The third in a tasty series, Murder Lo Mein by Vivien Chien is a delight! Everyone agrees that the food at Ho-Lee Noodle House is delicious–unless it happens to be deadly. 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 … 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. . .
“Thoroughly entertaining…fun and delicious.”–RT Book Reviews
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Dollycas’s Thoughts
For Murder Lo Mein we are back at the Asia Village for the annual Cleveland’s Best Noodle Contest. Lana is banking on her chef Peter Huang to win the contest to show her parents they made the right choice making her manager of Ho Lee Noodle House. Winning will also bring in more customers.
Unfortunately, after the first round one of the judges in found dead, face-down in a bowl of low mein, no less. Then another judge bites the dust. Lana’s boyfriend, Detective Adam Trudeau begs her to leave the investigating to him but she just can’t stop herself from snooping. She knows she is getting close when she discovers something in her purse. Will she survive to see the end of the contest or will the killer get to her first?
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I have enjoyed these characters from the start. Lana is funny, smart and a little bit awkward, but she is excelling as manager of the family business. Her parents have returned from Taiwan with Lana’s grandmother in tow. Surprisingly her overpowering mother doesn’t try to return to running the restaurant, but she still has opinions about Lana’s life from how she dresses to her relationship with the good detective. Happily, Lana and Adam’s relationship is making progress. Grandma doesn’t speak English and Lana doesn’t speak her grandmother’s dialect but they do find a way to communicate. Lana’s best friend/roommate Megan is usually available to help Lana with her sleuthing. And they both have the lovable black pug named Kikko to come home to. If Megan isn’t available, friend Kimmy is eager to help out. With the Best Noodle Contest, there are a lot of secondary characters, some become very viable suspects, one would like to get to know Lana much better.
The mystery unfolds nicely with plenty of suspects. Again, people just open up and talk to Lana. Her friendly nature really suits her sleuthing endeavors much to Adam’s dismay at times. Adam opens up to Lana more in this story too. I have not read Sun Tzu’s The Art of War but it is cleverly brought into the mystery. Solving the mystery was not easy. The author really twists things up. I thought I was smart and had it all figured out until I was proven wrong. It was a lot of fun following the clues and being surprised at the big reveal.
I have stated in previous reviews for books in this series that Chinese food is not really my thing but in this book, we learned that Lana loves donuts and so do I. Both are fully described within these pages. Lana is worried about her waistline now that a bakery has taken over the shop next door. I worried about my waistline because those descriptions really cranked up my cravings
Vivien Chien has a real hit on her hands with this series. Murder Lo Mein is an excellent addition. With engaging characters and a great mystery spiced up with the perfect amounts of humor and romance, she has served up a real treat.
The next book in this series, Wonton Terror is on my To-Be-Read shelf and I will be reading and reviewing it soon! Egg Drop Dead is being released on February 25th and Killer Kung Pao will be out on August 25th.
Murder Lo Mein can be read as a standalone if you have not read the previous novels in A Noodle Shop Mystery series. The author provides everything a new reader needs to know. Lana Lee has taken over management of the Ho-Lee Noodle House from her mother who is now focused on Lana’s grandmother whom the parents brought with them to the United States after their last visit. Lana hopes to garner attention for the restaurant by their winning Cleveland’s Best Noodles contest which is being held at Asia Village. Unfortunately, one of the judges is killed at the Bamboo Lounge which, of course, has people avoiding the karaoke bar. Penny, the owner, is worried what will happen if business does not improve soon. Lana sets out to find the killer despite being warned to stay out of it by her boyfriend, Detective Adam Trudeau. I enjoy the author’s casual writing style. It makes for an easy to read story. There are numerous suspects since the victim was obnoxious. There is one, though, that stands out from the crowd. I liked that all the details of the mystery are wrapped up at the end of the book. I did not appreciate the number of times Lana is told to not investigate and we are reminded that she is an amateur sleuth (I got it the first five times). I did find there to be too many extraneous characters in this story. It can be hard to keep track of all of them (do we need to know every shop owner in Asia Village). There is a subplot involving Lana’s grandmother who does not speak English. It turns out she was lonely back home and life is much livelier for her in Cleveland. I found grandma to be a cute addition to the book. The food descriptions will have your mouth watering. Lana gets to eat a variety of dishes while digging into the suspects lives. I hope we get see Lana start developing as an individual. She is nearing thirty and it would be nice to see some maturity (less spaciness). There is family drama, romance, friendship, food, a cute canine and a noodle contest in this new cozy mystery. Murder Lo Mein is a light-hearted cozy mystery that left me craving Chinese food.
I voluntarily offered to review this book with no obligations and my opinions are honest!
This was a great book !
Lana is made manager of the restaurant.
When a food critic is found dead, Lana will have to solve another mystery.
Not to worry!
She has plenty of help to solve this mystery.
Loved the characters + the storytelling !
It has all the ingredients that you need for a great book!
I can’t wait for the next book in this series.
This is the third book in the Noodle Shop mysteries. I enjoy getting to know more about Lana and the rest of the crew. I enjoyed the mystery and it kept me guessing until the end. I can’t wait to read the next installment in the series.
As in the previous 2 books, murder involves the Asian Plaza merchants, some of whom are involved in a noodle cooking contest. The story moved quickly and kept my interest. I also liked that Lana has a roommate. So often characters seem to live beyond their means.
The romance is the weakest link. It feels more like just Lana’s connection to the police so she can stay involved with the murder solving.
I received my copy from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.
MURDER LO MEIN by Vivien Chien
The Third Noodle Shop Mystery
It’s time for Cleveland’s Best Noodle Contest and Ho-Lee Noodle House is aching to take first prize, or at least beat the Shen family! With Ho-Lee in the lead after one elimination, everyone takes time to celebrate, even Judge Norman Pan, a restaurant critic known for his scathing reviews. But the party grinds to a halt when the hated judge is found dead. With her sort of boyfriend Detective Trudeau busy working, Lana now faces multiple temptations: Asia Village’s hunky new community director, delectable doughnuts from the shop opening next door, and the thrill of solving another murder!
I love Lana Lee! She’s determined, fun, and, though sometimes vulnerable, able to take care of herself. She also lives and works in a great place. I always enjoy seeing what’s new in Asia Village and the third Noodle Shop Mystery brings some exciting changes. A new business enters the mix, Shanghai Donuts, taking over the cursed (according to the Mahjong Matrons and a good portion of the Village, anyway) location. We also see a dishy new character in Freddie Yuan. The addition of Lana’s Grandmother brings plenty of laughs…and a new side to more than one character.
Aside from a cracking good mystery, my favorite aspect of the book is how the characters and their relationships are evolving. Lanna and Detective Trudeau’s relationship comes to a crossroads as Adam opens up about his past. Lana’s mother has to learn to live with her own mother as she frets about the Noodle Competition and an upcoming visit with her sister. In fact, family dynamics play a huge part, not only in this book, but the whole series! And not just the Lee family either. Throughout the series we meet many families and see how they change, grow, and deal with each other. Above all there’s a wonderful sense of community that I’m happy to be a part of.
MURDER LO MEIN is a smart, funny mystery filled with wonderful characters and delectable food.
Murder Lo Mein was a delicious read that I did not want to put down. Constantly while I was reading I wanted nothing more than to be sitting in Ho-Lee Noodle House, eating noodles and reading this book. I definitely will pass on the fortune cookies though. Beware while reading you will want Asian noodles ALL THE TIME; breakfast, lunch, little lunch (snack) and dinner.
Lana is the girl we all want to be friends with but we realize if we are we will be dragged into a murder investigation. No dull moments with Lana around. Even when she tries she cannot stay out of trouble. Every time her mom shows up I know I am in for a good laugh.
I am so happy for an explanation of why Adam and Lana’s relationship is slow to get off the ground. I was almost hoping Peter was going to give Adam a run for his money but glad Lana shut him down. Adam is a great guy even if a little overprotective.
I received a complimentary copy from the author. Any and all opinions expressed in the above review are entirely my own. No compensation was provided.
Murder Lo Mein by Vivien Chien is book 3 in the Noodle Shop Mystery series. It can be read as a stand alone as Ms. Chien does a great job of getting you up to speed. I had read book two and bought book 1 because I truly enjoy this series.
The protagonist, Lana, is now full time manager of the family’s Noodle Shop and is in the middle of the Best Noodle Contest in Cleveland. No sooner has her chef, Peter, won round one then one of the judges drops dead at the after celebration. Then there is that strange fortune cookie he received. Lana’s detective boyfriend is put in charge of the investigation and tries to keep her from investigating. Then a second judge is found dead along with another fortune cookie. When Lana finds a fortune cookie in her purse, it is on, whether Adam likes it or not
You get plenty of suspects, romance, some humor , everything that makes a great, easy to read, clean cozy. The only problem, you may have a craving for lo mein.
I was given an ARC by the publisher and Netgalley for an honest review.
Gosh, I love this series! Our spunky heroine, Lana Lee, is on the scene when yet another murder occurs in Asia Village and it’s up to her and bestie Megan to work together to discover which of the Cleveland’s Best Noodle Contest contestants decided to knock of the nasty judge, Nathan. When a second judge is knocked off, Lana has to step up her investigating so that the show may go on and Ho-Lee can (hopefully!) take home the golden chopsticks! We learn a little more about Lana’s hunky boyfriend, Detective Adam Trudeau, and meet another member of the Lee family – Lana’s visiting grandmother! A+
Cleveland, family-dynamics, friendship, law-enforcement, cozy-mystery, murder, amateur-sleuth, restaurant, contest, suspense, chef
Can’t really say that the review is unbiased because it’s in CLEVELAND and the contest revolves around CHINESE NOODLES and an amateur sleuth with a law enforcement boyfriend!
The set up to the first murder is easy to follow, the plot is ingenious and full of twists and red herrings. The characters certainly are and the publisher’s blurb gives some hints but doesn’t warn the reader about some of the funny family relationship things. I truly enjoyed being grabbed by the story on a rainy Sunday afternoon.
I requested and received a free ebook copy from St Martin’s Press via NetGalley. Thank you!
If you feel like some easy reading this book might just be it.
Starting this book my feeling was another cozy mystery where the boyfriend is a police officer telling his girlfriend to stay out of police business. I was nicely surprised that this book had a little more debt to it. It touches on the competing with each other within the restaurant businesses. Live within the American-Chinese community. Mother daughter relationships (Lana – mother and Mom – Grandmother). And the not always straight forward understanding of each other within a couples relationship. Interwoven through it all we have a murder mystery with a bit of surprise ending
This is a fast and fun read that you most likely will enjoy the way I did.
What a cute book – loved the cover, the story, the characters, the setting and everything in between. It’s definitely worth checking out!
You can check out my booktube video review at https://youtu.be/YtVrBoEWT4M
or read my review on my blog at https://lisasiefert.com/book-review-murder-lo-mein-by-vivien-chien-a-noodle-shop-mystery-book-3/
I just love this series. Lana is such a lovable character. I love her family and the community. I cannot wait to read the next one. The twist was surprising. I highly recommend this series.
I just love this series. One of my favorites when searching for a good cozy mystery. This author cannot write them fast enough to suit me!
Murder Lo Mein by Vivien Chien is a fantastic book about a noodle competition and how not everything is what one thinks it is.
Will Lana figure out who killed the judge to get the noodle competition back to business?
Lana Lee and Adam Trudeau
Lana Lee is our sleuth and point of view character. She is a great character and keeps on growing with each new installment. Lana’s now a manager of their restaurant, getting out of her apartment more, and trying to make her parents proud. What I like about Lana is that she doesn’t give up on anything, especially when its a case that she wants to solve. Another thing that I like about her is that her relationship with Adam is moving along wonderfully.
So, I know I never mentioned him before, but Detective Adam Trudeau is Lana’s police contact and boyfriend. Well, kind of sort of on that one. Adam means well on being with Lana, but one thing he is super nervous about is when she wants to solve a murder. He is a great character, and I like how he has slowly gained confidence in being around Lana, even if he worries about her a lot. What I also like about him is that yeah, he’s busy with being a detective, but he tries to make time for Lana even if he doesn’t want her to be involved in a murder case.
The Mystery
The mystery is a doozy. A judge from the competition is found dead at The Bamboo Lounge’s party room. Not only that but for anyone investigating, there are a lot of suspects to comb through, especially of ones that would make sense and be in the Lounge at the time of his murder. Well, Adam and Lana have a lot of people to go through. Adam on official business and Lana because she wants to figure it out. I didn’t fall for a red herring or even think that the person whodunit did do the murder. Let’s say that this one threw me for a loop.
Five Stars
Murder Lo Mein by Vivien Chien is a perfect read for when you want to curl up inside with a good book. Ms. Chien did a great job, and I can’t wait to read more. I am giving this book five stars and recommending it to all cozy readers out there.
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy from the author. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Thank you for dropping by! I hope you enjoyed this review of Murder Lo Mein by Vivien Chien.
Until the next time,
Karen the Baroness
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