Fourth book in this wonderful entertaining series.Lana her family friends develop in each episode beloved revisiting them and always a mystery to solve.Looking forward to next book in series.#netgalley#st.Martinsbooks

Wonton Terror is the fourth book in the Noodle Shop mystery series by Vivien Chien. Due out 27th Aug 2019 from St. Martin's Press, it's 320 pages and will be available in ebook and paperback formats.

This series was pretty strong from the start. Protagonist Lana Lee is a 20something trying to find her way independently and working in her very close knit family's noodle shop. Over the series, she's become (somewhat) unwillingly entangled in several mysteries. This entry in the series has much the same form as the others, a tragic accident (or was it murder?), lots of back history in her extended family and their families, interactions with her family and best friend Megan, and handsome cop boyfriend Adam.

Despite (or maybe because of) all the cozy mystery tropes, the book was such a fun read. From the punny title, to the oddball secondary characters, to the completely off the wall murder, to the denouement, it's a fun and comfortable read. The author is technically sound enough to make it read well, with a plot driven narrative that doesn't rush or lag; the pacing and tension are precise and controlled. I really care about Lana and her family. They're close (sometimes too close) but they have a good and functional and loving relationship with one another.

I sometimes get a fleeting thought about the setup and whether I should be so comfortable about the setting being written in an Asian shopping center with lots of tourist trade almost like an Asian theme park. I wonder if I should be bothered that it doesn't bother me. My take on this is: the characters are varied, they aren't depicted weirdly or in an especially racist/stereotypical manner. They aren't all good guys or bad guys or anything like that. They have close, healthy family relationships and in fact, one of the themes of earlier books in the series is that main character Lana is the target of harassment for not being 'really' Asian since her dad is Caucasian. Anyhow, I don't think it's weird, and the series is delightful.

The language is clean (PG, an occasional damn, nothing worse), there's a little romance, but nothing to scandalize, and the denouement is satisfying. I worry for poor Lana, being mixed up in all these murders. It reminds me of poor Jessica Fletcher; "It's ok, Aunt Jess, don't come to the wedding, we don't want anyone dropping dead in the punch bowl"!

Five stars. Entertaining, escapist, fun reading.

My Review:
This series started off entertaining and delightful and keeps getting more so as each new book is released. Lana and her family are what I consider a typical American family no matter the ethnicity. They have their drama and yes sometimes everyone within 20 feet hears that drama but at the same time, they love just as deeply as they disagree. Lana wants to be independent and live her own life but her mom has a hard time letting go. I think a lot of young woman from close-knit families find in their twenties that is a common growing pain. I know I did.

You will be craving everything from wontons and dim sum to Asian noodles as you read. I admit I have never had dim sum and it isn’t for lack of want. I’m just not sure where to get it in my city. Lana makes it sound very delicious.

The only wish I had for this series…recipes for some of the dishes. I am a sucker for trying recipes that are included in my cozy mysteries.

Whether you are looking for a delicious read or a murder mystery, Wonton Terror is the book for you.

I received a complimentary copy of the book from the publisher, St. Martin’s Press, through NetGalley. Any and all opinions expressed in the above review are entirely my own.

Thanks to the publisher, via Netgalley, for an advance e-galley for honest review.

The short version is yes, love it, give me more of this series. Vivien Chien has been doing a great job coming up with good characters and a memorable setting (when characters mention the length of time to drive somewhere, I keep having to remind myself that Cleveland is a decent sized city, not just the strip mall that Lana's family restaurant is in), and with unique and interesting plots for her characters. The Noodle Shop mysteries are by far my favorite cozy series currently being published, and the one I've been recommending most. With young characters that act age appropriately, this is the perfect series to pick up if you're interested in trying cozies.

It is the first night of the Cleveland Night Market festivities and Ho-Lee Noodle House has a booth manned by Lana Lee and chef Peter Huang. But the night takes a deadly turn when the Wonton on Wheels food truck explodes, killing owner Ronnie Chow and injuring several bystanders. The police soon conclude the explosion was deliberately set. Ronnie's wife Sandra and their son Calvin become prime suspects.

Lana and her best friend Megan set off to find who is responsible for Ronnie's murder and there are a number of possible suspects. Was rival food truck owner Winston angry enough with Ronnie to kill? Did Sandra's mechanic brother Gene's dislike of his brother-in-law lead him to murder?

Meanwhile, the Lee household is full of tension and drama when Lana's Aunt Grace arrives in town for a visit.

This was another good read in the Noodle Shop Mystery series.

I received an eARC via Netgalley and St. Martin's Press with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book and provided this review.

The night market should have been a happy, profitable way for small business owners, including Lana's family and the Chows, to make money and meet new customers but noooo. Sadly, the Chow's food truck- Wonton on Wheels- explodes, killing Ronnie and injuring his wife Sandra. Lana, our intrepid amateur investigator knows there must be more to the story. This is one of my favorite series because of the characters- including Lana- but don't worry if this will be your first as Chien is great at setting the scene. Lana's family- sister Anna May, her mom, her grandmother, and now her aunt Grace- are terrific, as is her room mate Megan and her sweetie Adam, a police detective. Lana knows something isn't right with the explanations she's getting and she doesn't understand why her mother is no longer great friends with Sandra's friend Ruby Lin, why Calvin Chow has come back to town, what's up with his uncle Gene and she knows, just knows that Sandra didn't set a bomb in the food truck to kill her husband. This is light fun cozy reading, set in Cleveland, with great references to Chinese food (nothing particularly exotic but still it made me hungry) and enough little twists to keep you guessing. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. I'm really looking forward to the next one.

I’m still a major fan of the Noodle Shop series and I’m eagerly anticipating and dreading the next one — it’ll be the last, I think!

Wonton Terror retains and improves upon all the reasons why Vivien Chien’s Noodle Shop series works as a cozy mystery series. This installment is complete with shady characters, family drama, and lots of appetizing food!

Full review on my blog https://afomaumesi.com/wonton-terror-vivien-chien-review/

"Wonton Terror" by Vivien Chien is the 4th installment in the " A Noodle Shop Mystery" series. I haven't read the previous 3 but I am now looking forward to reading the previous 3 books.

I really enjoyed this book and the setting of Cleveland, Ohio although a big city it was set in the Asian community. I always like when I can picture the setting or neighborhood. Makes for fun and often quirky characters

The Protagonist Lana Lee is well developed. The side characters such as her a roommate and BFF Megan are likable. We also get introduced to her aunt Grace (sister dynamics through the generations) was realistic. I have a Asian friend who is a total foodie and I can picture her in the story. She goes out to eat A LOT trying different things and like the Lee family her friends and family meet for Dim Sum every week too.

The story was well paced, full of twists and turns. I found I couldn’t put the book down as I wanted to know who the killer was. It did touch on a sensitive matter "domestic abuse" but it is something that is still out there in today's society sadly.

Highly recommended. A wonderful book from an author I will definitely follow in the future. When the next installment "Egg Drop Dead" comes out February 2020, I will be sure to add it on my TBR pile.

I requested and received an Advanced Reader Copy on the book from St. Martin's Press and NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own

I love coming back to this series. Maybe it is all the food talk or maybe it is the main character that seems to bumble her way through her amateur sleuthing, but there is something charming about Lana Lee and the input from the Mahjong Matrons. Maybe that could be a second series for Vivien Chien, something centered on the matrons who breakfast together and supply a fountain of knowledge from the comfort of their favorite booth.

The first outdoor Asian Night Market of the summer is in full swing when an explosion rips through the event. Turns out that propane tanks on food trucks can be tricky and when a body is found in the rubble, a man who was seen fighting with his wife, starts everyone gossiping when it comes to light that the two had a contentious marriage and on a previous occasion the police had gotten involved. Is it possible that his death was intentional?

It isn’t until Lana, with her murder book and overcurious mind, starts putting the clues together and asks one too many questions, do the pieces fall together and once again Lana’s life is on the line.

Wonton Terror is the fourth book in Vivien Chien’s A Noodle Shop Mystery series. This is an easy and fun read, with an interesting mystery, witty writing, and affable characters. This is an easy and fun read, with a solid mystery, witty writing, and well-developed and affable characters.

Lana Lee is the manager of her family’s Chinese restaurant, Ho-Lee Noodle House, in Asia Village, a quaint shopping center, in the Cleveland, Ohio area. She has an older sister, Anna May, who is in law school, shares an apartment with her best friend, Megan Riley, in North Olmsted, has a pug named Kikko, and is dating Detective Adam Trudeau of the Fairview Park Police Department. Lana and Peter Huang, Ho-Lee Noodle House’s head chef, are working the first Asian Night Market of the summer when they hear a large boom and Peter pushes Lana to the ground to protect her as flames erupted from Wonton on Wheels, a food truck owned by Sandra and Ronnie Chow. Lana is determined to figure out who caused the explosion and death of Ronnie, and as she delves into his life, the more suspects she discovers. Cleveland Police Department’s Detective O’Neil is assigned to the case. As Lana looks into things, she shares her theories with Adam, hoping he’ll find merit in them and share them with Detective O’Neil. Meanwhile, Lana’s Aunt Grace, her mother's sister, visits, and since they don’t get along, there are lots of uncomfortable family gatherings.

I received an Advance Reader Copy of this book from NetGalley and voluntarily reviewed it.

Lana Lee is back in another enjoyable installment in the Noodle Shop Mystery series. I love the family dynamics of the Lee family. This time around, we get to meet Lana's Aunt Grace, her mother's sister. It was fun to meet her and see the sibling relationship she has with Mama Lee. I really enjoy the relationship between Lana and her sister Anna Mae. Having a sister of my own I can relate to the somewhat competitive nature of the two. Lana's romance with Adam is also progressing nicely, even though she has a knack of trouble finding her even when she is just going about her own business.

The mystery was well done and handled in a well considering it involved domestic abuses. There are plenty of suspects to choose from and while the identity of the killer was not a surprise, it was enjoyable to read as Lana works through the clues to come to a resolution.

I really enjoy this series and always finish a book having been entertained for several hours. I will definitely continue reading this series.

I voluntarily read a digital ARC provided to me by the publisher, St. Martin's Press, through NetGalley.

**
Wonton Terror is the fourth installment of the Noodle Shop Mystery series. Lana Lee, the amateur sleuth, manages her family’s restaurant. She lives with her best friend Megan—a bartender—and is dating a cop, Adam, who she presumably met on a previous case.

This story opens with Lana and one of her cooks, Peter Huang, running a booth for the restaurant at Cleveland's Night Market. During a lull in business Lana notices the son of her mother's old friend arguing with his father at their food truck. A short time later, the food truck explodes, killing the owner, Ronnie, and injuring several others. Ronnie's wife Sandra becomes the top suspect in the explosion, so Lana begins to investigate to try to clear her mother's friend's name.

The theme of this book seems to be family issues—Lana with her sister, Lana’s mother with her sister (Lana’s aunt), the owner of the food truck with his wife and son and his wife’s brother. Most of the issues are the usual family bickering, but, for some (Ronnie and Sandra), it goes much deeper into the issue of domestic abuse. This can be a difficult subject for some and I wish the author had put in an afterword about where victims of domestic abuse could find help. There are hotlines available for this and I wish the author had included them.

I was also a little confused as to why Lana’s family, who own a restaurant, went to so many other restaurants to eat out—which it appears they did often. I can understand it once in a while, but it seemed almost every other chapter involved them eating out at another restaurant.

Things I liked: It was an interesting story with a different kind of amateur sleuth (Chinese) and the dynamics of Lana’s family. It was a unique read. The mystery was fair with ample suspects.

Things I didn’t like: It was a little slow with too much emphasis on Lana’s family dynamics. They were always bickering and it got old after a while.

Recommendation: Overall the story was okay, but I probably won't add the series to my list of must-buy cozies. It was good, but just didn’t grab me hard enough to make me want to go out and get more.

Thanks to Netgalley for the free review copy.

I will start this off by saying that I really enjoy this series by Vivien Chien! This is the fourth book of the Noodle Shop Mystery series. This book had everything I was expecting, but it wasn't as thrilling as its previous installments. The mystery itself was initially interesting, but there was something missing that kept me from loving the storytelling this time around. I kept wondering what the motivation was for Lana Lee to be invested in this certain mystery. Lana kept telling us what her motivation was, but it seemed as if that was a meh explanation, I never felt like she was emotionally invested in the investigation. In the previous novels, the mysteries were somehow connected to her and the noodle shop. This installment was lacking that personal investment, and the major theme of Domestic Violence didn't appear as major as one would expect. Lana was floundering a bit towards and the middle and the end of the book. Despite not being wowed by this one, overall I did enjoy the family aspects of the book, and the ending was good. I am invested in the noodle shop, so I definitely will be reading the next one. Thank you NetGalley and the publisher St. Martin's Paperbacks for my advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

I received this ARC via NetGalley and St. Martin's Press in return for an honest review. This is the fourth book in this series and easily read as a stand-alone. Lana Lee returned home and now manages her parent's restaurant, the Ho-Lee Noodle House, in Cleveland. As part of a new Friday night out scheme, Lana participates at a food tent in the weekly Cleveland Asian Night Market as one of the food vendors. Things go well until the food truck next to her tent explodes! With a person killed by the explosion, the Asian community is stunned to learn that it was murder, not an accident. Then, the next week, a similar explosion is set off in the trashcan by Lana's food tent. Given that she's been asking lots of questions, was this a warning or an attempt to silence her permanently?
Add in a stress-filled visit by her mother's sister, Aunt Grace, and Lana's boyfriend, Detective Adam Trudeau, trying to plan a weekend get-away for her birthday. Lana's got her hands full with solving the murder, keeping her aunt and mother from going after each other, and finding time with Adam!

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.

Wonton Terror is the fourth installment in the series, and Lana Lee is investigating the explosion of a food truck owned by friends of her parents, Ronnie and Sandra Chow while set up at the night market where Lana’s restaurant was also taking part. Ronnie was killed in the explosion, and there is enough foul play to suspect that the victim was murdered. It has been rumored that the Chow’s were having financial problems and the explosion may have been due to insurance fraud. However, Lana’s grew up knowing these people and knows that they are upstanding and honest. Their son, Calvin, is interested in Lana, but Lana is dating her dream man and is only interested in Calvin to get questions answered in her own investigation.

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.

I was captivated by the description of this book. I am so happy I gave it a try. This not the first in the series but I had no trouble falling right into it. I enjoyed every page.
Yes, it dealt with some very series issues in today society but still maintained the cozy feel.

I would definitely read more in this series.

Thank-you Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read and review this book. I am not required to post a positive review. I chose to.

Before this book, I had never actually heard of the term “cozy mystery,” which is “a subgenre of crime fiction in which sex and violence are downplayed or treated humorously, and the crime and detection take place in a small, socially intimate community.” (Thanks Wikipedia!)

This book definitely fits the bill! It’s a sweet mystery, a lot more innocent than the mysteries and thrillers I’m used to reading where there is sex and explosions on every other page. But I thoroughly enjoyed it. Perhaps it’s because I kind of relate to Lana Lee, the main character and amateur sleuth. We both love doughnuts, pugs, and can’t keep plants alive. And while I’m not Chinese, I am asian and the characters in the book felt familiar to me, like characters out of my own life. Especially the mahjong

Plot wise, there’s not a whole lot of action, but the cast of characters is great and I liked how the story arcs that didn’t directly deal with the mystery at hand still seemed to fit cohesively. After finishing another book that left more questions than answers at the end, I was happy with out easily (and plausible) this story wrapped up.

Oh, and the descriptions of food made my mouth water and my stomach crave dim sum.

I will definitely be reading the author’s previous works and might have to dive into more cozies in the future!

What a great series! Lana Lee is investigating a murder of a food truck owner, managing her successful family restaurant - the Ho-Lee Noodle House- refereeing between her Mom and her Aunt Grace all while trying to avoid a killer!

You can't help but love Lana Lee! She's complicated, smart, loyal to family and friends and has a curiosity that sometimes leads her to trouble but also helps bring criminals to justice. The relationships between Lana and her family were easy to relate to and who hasn't had that awkward family dinner and her friendship with her investigating buddy and roommate, Megan, made the book even more enjoyable. There is romance, but the mystery takes "center stage". The supporting characters - her law student sister Angie, her Mom and Dad, her grandmother, sophisticated Aunt Grace, Peter & his mother Nancy and of course The Mah Jongg Matrons were wonderfully written and each added their own flair to the book. I enjoy reading books where the supporting characters are developed as much as the main character and the author did a fantastic job!

The story was fast-paced and in the end, all the pieces of the puzzle naturally fell together. I can't wait to read the next book!

I received an ARC from NetGalley for a fair and honest review of this book.

I received a free copy of WONTON TERROR (Book 4 of the Noodle Shop Mysteries) by Vivien Chien in exchange for an honest review. Lana Lee is settling in as the permanent manager of her parent’s restaurant, Ho-Lee Noodle House. Lana’s excited to participate in Cleveland’s Asian Night Market in an effort to boost visibility, and hopefully patronage, of the restaurant. When one of the food trucks explodes and kills one of the vendors, Lana is injured and emotionally traumatized by the event. After suffering nightmares, Lana deals with her trauma by trying to figure out what and who caused the incident. The more Lana looks into the life of the deceased, the more suspects Lana finds. Throughout her investigation, Lana has to cope with her mother’s contentious relationship with Lana’s aunt while Lana and her own sister struggle to maintain a cease-fire. Can Lana simultaneously navigate both her family drama and the investigation, or will the whole thing blow up in her face?

I enjoy this series and found this book to be entertaining. I recommend this book to fans of Vivien Chien, to fans of the series, and to fans of cozy mysteries involving restaurant themes.

#WontonTerror #NetGalley

Lana Lee has grown a lot since we first met her in Death by Dumpling. She is now the manager of her family's restaurant, Ho-Lee Noodle House Restaurant. She is in a relationship with Adam, a policeman and life is going pretty well. Now that her maternal grandmother has come to live with her parents, her mother has lots to focus on. Then her mother's sister, Graces arrives and tensions grow between the sisters. While the family deals with each other at home, Lana and her chef. Peter are involved with the summer food event, Asian Night market, a mix of food booths and crafts, running a booth serving food from Ho-Lee. On the first night all does not end well when a wonton food truck explodes, killing the owner and seriously injuring his wife and Peter's mother. When Lana finds out that her parents have a past relationship with the victim and his wife, she starts her own investigation. It goes from the original verdict of accident to murder and his wife becomes the prime suspect. As it occurred out of her boyfriends jurisdiction, he stays on the sidelines this time.
It's always fun to hear more about the regular restaurant's customers along with both old and new merchants of the Asian Village. Lana's roommate and best friend, Megan, aids her in her investigating. The mystery was well plotted and I guessed wrong as to the killer. This series has become more polished and this entry definitely earns my five star rating. When the next mystery, Egg Drop Dead, comes out February 25, 2020, I will be sure to have it on my TBR list.

This was another fun book from Vivien Chien! Lana continues to be a great protagonist and I love that things progress for her in each book (so many cozy series protagonists remain static but not Lana!) There's a great amount of humor in this one as well, plus some of my favorite side characters were back. Overall, this is a series that I plan to stick with!