Reviews with content warning for Infidelity - Death by Dumpling

I read this book in audiobook format and I think my rating and review should be taken with a grain of salt as, after four or five attempts at audiobooks, I think I've concluded that I am not an audiobook person. Half this story went in one ear and immediately out the other, which is not a great thing when it comes to whodunnit mysteries and I think I would've enjoyed it more had I read it in physical form.

Anyway, onto the book itself. The plot was simple but interesting, and the resolution wasn't super shocking but not completely obvious. The dialogue wasn't completely natural and felt a bit clunky at times, though. It was enjoyable enough to read, but definitely had some ups and downs.

The characters felt a little two dimensional but were interesting and kept my interest in the story, though the main character Lana did feel whiny at times and I didn't particularly feel anything for the detective as a love interest.

I would be interested in reading the sequel, and I think I will read it in a different format to see if I follow the story in that a bit more than I did here.

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pvbobrien's review

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lighthearted mysterious fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

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spcandybars's review against another edition

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adventurous relaxing fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

I enjoyed this! I’m still finding my way in the cozy mystery genre and I’m beginning to believe that it’s going to be common for them to sit around this rating range. Death by Dumplings was fast paced, introduced plenty of decently lovable characters that, however one dimensional, I’d still look forward to seeing again in more books, and dropped enough hints that I felt like I was actually able to figure out the mystery along with our heroine.

As mentioned, the characters aren’t very well established. There are many people I would love to love more like Launa’s parents and the Mahjong Matrons and Kimi and Peter and even Launa herself but I can’t say I feel very endeared towards any of them just yet. Chinese lineage is brought into the story but not necessarily Chinese or Chinese American culture which may or may not be disappointing depending on what you’re looking for. Launa is slightly detached from her Chinese heritage and so this reads more like a traditional cozy where the focus is the murder mystery and the small area vibes rather than establishing characters within a cultural viewpoint.

As a restaurant cozy, I do wish there was slightly more emphasis on the food. Vivien Chien is not the most descriptive writer so I feel like we were missing the presence of food an expectation was set for. Despite that though, what she lacks in descriptive fervor, she makes up for in succinct storytelling. This is a perfect “listen at 3x speed” reading slump book. It’s fast paced, the mystery is uncomplicated but still enjoyable to follow, and there’s enough ground work established for you to feel excited for future storylines. I’ll definitely be continuing.

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leahsbooks's review against another edition

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adventurous lighthearted mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

After reading the 7th books in this series, Fatal Fried Rice, I decided to start at the beginning. And it turns out I enjoyed this book quite a lot! The audiobook narrator was great, and kept me intrigued the whole time. She didn’t have an easy job, switching to multiple people with accents, but I think she did really well. Although one character sounded an awful lot like Miss Swan from Mad TV, which made me laugh.

Lana is a strong female character with an abundance of personality. She’s someone that I liked, and could easily see myself being friendly with in real life. I liked her sense of responsibility to the community, and how it factored into her desire to help solve a murder and clear her friend’s name when he (and her restaurant) are implicated in the murder of their property manager.

Sometimes when I read cozy mysteries, I think to myself, “Why do they even bother getting involved?” But the motivation is so clear in this one. Not only does Lana have a personal stake in figuring this out, she also has the added benefit of accessing a fairly insulated community. The Asian community she is a part of is fairly close-knit, and doesn’t just open up to outsiders, so Lana is able to dig up information that the detective assigned to the case isn’t.

I also loved the connection that was slowly developing between Lana and Detective Trudeau. They interacted naturally, and everything built up realistically. It left the door open for more, and I’m looking forward to starting the next book in the series!

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