Lana and her sister Anna May are visiting their Aunt Grace while attending a food expo. While visiting, they become involved in another murder investigation. The dead woman was their aunt’s best friend, and Lana is determined to find the truth, especially if she thinks her aunt is in danger of being a suspect or the next victim.

On the one hand, it was nice to see Lana get away from Cleveland. Too many people were dying around Asia Village. It was also nice to have Anna May and Aunt Grace helping Lana out. Anna May and Lana don’t always get along well and it was nice to see them at least trying to work together. And Lana is her usual curious, funny, sarcastic self.

On the other hand, I prefer Lana at home. I like her surrounded by her friends and family. I miss her sidekick, Megan, and her dog. The mystery was fine, with several suspects, good clues, and a few red herrings, but it was just missing the spark that makes this series so good.

Misfortune Cookie does probably work as a stand-alone. The mystery’s self-contained and only Lana and her sister are carried over from previous books, but it doesn’t give the best taste of the series.

A fun whodunit from a new-to-me author. Lana is off to California to attend a restaurant convention and her sister Anna May tags along. They’ll be staying with their Aunt Grace and enjoying new experiences. One thing they weren’t counting on was the death of their Aunt Grace’s friend, a journalist. Grace asks Lana for help in finding out what really happened because she doesn’t believe it was an accident. But Lana is a little out of her league because she doesn’t know the area or any of the people involved. However, that doesn’t stop her. Can Lana figure things out or will she only end up stirring up trouble and putting herself in danger along with Anna May and Aunt Grace?

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This book felt a bit lackluster. I haven't read the prior books, so perhaps that's the reason. I did like the descriptions, and the comparisons between the sisters was realistic (just overdone). The dialogue between Anna May and Lana grew tiresome after a bit. The pace was slower that what I typically find for this genre, and that made it harder to stay engaged.

Misfortune Cookie is the ninth book in the Noodle Shop series by Vivien Chien. Ho-Lee Noodle House, managed by Lana Lee, is famous for its noodles and tea. But the setting in this latest installment takes place in sunny California where a restaurant convention is held. Lana Lee and sister Anna May are invited to stay at their Aunt Grace's posh rental.

Everything is peaches, cream and sunshine until Lana Lee witnesses an argument because a journalist and fortune cookie vendor. Later that night, a woman mysteriously plunges from the roof top. It happens to be the same journalist in the dramatic cat fight earlier but also Aunt Grace's friend. So much for a laid back vacation and restaurant convention...Lana must solve this mystery.

Readers are introduced to a new colorful character: Aunt Grace. She serves "Rich Auntie" vibes with invitations to exclusive events, knowing key people in the city, living a single-with-no-kids life of luxury in California. All the more reason to dote on her nieces. I hope to see more of Aunt Grace!

This time, I learned more about Anna May Lee (Lana's older soon-to-be lawyer sister). I used to think she was an annoying tattletale in all of the prior books but now I understand her logic. She's healing from a breakup. She's studying and working hard toward her career goals. And most of all, Anna May cares for her little sister's safety. She only wants for Lana to make better choices.

The flow of Misfortune Cookie started off slow, picked up in pace, then slowed down to a slow cruise. Even though the suspect list was short, a lot of unnecessary clues were dropped. Or perhaps it's because I'm finally caught up on the series and have learned the author's style when it comes to whodunit. Either way, it was still a good read; just not the best choice for a fast-paced cozy mystery.

Happy Early Pub Day, Vivien Chien! Misfortune Cookie will be available Tuesday, June 27, 2023.

Disclaimer: An advance copy was received directly from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Opinions are my own and would be the same if I spent my hard-earned coins. ~LiteraryMarie

The ninth installment of author Vivien Chien's "Noodle Shop Mystery" series is titled "Misfortune Cookie." The storyline is full of mystery, sibling rivalry, intrigue, and great humor. The Ho-Lee Noodle House manager Lana and her sister Anna May travel to California for a restaurant convention, but a mystery unavoidably derails their vacation. A body practically fell in on their conversation from the roof of an adjacent building as they were enjoying a drink at the end of a lovely day. Lana saw or thought she saw another person on the roof where the deceased had fallen. The investigation gets underway. Lana was told not to get involved by Anna May. Lana felt compelled to assist the detectives by revealing that she believed to have seen another person on the roof. She had been drinking earlier, and the investigator instantly rejected any possible evidence. Lana struggled with the turmoil inside. Should she, once, take a position and do what she believed was right, or should she silently follow her family? Do you think she caved or did she stand her ground and maintain her word to tearful Aunt Grace to uncover the truth?
I needed this book for pure enjoyment. To sate my cozy craving, the author expertly placed just the right phrases in the appropriate spots. I suggest readers who like cozy murder mysteries, books with amateur sleuths, and books with woman sleuths read this most recent work by popular author Vivien Chien. Thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for providing an early reader copy of "Misfortune Cookie." My evaluation is unpaid and unvarnished.

"Misfortune Cookie" is the ninth Noodle Shop mystery featuring Lana Lee. This time, she and her sister Anna May are in California, ostensibly to attend a restaurant convention, but also to vacation and visit with their Aunt Grace, who is very different from her sister, Anna and Lana's mother.

Naturally, Lana has to investigate when her Aunt Grace's good friend dies under somewhat mysterious circumstances. Anna May is normally dead set against Lana's detective activities, but she actually joins in and helps this time.

I love this series. Lana has really honed her skills and stopped a lot (but not all) of the impulsiveness and leaping to conclusions she used to do. While I missed the interaction between her, her family, and the community back in Ohio, I really enjoyed seeing Lana and Anna May working together. I admit, I expected not to like it much, because Anna May is so, well, not likeable sometimes, and kinda mean to Lana. Maybe it was Aunt Grace's influence. Aunt Grace was a lot of fun, too.

Lana has come a long way since she gave up her potential career to run the family restaurant, Ho-Lee Noodle House. She does actually have a small internal monologue about this in the book, and I appreciate that, because I have wondered whether she had any regrets.

The mystery kept me guessing until fairly close to the end. I'm looking forward to book ten, and getting caught back up with everyone in Asia Village.

4 out of 5 stars. Recommended.

I received an advance copy from St. Martin's Paperbacks via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

It’s nice that Lana Lee can take a few days away from Asia Village, especially in the winter, and visit her glamorous aunt in California. It’s too bad that murder follows her no matter where she goes.

In this book, Lana and her sister Anna May start to get a little more understanding of each other as they work (begrudgingly in Anna May’s case) with their aunt to figure out who might have wanted their aunt’s friend dead. Lana, being away from her familiar turf and friends and contacts to lean on in her investigations, learns the importance of having family to rely on. Aunt Grace is a fun new character and I hope she’ll show up to visit Cleveland and annoy her sister in future books.

In Misfortune Cookie, the ninth book in Vivien Chien's Noodle Shop cozy mystery series, Lana Lee and her sister Anna May travel to Irvine, California – Lana to attend a restaurant convention and Anna May to tag along and visit their Aunt Grace. It doesn’t take Lana long to run into a murder investigation but she wonders if she can solve this before she and Anna May travel back home.

I really enjoyed this book. Having Lana Lee attend the restaurant convention is a nice change of pace from the restaurant setting (even if Lana doesn’t seem to attend any of the events at the convention) and it also gives her plenty of time to interact with Anna May (for better or worse). I enjoyed their visit with their Aunt Grace who loves helping to try to solve the mystery even though she has a secret or two of her own. There are plenty of suspects in the murder – I wasn’t overly surprised when the killer was revealed but there were certainly some nice, tense moments when the truth did come out. Overall, I really enjoyed this mystery and was sorry when Lana and Anna May’s visit to Aunt Grace was over.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley.

"In Vivien Chien's Misfortune Cookie, Lana Lee returns for another delectable cozy set in a Chinese restaurant in Cleveland, OH.

They say fortune favors the bold, and Lana Lee is determined to prove that true.

Lana, now officially manager of her family's restaurant, the Ho-Lee Noodle House, is headed to sunny Irvine, California to attend a restaurant convention with her sister, Anna May, along for the ride. The girls' very Americanized Aunt Grace has asked them to stay in her posh rental, and as the trip begins, it seems to be just what they both needed. Even the restaurant convention proves to be worthwhile and entertaining, especially when Lana witnesses a dramatic cat fight between a fortune cookie vendor and a journalist.

Lana and Anna May can't imagine things getting any better until they learn their aunt has yet another surprise in store for them - a swanky cocktail party hosted for the freelancers of Southern California. But on the night of the party, things go south when a close journalist friend of Grace's mysteriously plunges from the roof top of the hotel. Even more suspicious is the fact that Aunt Grace's friend is the same journalist Lana saw getting into a screaming match with the fortune cookie vendor at the convention.

The police rule the death a gruesome accident, but Aunt Grace refuses to accept that explanation and begs Lana for her help uncovering the truth. Lana, Anna May, Aunt Grace attempt to keep up appearances as they search for answers, but unwanted attention from suspicious colleagues and convention attendees starts to surface, causing Lana to wonder if they'll find the killer in time...or if they'll be the next ones pushed over the edge."

When you've seen a lot of death in your hometown, it's best to go see bodies elsewhere.

This was such a good read. This was my first Vivien Chien book and I definitely will add her to my list! This isn't the first book in the series and while you can definitely read it as more of a stand-alone, I felt like there were some things I didn't follow as well and the characters had some backstory I didn't see the full picture on.

The murder in this book was a great and well-plotted mystery but the food was the best part hands down! I loved all the descriptions and it made me so hungry every time I picked it up. The family was another part of this story I really loved. They seemed really well fleshed out and like real characters instead of foils for our main character.

This is a must-read if you liked Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers.

Thoughts: I had trouble getting into this book. It didn’t draw me in as the others in the series had. That doesn’t mean it’s bad, it just didn’t work for me. I actually got a little tired of Anna May and Lana’s continual sniping at each other and the comparisons to their mother and aunt. Plus, moving the story out of Cleveland means we didn’t have the usual team for Lana to rely on as she plunges once more into a murder mystery.

What I liked: The author is very good with descriptions without being over the top with them. I love the contrast between Lana and Anna May – the issues between the sisters is very realistic and believable. (Just don’t keep pointing it out every few pages) There are enough red herrings to keep the story interesting and the tie-in to Lana’s aunt Grace keeps it all in the family. I especially liked Adam’s (Lana’s cop boyfriend) discussion with her at the end. Everything wrapped up neatly at the end without Lana ending up in a hospital or seriously injured.

What I didn’t like: As I pointed out above, the story was a little slow for me and I had enough of the comparisons of the straight-laced sister with the adventurous one (both Lana/Anna May and their mother/aunt). And, even though Anna May has had the hots for Henry for some time, I really don’t like the whole cheating with the married man storyline. Yeah, it happens, but it bothers me that someone as “don’t break the rules” as Anna May is would continue to do something like this. I’m glad she decided to break it off.

Recommendation: If you’ve read the others in the series, yes, you should read this one. It does have a satisfying ending and is a decent addition to the series.

Disclaimer: Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing this ARC. Disclosure of Material: I received a final and/or advanced reader copy of this book with the hope that I will leave my unbiased opinion. I was not required to leave a review, positive or otherwise, and my opinions are just that… My Opinions. I am posting this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”

Misfortune Cookie by Vivian Chief

Pair your noodles with this steaming mystery and you have the perfect chilly night combination.

I love all of Vivian Chief’s books. This latest one had smooth writing, without a lot of fill. It had adventure and many suspects. Her food was described so well, I had to go out and get some dumplings and fried rice. Miss Lee, her sister, and aunt unraveled the solution to the murder. I recommend this book..

Thanks to Net Galley for sending me an advanced treader’s copy for my review.

Another fun instalment in this series! I loved that change of scenery moving them to California and found it really breathed new life into the story. An engaging, enjoyable read and I can't wait to see what comes next for the family.

Not bad just not as engaged as I was with prior books in the series. I think moving the action from Cleveland and familiar characters threw off the dynamics I was used to reading about. It didn’t help that Lana and Anna May are actually tiresome as hell the more we read about them on their California vacation that quickly switches to a cozy mystery/murder.

One wonders where Chien can go with this since the fire in this cozy seems to be going out.

Full Review:

Just a shame. I usually enjoy these books, but it just didn't hit the same. "Misfortune Cookie" follows Lana and Anna May to California. Lana is there to attend a food convention, and Anna May goes because she complained that Lana got to go. So there's the dynamic right there. Both women also can't wait to visit with their Aunt Grace who we met a few books ago. Things take a turn though when one of Aunt Grace's writer friends ends up murdered. Grace asks her to "do what she does" and find out the real killer.

Lana was just a pill through this whole book. In the last book she got harmed and her family and her boyfriend both want her to stop with investigating, or at least charge in when she can get harmed. I really wish Chien had dwelled on that more, because Lana could have died and almost did, and she seems to shrug it off way too fast in this book.

Anna May is still coming to terms with her married boyfriend, and honestly, I loathe cheating in romance books, and definitely won't put up with it in a cozy mystery. It just doesn't even read as something this character would ever do and I am tired of reading about it.

Without Adam and Megan in this one as much the book feel flat. It's just Lana kind of flailing around and needing to have coffee to the point I wondered how she even slept at night. She started to read like a poor version of herself after a while and I started to get annoyed.

Lana and her sister get to leave snowy Cleveland for the sunshine of California. Lana's supposed to be attending a restaurant convention, but when she witnesses the death of one of her aunt's friends she ends up spending her time running down clues. Of course, she had to keep this from her boyfriend and her mother back home. With the blessing of her Aunt Grace and her sister's reluctant help, Lana puts her detective skills to the test. Another fun Noodle Shop mystery--even without the Noodle Shop!

Thanks to St Martin's Press for access to a digital ARC on NetGalley.

This is the ninth in the Noodle Shop Mystery series by Vivien Chien. I liked it was set in California instead of Ohio. It was a nice change of setting.

Lana and Anna May visit their aunt. Lana has a convention to attend and Anna May needs to take a break from her romantic relationship and reassess.

Unfortunately, a friend of their aunt dies at a cocktail party and it’s not looking good for auntie. The whodunnit takes plenty of twists and turns. I was glad tyo see Lana reaching out to Adam during the investigation.

I was given an advanced readers copy by Netgalley. I am not required to leave a positive review.

Misfortune Cookie: A Noodle Shop Mystery by Vivien Chien is such a fun read. Lana Lee returns for another delectable cozy set in a Chinese restaurant in Cleveland. Lana and her older sister Anna May are on vacation in California with their aunt. This is a well-written book and series. The characters are interesting and three-dimensional. They have their quirks, and their relationships are engaging.

Misfortune Cookie is a good addition to this series, and this book is a fun, cozy mystery with a good mystery.

#NetGalley @StMartinsPress

Lana, who runs her parent’s noodle shop in Cleveland, and her sister Anna May travel to sunny California for a restaurant convention. They’re staying with their Aunt Grace and they’re impressed with her lavish lifestyle. At a gala reception, Grace’s good friend Nora falls from the building’s rooftop. Or was she pushed??? Lana is on the case.

Ninth in the series set in Cleveland, Ohio. I hadn’t read the previous books, but will definitely start. Plenty of backstory so I had no trouble from not reading the rest of the series.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed this book. Especially taking everyone out of Cleveland. Blessedly 😂 It did feel a bit rushed, but I think the best part was Anna May finally realizing what her sister does is valuable. Also their aunt was a welcome addition to the crew.

I do love this series set in Cleveland! This one is a bit of a departure with Lana and her older sister Anna May vacationing in California with their aunt. While I missed all of the fun interactions with the regular characters - Lana's BFF, the Mahjong Matrons, and the rest of Lana's extended family & friends - I enjoyed the actual mystery and the evolving relationship with her sister.

I was happy to see Lana declare her interest in investigating mysteries. There's a small reference to the private detective agency featured in a prior book and it gives me hope that they will have Lana work with them again. I am definitely looking forward to the next Noodle Shop Mystery!