I really enjoyed this book. I love cozy mysteries and this one did not disappoint me! I would definitely recommend this book. I loved all the characters and the storyline was great!

Lana Lee and her older sister Anna May travel to Irvine, California. Lana is there to attend a restaurant convention, while her sister decided to come with her, probably so she would not have to deal with her romantic problems.

They two are hosted by their Aunt Grace, who puts them up in her rental property. Grace is a journalist, and is eager to spend time with them, and plans to first take them to a swanky party so they can meet her colleagues. Lana spends the day of the party at the convention, where she watches an altercation between a fortune cookie vendor and a journalist.

Imagine Lana's surprise when that same journalist, Nora, plunges to her death from a roof at the party, and that the woman is a good friend of her aunt's.

Grace refuses to believe this was an accident, and asks Lana to investigate, which puts the two sisters even more at odds, as Anna May thinks that all that Lana has done (books 1-8) has been nothing more than indulge her flightiness and nosiness, instead of what Lana knows she did, which was to achieve some justice for the victims she knew.

Lana and Grace begin asking questions of Nora's colleagues and husband, and discover that Grace was not as aware of her friend's life as she thought she was. It also gradually begins softening Anna's and Lana's feelings for each other, as both begin to see qualities they like in the other. The sisters end up confronting the killer, and gaining the respect of the detective investigating Nora's death.

Vivien Chien has a great handle on Lana, and has allowed her to grow over the series. I enjoyed how much more confident she was, and how much better she has become at investigating, even though she was clearly suffering a lot from jet lag for much of this book. I really liked her confrontation with Anna, where she finally cleared the air between the sisters.

I enjoyed this installment, and look forward to the next.

Thank you to Netgalley and to St. Martin's Press for this ARC in exchange for my review.

In Vivien Chien's Misfortune Cookie, Lana Lee returns for another delectable cozy set in a Chinese restaurant in Cleveland, OH. This is such a fun cozy and doubly fun if you like your mysteries involving food! This is a wonderful series and I highly recommend.

Misfortune Cookie; A Noodle Shop Mystery by Vivien Chien was so much fun! I loved every moment and need more from this author ASAP please! I was truly thankful to have gotten to read this before most people! I would like to purchase this one for my physical library!

One of my favorite cozy mystery series. I enjoyed seeing Lana and Anna May outside of their usual environment -- a fun mix up for the series.

This is easily one of my favorite cozy mystery series out there. I love catching up with Lana and her friends and family. In this book I really enjoyed watching Lana grow into herself and own her desire and ability to see that justice is served to those committing crimes. She always makes me nervous for her safety, but I love reading about her every time!

I have really enjoyed the Noodle Shop mysteries by Vivien Chien, and "Misfortune Cookie" is another great title in the series. Fans of the cozy mystery genre will enjoy the sassy and no nonsense Lana Lee as she finds herself tangled up in yet another murder, this time on the road in California.

Another great installment in the Noodle Shop Mystery series and the ninth in the series just keeps getting better and better!

I am so happy that Vivian Chien brought Lana and Anna May out to my home hometown SoCal to enjoy a food convention and to visit Aunt Grace. I just enjoy reading books set where I live.

Of course being a wonderful cozy mystery, there is wonderful food and murder. i just love following them along as they figure out who the culprit is.

Misfortune Cookie is the 9th installment of the Noodle Shop Mystery Series. Another fun, cozy mystery with Lana Lee, now managing her family’s noodle restaurant. An enjoyable and quick read.

**Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an electronic ARC and the opportunity to review this book.

I received an uncorrected e-proof ARC of “Misfortune Cookie. A Noodle Shop Mystery” from NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press in exchange for an honest review. However, I regrettably let my reading of this book lapse due to a severe reading slump. So, in order to fully complete this review, I purchased the Kindle book.

I was naturally apprehensive before I began reading this book because this is Vivien Chien’s ninth novel in her Noodle Shop Mystery series, and, generally speaking, it’s not wise to pick up the last book before reading the prior novels in the series. But I knew I wanted to read it after seeing all of her book covers, and the titles that Chien picked are all marvelous. Besides, I love Taiwanese and Chinese American food.

The author did a great job of introducing her MC, Lana Lee, to readers who are “new” to the Noodle Shop Mystery series. At only one place in the text did Chien reference something from her prior books without providing a short explanation: the Mahjong Matrons. Other than this, I understood each and every single character that appeared.

Chien is an excellent writer. In just 43 chapters (and an epilogue), I became so attached to Lana that after reading the final chapter, I was a little disappointed at seeing the story end. The only criticism that I could possibly level is that the murder occurred at around the 16% mark of the book. I would have liked to see the murder occur between 10% to 12% from the beginning.

This book is exactly what I want to see out of **all** cozy mysteries: the absence or politics and racism; a light, friendly, and easy read (i.e., it’s not scary); and not being overly dramatic (other than the climax, which was awesome!).

I’ve read some of the other reviews that people have written, and some of those reviews seem to be critical of Chien’s book. The feeling that I got from those reviews was that this book, somehow, was “less” than the others. I absolutely did not feel this way when reading this novel. In fact, I figured that if people were disappointed in this book, then Chien’s prior novels must be 100% AMAZING because “Misfortune Cookie” was truly an excellent book.

Chien has earned herself a new fan, and that’s saying a lot because although I have read a few cozy mysteries, it’s not really my go-to genre. Chien has changed that for me. I can’t wait to read her other books!

A prestigious food show/conference, a fun Aunt who lives in sunny California with a gorgeous condo for Lana and her sister to use while they attend the conference and a murdered journalist make Lana and Anna May's visit filled with fun and danger. When her Aunt asks Lana to find out who murdered her friend, secrets emerge that should never have seen the light of day and Lana and her family become targets for a killer!

One of the reasons I love this series is that we see Lana Lee develop into a savvy businesswoman who is successful both at managing her family restaurant and solving crimes. It may sound like these two careers don't make sense when combined, but the author skillfully combines the two. Lana is relatable and her relationships with her family members are believable. It was fun to see Lana interact with her slightly bossy sister Anna May while solving the murder. I can't wait for the next book!

I received an ARC from NetGalley. and the opinions expressed in this review are my own.

This mystery series is a perfect cozy read, and AAPI readers will resonate with the character's family dynamics and culture. The Whodunit is well presented, and I look forward to the next book in this series.

Another great installment in the Noodle Shop Mystery series!

Lana and Anna May are heading out to California for some quality time with their Aunt Grace as well as a food vendor expo! And just because Lane is thousands of miles away from Ohio - she can still get into the middle of some trouble!

While at the vendor expo a arguement happens which inadvertently involves Lana. Little does she know that one of the people involved in that argument ends up dead later that day and it's somehow tied to her Aunt Grace! Now Lana, Aunt Grace and Anna May are in the middle of this investigation no matter how badly Anna May doesn't want to be!

Miles away from her comfort zone can Lana solve this case?

Really enjoyed this book! I did figure out who the murderer was pretty early on, but I loved the way this story unfolded. I want to see more Aunt Grace!!! Enjoyed seeing Anna May and Lana have some more tender moments in this one as well!

This is the 2nd Noodle Shop mystery I’ve read and I really liked it. I did miss some of the characters from the previous book I read - especially the mahjong women - but this book had its own charm. You get more Anna May and Aunt Grace was nice partner for Lana in the investigation. A little more Charles wouldn’t have hurt though.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc.

In this book our main character Lana is in California visiting an aunt. It took the character out of her normal setting of Cleveland, Ohio but it still captured the heart of this series which is Lana and her relationship with her family. It has been fun to see her grow as a character and find her voice.

I thought the mystery itself was so well done with just the right amount of twists and red herrings. Figuring out the motive was key. I enjoyed this one and hope to see the series continue.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for providing this ARC in exchnge for an honest review.

I have read a couple of he Noodle Shop Mysteries and have enjoyed each one. I like that I don't have to read them in order and can still not feel lost in the series.

I love Lana and how she just runs into trouble where ever she is.... even when visiting her aunt in California. If you are into cozy mysteries then I would highly recommend you pick up this series.

completely satisfies the itch for a cozy mystery novel. I'd never read any of the previous books in the series but found it easy to enter its world.

I'm so glad I had the chance to read this book since I've read others in the series. While the setting does differ from the other books (takes place in sunny southern California as opposed to Cleveland, OH), the story still captures what I love about this series: Lana, her relationship with her family (especially her sister), a great cast of secondary characters, and a mystery with the right amount of intrigue. So happy Chien wrote yet another great addition to the Noodle Shop mystery series. I look forward to the next book!

Misfortune Cookie: A Noodle Shop Mystery
By Vivien Chien
St. Martin’s Paperbacks
August 2023

Review by Cynthia Chow

Lana Lee is taking a break from her new career in Cleveland as the manager of her family’s Ho-Lee Noodle House and whisking off to attend a restaurant convention in Irvine, California. It’s admittedly a work vacation, but Lana is also going to be staying for free at her Aunt Grace’s rental property on Newport Beach’s Balboa Island. Inviting herself along for the adventure is Lana’s sister Anna May, who is basically using the trip to avoid having to deal with the situation of her not-yet-divorced boyfriend. Anna May doesn’t even wait for the plane to take off before making snappish remarks about her sister, ones mostly focused on Lana’s tendency for getting herself involved in police investigations. That’s not going to stop anytime soon, but this time it’s Aunt Grace who ends up asking for Lana’s amateur detective skills.

During her first visit to the convention Lana witnesses a confrontation between a fortune cookie vendor and Nora Blackwell, Grace Richardson’s journalist friend. When Nora fatally falls from the top of a hotel roof Lana doesn’t hesitate to declare that Nora hadn’t been up there alone and that it may not have been an accidental fall. While the aspiring lawyer Anna May advises that both Grace and Lana keep their mouths shut and let the authorities do the work, the two women sharing the genetic trait of independence and free-spiritedness refuse to allow an injustice play out. So while Anna May stress-relieves herself by cooking traditional Taiwanese dishes like Tsao mi fun, Lana wheedles her way into the home of Nora’s estranged husband, interrogates Nora’s co-workers, and even tracks down her possible boyfriend. Lana’s biggest challenge may be deciding whether to attempt to reign in her nature and follow in the more traditional lifestyles of her mother and sister, or to accept her true self and follow in the footsteps of her unconventional aunt.

This 9th in the series takes Lana and Anna May out of Cleveland’s Asia Village and away from familiar characters, allowing more focus to fall upon the sisters’ complicated relationship. As much as Lana and Anna May resemble their aunt and mother, they don’t want to share their sibling estrangement. Despite having promised her boyfriend and family that she will not again risk injury through her investigations, Lana is finally ready to accept that her “nosiness” and need to help is just a part of her being. Although Anna May had previously seemed to have lessened her “helpful” criticism of her sibling, the uncertainty in her own life has not only revived it but amped it up to new levels. The mystery keeps evolving and shifting suspects as Lana discovers more information, making this another intriguing entry in this food-filled series. The real draw here though is the growth of these two young women faced with whether to live up others’ expectations or to forge their own paths. Descriptions of delicious Asian cuisines and the sympathetic depiction of the struggle facing modern Asian women today make this a standout and very entertaining entry in a cleverly plotted, humor-filled foodie mystery.

This is a book about two women working in a noodle Restaurant. For a change they Visite their Aunt Grace. After a party, a man falls of the roof and dies. The Police think sitzt is an accident, but Aunt Grace and her nieces prove it is murder. Fun to read.