by Vivien Chien
Part of Noodle Shop Mystery, book 13
First published 2026
Megan plans the perfect surprise birthday celebration for her best friend Lana at Ho-Lee Noodle House. She fills the family restaurant with friends old and new, but the evening takes a dark turn when an unwelcome guest arrives. Lana's college ex-boyfriend shows up uninvited, sparking a heated confrontation with her current boyfriend, Detective Adam Trudeau. The party recovers its festive mood until Lana's former flame is discovered dead in the dumpster behind Asia Village. Adam becomes the prime suspect when witnesses recall his angry words with the victim and notice his unexplained absence during the party. Even Lana cannot account for his whereabouts. Suspended from duty, Adam loses access to police resources while his partner Matthew Higgins investigates alongside Chief Tom Riceton, who demands quick results to avoid Internal Affairs scrutiny. Adam must depend on his detective instincts and Lana's amateur investigative talents to solve the murder and prove his innocence.
Genres: mystery, crime, contemporary, adult-fiction, thriller, detective
Vibes: dramatic, engaging, fast-paced, intriguing, suspenseful
Tropes: amateur-detective, false-accusation, forced-proximity, found-family
Setting: Ho-Lee Noodle House, Asia Village
Period: 21st-century, contemporary
320 pages · Mass Market Paperback · Minotaur Books
Content warnings: death, murder