This latest installment in Chien’s Noodle Shop Mystery series has Lana Lee back to her Nancy Drew habits. The judges for a cooking competition start being killed after receiving mysterious fortune cookies. While looking into what is going on at Asia Village, Lana receives a fortune cookie of her own. Also, the relationship between Lana and Detective Adam Trudeau deepens when he reveals some of the ghosts of his past.

Nothing like a food contest to bring out the fun and worst in people. Lana Lee thinks the family restaurant, Ho Lee Noodle House, will be a good contender! This is such a fun series, easy to read and so many likeable characters.

This is the third book I have read/listened to in the "A Noodle Shop Mystery" series. I think this series is getting better with each book. In this book, Lana Lee is managing her family business, The Ho-Lee Noodle House in Cleveland. Her grandmother is visiting, so her mom has eased off and let Lana manage. The restaurant is in a touristy plaza called the Asian Market and they are in the midst of the Cleveland’s Best Noodle Contest. Lana is working hard to help Peter, her chef, win this year. One of the judges, a local food critic, receives a threatening note in a fortune cookie and is later found dead. Another judge also ends up dead and even Lana receives one of the threatening fortune cookies. Is someone trying to kill off the judges and the competition to win the contest? Is Lana's meddling going to put her in danger? Lana wants to save her restaurant and hopes to let the contest continue once the murderer is caught.

I do like Lana Lee. She is smart, friendly, loyal and is pretty good at solving puzzles and putting pieces of evidence together. The one thing that bothers me is that she is a bit pushy and has a habit of stepping on toes and alienating people, but I guess that's what happens when you are trying to find a murderer. Things in her life are going well, her mother has finally given up the reins to the family business and she has a new boyfriend, a local police detective. Many of the secondary characters from the previous books are back and add to the story. The mystery was well written with a few read herrings, several suspects and a couple of twists along the way. Overall, another fun addition to this series.

I ended up setting this one down a few chapters in. I read and enjoyed the first two books in the series, but the third installment didn’t hold my interest.

Chien's mysteries are delicious, just like the food at Ho-Lee's. With a unique heroine and intriguing mysteries, Chien's books are great reads.

This was the first book I have read by Vivian Chen and it was what all my cozy dreams are made of. I loved it so much and cannot wait to dive into the earlier books of the series.

Dollycas’s Thoughts

For Murder Lo Mein we are back at the Asia Village for the annual Cleveland’s Best Noodle Contest. Lana is banking on her chef Peter Huang to win the contest to show her parents they made the right choice making her manager of Ho Lee Noodle House. Winning will also bring in more customers.

Unfortunately, after the first round one of the judges in found dead, face-down in a bowl of low mein, no less. Then another judge bites the dust. Lana’s boyfriend, Detective Adam Trudeau begs her to leave the investigating to him but she just can’t stop herself from snooping. She knows she is getting close when she discovers something in her purse. Will she survive to see the end of the contest or will the killer get to her first?

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I have enjoyed these characters from the start. Lana is funny, smart and a little bit awkward, but she is excelling as manager of the family business. Her parents have returned from Taiwan with Lana’s grandmother in tow. Surprisingly her overpowering mother doesn’t try to return to running the restaurant, but she still has opinions about Lana’s life from how she dresses to her relationship with the good detective. Happily, Lana and Adam’s relationship is making progress. Grandma doesn’t speak English and Lana doesn’t speak her grandmother’s dialect but they do find a way to communicate. Lana’s best friend/roommate Megan is usually available to help Lana with her sleuthing. And they both have the lovable black pug named Kikko to come home to. If Megan isn’t available, friend Kimmy is eager to help out. With the Best Noodle Contest, there are a lot of secondary characters, some become very viable suspects, one would like to get to know Lana much better.

The mystery unfolds nicely with plenty of suspects. Again, people just open up and talk to Lana. Her friendly nature really suits her sleuthing endeavors much to Adam’s dismay at times. Adam opens up to Lana more in this story too. I have not read Sun Tzu’s The Art of War but it is cleverly brought into the mystery. Solving the mystery was not easy. The author really twists things up. I thought I was smart and had it all figured out until I was proven wrong. It was a lot of fun following the clues and being surprised at the big reveal.

I have stated in previous reviews for books in this series that Chinese food is not really my thing but in this book, we learned that Lana loves donuts and so do I. Both are fully described within these pages. Lana is worried about her waistline now that a bakery has taken over the shop next door. I worried about my waistline because those descriptions really cranked up my cravings 😆

Vivien Chien has a real hit on her hands with this series. Murder Lo Mein is an excellent addition. With engaging characters and a great mystery spiced up with the perfect amounts of humor and romance, she has served up a real treat.

The next book in this series, Wonton Terror is on my To-Be-Read shelf and I will be reading and reviewing it soon! Egg Drop Dead is being released on February 25th and Killer Kung Pao will be out on August 25th.

I voluntarily offered to review this book with no obligations and my opinions are honest!
This was a great book !
Lana is made manager of the restaurant.
When a food critic is found dead, Lana will have to solve another mystery.
Not to worry!
She has plenty of help to solve this mystery.
Loved the characters + the storytelling !
It has all the ingredients that you need for a great book!
I can't wait for the next book in this series.

Vivien Chien is the author of the Noodle Shop Mysteries, and introduces characters that belong to a close knit Asian community. The main protagonist, Lana Lee, is the manager of her family restaurant, a job she never wanted, but one that she is very good at. Her parents pushed her into it when she did such a good job while they were out of town, and now, especially because of the Asian culture and the deep respect family members have for each other, Lana knows that she will be in this career forever. That is not to say that family members always get along, and the characters seem real when they have conflict. Although Lana has plenty to do, she considers herself to be an amateur detective, much to her boyfriend’s chagrin, since he is a police officer and he and his colleagues are usually investigating. Lana is a bit pushy, and gets herself into tight situations.

Murder Lo Mein is the third installment in the Noodle Shop Mysteries. Since Lana is the manager of her family restaurant, she enters the Cleveland’s Best Noodle Contest, knowing full well that her head chef, Peter Huang, has what it takes to win. However, one of the judges is not well liked, and after receiving a fortune cookie with an ominous message, is murdered. There is another murder, also with a fortune cookie like the one before, and then Lana receives one also. Lana’s boyfriend has asked her to keep her nose out of his investigation, but since she does what she wants, and has a huge suspect list, she keeps on, putting herself and others in danger.

This series is fun, and the food theme makes readers tempted to read the books while enjoying Chinese food at a good restaurant. The biggest problem with this series is that the novels don’t contain any recipes, and that is a shame, since almost everyone loves Chinese food and would probably like to try making it at home.

The books are well-written, and the stories flow well. Readers will like the characters and the introduction to Asian culture, which may be foreign to some.

Special thanks to NetGalley for supplying review copies of these novels.

Murder Lo Mein by Vivien Chien is the third book in the Noodle Shop Mystery series. Lana is settling into her job as manager of her family's Chinese noodle shop. The restaurant takes part in the local best noodle contest with high hopes of winning. After one of the judges receives a threatening fortune cookie, he dies soon after. Lana cannot resist being pulled into the mystery. I enjoy the characters - especially Lana - as well as the setting of this series. I look forward to the next installment.

This is another great entry in a nice cozy mystery series. The world is really getting filled in nicely, with lots of periphery characters reappearing. Though you certainly don't have to read the first couple to enjoy this one! Nice, fun read.

Lana Lee is back and now manager of the Ho-Lee Noodle House, the family restaurant in Asia Village. During a noodle contest, a judge is found dead in some noodles and Lana doesn’t hesitate to start investigating. Murder Lo Mein is Vivien Chin’s third book in the series and this book is as good as the first two. Good plot, good characters and the story moves right along. I recommend it highly. I love the background and food. Thank you to Net Galley for allowing me an advanced reader’s copy for review.

If you love Chinese food, fortune cookies, and murder, you'll love the 3rd book in the Noodle Shop Mystery series!! What trouble can Lana get in this time? She's such a likable character and the setting is fun and unique! You'll be kept guessing until the very end! Definitely a must read for cozy mystery fans.

Title: Murder Lo Mein

Author: Vivien Chien

Series: A Noodle Shop Mystery book 3

Chapters: 30 Plus epilogue

Pages: 301

Genre: Cozy Mystery

Rating: 4 stars

Murder Lo Mein is the third book in the A Noodle Shop Mystery book series by Vivien Chien. And Lana Lee has finally accepted her role as the manager of her family’s Chinese Restaurant. She’s finally getting her feet back under her. When the Best Noodle Contest the restaurant is involved in suddenly becomes the scene of a murder. Even though she promised she wouldn’t get involved in any more murders she’s determined to find the murderer before the contest gets a bad name.
I’ve read culinary mysteries before, but I’ve never read one set in a Chinese Restaurant. My two favorite characters are Lana’ dog and her grandmother. The dog always manages to bring a smile to Lana face and adds comic relief to the series. And I’m guessing her grandma is always yelling at her mom we as the reader just don’t know because her mom does speak English.
This cozy mystery is perfect for culinary mystery fans who want to branch out a little bit. I am looking forward to the next book in the series.
I also suggest reading the books in series order.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher through netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.

The Noodle Shop series has quickly become my top favorite cozy mystery series ever! Lana is such a fun and relatable character. The setting is unique and even some of the secondary characters are starting to grow on me.

I was happy to see things progress with Lana and Adam in this book. I'm not usually a fan of romances in a cozy mystery, but the author is really able to make it work in this series and not have it take away from the mystery. I really appreciate that as a reader.

The mystery was very well done in this book. There were plenty of suspects to choose from and I was not able to guess the killer. I love when an author is able to stump me like that! That just goes to show how well the mystery was written in this book.

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: the Noodle Shop Mystery series is one of the best cozy series out there. And this book really cements that for me, and could be the best one yet - it seamlessly combines a creepy mystery with lovable characters and storylines to really draw you in.

Lana and the crew are part of the annual Best Noodle Contest, hosted this year by Asia Village. During a reception celebrating the first round of the contest, a judge is found dead and Lana and her best friend, Megan, are drawn into the case as Detective Trudeau warns Lana to stay out of it. Because things are about to get a lot more dangerous.

I love all the characters in this series, particularly Lana’s family. Her grandmother is introduced in this book, and it’s pretty hilarious to see the dynamic between grandmother-granddaughter and mother-daughter (with Lana’s mom). There’s some really funny scenes in there. I also like that we continue to see characters that are prominent in the previous books, like Rina.

The only semi-sore point for me is the Lana-Adam relationship. I just don’t feel the spark there - unlike Lana and some of the other guys in the series, Adam just falls really flat to me. But he did open up at the end of this book and hopefully with more scenes like that, we’ll see more of the romantic side of Detective Trudeau, which will make the relationship better.

Overall, there’s not much more I can say, other than if you’re not reading this series, you’re missing out. I enjoy every page of these books and look forward to many more.

A really good cozy mystery I read in one sitting, third in a series i will definitely read the first two and look for future entries

I loved this book! Right off with the first sentence I could tell that I loved the writer's style. For me it was everything all together. It was comical and well written, the characters were interesting and well described, the story was fun and fast paced with a sense of danger, and I felt like I couldn't put it down. It was easy to identify with the main character and it was fun to hear about all the goings on with her family and the restaurant. She was able to balance managing her family, the restaurant, and the cooking contest as well as relationships with the other businesses. Her grandmother was an unexpected surprise as well. Overall, I can't say enough about this book. What a wonderful hidden series. I am excited to read others in this series.

Sweet and Sassy just like the exotic dishes at the Ho-Lee, that is how I would describe Lana Lee. Family, friends, and her job are all very important to her as is the very handsome Detective Trudeau . Part of Lana's new job duties is to help with the annual Noodle contest which her noodle house and talented cook, Peter are ready to win. Unfortunately is seems that someone has declared war on the judges since they seem to be falling prey to misfortune cookie threats in the form of quotes from the Art of War. Lana is targeted as well, most likely from her constant questioning, this isn't her first murder mystery or her second for that matter but she needs to stay on her toes when a misfortune cookie finds it's way into her purse. Lana is a spunky, funky fresh character who knows how to enjoy life with plenty of fun and friendship, definitely a girl with a mind of her own who also has a huge heart.

This is the first novel that I have read by this author. I know that this is not the first one in the series but the way that it was written you wouldn't know it. It does give references to past events but it's really just to set the environment not really to connect anything to the story. This was a quick and enjoyable read and I plan going back to read the first 2 books.