Reviews

Fatal Fried Rice by Vivien Chien

rebeccasreadingrambles's review against another edition

4.0

Another hit in this wonderful series that has become one of my top cozy series. I love jumping back in with Lana, Megan, Adam and her family and friends. Also it made me SO HUNGRY and also wanting to sign up for a cooking class asap (but maybe without the mystery please?) I was completely stumped by this mystery and loved how Lana and crew pieced it together. There are some very vibrant characters in this book which had me laughing a lot, and also very suspicious. I cannot wait for more!

bookish_emily's review against another edition

4.0

Fatal Fried Rice is the latest installment of the Noodle Shop Mysteries by Vivien Chien. Lana finds herself tangled in another murder investigation when she discovers the body of her new cooking teacher after the first day of class. She must solve the case to clear her name when it becomes obvious that the unfriendly lead detective considers her the prime suspect.

While it seems to be getting a little more difficult to find ways to contrive murders that Lana is connected to and therefore must investigate, this story was as enjoyable as all the others in the series. It includes all the characters we know and love, and Lana continues to be relatable to anyone in their late 20s trying to adult while feeling woefully unprepared. This is a fun series!

theavidreaderandbibliophile's review against another edition

3.0

Fatal Fried Rice by Vivien Chien is the 7th book in A Noodle Shop Mystery series. This story can be read as a standalone for those new to the series. Lana Lee is the manager of her families’ restaurant, Ho Lee Noodle House in a suburb outside Cleveland, Ohio. Lana cannot cook Chinese food as everyone knows, but her sister’s relentless teasing has her signing up for classes at the local adult learning center. Lana does not want anyone in her family to know nor Peter who cooks at the restaurant. Unfortunately, Lana’s instructor ends up murdered. Detective Bishop of the Parma Police Department immediately suspects Lana as well as the janitor who heard Lana scream and called 9-1-1. Fatal Fried Rice is easy to read with an interesting cast of characters. I especially like Lana’s mother. The death of the cooking instructor, Margo Han is a frustrating one for Lana. Margo is a private person which makes it hard for her to find helpful information. I like that Kimmy Tran gets in on the investigation. She is bolder than Megan and Lana. There suspect list is miniscule. I found the mystery to be extremely simple (a child could solve this one). I was not a fan of Detective Bishop who is a one-dimensional cliché cozy mystery detective (the nasty guy who has his mind made up). There is a lack of action that makes the pace of Fatal Fried Rice slow. There is an action-packed ending with a good wrap-up. Fatal Fried Rice takes us through Lana’s daily activities (going to work, walking Kikko, spending time with Adam and Megan, and eating fast food). I like the concept for this cozy mystery series, and it is unique. It feels that Lana is unhappy with her job and bored. Maybe it is time for Lana to discover what sort of work will make her happy. I did not enjoy Fatal Fried Rice as much as other books in the series. I felt it needed to be fleshed out with a more complex mystery. There needed to be more action as well which would have increased the pacing. I also did not appreciate the foul language which increased toward the end. I hope Hot and Sour Suspects will be more entertaining. Fatal Fried Rice is a lighthearted cozy mystery with a Chinese cooking class, a cute Kikko, firm friends, a distasteful detective, and a curious crime.

kristiranee's review

funny lighthearted mysterious fast-paced

5.0

I love these noodle shop mystery books

mxcoyote's review

lighthearted mysterious fast-paced

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

2.75

bookbound42's review against another edition

lighthearted fast-paced

4.0

juliav's review against another edition

mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

bookwyrmknits's review against another edition

2.5

I really wanted to like this book, but just really didn't. I love the premise of the plot surrounding the mystery: the main character is the manager of her family's Chinese restaurant but can't cook, so she sneaks off to take cooking lessons to surprise everyone with. That part was fun, and totally relatable. But the murder part was both super predictable and less interesting than it should have been, and I found myself enjoying the side characters much less than usual for this series.

thegreentealibrarian's review against another edition

funny mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

elizabethwebb's review against another edition

adventurous mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0