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,...
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 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...
Read an excerpt:
“There you are, my dear,” said the Earl of Forsyth with a beaming smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes.
Maitland saw at once that Daphne favored him. Her green eyes were the same shade as his, though there were lines of dissipation bracketing the earl’s. And though his expertly cropped blond hair was shot through with silver, what remained of its original color was the same shade as hers. But whereas Daphne’s gaze was focused off to the left of whomever she conversed with, like a bird hovering just over a branch, Forsyth’s speared one with cold calculation. As he did to Daphne now.
“You are looking well, Daphne,” the earl continued, stepping forward to embrace his daughter, who looked as uncomfortable with the contact as Maitland had ever seen her. “The sea air agrees with you. As I knew it would.”
“The sea is very beautiful,” Daphne replied woodenly. “Why are you here, Father?”
“Is that any way to greet...
This is just a feel good, Christmas romance. Brooke and Alex have both had some not so great times in their pasts, but they're pa perfect couple. They knew each other when they were younger, grew up in the same town, but they've both grown some, overcome some challenges. And they don't dwell on their pasts. Granted they fall in love quickly, but I was okay with it. It was sweet. And they were so good together.
I never doubted that there would be a happy ending, which I consider a good thing. I like a bit of predictability. There were sparks between the two almost immediately, but of course some miscommunications crept in. It all works out really nicely though. It was actually pretty much exactly what I'm looking for in a seasonal romance. It was light, enjoyable, and they did Christmassy things together.
I just love holiday books like this one. They're a part of the season as much as the...
