A fun cozy murder mystery set in Chinatown. Lana Lee is busy keeping her family's restaurant afloat, and decides to get some self care and get her hair colored. While at the salon a freak blackout interrupts her day, and when Millie (a litigious woman with MANY enemies) winds up dead from a freak electrocution during her foot bath, Lana is sure it is foul play.

Lana is determined to find out the truth and prove that Millie's well known enemy June Yi is not the murderer, the only problem is Millie does not want her help.

Fun read that made me super HUNGRY!

I like this series. Killer Kung Pao delivered exactly what I was expecting of it and I had fun reading it. I actually liked the slight twist with the whodunnit and, as always, I enjoy seeing Lana's interactions with her friends and family. A solid cozy read.

Great book! It’s a quick, light, fun read and kept me interested from cover to cover. I would recommend it.

I was reading Death by Dumpling, the first book in this series, when I saw this digital advance available and immediately put my request in.

Reading a Noodle Shop Mystery is like visiting the home of your adventurous friend. And a little bit like I Love Lucy, once someone tells Lana to butt-out, you can guarantee Lana is all in and we get to go along for the ride.

Although Lana goes headfirst into danger, with loving parents, her best friend bar tender roommate, and hunky detective boyfriend, Lana has more than enough support to take on the strain.

A fun cast of characters to spend time with, I'm really looking forward to the next book in this series. Emotionally satisfying, lighthearted mystery. Thank you, St. Martian's Press and NetGalley. for the chance to read this digital advance copy of the newest Noodle Shop Mystery.

Killer Kung Pao: A Noodle Shop Mystery
By Vivien Chien
St. Martin’s Paperbacks
August 2020

Review by Cynthia Chow

No one is more surprised than Lana Lee herself to discover just how well suited she is to run her family’s Ho-Lee Noodle House Chinese restaurant in Cleveland’s Asia Village. That doesn’t mean that she still doesn’t embrace her little rebellions though, with the most visible declaration of individuality being her ever-changing hair color. Lana has most recently decided that her next mother-exasperating shade should be a very non-traditional young-woman’s gray, a distinct change-up from her current pink. Lana’s hope for a relaxing experience at the Asian Accents hair salon is crushed by the arrival of two lifelong rivals arriving for appointment at the same time, especially since it just occurred after the women’s fender-bender in the Asia Village parking lot. It’s just another lawsuit Millie Mao plans to file against Tea and Bakery owner June Yi, who recently accused Millie Mao of cheating at mahjong tournaments. So when a nail lamp falls into Millie’s spa chair foot bath and shocks the woman to death, the obvious suspect would of course have to be June. That is also simply too obvious and too dumb a mistake for the combative but wily June to have made, leading Lana to the conclusion that June must be innocent. The investigating police - which includes Lana’s boyfriend of six months Detective Adam Trudeau - disagree, and it’s not long before June’s twin sister Shirley begs Lana to get involved and help. Lana has managed to build herself a reputation as being nosy and willing to get involved in Asia Village business, although eternally optimistic Lana would prefer to consider it simply being a good neighbor and citizen. With her boyfriend and disapproving mother counseling her to leave it to the police and Lana’s enthusiastic roomie wondering why they are hesitating at all, it’s not long before Lana finds herself juggling restaurant duties, an upcoming Village sidewalk sale, and being a relationship consultant for her friends.

Bi-racial with a big “white guy” father and a conservative Taiwanese mother, Lana has grown comfortable in Asia Village and its traditional community. Gossip and meddling is an accepted part of life among the Mahjong Matrons, so Lana’s questions and search for information about the abrasive Millie Mao will not raise too many eyebrows. Long held secrets are still shared between the close-knit neighbors though, and many are willing to act desperately to protect them. This sixth in the series can easily serve as an entry point for new readers, setting up further paths and plots that can be explored in the future. Lana’s very proper and ambitious attorney sister is dating one of the law firm’s partners, and Anna May’s secretiveness has all of Lana’s antennae twitching that something shady is going on. The highlights of this series are the Lee family’s boisterous and delicious family dinners, especially now since Lana’s Hokkien-speaking grandmother has moved to the Asia Village and builds relationships of her own. This Asian American community is a unique setting for this entertaining mystery series, and readers will enjoy the diverse culture, hilarious adventures, and lively dialogue instigated by a very engaging lead character.

I volunteered to read this book, through netgalley in exchange, for an honest review. This book is well written and the characters are described well. The pacing of this story is good. Although I would recommend, reading the first book, in the series to get to know the characters better. The characters are great. The author's writing style makes you feel as if you are the characters in the book. I really enjoyed this author's book. I highly recommend this book to anyone and everyone. This book is in stores now for $7.99 (USD).

Vivien Chien delivers again with Killer Kung Pao! Our favorite restaurant manager/amateur sleuth brings to the table mystery, humor, and entertainment to this continuously amusing cozy mystery series. Chien once again does a wonderful job of storytelling and developing the family dynamics of not just the main characters but the recurring major players.

Killer Kung Pao by Vivien Chien is another fantastic installment that keeps your mind churning with ideas of whodunit.

Could June Yi really have murdered someone?
Lana Lee and Megan are back once again to try and figure out who else could have killed Millie Mao. For Lana, that is hard to figure out, seeing that she needs to whittle herself through the long list of people. She is excellent at doing this with a typical case. This case is anything but ordinary for her to figure out. Lana is doing her best with all the clues that various people gave her. She is also trying to clear June's name from any wrongdoings.

The Mystery
Millie Mao is the victim, and under normal circumstances, the way she died could have been accidental. At the Asian Village, nothing is normal, especially when Lana is near the crime scene. Not only does Lana have her hands tied with trying to shift through the clues, but so does Adam. I have to admit that I guessed right the first time but talked myself out of it because I couldn't figure out the motive and thought it was stupid that the person I thought did it would do it. Then I thought I was right with another one, but the reason was weak. I applaud Ms. Chien for stumping me once again!

5 Stars
Killer Kung Pao by Vivien Chien is a great book that is entertaining and puzzling at the same time. Ms. Chien does a great job of making me feel bad for Lana regarding this new character in the village who doesn't like Lana. I am giving this five stars and recommending it to anyone that loves cozy culinary mysteries.

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy from the author. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Thank you for dropping by! I hope you enjoyed this review of Killer Kung Pao by Vivien Chien.

Until the next time,
Karen the Baroness

If you would like to see other reviews like this one, check out BaronessBookTrove.com.

Killer Kung Pao by Vivien Chien is the 6th A Noodle Shop Mystery. It can be read as a standalone if you are new to the series or have skipped a book. Lana Lee is the manager of her family’s restaurant, Ho Lee Noodle House in Asia Village in Fairview Park, Ohio. She is also on the board of directors for the village. Lana is twenty-eight years old, shares an apartment with her best friend, and likes to frequently change her hair color. She is dating Detective Adam Trudeau when their schedules allow. Lana is looking forward to spending Friday evening with her roommate and boyfriend. Before she can leave the restaurant, Ian Sung approaches her. He wants Lana to coordinate the upcoming sidewalk sale for Asia Village. Then Lana witnesses a fender bender between the toxic June Yi and rude Millie Mao. Lana’s plan for Saturday morning is getting her hair colored at Asian Accents. Unfortunately, Millie and June happen to have appointments scheduled at the same time. Millie ends up dead and June is at the top of the suspect list. Despite Lana’s intentions to stay out of this investigation, she gets roped in by June’s twin sister, Shirley. The suspect list consists of people who were at the salon that morning which leads to some uncomfortable questioning since Lana knows them. No one likes to be suspected of murder by someone they know, or watch grow up. There are several viable suspects, good clues, and misdirection. I like how the crime was committed. I found this whodunit a cinch to solve. I thought the pacing was a little slow. I had a hard time staying engaged which is a shame because I really enjoyed the last A Noodle Shop Mystery. I like Lana Lee and the other characters in this series as well as Asia Village and the close-knit Asian community. I just think the series needs a little more oomph to take it from okay to wow. I like how Lana’s roommate knows when something is upsetting Lana by how many donuts she brings home. All of us who stress eat can relate. There is humor sprinkled throughout the story that will have you chuckling. The food descriptions had me craving my favorite Chinese food plus glazed munchkins. Killer Kung Pao is a charming cozy mystery with a desperate dye job, a fender bender, a sidewalk sale, delectable donuts, fiery foes, a scolding sister, and the Mahjong Matrons.

4.5 stars

This is the sixth book in the A Noodle Shop Mystery series by Vivien Chien.

Lana Lee is just wanting to get her hair colored a nice gunmetal gray and when she goes to the salon she sees two of her neighbors from Asia Village who got into a fender bender the day before having words inside the salon. Suddenly the power goes out and Mildred is dead and no one knows who could have done it. The main suspect’s sister asks Lana to prove her innocence but June is not exactly her BFF but she does it anyway.

Lots of hijinks in this and the suspects even wander onto the ladies of the Mahjong Matrons. This is a fun series to follow and I am totally hooked on Lana and the Mahjong Matrons. Definitely a series I want to continue with. Great characterization and family dynamics.

If you like cozy mysteries, definitely check this one out. You won’t be disappointed.

I received this as an ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) in return for an honest review. I thank NetGalley, the publisher and the author for allowing me to read this title.

I heard about the Noodle Shop Mystery series earlier this year and was immediately intrigued by the titles and covers! When I saw Killer Kung Pao by Viven Chien on NetGalley, I knew I had to read the book and give the series a try. I wasn’t sure if they had to be read in order, but I took a gamble and was so pleased with the story.

Killer Kung Pao is the sixth book in this series, but luckily you can read them out of order without too much issue. There were some references to events that happened in other books in the series, but you didn’t need to understand them to follow this story and its specific details.

In this book Lana Lee (the leading lady in the series) finds herself wrapped up in a murder mystery. This seems to be an unfortunate, regular occurrence for her, but she loves to play the role of detective and find out what actually happened. I found this incredibly amusing considering her boyfriend is an actual detective working the same case.

The story takes place within the Chinese community of Cleveland, Ohio. The majority of events occur in a business complex called Asia Village, where Lana manages her family’s Chinese restaurant. There’s also a bakery, hair salon, and many other small, family-owned businesses.

One Saturday morning, as Lana is dying her hair another bold, beautiful color, something sinister happens at the salon and a well-known individual within the community ends up dead. Lana is immediately suspicious, and even though she promises herself she won’t get caught up in another personal investigation, she finds herself tracking down leads and uncovering secrets in order to find the truth.

I found the story to be well-paced and entertaining enough, even though there wasn’t a major twist. There were more than enough characters involved, which kept you guessing as to who was guilty. At times it was a little confusing trying to keep track of everyone, but for me, that only added to the mystery of the unknown killer.

Killer Kung Pao was a quick read with lots of dialogue and a great, built-out cast and community of characters. I enjoyed the book from start to finish, and definitely want to go back and read the first five books in the series to learn more about Lana and her story.

Thank you to the publisher, St. Martin’s Press, for an electronic copy of this book via NetGalley. Killer Kung Pao came out on August 25, 2020 and can be purchased wherever books are sold.

Killer Pedi
Killer Kung Pao is the sixth book in Vivien Chien’s A Noodle Shop Mystery series. This is an easy and fun read, with a solid mystery, witty writing, and affable characters. There isn’t any graphic violence or adult situations, but there is some adult language. (3.5 stars rounded to 4 stars)

Lana Lee is the 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, who is in law school, shares an apartment with her best friend, Megan Riley, has a pug named Kikko, and is dating Detective Adam Trudeau of the Fairview Park Police Department. Ian Sung, Asia Village’s property manager, approaches Lana and “asks” her to be in charge of the end of summer sidewalk sale. June Yi, co-owner of Yi’s Tea and Bakery, is involved in a minor automobile accident in Asia Village’s parking lot with Millie Mao. Not long after the accident and Millie’s threat of filing a lawsuit against June, Millie is electrocuted while receiving a pedicure at Asian Accents, and June, who is also there, becomes the prime suspect. June’s twin sister, Shirley, insists June is innocent and asks Lana clear her sister’s name, and reluctantly agrees.

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

Cleveland's Asia Village is shaken when Millie Mao dies in a suspicious accident at the salon. A long-standing feud between the victim and June Li makes June the leading suspect. Luckily, amateur crime solver and noodle restaurant manager Lana Lee was on the scene, and June's twin sister begs Lana to prove her sister's innocence.

I've wanted to read the Noodle Shop Mysteries for a while, and when I saw this newest addition to the series, I decided to dive right in! It was definitely easy to jump into Asia Village and Lana Lee's circle without reading the first five books. Lana is a lovable protagonist, and this book has all of the twists, quirky characters, and delightful food descriptions that make cozy mysteries so fun! Some of the mystery elements felt a little too formulaic for me, but I'm definitely interested in going back to the beginning of this series.

Killer Kung Pao by Vivien Chien is the sixth in the A Noodle Shop Mystery. Even though this is book six, it could be read as a stand alone since Ms. Chien does a terrific backstory sprinkled in the story so you aren't lost.
As with all in this series, you are taken to Cleveland's Asia Village. The main characters are likeable, you get just enough of supporting
characters, some which are a bit quirky.. There is humor and romance. Plot twists will have you guessing until the surprising end.
Lana just wants the week end to start and spend some much needed time with her boyfriend, Adam, a police detective. Leaving work on Friday evening, she sees a fender bender in the parking lot which led to threats from each of the involved towards each other. Unfortunately for Lana, she knows both of the women. The next day, Lana just wants to have her hair colored when both of the parties show up in the salon. When a pedicure turns deadly, all fingers including Lana's, point to June being responsible but her sister insists she couldn't have done it. Lana is asked to prove June didn't do it and is once again pulled into an investigation. When she and her room mate, Megan starts digging into all the clues, Lana wonders if she will ever get her hair finished or will she be next.
I was given an ARC by St Martin"s Paperback and NetGalley for an honest review.

3.5 Stars

Lana Lee is very busy managing her family’s Chinese restaurant in Cleveland, Ohio while her sister Anna May interns at a nearby law office. The manager of Asia Village where the restaurant is located then puts her in charge of the summer sidewalk sale and her mother wants her to update the look of their noodle house. She takes a break to try out a new color for her ever-changing hair and ends up a witness to murder. Neither the victim nor the prime suspect, June Yi, have been a friend to Lana, but she agrees to look into the murder to see which of Millie Mao’s many enemies is the real killer.

This is the sixth book in this series, which I have been following from the beginning. I enjoyed the book, but it isn’t up to the usual standards of this series. Lana is as likable as ever, taking on whatever responsibilities are necessary to help her family, friends, and in this case someone she doesn’t even care for. Her out-going, fun roommate Megan Riley is there to help in the investigation even when Lana’s police detective boyfriend doesn’t want her getting involved. This installment allows us to learn more about the Mah Jong Matrons, who appear in every book but haven’t played a large role in the stories until now. I also enjoyed the minor subplot with Lana’s chef Peter and his girlfriend and Lana’s childhood friend Kimmy.

The victim had some many people she didn’t get along with and Lana does a good job of finding and questioning several suspects instead of assuming the obvious one is the killer. There is a clever twist at the end that I enjoyed. The downside of the book is that after a large build-up as Lana investigates many suspects throughout Asia Village and beyond, the ending is abrupt. I was expecting more follow-up on the clues Lana had uncovered when instead the killer is revealed and the book ends soon after that. It was all a little too rushed. Not everything is resolved by the end of the book, and I assume the major loose end regarding the secret Lana’s abrasive sister Anna May is keeping will be addressed in the next book. I think this book could stand alone for readers who are new to the series. However, those who like Lana will want to go back to the prior books to get to know her better.

~ Christine

How is it that we are already on the 6th book in this series? It feels like I just started reading it a few months ago….but I haven’t. I read the very first book before it came out and fell in love with this series.

I adore Lana Lee and all the murdery goodness of the Asia Village not to mention every book I read leaves me craving Chinese food and I don’t even like Chinese food but I would kill for some noodles about three chapters in to every single book!

Every time I see that Vivien Chien has a new Lana book coming out, I just automatically add it to my TBR and my review calendar because they are quick easy reads with a good mystery and a fun heroine, how could I not read them?

Summary
Lana Lee is feeling stressed. Between updating her family’s Chinese restaurant, the Ho-Lee Noodle House, orchestrating a weekend long sidewalk sale for her restaurant and the other businesses in the Asia Village, and lending a sympathetic ear to just about everyone in her orbit, she’s beat. Unfortunately, things are about to get even crazier for poor, overworked Lana.

June Yi, co-owner of Yi’s Tea and Bakery, has never been known for having a good-natured disposition, and those that deal with her tend never to cross her. But she meets her match when she rear-ends mahjong player Mildred Mao in the parking lot of Asia Village. Mildred is not only as nasty as June, but she also happens to be a little sue-crazy. When June refuses to pay up just the way Meredith demands, she threatens her with a lawsuit that could end up jeopardizing the Yi’s bakery business.

So when Mildred is found dead at the beauty salon, no one needs three guesses to come up with June’s name, but June’s twin Shirley insists on her sister’s innocence. Enter: Lana Lee.

Once again, Lana must gather the clues and rumors surrounding Mildred’s demise, and figure out whodunit. But with so much stacking up on Lana’s plate, and too many familiar faces becoming suspects, Lana may be about to get the shock of her life..(summary from Goodreads)

Review
One of the things I love most about this series is it has a small town feel to it. Sure it’s set in Cleveland but the Asia Village truly feels like it’s own little world separate from the hustle and bustle of the ‘big city’. I wish I could go to this shopping center in real life and just people watch and wait for murder to happen, because there is always a murder just waiting to happen in Asia Village or at the very least some serious drama.

I think that’s one of the things that I love most about this series, is the crazy little Asia Village and all the drama with the shop owners. It totally draws me in every time and plays to my nosiness and I am 100% ok with that.

The characters are memorable and just quirky enough to be lovable and to stand out in your mind. I can easily recall Lana Lee the second I see the name and can start to see her crazy hair colors appear in my mind from the very beginning. I just love her and it’s been so fun seeing her evolve throughout the books. I am so glad this series has continued and I will definitely be sad when it comes to an end but for now I think we have a few more Lana books to look forward to.

This mystery was of course another fun installment to the series. Though I was able to figure out who the killer was early on, it was still fun trying to discover the motive and the evidence with Lana. Throughout the series I have really loved the Mah Jong Matrons. They are in every book and yet we haven’t really explored their characters beyond them being the Asia Village town gossips. In this book we get to see more of them and explore their characters a little more and I enjoyed that quite a bit.

Once again this was a great installment to a beloved series with great characters. I never read a Lana novel and feel disappointed. They are quick reads and a nice escape from mundane life. You can definitely jump around in the series do if you haven’t read some of the other books that’s ok, each book focuses on a new mystery and the author does a great job catching new readers up!

Book Info and Rating
Mass Market Paperback, 304 pages
Expected publication: August 25th 2020 by St. Martin’s Press
ISBN 1250228301 (ISBN13: 9781250228307)
Free review copy provided by publisher, St Martins Press, in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and in no way influenced.
Rating: 4 stars
Genre: cozy mystery, detective novel, mystery

KILLER KUNG PAO by Vivien Chien
The Sixth Noodle Shop Mystery

June Yi and Millie Mao are two of the most unpleasant people to be found in Asia Village. When the duo are involved in a minor fender bender Lana Lee knows it will be the talk of the village, especially after lawsuit happy Millie leaves via an ambulance.When June and Millie both wind up in Asian Accents, Lana's wish for a peaceful relaxing day seems impossible. Before her hair is done, a scream rings through the salon...a woman is dead and Lana is about to be involved in another murder.

How far would you go to help someone you didn't like? June is one of the most disliked people in Asia Village and everyone believes she's guilty. Could it be that obvious? Lana has her doubts. Lana's insatiable curiosity coupled with the heartfelt plea for help from June's sister leads Lana Lee into another murder investigation.

I've always liked Lana and I like her even more after this sixth Noodle shop mystery. She's willing to take on so much, Asian Village's sidewalk sale, her friends' relationship crisis, her mother's demands for Ho-Lee Noodle House, and another murder. It would be easy to stay out of it and let the police decide the nasty woman everyone disliked is the murderer. But it takes strength of character to look into things and try to find the truth. No matter how much we love and believe in someone niggling doubts will still arise. Many of the characters in KILLER KUNG PAO are faced with this dilemma, including Lana. This doubt and the moral dilemmas faced here increase the anxiety and raise the tension creating a thought provoking and exciting read.

KILLER KUNG PAO has more twists than a mahua and had me gasping in shock at the ending! I absolutely love this character driven series and can't wait for Lana's next adventure.

Many thanks to the publisher for this advanced review copy. All opinions are mine.

Cozy mysteries are one of my very favorite genres, and this series - The Noodle Shop Mystery series by Vivien Chien - is one of my very favorites in this genre! This latest installment, Chien's sixth book, was an absolute five star hit for me.

Lana Lee has her hands full managing her family's noodle shop in Cleveland's Asia Village. Not only does her mother task her with updating the restaurant's decor, but she's also in charge of the Village's end of summer sidewalk sale. When Lana finds herself mixed up in another nasty murder (while getting her hair done, no less!), she adds "solve a crime" to her long list of duties!

I always look forward to Lana's latest crazy adventure. Chien has such a great voice - funny and smart - that brings her characters and setting to life on the page. I also find myself very hungry whenever I read these books! I adore all the characters - Lana, her roomie and fellow amateur sleuth Megan, her detective boyfriend Adam, and of course her family: her sister, with whom she is constantly sparring!, her supportive dad and demanding (but loving!) mother, and her delightful grandmother. The cast of supportive characters is also really vivid and fun and bring a lot of life to the story, I also really love the Cleveland setting, and especially Asia Village, I would definitely want to hang out there (especially at the noodle house!).

Cozies are my comfort reads and this one hit the exact right spot!

Lana Lee is back and busier than ever. Between leading a summer sidewalk sale for the Asia village, a collection of shops and restaurants including her family's own noodle shop, and updating the look of their noodle shop at her mother's request, Lana has her hands full. On her way to drinks, she witnesses a fender bender that sets off a nasty feud between two strong willed women in the Asia village community. However no one could predict that just a short time later, one of the women would be found murdered at the local hair salon. Lana witnesses the murder as well as June Yi, the victim's sworn enemy and the other individual involved in the fender bender. When Lana is approached by June's sister Shirley to help clear her sister's name, Lana jumps at the chance to conduct another investigation, however she must tread carefully as her boyfriend is the homicide detective assigned to the case. While he has made his feelings towards Lana's involvement in the case clear, Lana can't resist investigating and enlists the help of her friend Megan. The pair begin questioning members of the community, winning them the ire of their neighbors as well as the killer.
The sixth and newest addition to the noodle shop mysteries is a cleverly plotted who dunnit full of quirky characters that continues to surprise me. While the series contains many of the classic elements of the cozy mystery genre, it also has many unexpected and delightful additions. The Mah Jong matrons are featured more heavily in the plot, giving readers some insight into these mysterious regulars. The suspects and clues are presented in a clever manner without too much explanation or confusion, allowing readers to investigate right alongside Lana. The conclusion included a bit of a surprising twist and while there are plenty of loose threads, these will hopefully be explored in the next addition to the series, which I am eagerly anticipating.

Killer Kung Pao is the 6th Noodle Shop mystery by Vivien Chien. Released 25th Aug 2020 by Macmillan on their St. Martin's Press imprint, it's 304 pages and available in paperback and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately.

This is a cozy series featuring a sweet heroine who is a manager of her family's Chinese restaurant. The main character is plucky and loyal but she's not too saccharine sweet or perfect. When faced with nasty racist meanness and attitude, she's not above a few sarcastic digs in her own defense. At the end of the day, she's a genuinely likeable protagonist and I've really enjoyed this series thus far.

The background story is well interwoven in the book, and it works as a standalone without needing to have read the previous books. (I can heartily recommend them as well, if you're looking for a new light cozy series to binge read)

It's a little longer than most cozies at over 300 pages but the plotting is tight and it doesn't drag. The clues are well interspersed in the narrative and the book follows the 'rules' for amateur detective fiction. Lately I've gotten my fill of southern catering homestyle bookmobile cat loving bakery shop ladies; this young woman with a great best friend, brightly colored changeable hair, and good relationship with her parents is such a breath of fresh air. There's a lot of warmth and humor here. The book is relatively clean, with only a sprinkling of 'hell' and 'damn' and nothing more objectionable than implied consensual overnight stays from her boyfriend (a police detective) in the book. Definitely safe-for-lunch reading at work.

It was a delight to read and I'll keep up with the series. Only downside, I've been craving noodles. I've gotten takeaway sesame pho three times from my favorite Vietnamese restaurant after work in the last week! (They love me there).

Four stars, delightfully fun light cozy mystery.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.