Vivien Chien is an author to look out for in the cozy mystery genre! "Hot and Sour Suspects" is a fun investigation with quirky characters. This is the first book in this series that I've read, so I really appreciate how well drawn the characters are. They each have their own voice and personalities and are easy to keep track of. And the mystery takes lots of twists and turns as well!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an electronic copy to read in exchange for an honest review.

I love this series and this installment is just as fun as the ones before! Lana and Megan are once again murder adjacent. The prime suspect is a friend and they are in a race to clear her name before ots too late.

Speed dating sounds like a hot idea to bring more customers to the Ho Lee Noodle House, located in the Asia Village, Fairview Park, Ohio. Even restaurant manager Lana’s mom is supportive of the idea, after all you must pay to play, but it turns sour when one player is found dead after his date, leaving Rina on the top of the suspect list. Kimmy and Megan are quick to suggest that they sleuth out the suspects while boyfriend/Detective Aidan, as always, requests that she be careful. It isn’t like she goes looking for trouble, oh wait yes she does and usually ends up stumbling right into it. As always, Vivien Chin delivers an entertaining cozy with a sassy sleuth, supportive sidekicks, a little romance, and a lot of clues to sift through. Looking forward to the next one, although you should know that this is a stand-alone with plenty of back story sprinkled throughout.

Hot and Sour Suspects by Vivien Chien is the 8th book in A Noodle Shop Mystery series, and another exciting adventure. Lana Lee is the manager of her family's restaurant, Ho-Lee Noodle House located in Cleveland, Ohio. I found this book to be a quick read, with a well developed plot and characters. I love Lana's relationship with Adam, and her quirky family. Looking forward to the next book in the series. If you love fun cozy mysteries like I do, than I highly recommend this book/ and series.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Another delicious, light-calorie murder mystery. Enough to keep you up reading, without having to check your door and window locks very few minutes. Great weekend read, just make sure your favorite Asian restaurant is delivering.

This is my favorite cozy mystery series and I had so much fun reading this one! I loved the setting of the speed dating contest! This was another great addition to the series. I adore Lana as the main character/sleuth and feel like she has really grown as the series progresses. I look forward to reading more and more of this series!

I adore Vivien Chien's writing and I just love this series. I know that Vivien has been going through some medical issues and you can really feel the emotion is this book and the frustration. This series has made me so happy the last two weeks, and I really hope that Vivien is going to continue with it! I would be lost without Lana, her BFFs Megan and Kimmy, and her detective boyfriend, Adam!

This is one of my favorite series, and I just adore Lana. The characters are like old friends and really add to this series. The mystery in this particular book kept me guessing until the end. I enjoyed seeing Megan and Kimmy hate each other a bit less. I am looking forward to the next book in the series.

Reading a book by Vivien Chien is like visiting a favorite place or an old friend. The characters, families, and friends once again meddle in a whodunit, while risking their own lives. For fans of cozy mysteries/series.

Lana has promised she won't get involved in another police matter, but then her friend Rina is accused, and Lana is positive she isn't guilty. How to help without getting involved? That's when best friends come in handy.

I read Hot and Sour Suspects as an advanced reading copy from Net Galley, and the series was brand new to me. What a winner! I loved everything about this cosy mystery. I love the characters; Lana Lee and her mixed race family reminds me exactly of my ethnically and racially mixed family. The secondary characters, no matter how infrequently a part of the narrative, are so skillfully sketched that the reader immediately gets a sense of their personality and the relationship dynamics (e.g., Lana's grandmother). The dialogue and relationships between Lana and her sister, Lana and her roommate, Lana and her boyfriend the policeman, etc. are all very realistic and engaging. I adore the fact that the author was creative in how she gets Lana involved in the murder. Rather than relying on Lana simply pumping her boyfriend Adam for information he shouldn't tell her as he's a policeman working the case, Lana (and the author) respect his professionalism and keep him out of the picture. After last month's disaster Bear Witness, where the police investigator slept with the amateur detective/suspect and told her police information she should never had been told, to have Lana and Adam's relationship treated so professionally, so respectfully, so realistically, was delightful. Kudos, Ms. Chien! The story itself moves along at a pace fast enough to keep reader interest despite Lana doing things like actually working at her job (I hate it when the main character is able to drop everything to go haring after clues, as if jobs and commitments didn't exist) and having Sunday dim sum with her family. Absolutely enchanted with this series, and I will absolutely be looking for the rest of the Lana Lee books to read.

This is actually the first book in the series I read--I normally don't hop in mid-series, but to be honest, I wasn't paying attention. :-) Either way, I'm SO GLAD I decided to check it out. Lana's a fun character. I like her boyfriend and roommate, and the mystery kept me guessing without being completely unbelievable at the end.

Review based on ARC.

Hot and Sour Suspects is the eighth book in the Noodle Shop Mystery series. I have read every other book in the series, so I was excited to get my hands on this one. In this installment of the series, a speed dating event turns deadly after one of Cleveland’s most eligible bachelors ends up dead…with Lana’s friend as the prime suspect.

Something that stood out in this installment is the character development. Chien does a great of depicting each character in a realistic way, particularly when it comes to their shortcomings. The characters jumped out of the page, and I’m not sure if it has to do with Chien’s writing this time around, my familiarity with the series, or a combination of the two. For example, I found Anna May’s subplot to be intriguing based on how Chien intertwined it with Lana’s own feelings about her older sister. It was equal parts Lana recognizing her sister’s “flaws” while also acknowledging that her perception of her sister was not entirely accurate. The same could be said for the dynamic between Lana and her friend, Rina Su. It was nice to catch up with old faves like the Mahjong sisters and the rest of the Ho-Lee Noodle House crew. Overall, this was an enjoyable read due to both the character development that took place and the mystery as a whole.

Thanks to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for an advance reader copy of the book.

Amateur gumshoe Lana Lee is tangled up in a mysterious murder. This time (yes it has happened before) the person accused of the crime is one of her close friends. Of course, she needs to clear her friend’s name, but Lana’s boyfriend just happens to be a cop – to whom she has sworn to not become involved with another crime. But seriously, Lana can’t just watch from the sidelines, she has to take action.

Besides, Lana feels like it is her fault because she hosted a speed dating night at her family’s restaurant. The one she manages in the Asian Village in Ohio. The turnout for the event was much more than anyone expected. Including Kimmy – a friend that is pushy and prone to doing crazy things and Rina, a new friend that now lives and works close to Lana.

Trouble began when Rina and one of the men at the event really hit it off. An ex-girlfriend caused a scene, Rina and the man left together. The next morning Lana learns that Rina’s date has been murdered and Rina is the prime suspect. Lana, and her best friend and roommate Megan along with Kimmy are determined to find the real killer before someone else dies.

Hot and Sour Suspects is a delightful cozy mystery. Lana and her friends are fun characters that will entertain readers from start to finish. There is love, action, deception and a glimpse into Taiwanese culture. There are gems to be found throughout the chapters, such as “Life can be tough. You have to be tougher”.

I really enjoyed this book. It is the first book I have read by author Vivien Chien. This is book 8 in the series, but works very well as a standalone novel. I do plan to go back to the beginning of the series as I am anxious to read about the life and evolution of the main characters. I highly recommend this book.

DISCLOSURE OF MATERIAL CONNECTION: I have a material connection because I received a review copy for free from the Author and Netgalley and the author in exchange for a fair and honest review. Copyright © 2022 Laura Hartman

I did not realize this book was the eighth in a series. I am not sure if I will read the others in this series.

A really good cozy mystery and I liked how it was a different y main character. Lots of humor and funny incidents and you definitely don’t need to read other books in the series to enjoy. I’d welcome reading more books in this series.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc.

I've come to realize that cozies are my real comfort food. It was exciting for me to first read Vivien Chen's Noodle Shop Mysteries and to find an Asian American sleuth. Lana has a Chinese mother and a WASP father and has taken on managing their family's noodle shop. She has a bossy and seemingly perfect older sister and a fun, loyal best friend/roommate. Lana also has the bad luck of somehow being in the wrong place at the wrong time = every time.

Not only does Lana discover the dead bodies, she often has a connection to the victim. Her homicide detective boyfriend tries to get Lana to stop interfering with investigations but the best anyone can do is to try to keep her safe.

This time, Lana undertakes a dangerous investigation - and it is a delight to trail her throughout!

This was a different story with much of it set in a Chinese restaurant. Best friends Lana and Megan are trying to help their friend Rina who is a suspect in the murder of a man she met at a speed dating event at Lana’s restaurant. They have several adventures while they are doing this. Lana also is dealing with “The Aunties” and some issues with her sister.

When Lana Lee and her best friend Megan Riley set up a speed dating evening at Lana’s family’s restaurant, Ho-Lee Noodle House, they have no idea another friend, Rina, will be suspected of murdering the man she meets at the event.

Rina needs Lana’s help to figure out what happened…and the circumstances are anything but ideal. Rina looks like the most likely killer to the police. But Lana and friends are on the case and are not about to give up until they figure out who the real culprit is. With the background that shows up when they start to investigate Rina’s date, there is no dearth of suspects either.

Ms. Chien has created a wonderful cast of characters and an intriguing mystery to solve. Lana is a very appealing protagonist, and the reader will love being a part of this circle of smart, strong women.

I look forward to more Noodle Shop Mysteries from this talented author.

In Hot and Sour Suspects the 8th book in Vivien Chien's Noodle Shop Mystery series, Lana Lee and her friend Megan are holding a speed dating night in the Ho-Lee Noodle House.. When their friend Rina calls to say her date is dead it is up to Lana, Megan and their other friend Kimmy to prove Rina's innocence.
Multiple suspects, Lana's sister's office romance problems, Lana's police detective boyfriend who would like her to not investigate and the curious Mahjong Matrons all add to the intrigue and fun.
The epilogue is rather reflective and Chen's personal note about her health setbacks have the reader sending positive thoughts her way.
I received this from Net Gallery for an honest review.