Murder Lo Mein is the third book in the Noodle Shop mystery series and I think it's my favorite to date! This could be due to the fact that I love Lo Mein... In any event, this is another fantastic addition to the series and I highly recommend it to anyone who loves a culinary cozy, Chinese food, and murder!

In Murder Lo Mein, readers will become reacquainted with Lana Lee, the Noodle House (her family business), and a slew of amazing secondary characters. Things are going great in Lana's life- she has a new boyfriend (Detective Trudeau), she's finally feeling at home when shes working in her family business (she wasn't excited about it at first), and her restaurant is taking part in a competition within their village. Unfortunately, things start to go downhill for everyone when one of the judges is murdered. Lana wants to stay out of it, and many people agree with the sentiment. But she can;t't help sticking her nose where it doesn't belong and goes looking for the killer herself! Will this be the end of the Asian Village? Or will Lana catch the killer before anyone else gets hurt?

Once again, this is a wonderful series and it's filled with delicious foods! My tummy was rumbling the whole way through. I think all cozy mystery lovers should certainly take a look at it. If you don't, you are missing a real treat!

I have heard nothing but good things about this series, so I was excited to read Murder Lo Mein. It's my first book in the series, so I may have had a disadvantage in some ways. I felt like the author did a nice job of giving me the background without making it boring for someone who has read the first two books, though.

I loved that the characters were more diverse than many cozy mysteries. The mystery on its own was interesting, but I got annoyed by all the distractions and all the extraneous people. It was also aggravating to be repeatedly reminded she was an amateur sleuth as if I hadn't read it fifteen other times. I will say that the last 1/4 of the book was nicely paced, and I really enjoyed that part. I will be curious to hear from my friends who liked the first two books whether they felt this book was on par with them or not.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2739210131

Murder Lo Mein by Vivien Chien is the 3rd book in A Noodle Shop Mystery, and another fun cozy mystery. In the first book Lana Lee returns home after walking out on her job and boyfriend. Now she is running her family's restaurant, Ho-Lee Noodle House located in the Cleveland Area. Lana and her family are getting ready for Cleveland's Best Noodle contest, and Lana is excited to win. When a judge is found dead in his noodles, Lana is determined to get to the truth. I found this book to be a quick read, with a well developed plot and characters. Looking forward to the next book in the series. If you love fun cozy mysteries like I do, than I recommend this book/ and series.

I reviewed an arc from Netgalley and St. Martin's Press. Thank you.

Gosh, I love this series! Our spunky heroine, Lana Lee, is on the scene when yet another murder occurs in Asia Village and it's up to her and bestie Megan to work together to discover which of the Cleveland's Best Noodle Contest contestants decided to knock of the nasty judge, Nathan. When a second judge is knocked off, Lana has to step up her investigating so that the show may go on and Ho-Lee can (hopefully!) take home the golden chopsticks! We learn a little more about Lana's hunky boyfriend, Detective Adam Trudeau, and meet another member of the Lee family - Lana's visiting grandmother! A+

This series is spectacular, and I love that it takes place near me! I almost feel like I am just ambling along with the characters! This latest addition to the series is so enjoyable, the characters are really starting to hit their stride, and the relationships between them really make the writing realistic. The mystery was well executed and intriguing. Definitely a book that will grab you and not let go until the end.

I think this is a enjoyable, but standard cozy mystery. I think the investigating is a bit off since there's not proof of anything, she's just asking questions and mostly not getting an answers, but the story gets there in the end. #MurderLoMein #NetGalley

What is it about cooking contests that brings out the worst in people- and in this case, that's murder! Not one but two murders! And almost a third! Lana Lee is back in this third installment in a fun cozy series set in the Asia Village shopping center in Cleveland. She's running her family restaurant (in part because her grandmother has arrived from Taiwan, totally occupying her mother's time) and she's hoping that their chef, Peter, will win the big noodle contest. Then, the most important judge, Norman Pan, is found strangled. Yikes! Lana and her roommate Megan find themselves poking around, against the guidance of her love interest, Detective Adam Trudeau. Theirs, is, btw, a chaste relationship. As you can imagine, there are multiple suspects among the contestants, especially after someone else is murdered (no spoilers!). This one kept me guessing but it's charm, as with the others in the series, lies in Lana and her relationship with others- not just her family but the Mahjong ladies and the people who run other shops in the Village. Don't worry if you haven't read the earlier ones; this is fine as a standalone. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. I'm really looking forward to the next installment.

A few things you should know about me:

1. I love cozies.
2. I am a chubby Taiwanese woman.
3. I love food.

Murder Lo Mein basically checks my boxes.

This is a cute cozy that feels a bit more modern than other cozies; it’s humorous and situations don’t drag on too long. I love the inclusion of Asian characters and Chinese food; I am loving the spate of Asian protagonist lately and am super excited to read a cozy featuring an Asian protagonist!

Lana is back, getting involved in a murder investigation despite her detective boyfriend’s concerns. A contest for the best Chinese chef ends up with the murder of two people involved. A cozy with an Asian twist, a quick light read.

"The third in a tasty series, Murder Lo Mein by Vivien Chien is a delight!

Everyone agrees that the food at Ho-Lee Noodle House is delicious - unless it happens to be deadly.

Lana Lee’s stake in her family’s Chinese restaurant is higher than ever now that she’s been made manager. So when she enters Ho-Lee into Cleveland’s Best Noodle Contest, Lana makes it her business to win - at all costs. But when a local food critic receives a threatening note in a fortune cookie and is later found dead, face-down in a bowl of lo mein, all bets are off...

Now, along with her sweet-and-sour boyfriend Detective Adam Trudeau, Lana decides to take matters into her own hands and dig into the lives of everyone involved in the contest. But when she receives an ill-fated fortune, Lana realizes that in order to save the reputation of her restaurant, she needs to save herself first..."

My friend Johnnie never steers me wrong on books and this series is HIGHLY recommended by him!

The 3rd book in the series of Lana, who works in her parents' restaurant and solves murder mysteries. This one is based around a competition, and a judge gets murdered one night and another a little after. Everyone is shaken of course, and Lana is able to talk with people and then share details with her boyfriend Adam, the hunky cop. Overall I liked this one, and find her banter fun to read. I read the first one, but not the second, but had no trouble following the story. An easy cozy mystery, and would highly recommend.

Murder Lo Mein is the third book in Vivien Chien‘s A Noodle Shop Mystery series. This is an easy and fun read, with an interesting mystery, witty writing, and affable characters. This is an easy and fun read, with a solid mystery, witty writing, and well-developed and affable characters. There are twists and turns, red herrings, and multiple suspects.

Lana Lee has officially become the permanent manager of her family’s Chinese restaurant, Ho-Lee Noodle House, in Asia Village, a quaint shopping center, in the Cleveland, Ohio area. She has an older sister, Anna May, shares an apartment with her best friend, Megan Riley, in North Olmsted, has a pug named Kikko, and is dating Detective Adam Trudeau. Cleveland’s Best Noodles Contest is being held at Asia Village and Peter Huang, the head chef Ho-Lee Noodle House, is one of five contestants. When someone starts killing the judges, Adam wants her to stay away from the investigation but knows Lana has a mind of her own and won’t heed her advice. Adams right and Lana and Kimmy take it upon themselves to figure out everyone’s relationship and backgrounds, determine the source of some mysterious Fortune Cookies, and identify the murderer.

I received an Advance Reader Copy of this book from NetGalley and voluntarily reviewed it.

I enjoyed this book. I always enjoy reading about other cultures and their unique qualities, and I always learn something each time I read about them. This book was fun. I totally thought the killer would be someone else, or it would be two people. I loved hearing Adam's backstory. Great, fun read!

Cleveland, family-dynamics, friendship, law-enforcement, cozy-mystery, murder, amateur-sleuth, restaurant, contest, suspense, chef *****

Can't really say that the review is unbiased because it's in CLEVELAND and the contest revolves around CHINESE NOODLES and an amateur sleuth with a law enforcement boyfriend!
The set up to the first murder is easy to follow, the plot is ingenious and full of twists and red herrings. The characters certainly are and the publisher's blurb gives some hints but doesn't warn the reader about some of the funny family relationship things. I truly enjoyed being grabbed by the story on a rainy Sunday afternoon.
I requested and received a free ebook copy from St Martin's Press via NetGalley. Thank you!

I really like this series. I can identify with Lana, a girl who loves noodles and books. I also like the references sprinkled throughout the book from my childhood, Sesame Street and Scooby Doo and Nancy Drew. The Asian Village is having a noodle contest, but the judges keep getting killed. Lana is on the case with her trusty friends and notebook. Her relationship with Adam deepens and she zeroes in on the killer and thinks that maybe she can just be a restaurant manager instead of a sleuth, but her snoopy side will get the best of her again. I was surprised there were no recipes in liked since that's standard cozy mystery MO.

Murder Lo Mein by Vivian Chien 4 stars

This is the third book in the Noodle Shop Mysteries and each book is an improvement. This entry is the best yet. It is not often that you find an Asian American as a main character in cozy mysteries and when Death By Dumpling came out I was eager to read it. The first book was an introduction to Lana Lee, the wayward second daughter. In the first book she had just lost her job and was back working in her family's noodle restaurant. In this third entry, Lana is now managing the restaurant and seem to have settled into the job. The plot is that a citywide contest is being held to crown the best noodle chef in Cleveland. Peter, the chef at Lana's restaurant is one of the contestants. One of the judges is murdered and chaos ensues. Clues and threats abound and Lana is also on the hit list. How she investigates and finds the killer is an entertaining romp. Her supporters come in the form of her roommate Megan and her police detective boyfriend, Adam.. I look forward to the next entry in the series.

Thank you a Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for this ARC.

Though characters are being killed off at a steady pace, I still found it difficult to keep the remaining straight. If you have read the previous books in the series (Death by Dumpling, Dim Sum of All Fears), the returning characters will not be a problem, what may trip you up is the periphery that was thrown in to keep the reader guessing.

Asia Village is hosting its annual noodle contest with local participants and judges. This event has a history of brutal reviews and now with contestants holding grudges and judges being killed off after receiving fortune cookies with quotes from “The Art of War”, Lana Lee, manager of Ho-Lee Noodle House, and her detective boyfriend Adam Trudeau attack their investigations from different angles, all in the hopes of finding a killer and moving their relationship beyond being an ordinary couple.

Having enjoyed the first two books in this series, I was a bit let down by this book. With an overabundance of characters and a lack of spark that usually had me turning page, I found “Murder Lo Mein” to be a run of the mill cozy.

Lana Lee’s stake in her family’s Chinese restaurant is higher than ever now that she’s been made manager. So when she enters Ho-Lee into Cleveland’s Best Noodle Contest, Lana makes it her business to win—at all costs. But when a local food critic receives a threatening note in a fortune cookie and is later found dead, face-down in a bowl of lo mein, all bets are off. . .


Thank you to net galley and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to read this book

Lana Lee is adjusting to her position as manager of the family's Ho-Lee Noodle House. Lana and her family are convinced their talented chef Peter will win this year's Cleveland's Best Noodle contest. The first round goes well for Ho-Lee Noodle House and celebrations at the kickoff party are going well until judge Norman Pan is found strangled to death, his body found face down in a bowl of noodles. Lana's police boyfriend, Detective Adam Trudeau warns Lana off from any snooping but she can't resist even when another judge is found dead in her hotel room, To save the contest and her restaurant's chances of winning, Lana continues to question the remaining judge and contestants. Subtle warnings in fortune cookies are given to each victim and to Lana too. Is she in danger of becoming the next victim?

This was a fun, tasty and quick read in the Noodle House mystery series.

I received a digital ARC from Netgalley and St. Martin's Press with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book and provided this review.

Vivien Chien continues to amuse with her Lana Lee cozy mystery series, and Murder Lo Mein deftly maintains the consistency of the series. Lana Lee and the rest of the Ho-Lee Noodle House are ready to claim the grand prize at this year’s city wide noodle competition. When a contest judge is murdered, Lana and company are once again thrown into a homegrown tale of whodunit, with Lana snooping for secrets as well as progressing her relationship with Detective Trudeau.

If you enjoy cozy mysteries, this series is a lighthearted but well written one to try, and Murder Lo Mein is worth the read.