ABOUT THE BOOK:
The Ho-Lee Noodle House takes its business to the next level―only to end up in hot water.
It was supposed to be a fancy, intimate dinner party by the pool. Instead, Lana Lee’s first-ever catering event turns into full-course madness when a domestic worker is found dead. Is the party’s host Donna Feng, the sweet-and-sour owner of the Asia Village shopping plaza where Ho-Lee is situated, somehow to blame? That’s what Lana―whose plate is already plenty full with running the restaurant, pleasing her often-disapproving mother, and fretting over her occasionally-serious boyfriend Detective Adam Trudeau―must find out.
Before the police arrived at the crime scene, Donna had entrusted an odd piece of evidence to Lana: a thumb drive shaped like a terra-cotta soldier. Now it’s up to Lana to lead her own investigation, digitally and in real life, into a world of secrets involving Donna’s earlier life in China, whether the victim had a dark agenda, and if the killer is still out there. . .and plans to strike again.
MY REVIEW:
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Egg Drop Dead by Vivien Chien is a 2020 St. Martin’s Press publication.
Fantastic! This series just keeps getting better!
Lana’s first catering job is for a fancy dinner party, hosted by Donna Feng. But things go horribly awry when Donna’s Nanny is found dead. Donna once again becomes a prime suspect, and is counting on Lana to solve the mystery, while somehow managing to keep her secrets from coming to light. Lana promises to help, but soon finds herself in way over her head …
If you have been following this series, you’ll remember Donna from the previous installment. She’s an intriguing character and I was happy to see her character return. I’m loving the way Lana is progressing with her sleuthing skills and how realistically she approaches this case, knowing she won’t be able to work this one all on her own.
While part of the charm of cozy mysteries is in touching base with the recurring characters, often times the mystery elements run in the background, and can be a little thin. That’s not the case with this series though. This mystery was very well plotted and almost had the tone of an old-fashioned crime drama. It was really good!
Chein creates a nice balance between the Lana’s sleuthing and her personal life, which complements the series’ fresh contemporary approach to the cozy genre.
Overall, I enjoyed this latest installment and am eagerly anticipating the next book in the series.
GRAB YOUR COPY HERE:
https://www.amazon.com/Egg-Drop-Dead-Noodle-Mystery-ebook/dp/B07WF36RHJ/
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/egg-drop-dead-vivien-chien/1131253890
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Vivien Chien first started writing simple stories about adventures with her classmates when she was in elementary school. As she grew up, her love of books and the written word increased, leading to the attempt of her first novel at age 16. After many struggled beginnings and several different genres, she found her passion in the mystery world.
When she's not writing, she can be found frolicking in the bookstore or searching for her next bowl of noodles. She has a soft spot for doughnuts, a healthy love for coffee, and an extreme need to participate in random acts of crafting.
She currently lives in Cleveland where she is hard at work on the fifth book in her Noodle Shop series, and writes side-by-side with her toy fox terrier.
