by Vivien Chien
Part of Noodle Shop Mystery
First published 2019
Lana Lee looks forward to representing Ho-Lee Noodle House at Cleveland's Night Market alongside chef Peter Huang. Summer stretches ahead with her birthday approaching and boyfriend Detective Adam Trudeau planning a romantic getaway. The festive evening turns deadly when the Wonton on Wheels food truck explodes. One proprietor dies and several bystanders suffer injuries. Police determine someone caused the blast deliberately. The victim's family members become prime suspects in the murder investigation. Lana teams up with best friend Megan Riley to dig deeper into the case. Their amateur detective work reveals family secrets involving abuse and disgruntled customers. Meanwhile, Lana's own family problems demand her attention. She struggles to balance the murder investigation with personal challenges threatening to overwhelm her carefully planned summer.
Genres: mystery, crime, contemporary, adult-fiction, cozy-mystery, amateur-sleuth
Vibes: character-driven, community-focused, cozy, lighthearted-mystery, suspenseful
Tropes: amateur-sleuth, best-friends-investigating, found-family, personal-stakes
Setting: Cleveland, Ho-Lee Noodle House, Night Market
Period: Summer, Contemporary
294 pages · Mass Market Paperback · St. Martin's Paperbacks
Content warnings: abuse, murder