Cover Image: Fatal Fried Rice

Fatal Fried Rice

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Member Reviews

This is the first book I've read in the last couple of weeks that I really liked. I could easily tell by the fast pace I was turning the pages.

The usual people in Lana's life help out her latest investigation including the Mahjong Matrons. Would like to see them help out more in the future, especially in action. I enjoyed the read and the fact that the author puts in bits and pieces about being a first generation American and the expectations on the children of immigrants, but doesn't use it to create drama. Both Lee daughters have Caucasian boyfriends and the parents seem to accept it with grace.

The one shortfall here was the lack of credible suspects. While the why, how and motive unravels for us as the story goes on there is definitely a lack of whos/suspects which would have made this a richer mystery. The ultimate explanation seemed a little weak too.

Still, I enjoyed my visit with Lana and crew. I received my copy of Fatal Fried Rice from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

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If only Lana Lee could not discover a dead body, but then there wouldn't be the Noodle Shop Series. I love Lana and her ability to stumble on dead bodies whether at Asia Village or outside. In this story Lana is taking a cooking class to surprise everyone and the teacher is murdered. Because of the suspicion on her Lana decides to investigate. This is not my favorite in the series. I felt like I knew who the murderer was early on. I still love Lana though and will continue to read any book Vivien Chen writes.

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Suffice it to say, I’m a huge fan of the noodle shop mystery series. I recommend this series to friends, family, colleagues, and this, the seventh installment in the series, is a wonderful jewel to the Vivien Chien crown. Have you seen these covers? Jewels! I really enjoyed Fatal Fried Rice.

As an avid reader of the series, I do have a few thoughts on the series as a whole. In terms of Lana and Adam, they’ve been together for seven books now and it feels like they are still at the beginning of their relationship. Lana has made several comments through the series about not texting him back or ignoring his calls. This doesn’t seem natural or healthy. With each book I worry more and more that she is going to dump him because it doesn’t look like their relationship is going anywhere. No one is saying engagement or move in together but there should be some growth for them or Lana should break up with Adam rather than keep stringing him along. Lana has a much stronger and more natural platonic relationships with Megan, Peter, and even Kimmy than she does with Adam. He feels forced, just to tick the romance box.

Secondly, let’s talk about the paper stock of the books. It’s clear that books 4 and 6 were printed on different paper. They felt stiffer and it was harder to comfortably lie them flat as mass markets. If it’s possible to keep the same paper type as books 1,2,3, and 5, I’d highly recommend it.

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I received a copy of this book from St. Martin's Paperbacks and Netgalley.

Lana decides to take a cooking class because she's sick of being mocked by her family for not being able to cook Chinese food.

So she takes class and because this is a cozy mystery she stumbles across the body of the instructor.

Now a horrible detective is on the case who is absolutely convinced that she had something to do with it.

This is the seventh book in this series but it works just fine as a stand alone.

I love Lana's relationship with her family and the series is a lot of fun.

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I received this ARC via Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press, in return for an honest review. This is the seventh book in this series and easily read as a standalone. Lana Lee is out of her depth Since taking over as the manager of her family’s Asian restaurant, she’s tired of her sister teasing her about not being able to cook Asian food. Keeping it quiet, she signs up for a class as a local adult education center. Things start well until Lana returns after the first class, having forgotten her ingredients list, and discovers the teacher has been murdered! The lead detective is a pompous jerk who’s certain Lana and the school custodian are, somehow, in on the murder. His turning up at Lana's restaurant the next day lets the ‘cooking’ cat out of the bag for Lana’s family as she’s a prime suspect. Lana’s determined, along with her best friend, Meghan, sometime friend, Kimmy, and detective boyfriend, Adam, to clear Lana’s name and find the true killer. Adam’s less enthusiastic about their amateur sleuthing team’s involvement but he also thinks the case detective is short-sighted and ready to pin the blame on Lana. The series has traditionally been set in the plaza of Asian stores that the Ho-Lee Noodle House occupies. Moving this story out of that setting allows a nice change of location and pace. Lana usually goes where angels fear to tread; while that, of course, occurs again in this book, she does run through a logic process on why she should or should not do something instead of rushing in completely blindly. Ms. Chien is a welcome voice and perspective on the traditional cozy. Lana is modern, intrepid and always has fun adventures. My one point of absolute amazement is how, with her diet, she never seems to gain an ounce. She must be a super hero!

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“Fatal Fried Rice” is the seventh installment in the Noodle House mystery series featuring Lana Lee. Lana has signed up for Asian cooking classes in order to surprise her coworkers and family. She discovers the body of her teacher and becomes one of the prime suspects after butting heads with the lead detective.
This is a stronger novel than “Killer Kung Pao,” the sixth in the series. Lana flails around much less in this book, and doesn’t jump to as many conclusions. In fact, she may jump to too few conclusions, leading her to land in trouble once again.

The plot in this one is a bit weaker than in other books, too, as is the killer’s motive. Lana once again disregards the advice of several of her friends, relying on her somewhat questionable instincts and luck to serve up the killer. Lana is a lot of fun to read about, though, as are her relationships with her friends, family, and Asian Village community. This may not be the life and career she chose, but she’s made it work for her.

Recommended.

I received a free copy from NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press in exchange for an honest review.

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Thank you Netgalley for the advanced reader copy of Fatal Fried Rice by Vivien Chien in exchange for an honest review. Lana Lee, manager of Ho-Lee Noodle House, the family restaurant. Lana is taking a Chinese cooking class, as she can't really cook. After the first lesson, she goes back into the classroom. The teacher, Margo, is dead with a knife in her back. Lana decides to start sleuthing.
I hope you feel like a wild ride. The adventures Lana has in finding the killer are hilarious. It was a fun read and I am glad I have read some of the past books.

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I have a hunch that this is a well written book, but I couldn't get past the first couple of chapters. I had a hard time believing that a person who manages her family's asian restaurant has a secret; that she can't cook asian food and no one else in her family knows about it. Even if she isn't good at cooking, if they are having her manage her restaurant, I'd think they would know.

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Lana Lee returns for another delectable cozy set in a Chinese restaurant in Cleveland, Ohio in Vivien Chien's Fatal Fried Rice… Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read this book. This was a good book to read.

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was unable to read this, didn't realize it was apart of a series. my bad.......................................................................................................

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Kindle Copy for Review from Net Galley and St. Martin’s Press.

I received an ARC of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Lana Lee has more than she bargains in this next installment in this next installment in the series. Who knew that fried rice could be fatal other than the dead victim? Once again our amateur sleuth will save the day and find the killer before they strike again.

A fun and enjoyable read in the noodle shop series. Chinatown will never be the same again.

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Lana Lee wants to surprise her family by being able to cook in her family’s restaurant, so she signs up for an Asian cooking class at a local school. Aside from the teacher, Lana is the only Asian person in the class, making her feel even more self conscious. Determined to succeed, Lana realizes she forgot the shopping list for the next class and heads back inside to get a copy before the instructor leaves. What Lana finds is her instructor laying over the cooking station with a knife in her back.

When the detective on the case comes to the Noodle Shop looking for Lana she certainly does surprise her family when they find out she was not only taking cooking lessons from someone outside the restaurant, but Lana is also a suspect. Rather than letting a bad detective frame her for a murder she didn’t commit, Lana, Megan and Kimmy are on the case and hoping Lana’s luck hasn’t run out yet.

This is a fabulously fun series and I always get a kick out of the titles. The author has a great sense of humor and writes a solid whodunit each and every time! While each book serves fine as a stand alone, you will definitely want to read the others as well. Enjoy the series and put in an order for take out so you can hunker

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Another excellent Noodle Shop Mystery. Great characterization with a detailed, fun plot. Lana Lee just cannot seem to keep out of trouble but she is great at solving crimes! I enjoy these so so much.

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