PI Lydia returns to claim the favor she asked of Lana back in Egg Drop Dead (at least I’m pretty sure that is the book). Chow Maniac ties together people from over the course of the series while introducing new people and a new mythology with the Eight Immortals.
It’s a clever tale. You won’t know who to trust. This presents a good puzzle.
The reader gets the chance to know more about Mr. Zhang, which is a good thing since he is dating Lana’s grandmother.
This book has less Megan involvement since Lana is supposed to be working with Lydia. Lana really does have a hard time with secrets, though she is not supposed to say anything Megan, Kimmy and Adam know most everything about the case.
The book makes me curious about Cleveland and its Asian population and if there is a concentration of Asian culture in specific areas. I usually know I’m deep in a series if I start wondering about the location.
I enjoy the Ho Lee Noodle House series. Lana is a flawed main character you can’t help but root for.
Thanks to Netgalley and Minotaur books for the opportunity to read Chow Maniac.

When private detective returns to the Asia Village to enlist the help of Lana Lee to help solve a rash of unsolved murders and thefts. Three murders already took place in a group of elite Asian order of the Eight immortals each member of the order holds one item that represents their Immortal counterpart and someone is dying to get their hands on them all. As they dig deeper into the case the ladies find unexpected associations within the Asia Village and potential ties to her own family that can be devastating will Lana be able to keep her own emotions out of the investigation and will the murderer be found before they become the ultimate immortal. I enjoy reading Vivian’s story’s she has the most interesting characters and story lines.

Lana is brought in to help solve the murders of several members of a secret Asian society. Lydia trusts Lana to help her figure out who is targeting the members and figure out who the killer is.

While digging into the case, Lana finds more secrets that impact the people in her daily world. Can Lana keep the secrets she is uncovering? More importantly, will uncovering the secrets expose the killer and make Lana their next target?

I have loved this series from the first entry. I love the characters, especially Kikkoman. The author writes so well that I find myself reading from their perspective of being the protagonist. I absolutely adore each and every entry in the series and this one did not disappoint. If you have not read anything in the series feel free to start with this one. It reads fine as a stand alone.

I love this series so much. Chien has created a fun community, which she broadened to other parts of Cleveland in this book. I found the little bits of history fascinating and enjoyed the new perspective. The mystery this time was more sprawling and ambitious, which I enjoyed. The pacing was solidly done, consistently moving forward without being too fast. This series is an instant read every time and I’m always looking for the next one!

PI Lydia Sheppard asks Lana for help investigating the suspicious deaths of three prominent men in the Asian community. Could it be because of their connection to a secret organization called the Eight Immortals?

As always Lana makes a few missteps but gets the job done with the help of friends and family. Love the local Cleveland setting.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy in exchange for an honest review.

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

I can't get enough of this series. Please never stop writing them. Lana furthers her skills as a investigator by actually working as one this time (sort of). Its quippy and cute with just enough mystery and bodies to keep me guessing.

The Chow Maniac: A Noodle Shop Mystery by Vivien Chien is a fast-paced, twisty addition to the Noodle Shop Mystery series that serves up danger, secrets, and a hint of mythology—all with a side of dumplings.

In this installment, amateur sleuth Lana Lee is pulled into her most intense case yet when private investigator Lydia Shephard reappears with a chilling mystery: members of a secretive order called the Eight Immortals are being murdered, and someone is collecting their symbolic items one by one. With law enforcement out of the loop (including Lana’s boyfriend, Detective Trudeau), it’s up to Lana and Lydia to stop the killer before the next “immortal” falls.

This book stands out for its elevated stakes and darker tone. Chien blends mystery with a dash of folklore in a way that’s fresh for the series, while still maintaining the quirky charm and community vibe of Asia Village. Lana’s partnership with Lydia is sharp and fun, with just enough tension to keep things interesting.

The mystery itself is layered and well-plotted, with some solid red herrings and a satisfying (if slightly over-the-top) conclusion. And as always, there’s a generous helping of family drama and cultural flavor that fans of the series have come to love.

What keeps it from a full five stars? Some of the emotional beats—especially Lana’s personal connections to the case—could have used a bit more development. But overall, this is a strong, entertaining entry that keeps the momentum going.

A must-read for cozy mystery lovers who enjoy high stakes, clever plots, and a heroine you can’t help but root for.

THE CHOW MANIAC by Vivien Chien
The Eleventh Noodle Shop Mystery

As manager of the Ho-Lee Noodle House Lana Lane has an in with Cleveland's Asian community. She also has a knack for solving mysteries. So when PI Lydia Shepard finds herself with an Asian client with claims of a secret society and multiple murders, she brings Lana in as a consultant. Lana soon learns she has more ties to this society that she knows. Surely Mr. Zhang isn't a criminal mastermind?! Will Lana be able to get to the truth before another member is killed?

I've long loved Mr. Zhang and wished, not only that he had a bigger role in the Noodle Shop Mysteries, but to learn more about him. My wishes were granted in this, the eleventh book in the series. Was it possible that Mr. Zhang was the leader of a secret organization and was killing off members who opposed him? Say it isn't so!

I love when mysteries add historical detail and little known facts to the plot. THE CHOW MANIAC is centered around a story from Chinese mythology, the Eight Immortals. I enjoyed learning about this legend and details about the Chinese in early twentieth century Ohio. While the secret society in this book may be fictional, the truths surrounding it are fascinating.

The mystery here was unique in that three of the murders happened before the start of the book and Lana is working semi professionally to solve it, though it soon turns out she does have a vested interest in solving the case! I love how Lana sticks to her guns and does what she's good at!

Infused with humor and Chinese legends THE CHOW MANIAC is a delectable entry to a fantastic series. I'm already craving the next one!

Lana Lee is working in her family’s restaurant when private investigator Lydia Shepard comes to visit. Lana owes her a favor, and Lydia needs help with a case. Lana’s reputation as an amateur investigator is pretty well known around Asia Village by now, but she’s never had a detective asking for her help with a specific case before. She is intrigued.

It turns out that the case involves a long-held secret in the Asian community in Cleveland. Based on a Chinese legend about the Eight Immortals, eight prominent businessmen started a secret society. Each man was given an artifact to represent their place in the society, and their artifact and place in the society were to be handed down to a son. Lana had no idea that this society existed, and apparently it was right under her nose the whole time.

Lydia’s client turns out to be one of the original eight in the society, and he’s worried that he might be the next target. He claims that three of the original members have been murdered in the last few months, but the police aren’t looking into them. The first one was ruled a heart attack, even though he’d never had any heart trouble. The second one fell down the stairs. The third was found in his garage, with the car still running. And this man is afraid he is next on the killer’s list.

The more Lana finds out about this secret society, the more she realizes how close it is to her family, so this case becomes personal. She wants to solve it quickly, before someone she cares about is next on the list.

The Chow Maniac is book eleven in Vivien Chien’s Noodle Shop Mystery series starring Lana and her friends and family. These books are charming and light, with strong plots, lovable characters, a strong sense of place and culture, and an adorable little pug named Kikkoman.

The plot with the secret society based on an ancient Chinese tale is a departure for this series, but I really enjoyed how Chien brought it into the present day. I loved how she built on the connections through Asia Village. I was a little concerned with Lana’s entanglement with the private detective though. Their relationship was not well balanced, with each of them keeping secrets from each other. It seemed like the investigation put Lana into more danger than the professional PI, and that troubled me. Other than that, I had a great time seeing Lana put together the pieces and find the killer.

Egalleys for The Chow Maniac were provided by Minotaur Books through NetGalley, with many thanks, but the opinions are mine.

I love this series and this one was a fantastic addition.
The Chow Maniac by Vivien Chien

A fun mystery that will keep you reading. The characters you meet, in the book, are wonderfully realistic - we can all recognize someone. Lana is relatable, smart and ready to help.
The twists were so good. I loved the story and cannot wait to read the next book.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the arc in exchange for my honest review.

Kindle Copy for Review from NetGalley, St. Martin's Press and Minotaur Books.

I received a free, advance copy of this book and this is my unbiased and voluntary review.

Rash of thefts and murders in the area has the police detective Lydia asking for help from Lena and her friends. Three Asian men who belong to secret society are found dead. What is there connection before the killer strikes aaain? It will have your noodle guessing.

This is my favorite of the series so far! I loved the addition of the history and tradition of the Eight Immortals; while I adore the mentions of the noodle shop and the Matrons, this added so much more culture to the series that I didn’t realize I thought was missing. This one felt different than the others in the series, a little more serious and a tad darker. I enjoyed Lana investigating with Lydia, while working alongside her boyfriend and not constantly being told not to do something. Highly recommend the whole series but start at the beginning to get a full sense of what it’s all about and how Lana gets started in her investigations.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Vivien Chien for providing me with a complimentary digital ARC for The Chow Maniac coming out April 1, 2025. The honest opinions expressed in this review are my own.

This is the first book I’ve read by this author! I’m obsessed with cozy mysteries! I definitely need to go back and read the other books. I think Lana is an old soul. Sometimes it felt like the story was set in a different time. I loved that Lana was really interesting and intelligent. I loved the mixed race representation in Lana. I could really relate to that. I think she and Adam work well together. I loved their interactions. I would definitely read more books by this author!

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys cozy mysteries!

It is 1901 in Cleveland, OH. Yunhao had immigrated from China a few years ago.


Lana Lee was a restaurant manager, dog mom, noodle fanatic, and donut enthusiast. As well as homicide detective's girlfriend.


There were recent deaths in the Asian community. Were these deaths related? Lana Lee and Lydia had to figure that out.


Lydia Shepard, PI, is the supporting character who caught my attention the most.


The quality of the writing was inviting and easy to read. I would recommend this book to fans of cozy mysteries. I give it 5* because I thought it was a well-written cozy mystery. I thought the title was memorable because it was catchy.


Disclaimer: I receive complimentary books from various sources, including, publishers, publicists, authors, the Libby app, and/or NetGalley. I am not required to write a positive review and have not received any compensation. The opinions shared here are my own entirely. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

Wonderful continuation of this cozy mystery series with amateur detective Lana Lee pairing up with PI Lydia to solve a series of mysterious deaths in the Asian community. Thanks to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for an advanced copy for an honest review.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books, and NetGalley for the ARC of The Chow Maniac!!

Continuing on in my cozy mystery era! This one was a really good time. I love the titles of all of the books in this series! They crack me up!
Lana is a great amateur detective and it was exciting following along on her mystery solving journey! Being the 11th book in the series, I think I lost a bit of the whole experience jumping in at this point. There were references in the book that I could tell were from previous stories.
I really did enjoy all the cultural Asian references. And Chinese food is my favorite, so the Noodle Shop setting was fantastic! I loved hearing about all the food!

The Chow Maniac by Vivien Chien (Noodle Shop Mystery #11) 4 stars

On an ordinary day, Lana Lee is walking to Ho-Lee Noodle Restaurant when she finds Lydia Shepard, PI waiting for her. She wants Lana to work with her on a case that involves the Chinese community. Lana’s insight would be helpful and she knows several of the key players involved in her case. What follows is a mystery involving several deaths, a secret society and danger. Will Lana find the real culprit or will she be just another victim?

The mystery was like a jigsaw puzzle that is slowly being put together and reveals a bigger picture. To me, this story is more like Lana finding out more about the people she thinks she knows. Characters from previous mysteries have more hidden facets than what was previously known and Lana is off her stride because of this. There isn’t a lot of action until the end to the book, but it does provide a satisfactory resolution. I enjoyed this book, but I wouldn’t say that it is one of my favorites from this series. I look forward to the next one in this series (late 2025/early 2026)

Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press/Minotaur Books for this ARC.

This is my favorite book so far in the series. One of her best for sure. I am so thankful for the ARC (and I already ordered my copy!).

Lana Lee is approached by a PI friend whom she owes a favor and the PI has come to collect. She has an Asian client who is part of a secret society whose members are being picked off one by one, seemingly with no rhyme or reason behind it. She agrees to get involved because there are some suspicious things going on around the Plaza and her grandmother's boyfriend, Mr. Zhang, appears to have a connection to the case. Lana does not believe her fellow shopkeeper could be involved in such dark dealings and puts her nose to the ground to find out the real culprit.

I really liked the character interactions in this book, especially with Lana, Kimmy and Megan. I missed her family a little in this one but the delightful supporting characters provided made up for it. I think it was interesting adding the PI to this book because Lana had a lot more information than usual and she actually seems to struggle with it.

I was very happy with the ending and happy for Ms. Chien being in remission. I hope we get many more noodle shop mysteries.

My thanks to Minotaur books and Netgalley for this ARC.

A secret society and murder! I've been a fan of this long running series from the beginning. This latest more than some of the earlier ones would be a fine standalone because it's more contained (well, sort of) than those. There were Eight Immortals in the Cleveland Chinese community when the society started but now, suddenly, the members are dying, possibly murdered. Lydia, a real PI, enlists our intrepid Lana, a very good amateur, to help her investigation because of her connections. Lana uncovers a few surprises about people she thought she knew and, as always, about herself. While the mystery is more complex this time out, I gotta say that I missed the time we usually spend with Lana's family. Fans should know that Adam and Megan are still part of the show, as is Kimmie, who as always is a pest but a valuable one. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Really enjoyed it and am looking forward to future adventures with Lana.

Lana Lee, manager of her family's Ohio restaurant, is reunited with PI Lydia Shepard in this book. Lydia reached out to Lana for help with several unexplained deaths that may be related to a secret Asian group called the Eight Immortals. Lydia's client wants her to catch the killer before there is another victim, but who can Lana and Lydia trust?

These mysteries usually make me hungry, but this time Lana has less time to spend in the restaurant so there aren't as many descriptions of delicious-sounding meals. Lana is kept busy with the investigation while trying to keep her sleuthing secret since nobody is supposed to know about the Eight Immortals organization. I was happy to see the character of Lydia return, and I love that she respects Lana's talent for investigating and requested her help. I didn't love that Lana told several people the details of their case that were supposed to be confidential. However, this allows her best friend Megan to help a little and also her childhood friend, Kimmy. I was surprised by some of the other decisions Lana makes, but it shows her determination to get to the truth of this case.

Overall, I enjoyed the book and how the plot is tied to an Asian legend. It was clever how the author worked into the current mystery, as well as various characters in Asia Village where Lana's family has their restaurant. All the clues were there as to who the killer is, but there are a few red herrings to keep things interesting. The story wraps up nicely after a dramatic showdown. From the way things end, it looks like we could hear more about the "Immortals" in future books.

I received an advance copy of this ebook for review consideration from NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and Minotaur Books, but my review is voluntary and unbiased.