellar. Sometimes, well, most of the time, cozy mysteries are light in tone, even in the midst of a murder investigation. As such, the plots aren’t often incredibly complex, nor do they dig too deeply underneath the surface, with most villains guilty of the usual crimes with the usual motives. But, this story has a strong cultural and family drama which examines family dynamics and the consequences of ill -fated decisions, keeping secrets, and greed. Often a debut cozy will lose momentum by spending too much time on character introduction or on the location, than on the mystery, which causes the story to lose momentum and flounder. But, in this case, the author wowed me with her ability to introduce the main cast, tell a very engaging mystery, and set the stage for future installments without the slightest hesitation. There was no timidity, no imbalances!The characters did their thing, and the story flowed very well as a result. The only drawback is that I now have a craving for noodles and the author has left me drumming my fingers impatiently awaiting book two!!Great story, with real authenticity! 4.5 stars
    • 5/5
      First in the series and I love it. Can't wait to read more.
    • 3/5
      Review to come
      Lana Lee is back working at her parents’ restaurant and after delivering the plaza owner’s weekly lunch order he is found dead from his shellfish allergy. Lana decides to look into it since she believes Thomas the cook is innocent, and she knows she didn’t do it either. Of course the detective working the case has to warn her to stop looking into it especially after it looks like the widow was possibly poisoned at the remembrance dinner. With the help of her roommate, she uncovers lots of secrets about the people she has known for years. A good intro to a cozy mystery series.
    • 4/5
      I quite enjoyed this cosy mystery set in a Chinese mall in Ohio. The main character Lana is a young woman who works in her parents' Chinese restaurant, mostly because she's just had a bad breakup and quit her job and is just trying to put her life back together.

      She delivers a lunch order to the owner of the mall who later turns up dead after a fatal allergy to shrimp in his dumplings, something he's always very careful about. And also, where's the epi-pen he always carries with him?

      Something is fishy and Lana Lee knows it. Can she figure out what's going on?

      A charming foodie cosy mystery series!
    • 5/5
      This cozy mystery series is so much fun. Lighthearted, entertaining and enjoyable while also getting my fix for mystery and some romance/relationship/family and friend fun dynamics as well.
    • 3/5
      A cozy. Chinese shopping center in Ohio location. Meh.
    • 4/5
      As I've gotten older, I've found my tolerance for amateur sleuths diminishing. Too often their silly and bumbling and really should just leave it for the police to figure out. That being said, I enjoyed this amateur sleuth. I think it helped that Lana was young and actually a suspect. She's 27 and working in her parents Asian restaurant when dumplings she delivers to the mall owner kill him through a severe allergy to seafood. Lana is also the narrator and she has an interesting enough interior monologue and life outside the investigation that I managed to care about her despite the amateur nature of her investigation. And she did manage to discover things that the police probably wouldn't have which led to revealing the murderer. She even tried to go to the police with her information in the end but we still had the obligatory face off with the murderer. Overall it kept me more entertained than annoyed and I will consider reading the sequel if just to follow the relationship that she starts at the end of the book.
      Also, have some noodles on hand when you start the book. You will want them as you read!
    • 4/5
      I liked the humor in the book.

    Book preview

    Death by Dumpling - Vivien Chien

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