Reviews

Hot and Sour Suspects by Vivien Chien

elizabethwebb's review

adventurous funny mysterious tense 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? It's complicated

5.0

peacefrog's review

5.0

As always, love the adventures of Lana Lee! This one did not disappoint. I’ve owned this one since it was released. I can’t believe I waited so long to read it.

jennivardier's review against another edition

mysterious tense fast-paced

4.0

mg_in_md_'s review against another edition

5.0

Such a fun series that always leaves me hungry for more! I thoroughly enjoyed the latest installment in the Noodle Shop Mystery series - a cozy contemporary series set in Ohio, featuring amateur sleuth Lana Lee. In this one, Lana and her best friend Megan Riley host a speed-dating event at Lana's family's restaurant (Ho-Lee Noodle House) that goes splendidly...until one of the participants shows up dead the following day. Lana is enlisted by an old friend to help figure out what happened, much to the chagrin of her police detective boyfriend, Adam Trudeau. The pacing was great and kept me guessing until the end. Plus, I loved reconnecting with Lana, her family and friends, and the Ho-Lee Noodle House regulars. It's always so much fun spending time with them, even when murder is on the menu. I can't wait for entry #9 to come out later this month!

While I always enjoy the books in this warm and wonderful series, I appreciated reading this one even more after reading the Author's Note at the end. Brava!

katreadsalot's review

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

3.75

nick_27's review against another edition

5.0

The ending felt like the end of the series and was a nice conclusion. However I know there is at least one more book that was recently published, so hoping the series is still just as good going forward.

paetyns_library's review

funny lighthearted mysterious relaxing tense 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

daenknight's review against another edition

lighthearted mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes

3.25

blogginboutbooks's review

4.0

The Noodle Shop Mystery series is one of my favorites. Lana Lee is always a fun narrator. She's very real in all her snarky, doughnut-loving, mischievous glory. Her friends and family are likewise warm and likable. The only one of her cohorts I'm not overly fond of is her boyfriend, Adam Trudeau. It irritates me that he calls her "babe," "dollface," and "silly lady." For a "nice" guy, he's very condescending. In addition, I love the series' Asian infusion, although all the descriptions of the food never fails to make my stomach growl!

As with all series, some installments in this one are better than others. HOT AND SOUR SUSPECTS isn't one of my favorites since there's nothing really fresh or unique about it. Still, it's a fun, upbeat mystery that kept me turning pages. Chien got me on this one, too—I had a different killer pegged than the one who actually did it. All in all, then, I found Chien's newest to be a quick, entertaining read. If you like cozies, definitely check this series out.

If I could, I would give this book 3 1/2 stars; since I can't, I rounded up.

jrobles76's review

5.0

Great addition to the series. The final page brought tears to my eyes. Final lines: "I was still here. And I wasn't going anywhere. No one was getting rid of Lana Lee (Vivien Chien) that easily." Look forward to many more decades of Vivien Chien's books.