Misfortune Cookie; A Noodle Shop Mystery by Vivien Chien was so much fun! I loved every moment and need more from this author ASAP please! I was truly thankful to have gotten to read this before most people! I would like to purchase this one for my physical library!

One of my favorite cozy mystery series. I enjoyed seeing Lana and Anna May outside of their usual environment -- a fun mix up for the series.

This is easily one of my favorite cozy mystery series out there. I love catching up with Lana and her friends and family. In this book I really enjoyed watching Lana grow into herself and own her desire and ability to see that justice is served to those committing crimes. She always makes me nervous for her safety, but I love reading about her every time!

I have really enjoyed the Noodle Shop mysteries by Vivien Chien, and "Misfortune Cookie" is another great title in the series. Fans of the cozy mystery genre will enjoy the sassy and no nonsense Lana Lee as she finds herself tangled up in yet another murder, this time on the road in California.

Another great installment in the Noodle Shop Mystery series and the ninth in the series just keeps getting better and better!

I am so happy that Vivian Chien brought Lana and Anna May out to my home hometown SoCal to enjoy a food convention and to visit Aunt Grace. I just enjoy reading books set where I live.

Of course being a wonderful cozy mystery, there is wonderful food and murder. i just love following them along as they figure out who the culprit is.

Misfortune Cookie is the 9th installment of the Noodle Shop Mystery Series. Another fun, cozy mystery with Lana Lee, now managing her family’s noodle restaurant. An enjoyable and quick read.

**Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an electronic ARC and the opportunity to review this book.

I received an uncorrected e-proof ARC of “Misfortune Cookie. A Noodle Shop Mystery” from NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press in exchange for an honest review. However, I regrettably let my reading of this book lapse due to a severe reading slump. So, in order to fully complete this review, I purchased the Kindle book.

I was naturally apprehensive before I began reading this book because this is Vivien Chien’s ninth novel in her Noodle Shop Mystery series, and, generally speaking, it’s not wise to pick up the last book before reading the prior novels in the series. But I knew I wanted to read it after seeing all of her book covers, and the titles that Chien picked are all marvelous. Besides, I love Taiwanese and Chinese American food.

The author did a great job of introducing her MC, Lana Lee, to readers who are “new” to the Noodle Shop Mystery series. At only one place in the text did Chien reference something from her prior books without providing a short explanation: the Mahjong Matrons. Other than this, I understood each and every single character that appeared.

Chien is an excellent writer. In just 43 chapters (and an epilogue), I became so attached to Lana that after reading the final chapter, I was a little disappointed at seeing the story end. The only criticism that I could possibly level is that the murder occurred at around the 16% mark of the book. I would have liked to see the murder occur between 10% to 12% from the beginning.

This book is exactly what I want to see out of **all** cozy mysteries: the absence or politics and racism; a light, friendly, and easy read (i.e., it’s not scary); and not being overly dramatic (other than the climax, which was awesome!).

I’ve read some of the other reviews that people have written, and some of those reviews seem to be critical of Chien’s book. The feeling that I got from those reviews was that this book, somehow, was “less” than the others. I absolutely did not feel this way when reading this novel. In fact, I figured that if people were disappointed in this book, then Chien’s prior novels must be 100% AMAZING because “Misfortune Cookie” was truly an excellent book.

Chien has earned herself a new fan, and that’s saying a lot because although I have read a few cozy mysteries, it’s not really my go-to genre. Chien has changed that for me. I can’t wait to read her other books!

A prestigious food show/conference, a fun Aunt who lives in sunny California with a gorgeous condo for Lana and her sister to use while they attend the conference and a murdered journalist make Lana and Anna May's visit filled with fun and danger. When her Aunt asks Lana to find out who murdered her friend, secrets emerge that should never have seen the light of day and Lana and her family become targets for a killer!

One of the reasons I love this series is that we see Lana Lee develop into a savvy businesswoman who is successful both at managing her family restaurant and solving crimes. It may sound like these two careers don't make sense when combined, but the author skillfully combines the two. Lana is relatable and her relationships with her family members are believable. It was fun to see Lana interact with her slightly bossy sister Anna May while solving the murder. I can't wait for the next book!

I received an ARC from NetGalley. and the opinions expressed in this review are my own.

This mystery series is a perfect cozy read, and AAPI readers will resonate with the character's family dynamics and culture. The Whodunit is well presented, and I look forward to the next book in this series.

Another great installment in the Noodle Shop Mystery series!

Lana and Anna May are heading out to California for some quality time with their Aunt Grace as well as a food vendor expo! And just because Lane is thousands of miles away from Ohio - she can still get into the middle of some trouble!

While at the vendor expo a arguement happens which inadvertently involves Lana. Little does she know that one of the people involved in that argument ends up dead later that day and it's somehow tied to her Aunt Grace! Now Lana, Aunt Grace and Anna May are in the middle of this investigation no matter how badly Anna May doesn't want to be!

Miles away from her comfort zone can Lana solve this case?

Really enjoyed this book! I did figure out who the murderer was pretty early on, but I loved the way this story unfolded. I want to see more Aunt Grace!!! Enjoyed seeing Anna May and Lana have some more tender moments in this one as well!

This is the 2nd Noodle Shop mystery I’ve read and I really liked it. I did miss some of the characters from the previous book I read - especially the mahjong women - but this book had its own charm. You get more Anna May and Aunt Grace was nice partner for Lana in the investigation. A little more Charles wouldn’t have hurt though.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc.

In this book our main character Lana is in California visiting an aunt. It took the character out of her normal setting of Cleveland, Ohio but it still captured the heart of this series which is Lana and her relationship with her family. It has been fun to see her grow as a character and find her voice.

I thought the mystery itself was so well done with just the right amount of twists and red herrings. Figuring out the motive was key. I enjoyed this one and hope to see the series continue.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for providing this ARC in exchnge for an honest review.

I have read a couple of he Noodle Shop Mysteries and have enjoyed each one. I like that I don't have to read them in order and can still not feel lost in the series.

I love Lana and how she just runs into trouble where ever she is.... even when visiting her aunt in California. If you are into cozy mysteries then I would highly recommend you pick up this series.

completely satisfies the itch for a cozy mystery novel. I'd never read any of the previous books in the series but found it easy to enter its world.

I'm so glad I had the chance to read this book since I've read others in the series. While the setting does differ from the other books (takes place in sunny southern California as opposed to Cleveland, OH), the story still captures what I love about this series: Lana, her relationship with her family (especially her sister), a great cast of secondary characters, and a mystery with the right amount of intrigue. So happy Chien wrote yet another great addition to the Noodle Shop mystery series. I look forward to the next book!

Misfortune Cookie: A Noodle Shop Mystery
By Vivien Chien
St. Martin’s Paperbacks
August 2023

Review by Cynthia Chow

Lana Lee is taking a break from her new career in Cleveland as the manager of her family’s Ho-Lee Noodle House and whisking off to attend a restaurant convention in Irvine, California. It’s admittedly a work vacation, but Lana is also going to be staying for free at her Aunt Grace’s rental property on Newport Beach’s Balboa Island. Inviting herself along for the adventure is Lana’s sister Anna May, who is basically using the trip to avoid having to deal with the situation of her not-yet-divorced boyfriend. Anna May doesn’t even wait for the plane to take off before making snappish remarks about her sister, ones mostly focused on Lana’s tendency for getting herself involved in police investigations. That’s not going to stop anytime soon, but this time it’s Aunt Grace who ends up asking for Lana’s amateur detective skills.

During her first visit to the convention Lana witnesses a confrontation between a fortune cookie vendor and Nora Blackwell, Grace Richardson’s journalist friend. When Nora fatally falls from the top of a hotel roof Lana doesn’t hesitate to declare that Nora hadn’t been up there alone and that it may not have been an accidental fall. While the aspiring lawyer Anna May advises that both Grace and Lana keep their mouths shut and let the authorities do the work, the two women sharing the genetic trait of independence and free-spiritedness refuse to allow an injustice play out. So while Anna May stress-relieves herself by cooking traditional Taiwanese dishes like Tsao mi fun, Lana wheedles her way into the home of Nora’s estranged husband, interrogates Nora’s co-workers, and even tracks down her possible boyfriend. Lana’s biggest challenge may be deciding whether to attempt to reign in her nature and follow in the more traditional lifestyles of her mother and sister, or to accept her true self and follow in the footsteps of her unconventional aunt.

This 9th in the series takes Lana and Anna May out of Cleveland’s Asia Village and away from familiar characters, allowing more focus to fall upon the sisters’ complicated relationship. As much as Lana and Anna May resemble their aunt and mother, they don’t want to share their sibling estrangement. Despite having promised her boyfriend and family that she will not again risk injury through her investigations, Lana is finally ready to accept that her “nosiness” and need to help is just a part of her being. Although Anna May had previously seemed to have lessened her “helpful” criticism of her sibling, the uncertainty in her own life has not only revived it but amped it up to new levels. The mystery keeps evolving and shifting suspects as Lana discovers more information, making this another intriguing entry in this food-filled series. The real draw here though is the growth of these two young women faced with whether to live up others’ expectations or to forge their own paths. Descriptions of delicious Asian cuisines and the sympathetic depiction of the struggle facing modern Asian women today make this a standout and very entertaining entry in a cleverly plotted, humor-filled foodie mystery.

This is a book about two women working in a noodle Restaurant. For a change they Visite their Aunt Grace. After a party, a man falls of the roof and dies. The Police think sitzt is an accident, but Aunt Grace and her nieces prove it is murder. Fun to read.

Another fun installment in the A Noodle Shop Mystery series. I love that Lana is starting to find a voice within her family and that her and Anna May are starting to appreciate each other's skill sets. Poor Aunt Grace, she has had a rough go. I hope we see more of her in future books.

Looking forward to the next book, when it's released.

Lana and her sister Anna May are off to California in this one to visit Aunt Grace and a convention. Even though Lana is supposed to stay away from sleuthing, she winds up back in the thick of it when one of Aunt Grace's writer friends is found dead from a roof fall.

This book brought a bit of a scenery change to the series, but I did feel like it lost a bit of that Chinese resteraunt culture that has been in previous books. Hopefully back to Cleveland for the next book.

Even with the scenery change, the mystery plot and cast of suspects was written well and did a decent job at throwing the readers off trail until closer to the reveal. Figuring out the motive was a huge part in this one, since Nora's life definitely had some hidden parts to it.

This was a fun mystery, but I didn't like it quite as much as the last book! Variety is the spice of life though!

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for providing me a copy of this ARC for my honest review.

This book was laugh out loud funny with an enthralling plot (lots of clues!) and had lovable, realistic characters whose adventures in restaurants and murder kept me entertained.

I’ve only read the first noodleshop mystery, Death By Dumpling, and then this one. There were some references to the other books but the first chapter pretty much caught me up to speed, without many spoilers. This was a good book to jump in on, because Lana Lee is visiting California and that gives us a little break from the other subplots with the other main characters.

Lana Lee sleuthing in California was a fun change to the usual Ohio noodle shop setting! At first I missed the Ohio characters, but Aunt Grace was such a fun character, and we got to know Anna May better which I really liked. I liked Aunt Grace’s character she was so fun and I was excited for another strong female character to join the series. Lana Lee, Anna May, and Aunt Grace make a fun team of detectives, with a lot of witty banter. The character development between these 3 women was very entertaining to read.

The mystery itself was very twisty and complex, which I loved! I like my cozy mysteries with good characters, cozy details, and plots that keep me interested, and this one delivered on all 3.
I loved Aunt Grace and I hope she makes some more appearances in the series. And sending Lana Lee to different cities is pretty fun for the series.
Thank you to NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for the ARC, all opinions are my own.