Vivien Chien – Page 2 – Carol's Notebook

Egg Drop Dead by Vivien Chien

February 19, 2020February 19, 2020 by Carol4 Comments

I actually don't read many foodie cozy mysteries, but the Noodle Shop Mysteries are an exception. First, I do love Chinese restaurant food. When I was pregnant, we ate at the same Chinese restaurant in the mall that the woman who owned it gave us a baby present. Second, it takes place in Cleveland, Ohio, and I always enjoy it when a story is set somewhere I've been and Amber's college is about 30 minutes away. Third, Lana's a good character and her family is a hoot. Lana's first catering job is going well - until the murder of course. Donna Feng, a long-time friend of the Lee family, is clearly the most likely suspect to have killed her nanny, but she asks Lana to help prove her innocence by figuring out who the killer actually was. This is Lana's fifth "investigation" but this time she may be in over her head. I do think this would work as a stand-alone,...

Wonton Terror by Vivien Chien

January 4, 2020January 4, 2020 by Carol2 Comments

Lana Lee is working at the noodle shop's stand at the Night Market when the pleasant summer evening is disrupted by an explosion of one of the food trucks. The owner of the truck is killed in the explosion. His wife suffered some minor burns, but the police are suspicious that she may have something to do with the bomb, possibly for the insurance money. Lana and her roommate Megan decide to investigate, in part because Lana's curious, but the wife is one of her mom's friends and her mom is upset. It seems like most of the Asian community in Cleveland know each other and/or have mutual acquaintances, which makes gathering information easier, but trying to do it without attracting notice difficult. I've been reading this series in order and enjoying it. Lana's relationships with her family is great. They love each other, but that doesn't mean they always get along. And Lana's aunt is in town, adding a whole nother...

Murder Lo Mein by Vivien Chien

June 3, 2019June 7, 2019 by Carol7 Comments

This is the third installment in the Noodle Shop Mystery series. Lana Lee is now managing her family's restaurant in the Asia Village plaza, but of course nothing's ever quiet in her life. There's a noodle competition taking place and Peter, the chef at Ho-Lee Noodle House is one of the competitors. Then one of the judges is killed and Lana and Megan decide they need to investigate, after all they have experience now. The mystery was well-done. The first victim had several enemies, he was a bit of a jerk. But when a second judge is killed, it becomes more confusing. Lana's questioning at times becomes a bit pushy in this one, and I got a little tired of everyone telling her she should keep out of it, as if she didn't know it already. Amateur detectives know they should leave it up to the cops, but just can't. And she has a bad habit of getting caught alone...

Dim Sum of All Fears by Vivien Chien

May 24, 2019May 24, 2019 by Carol7 Comments

First off, I love the covers of the Noodle Shop Mysteries. I'm not usually much of a cover person, but these just look delicious, are bright, have a bit of humor, I think, with the soy sauce (?) pouring into the skull shape. Dim Sum of All Fears is the second in the series. It could probably be read as a stand-alone, but I'm glad I read the first beforehand. It gives you a better picture of the family relationships and the people at the Asia Village shopping center. This time around, a good, if new, friend of Lana's has been murdered, along with her husband. Turns out there was a lot Lana didn't know about the couple, but still wants to see the killer brought to justice. Since their success in solving the last crime, she and her roommate, Megan, decide that they need to do some digging around. There are several suspects, turns out the husband was not only...

Death by Dumpling by Vivien Chien

May 21, 2019May 21, 2019 by Carol11 Comments

Death by Dumpling has been sitting on my Kindle for longer than I'd like to admit. I know why I picked it up originally. The cover is great, it's set in Cleveland, and it sounds like a fun mystery. I am so happy I finally got around to reading it. Lana is just quirky enough. She's a bit down on her luck and has been moping around her apartment a little too much, but there's nothing like being a potential murder suspect to get you out of the house again, at least if you've decided you need to solve the case before you or a friend is found guilty. The Ho-Lee Noodle House is in an Asian-themed shopping center. They're are plenty of regulars at the restaurant and most of the staff at the various shops all seem to know each other. It's like a little community, and a lot of the folks are connected, friends, family, so when one of...