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megtropolitan's review
funny
lighthearted
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
3.75
What can I say about this DIVA!? Aunty Rose Lee is a gossip, a meddler, a widow, an ALLY!??, and most importantly an amazing chef! But you know? Sometimes even an unstoppable girlboss gets bored, so why not spice things up and solve a local murder? Brilliant!
ps2's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
rants_n_reads's review
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
shiqingxuan34's review against another edition
3.0
Spoiler
honestly was it necessary to have so many characters w awful views ? also i wasn't expecting there to be so much homophobia on part of the characters !! i wanted smt nice and easy to read and while on one hand it was entertaining, that aspect of the book just hit me wrong personally. don't get me wrong though, the book wasn't bad, and i liked that it was set in singapore.book_concierge's review against another edition
2.0
From the book jacket: After losing her husband, Rosie Lee could have become one of Singapore’s “tai tai,” an idle rich lady. Instead, she is building a culinary empire from her restaurant, Aunty Lee’s Delights, where spicy Singaporean meals are graciously served to locals and tourists alike. But when a body is found in one of Singapore’s tourist havens and one of her guests fails to show at a dinner party, Aunty Lee knows that the two events are likely connected.
My reactions:
I had hopes for this first in a new cozy mystery series. I’ve visited Singapore and love the cuisine. And I love cozy mysteries with fun amateur sleuths. But this one just fell flat for me.
I though Yu was trying too hard to craft a complicated mystery and NOT doing enough to endear Aunty Lee and her trusty sidekick/maid, Nina, to the reader. Senior Staff Sergeant Salim seems way too inexperienced and easily cowed by Aunty, but he is a good foil for her efforts to solve the crime on her own.
The other characters were just ridiculous … though I did love how Aunty thought of her stepdaughter-in-law; “Silly-na” perfectly describes Selina!
And there was something off-putting for me about the lesbian characters and theme. Perhaps I don’t have sufficient understanding of the Singaporean culture to appreciate what Yu was doing by introducing these characters and their storyline.
My reactions:
I had hopes for this first in a new cozy mystery series. I’ve visited Singapore and love the cuisine. And I love cozy mysteries with fun amateur sleuths. But this one just fell flat for me.
I though Yu was trying too hard to craft a complicated mystery and NOT doing enough to endear Aunty Lee and her trusty sidekick/maid, Nina, to the reader. Senior Staff Sergeant Salim seems way too inexperienced and easily cowed by Aunty, but he is a good foil for her efforts to solve the crime on her own.
The other characters were just ridiculous … though I did love how Aunty thought of her stepdaughter-in-law; “Silly-na” perfectly describes Selina!
And there was something off-putting for me about the lesbian characters and theme. Perhaps I don’t have sufficient understanding of the Singaporean culture to appreciate what Yu was doing by introducing these characters and their storyline.
loanereel's review
mysterious
slow-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? No
3.75
alenezela99's review
adventurous
funny
informative
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.0
karinlib's review against another edition
3.0
This book came along when I needed a break from books on the Holocaust and African genocide.
Aunty Lee has recently lost her husband, and all of her friends and family encouraged her to continue doing what she did best, heal people with food from her Singaporean Cafe. She also had an uncanny knack for solving mysteries.
Aunty Lee has recently lost her husband, and all of her friends and family encouraged her to continue doing what she did best, heal people with food from her Singaporean Cafe. She also had an uncanny knack for solving mysteries.
etherealtree's review against another edition
1.0
A crazy amount of LGBT hate speech and straight camp talk even if the main character 'doesn't agree' and a couple 'happy endings' in the end. Which is weird because I found this book on a LBGT theme book collection highlighted by the library. Also not a strong mystery plot.
jjohnsonblalock's review against another edition
lighthearted
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
3.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia