Reviews

This was the kind of read I was in the mood for recently: familiar characters and a cozy mystery. As usual, Vivien Chien delivered with a fun story, a good mystery, and mouthwatering food descriptions!

This time around, things felt different because the murder victim was not someone that Lana knew or had any personal connections to, unlike earlier entries in the series. But what really raised the stakes was that Lana was a suspect! That was kind of a fun twist, but also added tension because Lana needed to solve the mystery in order to clear her name! And really, how many times can you find dead bodies before suspicion turns on you? So I did enjoy that aspect of the story!

There was also a good batch of suspects. There were a lot of people who could have been the culprit, but it was hard for Lana to investigate this one without that personal connection. So that slowed things down a bit too much for me.

I liked seeing Megan, Adam, and Kimmy working on the case with Lana, but I wish we got to see more of Megan and Lana working together.

This wasn’t one of my favourites in the series, but still a good read, and now has me excited for book 8, Hot & Sour Suspects, which is out now!

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3.0

Aside from finding the body, Lana doesn’t have much of a connection to the case, which makes her “snooping” a little awkward. Why do the people she questions tell her anything, aside from her reputation maybe? And why does Detective Bishop seem so convinced Lana’s guilty? The plot fits together well, although the solution is a little weak.

Lana is a fun character, smart, a little reckless, caring. Her usual Watson is her roommate Megan, who was working a bit too much this time around, leaving Lana with another friend, Kimmy, as back-up. I love how Lana’s friends and family rally around her, even though they may grouse and grumble about her involvement. The characters are a blast to spend time with; they are the reason I keep coming back to the series.

Fatal Fried Rice was a quick, enjoyable read. It’s fun and light and made me want to order Chinese take-out.

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4.0

Lana Lee is back in the latest Noodle Shop Mystery! Since she manages the Ho-Lee Noodle House but can't cook on her own, she decides to take a Chinese cooking class in secret. Unfortunately, after their first lesson, instructor Margo Han ends up dead in a pool of the fried rice she just cooked. Lana's discovers Margo's body, and with her history of stumbling across corpses, the only way to get out of the hot seat is to solve the crime herself.

What I liked about this book:

Lana and Megan - these two are a dynamic duo, and I love how they complement each other. Both have strong personalities, and it's a pleasure to follow along with their adventures!

The Mahjong Matrons - these dim sum VIPs get a larger role in this installment! I love these charming old women and their investigative skills.

Good mix of suspects and red herrings - Lana had a number of different characters to evaluate, and Chien did a good job casting suspicion on each of them. I did not manage to guess the ending!

If you're looking for a good cozy mystery, I would definitely recommend this series!

Thank you to St. Martin's Press for providing an ARC on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

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