This was a great debut cozy that I really enjoyed. The story is set in a Chinese restaurant which resides in a shopping center of Asian stores. The center's manager is found murdered after eating dumplings and Lana Lee, whose parents own the Chinese restaurant, starts investigating to save the restaurant and the rest of the center.

The book was well-written, the characters were interesting, and the plot had enough twists and turns to keep the reader engaged. I'm looking forward tot he next book in the series.

Thanks to St. Martin's and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Death by Dumpling by Vivien Chien is the first book in A Noodle Shop Mystery series. A series of incidents (bad break up, quitting her job, and her parents losing a full-time server) has Lana Lee once again working at her parent’s restaurant Ho-Lee Noodle House in Fairview Park, Ohio. Lana takes lunch over to Mr. Feng, the owner of Asia Village and overhears Kimmy Tran yelling at him. A short time later, Esther Chin rushes in with the news that Mr. Feng is dead. Detective Adam Trudeau arrives to question the restaurant staff and informs them that Mr. Feng died from an allergic reaction to shrimp dumplings. Mr. Feng ordered pork dumplings. All the residents of Asia Village knew about Mr. Feng’s shellfish allergy and the Ho-Lee cooks even use special pans to prepare his food. Lana and her family are shocked when Detective Trudeau arrests Peter Huang, Ho-Lee’s cook, for Mr. Feng’s murder. Lana knows Peter did not harm Mr. Feng and sets out to dish up the truth.

Death by Dumpling is the first Asian cozy mystery that I have read (I have not seen one before). I like the authors unique premise of an Asian shopping center in Northeast Ohio (Cleveland area). The village sounded unique and a place I would love to visit. There are mouthwatering descriptions of the delicacies served at Ho-Lee Noodle House (had me craving Chinese). Lana Lee is a typical late twenties female character who fails to think things through completely, says the wrong thing, clumsy and gets tongue tied around handsome men (sounds like the main character in several books that I have read recently). I felt that Lana lacked depth as did the other characters in the book. Lana has a typical relationship with her sister, Anna May (she is the older sister and going to law school). I found Death by Dumpling to be nicely written and have smooth transitions, but the pace was a little slow. I also felt the book was too long at 352 pages. Fifty or so pages could have easily been edited out. There are two love interests for Lana (of course). Is there a rule that cozy mystery authors must include a romantic entanglement for their main character? The mystery was straightforward, and it lacked surprises. I wanted a good twist. The culprit can easily be picked out early in the story. The investigation consists of Lana and her roommate, Megan Riley questioning people and speculating on who could have committed the crime. There needed to be some action which would have helped the pacing. My rating for Death by Dumpling is 3 out of 5 stars. A Noodle Shop Mystery series has potential, and I hope the author ups her game in the next installment which is Dim Sum of All Fears.

I really enjoyed this novel and it definitely was one of a kind! I picked up this novel because I worked in a Chinese restaurant for about five years before I became disabled and I became very close to my bosses and was even manager at the end. The reason I bring this up is because not only could I relate to this novel by knowing the ins and outs of working in a Chinese restaurant, I could relate to being around Asian cultures and how they talk. All of the things Lana was told I have been told by my employers. All the funny traits and cultural things just really made me laugh and just think of the good times at my work. I worked 70 hours a week though there had to be some good times or there were no times!
Also another fun fact is that I am actually mixed racial like the main character and my mom is Fillipino so I have also felt I could relate to some things family life as well! But enough about me back to the book!
This story was funny and I think turned out pretty great for a debut. I loved all the characters besides every once in awhile the MC got on my nerves a little bit. The plot was steady paced but had a couple of short dull moments but I think it was because of the author establishing a solid background for the series. Overally, I really enjoyed this book and I look forward to the next one and hope it grows even more as it moves along!
I want to thank NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review. I appreciate this opportunity and all views expressed are my own.

This was such a fun read. I loved meeting Lana. I am looking forward to the next in the series.

Vivien Chien's first book in the Noodle Shop Mystery series is Death by Dumpling. Lana is back at her family's restaurant after a break-up and sudden exit from her former job. She is settling in, but she is thrown for a loop when the restaurant's property manager, Mr. Feng, dies after eating a dumpling from the restaurant. When it appears she and the cook are the top suspects, Lana and her roommate, Megan, decide to investigate. Lana is a wonderful cozy heroine, and Megan is practically the perfect sidekick. My only problem was the book did not flow as smoothly as possible. Perhaps this was due to the fact that it is the first in the series. This would not be enough to keep me from reading the second upcoming book in the series.

Grab your chopsticks! This fun first in series will make you want to dig into a plate of dumplings!
It was interested to see a different culture represented by the noodle shop and Lana's unique ethnic background. A well planned mystery that kept me guessing until the end. I really enjoyed the two friends' antics while trying to solve the murder. The descriptions of Kikko, the pug the color of soy sauce, were spot on and so like my own pug!
I am definitely interested in reading the next book in this series.

Death by Dumpling, Vivien Chien's debut book in her Noodle Shop Mystery series, is a light, fun, and very cozy read. A book that is so well-written that by the time I'd reached the end of the first page I was already hooked, and by the end of the first paragraph I was already making sure there's a sequel in the works (there is!!!). Lana Lee, recently unemployed and currently working at her parents' restaurant, Ho-Lee Noodle House in Asia Village, must step forward to solve the murder of Thomas Feng, landlord and longtime family friend, after he's found dead in his office and someone very close to Lana is suspected of murder. A real page-turner, and I read it in one sitting. A+++, 5 stars, and highly recommended - what more can I say? :-)ved the book! Will post review prior to release date. Thanks for the opportunity to read!

I love getting in on a new mystery series from the ground up. This book was not only a new series but it also had an intriguing title…..a noodle shop mystery??? Yes please!

When I first saw that cover I was totally sold. Not only did it sound like an interesting read but I also immediately wanted Chinese take out to commemorate the reading of this book!

Welcome to the Ho-Lee Noodle House, where the Chinese food is to die for. . .

The last place Lana Lee thought she would ever end up is back at her family’s restaurant. But after a brutal break-up and a dramatic workplace walk-out, she figures that a return to the Cleveland area to help wait tables is her best option for putting her life back together. Even if that means having to put up with her mother, who is dead-set on finding her a husband.

Lana’s love life soon becomes yesterday’s news once the restaurant’s property manager, Mr. Feng, turns up dead―after a delivery of shrimp dumplings from Ho-Lee. But how could this have happened when everyone on staff knew about Mr. Feng’s severe, life-threatening shellfish allergy? Now, with the whole restaurant under suspicion for murder and the local media in a feeding frenzy―to say nothing of the gorgeous police detective who keeps turning up for take-out―it’s up to Lana to find out who is behind Feng’s killer order. . . before her own number is up (summary from Goodreads).

So not going to lie, I got a little stalled reading this book. Not because it wasn’t good but life got in the way and I had to set it down for a few days. But after picking it back up, I read it rather quickly. I love how this book took a new approach for me with it’s Asian flare. A lot of cozy mysteries etc are full of quaint English villages with a basic heroine that would easily be someone else. In this book, the cultural exception was refreshing and interesting for me. I don’t necessarily think ‘Asian’ when I hear Cleveland…..full disclosure I was expecting this book to be set in San Francisco or LA, some place with a large Asian culture so I was worries that the author would have to do a lot to convince me of the setting. However that wasn’t the case at all!

The Asian culture in Cleveland was different and fun to explore. Chien writes with exceptional knowledge, probably because she lives there, so reading about the setting was almost like being there myself. Well done!

I also loved Lana, she was a unique heroine and in her late twenties so I think this cozy as well as the heroine, would appeal to younger readers (20 somethings) as well as older readers (as in the 30s-40s demographic). Lana has a wide range of appeal not just for the age demographics, but the cultural ranges as well. Lana was well developed and I found the little bits of humor and romance delightful.

On the whole, this book was a pleasure to read and I was thrilled to get in on it before it hit shelves! I am excited to see what’s in store for Lana next! If you are looking for a pleasant cozy read that has a unique approach and culture to it, then read this book! It’s a wonderfully rich and developed cozy….and I’m sorry but who can resist that title and cover?!? Order some Chinese food or whip up some Ramen while you enjoy the flavors of the Orient in this great mystery!

Challenge/Book Summary:

Book: Death by Dumpling (A Noodle Shop Mystery #1) by Vivien Chien

Kindle Edition, 352 pages

Expected publication: March 27th 2018 by St. Martin’s Paperbacks
ISBN 125012915X (ISBN13: 9781250129154)
Review copy provided by: Publisher/Author in exchange for an honest review.
This book counts toward: NA

Hosted by: NA
Books for Challenge Completed: NA
Recommendation: 4 out of 5

Genre: Cozy mystery, detective novel, mystery

Memorable lines/quotes:

I am very excited that a genre I love so much is becoming more diverse ethnically and socially in the offerings. This series takes place in Cleveland, Ohio not far from where Celeste Ng’s Little Fires Everywhere takes place. It was nice having read that book over Christmas and have a similar setting pop up in this but instead of racial divides in the suburbs the action takes place in Asia Village, a mall where you can get food, music, movies, books etc. I encountered a similar place in Chicago and it brought back wonderful memories. Lana is your best friend from page 1. I found myself continuing to think about the book and also ready to get to the next page and next chapter. Vivien is a master at red herrings and they are sprinkled throughout. Of course by the revealing of the killer I said to myself well of course he is while also saying why didn’t I completely know he was guilty. I hope for a long run in this wonderful series. A serious MUST READ.

Synopsis: Welcome to the Ho-Lee Noodle House, where the Chinese food is to die for. . .
The last place Lana Lee thought she would ever end up is back at her family’s restaurant. But after a brutal break-up and a dramatic workplace walk-out, she figures that helping wait tables is her best option for putting her life back together. Even if that means having to put up with her mother, who is dead-set on finding her a husband.
Lana’s love life soon becomes yesterday’s news once the restaurant’s property manager, Mr. Feng, turns up dead―after a delivery of shrimp dumplings from Ho-Lee. But how could this have happened when everyone on staff knew about Mr. Feng’s severe, life-threatening shellfish allergy? Now, with the whole restaurant under suspicion for murder and the local media in a feeding frenzy―to say nothing of the gorgeous police detective who keeps turning up for take-out―it’s up to Lana to find out who is behind Feng’s killer order. . . before her own number is up.

Note: I received a ARC of this book and chose to write an honest review

Howdy, howdy! Welcome to another last Wednesday of the month book review. This month, I decided to go with another quick and fun cozy mystery. It’s called Death by Dumpling, by Vivien Chien, and was released on March 27th. Yes, I got another Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) from NetGalley, so I must thank them and St. Martin’s Press for allowing me access to the book in exchange for an honest and unbiased review. Speaking of, let’s get to it!

Death by Dumpling follows Lana Lee as she starts working at her parents’ noodle house, something she never wanted to do. She’s running away from a bad break up and the fact that she caused a scene while quitting her old job (this seems to be a common theme in many cozies). All the attention of the mall where their restaurant is located seems to be on her. At least until the property manager, Mr. Feng, winds up dead after eating shrimp dumplings from her parents’ restaurant. Throw in a couple of potential suitors, a bestie who will indulge Lana’s PI fantasies, and a lot of mystery, and this book is the perfect recipe for a cozy.

As usual, I went into this story not really knowing what to expect. And I was pleasantly surprised. The characters are relateable. Lana is sassy, outgoing, and definitely not the biggest snoop in this book. She didn’t find the body, which was a nice change of pace from other cozies I’ve read. She also had a decent reason to go snooping around. It wasn’t that she was nosy that made her try to figure things out, though she certainly is, she was trying to clear the name of the restaurant’s head chef/her friend. I found it to be a nice variation of the norm from other cozies I’m familiar with.

About the only complaint I had with this book was that I caught on to Mr. Feng’s big secret a little earlier than I think I was supposed to. It wouldn’t have bothered me, except when Lana finds concrete proof, she still tries to make stupid excuses for the people involved. I honestly think her mind would’ve gone exactly where it was supposed to go, instead of arguing with her bestie about it and trying to come up with an innocent excuse. I get that the woman involved is like an aunt to Lana, but all the signs were there. Why would she ignore them? That part dragged a little bit for me.

Otherwise, it was pretty easy to like this one. The writing was succinct, but still conveyed a lot of personality. Aside from dragging a little after I figured things out, the pacing swept me along. I’m a super slow reader, but it only took me a week to finish this one.

Ultimately, I really enjoyed Death by Dumpling. I’m definitely happy to see that book two, Dim Sum of All Fears, is due out in August. It’s going on my reading list!

Overall, I’d rate it 4 out of 5 stars. If you’re looking for something quick and fun and you enjoy a saucy feel good mystery, it’s worth a look.

DEATH BY DUMPLING by Vivien Chien
The First Noodle Shop Mystery

It started with a nasty breakup with her boyfriend followed by quitting her job. Now Lana Lee is working at her parents' restaurant in order to pay her bills and keep her apartment. Being back at Ho-Lee Noodle House isn't the end of the world, but things get much worse when Mr. Feng, landlord of the Asia Village Plaza, is found dead after eating the lunch Lana brought him. To save the reputation of the restaurant as well as prove herself innocent, Lana sets out to solve the murder herself.

DEATH BY DUMPLING is a solid start to a new series. Lana Lee is a fun protagonist with a biting wit. I love seeing the family dynamics as the adult daughter has to deal with being back, if not home, at her second home, her parents' Chinese restaurant. Her mom just wants her to find a husband and eat while her dad continues to treat her more like a child than the 27 year old woman she is. The secondary characters are fun too, from the gossipy Mahjong Matrons to the equally gossipy women from Asian Accents and the horrible Kimmy Tran! My favorite person is the enigmatic Mr. Zhang. I hope we get to read more about him in future books.

Vivien Chien brings a wonderful cultural flair to her Noodle Shop Mystery series. Loads of interesting characters, most with secrets and hidden pasts, provide interest as well as possible motives. A well plotted mystery sprinkled with humor and a light seasoning of romantic interest make DEATH BY DUMPLING a terrific debut!

Death by Dumpling by Vivien Chien is the 1st book in A Noodle Shop Mystery, and a fun cozy mystery. Lana Lee returns home after walking out of her job and boyfriend. She is now working as a waitress in her family's restaurant, Ho-Lee Noodle House located in the Cleveland Area. When Lana delivers food to the landlord and he dies after eating it, she must find the real killer. There are twists and turns around every corner. I found this book to be a quick read, with a well developed plot and characters. Looking forward to the next book in the series. If you love fun cozy mysteries like I do, than I recommend this book.

I received this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Death by Dumpling is the first book in a new mystery series, A Noodle Shop Mystery, by author Vivien Chien.

Death by Dumpling is centered around a family owned noodle shop in Cleveland. Lana Lee has come back to her family's restaurant to work after leaving her last job abruptly she is ready to get her life back on track. Then the restaurant's property manager is found dead. And it looks like Lana's family noodle shop is responsible.

Death by Dumpling is a well written cozy mystery. There are lots of secrets to help discover who killed the property manager, Mr. Feng.

Great start to a new series. Looking forward to more from Vivien Chien. Highly recommend Death by Dumpling.

A nice start to a new cozy series! Lana has moved home to Cleveland and is working as a server at her mom's Chinese restaurant and THEN she's the one who delivers the fatal shrimp filled dumpling to the attorney who owns the shopping center where it's located. She's not the suspect but her mom's cook Peter is. Lana and her intrepid roommate Megan set off to find answers. There's a potential love interest in Detective Trudeau but it's only a hint. There isn't a lot of Lana's back story except that she quit an office job and had a bad break up- no more specifics on those. There is, however, good potential for future installment especially wrt her dad, who is in the real estate business and Megan, who is a bartender. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Try this one for a fresh new cozy amateur detective.

Walking out of her last job in a huff, and with no money in the bank, leaves twenty-seven-year-old Lana Lee with very few options. Her parents always knew that one day she would return to the family restaurant, Ho-Lee Noodle House in Northeast Ohio, but this was not her plan. Now six months later Lana is still at the restaurant in Asian Village when property manager, Thomas Feng, has been found dead after eating a dumpling that Lana had delivered.

This is where Vivien Chien starts throwing all the characters at the reader. Each shop owner in the village plus their spouses or children, angry Kimmy Tran, the Mahjong Matrons who come in every morning for their usual breakfast and gossip, the cook Peter and his mother Nancy, Ian Sung who has his own ideas on how the village should be run, and Donna Feng, Thomas’ unemotional wife, are in the mix of characters to remember.

Everyone in the village knew of Feng’s allergy to shellfish so when anaphylaxis is listed as the cause of death there is a buzz in the community since everyone knew that he carried an Epi-pen and it was not found in his pocket or anywhere in his office. Turns out that there are skeletons in the closet for this village that had nothing to do with the whispered rumors of a proposed rent hike that would have forced tenants to close their businesses for good. There are long buried family secrets at play and when one of the characters in this drama can no longer take it, passions flair and someone needed to pay.

To prevent Lana from moping around the apartment after her last breakup, her roommate Megan has encouraged her to investigate. Since both Lana and the cook Peter are prime suspect, and though Detective Adam Trudeau has told them repeatedly not to, Lana and Megan stumble into interesting situations, which reveal other secrets, and finally pull it all together with a simple photograph. Vivien Chien draws the reader down multiple paths that I hope will lead to additional books and expound upon revelations that not fully explored in this book.

This book kept me guessing until the end. There were no shortage of suspects in the death of Thomas Feng, but who was the murderer? I won't tell, that's a spoiler, but I had an inkling that it was this person, but the reasoning was shocking. This was a great read and I can't wait to read the next story.

I will post my review on Amazon once the title is released.

This was a really fun start to a new series. I really enjoyed the setting. The mystery was well written with some surprising reveals. I am really looking forward to the next book in the series.

Solid cozy mystery debut. The author has created an interesting character in Lana, and given readers a taste of her back story while leaving plenty of room for Lana to develop and have ongoing storylines throughout a longer series. The ending was surprising, without feeling like it came out of left field. I appreciated that while there are interesting characters in this book, the author didn't rely on the over-the-top quirky characters and unrealistically quaint settings that often populate the cozy mystery genre. I would be more inclined to recommend this book/series to a younger cozy mystery reader than some others in the genre, as proof positive that this genre doesn't have to be exclusively the domaine of older readers.

Lara Lee is doing something she never wanted to do - work at her parents Chinese restaurant. Life leaves her no choice when she hastily quits her job. After she delivers food to a local businessman, he dies from anaphylactic shock and evidence points to the restaurant's food. Lara knows this cannot be the case because her mother and her chef were always so particular about preparing Mr. Feng's food. As Lara digs deeper into the mystery, she discovers not everyone is who they appear to be.

Lana Lee is unemployed with no job prospects, so she finds herself waiting tables and the Chinese restaurant her parents own. Lana brings a lunch order to the restaurant's landlord, Mr. Feng, and an hour later, he's dead! Lana starts asking questions around the area to get to the truth of what happened to Mr. Feng to clear her and their chef's name since they provided the victim with his last meal.

Lana is outgoing and determined and makes an interesting main character. I like the way she and her roommate Megan get along and support each other. Some of the most fun moments of the book are when Lana and Megan work together to investigate Mr. Feng's death. The more they investigate, the more secrets are uncovered, giving them even more suspects to consider.

There is a bit of romance for Lana as well. Her mother worries about her because she doesn't have a boyfriend, but Lana has two potential love interests in the book. Both are attractive men, but unfortunately, one is a possible murder suspect and the other thinks Lana could have played a part in the murder!

The book has some slow spots at the beginning, but the pace picks up as the story gets going and there is an exciting ending to the case. There is also a fun epilogue to tell the reader how everyone is doing after the real murderer as well as other secrets are revealed. I enjoyed this cozy mystery and hope the author plans to write more featuring Lana Lee, because I enjoyed getting to know her and her family and friends and would like to see more of these characters. The book will appeal to fans of Naomi Hirahara's Ellie Rush series or Lorraine Bartlett's Victoria Square mysteries.

I received this book from NetGalley through the courtesy of St. Martin's Press. The book was provided to me in exchange for an honest review.