Member Review

Death by Bubble Tea by Jennifer J. Chow is the debut of LA Night Market series. We meet Yale Yee who lives in Los Angeles, and her cousin, Celine who is visiting from Hong Kong. Yale’s father asks the pair to run his stall at the Eastwood Village Night Market which will feature some items that Yale has wanted her father to add to the menu of the family restaurant. Yale will do the food and beverages while Celine will be in charge of marketing and decorations. After a bumpy start, the evening turns out to be a hit. As Yale is walking home, her cart hits an obstacle near the fountain. It turns out to be a dead woman. Yale later learns that the victim has visited their stall at the market and purchased a drink. Yale and Celine find themselves at the top of the suspect list because Celine added gold flakes to the drink (without letting Yale know). The two cousins must work together if they are going to clear their names and restore the reputation of the Yee family restaurant. I like the concept for Death by Bubble Tea. There are few cozy mysteries that feature people of Asian descent. There are mouthwatering food descriptions (I really need to find a good Chinese restaurant in my area). I was not a fan of either main character. Yale and Celine are opposites. Yale avoids technology while Celine posts pictures of food and drinks on Instagram. Celine likes fashionable clothes and high-end everything. Yale is happy to wear comfortable clothing and work in the local bookstore. Yale loves books which I can relate to, but she is also a bit of Debbie downer. She is still mourning the loss of her mother and feels that her mother’s death was her fault. The reason why Celine had to depart Hong Kong was silly in my opinion. I did not feel it warranted banishment. The mystery had several suspects along with misdirection. The clues are subtle. You never know what detail might be important. The mystery can be solved before the reveal for those who are avid armchair sleuths. I liked that there was a complete wrap up. I did feel that the medical examiner should have been more on the ball. I know it is fiction, but there does need to be realism. Certain details did not track with the supposition. I was not a fan of Yale’s old high school rival. He is an obnoxious jerk (Yale should have told his mother what he was doing). I found the pacing of Death by Bubble Tea to be slow courtesy of the overly detailed descriptions. I liked Yale’s sweet father. He is a good man with a big heart. It was interesting learning about the night market. It sounds like quite a festival with the food, costumes, games, and socializing. Death by Bubble Tea was a mixed bag for me. Death by Bubble Tea is a culinary cozy with a brilliant beverage, night market magic, a poisoned ninja, a nasty nemesis, a determined detective, enticing nibbles, and a cold killer.