Chinese Cooking For Diamond Thieves

By Dave Lowry

Driving home after being kicked out of college, Tucker meets and picks up the mysterious Corinne Chang at a rest stop. Infatuated, and with nothing better to do, he ends up with her in St. Louis, where he gets a job as a chef in a Chinese restaurant. Even though he’s a gwai lo—a foreign devil—his cooking skills impress the Chinese patrons of the restaurant, and his wooing skills impress Corinne when she joins him there as a waitress. But when Chinese gangsters show up demanding diamonds they believe Tucker’s kind-of, sort-of, don’t-call-her-a-girlfriend stole, he and his friends—which luckily include a couple of FBI agents—have to figure out just who is gunning for Corinne and how to stop them. Good thing Tucker is a Mandarin-speaking martial arts master who isn’t afraid to throw the first punch.

With its one-of-a-kind hero, Chinese Cooking for Diamond Thieves is perfect for anyone who loves cooking, Chinese culture, bad jokes, and young love. Diamonds are forever . . . unless Chinese mobsters decide they want them back.

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperCollins
• Release date: Jul 8, 2014
• ISBN: 9780547974545

Reviews for Chinese Cooking For Diamond Thieves

[toobusyreading · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

As soon as I finished reading this charming novel, my husband and I went out for Chinese food. Americanized Chinese food to be sure, but still, Chinese food. I told him that the book was making me crave it, and fortunately, the craving spread to him.What first grabbed my attention was the quirky title, followed shortly after by the quirky protagonist – a non-Asian, Mandarin speaking, Chinese chef who loves month-old vending machine food.I loved the descriptions of cooking in a Chinese restaurant, of the preparation of food, even the things I would never try. (Duck stomach??)The protagonist is more than willing to share his rules of life from his point of view, not in sequential order, and conveniently bent to the occasion at hand. The occasion at hand usually involved the young woman he rescued from a rest stop. Tucker is flippant, self-deprecating, and yet sure of his cooking talents. He is an altogether interesting person.The plot was a little too predictable, with no big surprises at the end, and seemed to lose steam as it neared that end.Despite that, this was a fun book to read, something light and entertaining to sandwich among heavier reading. 3.5 out of 5 stars.I was given an advance readers copy of this book for review.

[shelleyraec · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I'm not sure exactly why I decided to take a chance on this novel but I am so glad I did. Funny, clever and fresh, Chinese Cooking for Diamond Thieves by Dave Lowry is a fabulously entertaining blend of mystery, action, a touch of awkward romance, and Chinese cooking.Having been kicked out of college just before graduation, Tucker is heading home to Missouri in his aging Toyota when he crosses paths with the attractive and enigmatic Corrine Chang, making her way from Canada to Buffalo, NY, at a deserted rest stop. In the absence of any real goal, Tucker offers Corrine a ride, surprising her with his ability to speak Mandarin, and being surprised in turn when he intercepts a threatening phone call. Corrine, it seems, is on the run from a Chinese gang convinced she has $15 million dollars worth of diamonds missing from her employer's store. Despite her protestations of innocence, the gang follows them all the way to St Louis, as intent on capturing Corinne, as Tucker, with a little help from the FBI, is at stopping them.Chinese Cooking for Diamond Thieves is fast paced with plenty of action and intrigue, and just enough exaggeration to entertain. Snappy dialogue, liberally laced with sarcasm, is delivered with expert timing.Lowry's protagonist is an unusual guy. The son of white upper middle class parents (his father a retired agent of some description), Tucker practices xing-i, speaks Mandarin (and a little Cantonese) and cooks Chinese food, real Chinese food, with the skill of a native. He is simultaneously a tough guy capable of crippling an enemy with an economy of movement, and achingly vulnerable and self deprecating. The contradiction works perfectly to create a charming, quirky hero, who is supported by an equally appealing cast.For foodies, there are plenty of tips for cooking authentic Chinese food, and a glimpse into the inner workings of a Chinese restaurant kitchen.Chinese Cooking for Diamond Thieves is probably best described as a crime caper given the elements of humour, adventure and the offbeat characters. I thought it was witty, clever and interesting and recommend it without hesitation.