Lana Lee never thought she'd be stuck working at the family restaurant in her late twenties, but here she is, wiping down tables sticky with the remnants of General Tso's chicken. But after a messy breakup and a dead-end job, she figured working at the Ho-Lee Noodle House wouldn't be too bad, right? The charming shopping plaza, Asia Village, is where Lana spent most of her childhood and although she'd rather avoid it for that specific reason; she agrees to work full-time at the restaurant until a better prospect of employment comes along.
Things seem to be going smoothly enough until one of the property managers of the shopping plaza, Thomas Feng, is found dead in his office. Unfortunately, for Lana and the restaurant's head chef, the death looks like murder, and the murder weapon looks like dumplings from none other than the Ho-Lee Noodle House. While the dumplings look innocent enough, it's what's on the inside that counts, which is pork and shrimp, a deadly combination for Thomas, who everyone knows suffers from a severe shellfish allergy. The police immediately suspect Lana's family, and now, with her parents' restaurant at stake, she sees no other option but to figure out what really happened to Thomas, and why.
What a charming book! This will definitely appeal to any cozy mystery reader, but I can see it being a hit with younger readers (and by younger, I mean younger than my creaky middle aged bones! Young people in their 20s or perhaps even teenagers (there's no bad language or sexual situations) would really like this.) With a sprinkle of romance, a bit of intrigue, adorable characters, a cute setting and a captivating mystery, what more can you ask for in a cozy? The Asian venue was a fresh and unique setting for the mystery. This isn't your average everyday cozy!
I loved Lana and her roommate Megan, they made a great team and their enthusiasm caught me up and rolled me right along with them. The cute Asia Village plaza with its Chinese shops sounds like such a great place to visit and browse for a day. Is this a real thing? Is there an Asia Village I can visit somewhere? Hmmm. And the plot! All the twists and turns and red herrings kept me guessing and I was completely turned around upside down by the time I got to the exciting ending. Can't wait to read more from Lana and the gang!
Reading updates
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Started reading
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17 February, 2018:
Finished reading
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17 February, 2018:
Reviewed