by Vivien Chien
Part of Noodle Shop Mystery
First published 2018
Lana Lee returns to Cleveland's Ho-Lee Noodle House after her life falls apart. She picks up her apron to wait tables while her mother plays matchmaker. The building's property manager Mr. Feng dies after eating shrimp dumplings from their kitchen. Everyone knew he had a severe shellfish allergy. Police treat the death as murder and investigate the entire restaurant. Media attention threatens the family business while a detective keeps ordering takeout. Lana realizes someone deliberately used their dumplings to kill Feng. She must identify the murderer and understand their motive before they kill again. The family's reputation and livelihood depend on solving the case quickly.
Genres: mystery, crime, contemporary, adult-fiction, cozy-mystery, amateur-sleuth
Vibes: cozy, engaging, fast-paced, humorous, suspenseful
Tropes: amateur-detective, family-secrets, found-family, reluctant-protagonist
Setting: Cleveland, Ho-Lee Noodle House
Period: 21st-century, contemporary
390 pages · Hardcover · Thorndike Press Large Print
Content warnings: death, murder