Misfortune Cookie is the ninth book in the Noodle Shop Mystery series. This time Lana Lee, who manages her family's restaurant, leaves Cleveland to attend a restaurant convention in California. For that reason, I think it would work well even if you haven't read prior books in the series. Even though they don't get along, Lana's sister Anna May insists on going with her and they'll be staying with their mom's sister, Grace. Even though Lana has promised her best friend and her boyfriend that she will take a break from her amateur sleuthing, she can't help but get involved in another case when a friend of their aunt is killed.

I wasn't sure how I would feel about the change in setting for this story, but I liked it. I enjoyed getting to know Aunt Grace and without the rest of the family around, Anna Lee toned down her criticisms and complaints a bit and actually worked well with Lana as she tried to get to the truth of the murder. It was interesting seeing Lana investigate the murder outside the familiar territory of her hometown and she proved that she was up for the challenge. I really liked this book, especially the dramatic ending. I'm hoping Lana and Anna Lee can continue their truce once they return to Cleveland. I would rate the book 4.5 stars.

I received an advance copy of this ebook at no cost from NetGalley and St. Martin's Press, but my review is voluntary and unbiased.

Through NetGalley, I received a free copy of MISFORTUNE COOKIE (Book 9 of the Noodle Shop Mysteries) by Vivien Chien in exchange for an honest review. Things have settled down for Lana Lee. It’s been awhile since she’s been involved in a mystery, so she’s all healed up from her last dalliance with danger. Without consulting Lana, her mom registers Lana for a restaurant vendor convention on the west coast, so with little notice, Lana finds herself winging her way toward Irvine, California. Thankfully, Lana’s Aunt Grace is willing to play hostess and save Lana some money on housing. Lana’s intrigued to get a glimpse of how Aunt Grace is when not interacting with Lana’s mother. When one of Aunt Grace’s best friends dies in an apparent suicide following a contretemps at the convention, Aunt Grace implores Lana to figure out what actually happened. As it turns out, no matter how far Lana flies from home, she just can’t outrun trouble.

I liked this book and enjoy the series. I recommend this book to fans of the series and the series to fans of cozy murder mysteries featuring tightly-knit ethnic communities and small businesses.

Lana, now officially manager of her family’s restaurant, the Ho-Lee Noodle House, is headed to sunny Irvine, California to attend a restaurant convention with her sister, Anna May, along for the ride. They are staying at their aunt Grace's rental condo, and it will be nice to spend time with her. Lana thinks the convention will be boring, but it turns out to be anything but, when Lana witnesses a dramatic cat fight between a fortune cookie vendor and a journalist. The next evening, the girls accompany their aunt Grace to a swanky cocktail party hosted for the freelancers of Southern California. But on the night of the party, things go south when a close journalist friend of Grace’s mysteriously plunges from the roof top of the hotel. Even more suspicious is the fact that Aunt Grace’s friend is the same journalist Lana saw getting into a screaming match with the fortune cookie vendor at the convention. Aunt Grace begs Lana for her help uncovering the truth. Lana, Anna May, Aunt Grace attempt to keep up appearances as they search for answers, but unwanted attention from suspicious colleagues and convention attendees starts to surface, causing Lana to wonder if they’ll find the killer in time…or if they’ll be the next ones pushed over the edge.

This was the first book I had read in the series, but I didn't feel lost, so I think it could be read a stand-alone. I loved Lana - she was a lot of fun, and had a lot of grit and tenacity. The mystery kept me guessing until almost the end. If you are a fan of cozy murder mysteries, then you definitely want to check this one out.

Vivien Chien's Noodle Shop Mystery series will always hold a special place in my readerly heart because it was the first cozy mystery series I read, loved, and craved more. I'm so so glad the author is still pouring into this series!! Misfortune Cookie is the 9th in the series and the first not set in the Cleveland area. Lana and her sister have gone to California to visit Aunt Grace. While I enjoyed the change of scenery, it also caused me to miss Megan, Adam, Peter, and Lana's mom, among others we grew to know in the previous 8 books. I didn't miss them for long though, because the plot was SO interesting and I had so much fun unfolding the mystery along with Lana. If Vivien continues to write this series to 35+ books, I can guarantee I will read them all!! Already anticipating book 10!!

Misfortune Cookie is out tomorrow, June, 27th! Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for my e-arc!

In a change up, Chien moves the murder venue from Cleveland to a California caper.
Lana and Anna May visit their aunt Grace and naturally a murder occurs and Lana must be in the thick of things.
I liked the different location since it added a fresh perspective.
I also liked the growth in Anna May and Lana’s sisterhood.
It was neat to become acquainted with aunt Grace.
It was fun to read about the California characters and to solve the crime in the sunshine.
I did miss all of the Cleveland gang, though.

I think this is the best book in this entertaining series, so far. In Misfortune Cookie, Lana Lee’s character continues to grow. This time around, she’s on the other side of the country in California, far away from her boyfriend, Detective Adam Trudeau. In order to find the killer in this book, she must rely more on her skills and instincts and as a result, her confidence grows.
In Misfortune Cookie, the relationship between Lana and her sister, Anna May, is front and center since both have traveled to Southern California. Lana is there on her mother’s dime to attend a restaurant conference, while Anna is there to escape personal heartbreak and to spend more time with their Aunt Grace. The friction between the sisters adds to the believability of these characters and humor to the book as well.
Then there’s the introduction of a new character. Grace Richardson is Lana’s mother’s sister. Grace is a prominent writer for SoCal Publishing. Divorced, she lives her life as she sees fit, something that appeals to Lana. Aunt Grace constantly irritates Lana and Anna by commenting on how similar their relationship is to the one she had with their mother. Even though Lana and Anna May bicker, the last thing they want is to have the volatile relationship their mother and aunt have.
The mystery in Misfortune Cookie twists and turns. The red herrings do their job well, leading this reader first to one conclusion and then another. They kept me guessing until the end of the book.
One slight drawback for me was Anna May’s seemingly inability to grasp human nature. She wants to be a prosecutor, so I expected a character that wasn’t constantly pushing back against some of Lana’s conclusions. On the other hand, it could be Anna May doesn’t have faith in Lana’s deductive skills, which leads Anna to dismiss them out of hand.
I really enjoyed reading Vivien Chen’s Misfortune Cookie. The new setting and the introduction of a new family member means the reader gets to see another side of Lana, adding to her complexity. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I did.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a copy of the book.

Misfortune Cookie (A Noodle Shop Mystery #9 , we follow Lana and her sister to California for a food expo and to visit their Aunt Grace .
Once again , Lana is at the center of a whodunit when she and her sister try to solve the murder of their aunt's friend .

As a long time fan of the Noodle Shop Mystery series I was happy to see Lana and her sister Anna May investigate together ( the sisters normally do not always get along )., I did however miss Asia Village and the supporting cast of characters .

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

This is a fun addition to the well-written and entertaining series!

Lana is now officially the manager of her family's restaurant, the Ho-Lee Noodle House. However, that doesn't stop her from investigating murders, nor will a working trip to California, as trouble seems to follow Lana. Lana and her sister, Anna May, head to CA to visit their Aunt Grace while Lana attends a restaurant convention. When a journalist Lana witnessed arguing with a fortune cookie vendor at the convention is murdered, Lana winds up in the center of the investigation.

I binged the first eight books in this series last year and loved them! This latest one is no exception. This time we get a change of scenery and an introduction to a glamorous and delightful new character in Aunt Grace! While Lana might be separated from her regular support system in Cleveland, it was nice to have her doing some family bonding as she, her aunt, and her sister come together to solve the murder. I love Chien's writing style, and this book is a well-plotted, witty, and entertaining whodunnit that flows well, introducing several suspects with various motives, a few surprises, and delicious food references. Lana is charming, intelligent, and energetic and comes across as very relatable. She has sharpened her investigative skills across the series, and I enjoy spending time sleuthing alongside her! I look forward to the next book and am hoping we see Aunt Grace again soon! 
Highly recommended to cozy mystery fans—and because it's self-contained in a different location, this works well as a stand-alone.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to review this ARC. I loved it!

Lana is out of her element, sort of, in the latest installment in a delightful series but that doesn't mean she's not going to figure out who killed her aunt Grace's friend Nora- and why. Lana and her sister Anna May are in California because Lana's mom signed her up for a food convention and Anna May needs a break. Lana meets Nora at the convention, when one of the participants shrieks at her and that night, during a chichi cocktail party, Nora is pushed off the roof of a hotel. Lana knows she's not in Cleveland- that California is different in many ways- but she, along with Anna May and Grace have to get answers. I adore this series and I must admit I really missed Asia Village, Megan, Adam, and the rest but it's always good for a cozy series to do a bit of a reset to freshen things. It also makes it easier to be a standalone. Lana remains intrepid, Anna May never really loosens up, and Grace, the opposite of Lana's mom, was a nice addition. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A fun read and I'm very much looking forward to the next one.

This is a wonderful and exciting cozy mystery. Lana and Anna May Lee are sisters who on a trip to California. Lana is a restaurant owner and loves to solve mysteries. Anna is the older and more serious sister who is a lawyer. When their aunt’s friend dies suddenly they find themselves caught up in the investigation. The story is a page turner and super easy to read. The sisters provide plenty of entertainment for the readers. With multiple suspects they have to find the killer without getting hurt.

Thank you, NetGalley and St. Martin's Press, for the digital copy of an Advanced Readers Copy of Misfortune Cookie (Noodle Shop Mystery, #9) by Vivien Chien. I was happy to be approved to read this book. I received this book for free in exchange for my honest review.

At first, I wasn't really sure what to expect with this book as I had never read anything written by Vivien Chien, but I was glad that I did. The author did a fantastic job of giving the reader a recap of the backstories for the reoccurring characters in such a way that it flowed flawlessly. Because of this, the novel can be read as stand alone book. With that being said, I sometimes felt like the conversations between Lanna and Anna May could be stilted at times, especially when Anna May was speaking. It seemed too proper for a lack of a better word. I really did like all three of the main characters though, even though I think we're not supposed to like Anna May.

One thing that drove me a bit bonkers was that Lana's mother called her in California at midnight, pacific time. That would mean it's three o'clock in the morning in Cleveland, Ohio. It seems a little unrealistic to me that her mother would be up at that time, even working in the restaurant business.

As for the murderer, a lot of the suspicion was thrown on the husband, but I really didn't think it was him. My guess was that it was either the fortune cookie vendor or Ernest, the editor. You'll have to read it for yourself to see if I was right or wrong.

However, the story was entertaining enough and held my attention. Despite it being about murder, it was a lighter read because it doesn't have all the guts and gore that most mysteries, thrillers, and suspense novels have. Four out of five stars is what I give Misfortune Cookie (Noodle Shop Mystery, #9) by Vivien Chien.

Misfortune Cookie is an easy, fun read. This is the first book I have read by this author and won't be the last. Although the characters refer back to other books this is a stand alone read. Lana and her sister visit an aunt in California and end up solving a mystery. This story is easy to follow and one can picture the characters.

Lana Lee is the leading character in Vivien Chien’s MISFORTUNE COOKIE, the ninth book in the Noodle Shop Mystery series. Lana lives in Cleveland and is the manager of her family’s Ho-Lee Noodle House in Asia Village. She and her sister, Anna May, travel to Irvine, California, to attend a convention. Upon arrival, the sisters are greeted by their Aunt Grace, who invites them to attend a cocktail party. A woman is found dead at the party. What is the reason for her death?

Having listened to the audio version of the first book in the Noodle Shop Mystery series, it is a pleasure to hear Lana’s voice play in my head while reading MISFORTUNE COOKIE. The murder occurs in Chapter 7, a little late in my opinion, but I care about the characters and enjoy solving the mystery. The story progresses to a most-satisfying conclusion. The novel is a fun read, and I plan to read more books in the Noodle Shop Mystery series. My thanks go to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read and review an advance reader copy of MISFORTUNE COOKIE.

This new Noodle House mystery was a departure from the normal Cleveland setting, taking place in sunny California in the middle of December. Unfortunately, we left the usual supporting characters behind and they make short, albeit important appearances in the book. Still, I found myself missing Megan and Adam and even sometimes Lana's mom.

Lana and her sister Anna May are going to California. Lana for a restaurant conference and Anna May tagging along to get away from her problems in Ohio. They are visiting their aunt Grace and Lana is finally hoping she can relax and unwind and not sleuth another murder. At least until her aunt's BFF is pushed off the top of a building where a grand cocktail party the three are attending is taking place. Given Grace's friendship with the victim, she asks Lana to give her peace by finding out who hurt her friend. Unfortunately, it's a lot more complicated than they thought.

While there were plenty of suspects, I figured out whodunit it pretty fast. Their motives were not so clear, so that was the gripping part. I do like when the author takes their amateur sleuth out of their comfort setting where they know people and have a strong support system and Ms. Chien did that with aplomb in this book that didn't make it too strange that Lana was asking questions. A lot of the fun of these cozies is the banter between Lana and her bestie, Megan and that part made me a little sad to miss but this book was still a delight to read and I do dearly hope there are more noodle house mysteries in our future.

My very grateful thanks to St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for allowing me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you for letting me read this book. It is a good light read for those who love a cozy mystery. I will recommend it to friends that I think will also enjoy it.

This is the ninth Noodle Shop Mystery and the first one I have read. This story finds Lana Lee and her sister Anna May visiting Irvine, California, for a restaurant convention. Their Aunt Grace lives in LA and invites the girls to stay in one of her rental condos and let her show them around.

The first day at the convention, Lana witnesses an argument between a reviewer and fortune cookie vender. Lana is curious but goes on with her day. During the evening at a cocktail party, things go wrong when someone falls from the roof. Lana is surprised to learn that the woman who fell was a good friend of Aunt Grace and also the woman she had seen arguing earlier in the day.

Lana puts her detecting skills to her aunt's disposal as they try to find out who murdered Nora Blackwell. They uncover a lot of secrets leading Aunt Grace to feel that she never knew her friend at all.

I enjoyed getting to know Lana and also enjoyed the hints at her earlier cases. She was smart, determined, and stubborn. I liked her relationship with her "perfect" older sister Anna May. I liked that she didn't know what she wanted to be until she was a bit older and liked how she discovered that detecting was a skill she had to use.

Moving Lana and Anna May to a new environment meant that she was without her usual support network which includes her police officer boyfriend - the one she promised to stay out of dangerous situations. It also slimmed down the cast of characters which was a blessing for someone coming new to the series.

I enjoyed this story. The mystery was well-developed, and I enjoyed the cast of characters.

Oodles of noodles 🍜

This one, more than any of the others I've read in this series, made me hungry! 😆

Synopsis: Lana, now officially manager of her family’s restaurant, is headed to sunny Irvine, California to attend a restaurant convention with her sister, Anna May, along for the ride. The girls’ Aunt Grace has asked them to stay in her posh rental, and as the trip begins, it seems to be just what they both needed. Even the restaurant convention proves to be worthwhile and entertaining, especially when Lana witnesses a dramatic cat fight between a fortune cookie vendor and a journalist.

Lana and Anna May can’t imagine things getting any better until they learn their aunt has yet another surprise in store for them—a swanky cocktail party hosted for the freelancers of Southern California. But on the night of the party, things go south when a close journalist friend of Grace’s mysteriously plunges from the roof top of the hotel. Even more suspicious is the fact that Aunt Grace’s friend is the same journalist Lana saw getting into a screaming match with the fortune cookie vendor at the convention.

The police rule the death a gruesome accident, but Aunt Grace refuses to accept that explanation and begs Lana for her help uncovering the truth. Lana, Anna May, Aunt Grace attempt to keep up appearances as they search for answers, but unwanted attention from suspicious colleagues and convention attendees starts to surface, causing Lana to wonder if they’ll find the killer in time…or if they’ll be the next ones pushed over the edge.

My thoughts: I enjoy this series, and this one was as good as the others I've read. However, it definitely felt like a crossroads or perhaps even an ending? Lana is doing a lot of soul searching at the end of the book and contemplating her future in a way that makes me think either 1) big changes will be happening in the next book or 2) this could be the end of the series.

All that to say, this is a fun series but definitely don't start with this one 😆

Lana Lee is having her usual difficulties. She's still working as the manager of her parent's noodle house in Cleveland, she's still dating a police detective who struggles with her "detecting", and she's still trying to figure out who she is, in the larger sense of things. Also as usual, she finds herself drawn into the middle of a mystery. That's the general layout of a Noodle House mystery. This one, happily, shakes things up a little, with a new location and an opportunity for Lana to do some advocating for herself.

MIsfortune Cookie is the ninth book in the Noodle House Mystery series by Vivien Chien. Lana and her sister and sometimes nemesis Anna May are off to California to visit their jetsetting Aunt Grace. Lana has some responsibilities on the trip. There is a restaurateur's conference to attend in her role as restaurant manager. However, she quickly gets caught up in a mystery involving the death of her aunt's dear friend. There are almost too many suspects and it's going to take all of Lana's skills to get to the bottom of this one!
The change in location, and the chance for Lana to step out without her usual roommate and sidekick, or the support of her police detective boyfriend makes this one of the stronger books in the series.

As well as putting Lana in a new environment, the situation allows for some building of the relationship between the sisters, who have often been like oil and water. Lana is forced to ask Anna May for help, and Anna May is forced to see that her "little sister" is actually pretty good at mystery solving. Both sisters also realize that they have more in common than they think.

This installment adds some needed interest and depth to the series. There are lots of twists and turns here, and some solid character development. I'm intrigued to see where things go next. 4 stars.
Thanks to St Martin's Press and NetGalley for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

Lana Lee and her sister Anna Mae head to a food convention in California. Lana is embracing her role as manager of the family restaurant and is looking forward to the exhibits. Their flamboyant aunt Grace finds them a place to staff and offers to show them around. First on the agenda is a trip to the food show. Lana approaches a fortune cookie vendor only to arrive in the middle of an argument with woman decked out in Bohemian-style clothing. At a cocktail party for Grace's journalist friends she is excited from the sisters to meet her friend who turns out to be the woman in the argument. Later that evening Grace tries to find her friend Nora Backwell only to discover her body sprawled on the cement in front of the hotel. This causes Lana's detective instincts to kick in and she is off on the quest to figure out who killed Nora. Author Vivien Chen is back to her excellent writing style.

🦇 Misfortune Cookie Book Review 🦇

Rating: ⭐⭐

❝ "I guess I can't let things rest. It's not good enough for me to just sit back and let these things happen when I know I can be useful." ❞

❓ #QOTD Write a fortune and tag a #Bookstagram friend! ❓

🦇 Alongside her sister, Lana Lee leaves Cleveland to attend a restaurant convention in sunny California. With the intention of finding ways to help her family's restaurant thrive, she's focused on making the most of the experience, only to get in the (literal) middle of a catfight between a fortune cookie vendor and the journalist who wrote her a scathing review. Lana can't escape tragedy, though; a few hours later, a body drops from the roof where Lana, her sister, and their aunt are attending a swanky party. The body belongs to Aunt Grace's friend—the same journalist who fought with the fortune cookie vendor hours earlier. Can Lana solve the murder and give Aunt Grace the closure she needs?

💜 It's always difficult to dive into a series nine books in, especially with pre-established relationships and closed cases in the MC's recent past. Thankfully, Vivien Chien does a wonderful job of alluding to her previous books without leaving newcomers in the dark. The little hints we receive about her successfully solved cases, the other Asia Village shop owners, Lana's boyfriend Detective Adam, and the Majong Matrons have me intrigued about Lana's previous adventures. I'm glad I jumped into this series in what operates as a standalone, as Lana is away from home, her friends, and the resources she usually depends on. Her relationship with her aunt was heartwarming. The little shoutout to Laguna, where I was born, was a pleasant surprise, too.

🦇 The writing was, unfortunately, unremarkable. The prose was fluffed up with cliches that felt unnatural or out of place. Given a comment Anna May makes about Lana's metabolism slowing down in her 30s, I assume Lana is in her 20s, but neither sister uses language that feels natural for a modern 20 (or 30...or 40) year-old. Too often, there are random emotional outbursts or gestures (crying, winking, laughing, etc.) that also feel out of place. The emotional whiplash was jarring enough that I had to reread scenes to make sure I wasn't missing anything.

🥠 Anna May's character is a constant annoyance who only seems to exist to put Lana and her sleuthing abilities down, which is unfortunate because I wanted to like her. While Anna May should have acted as a foil for Lana's brash behavior by offering a logical or cool-headed frame of mind (or essential legal advice), she's instead used to spark sisterly tension. I have three younger sisters and I've never spoken down to them the way Anna May does to Lana. With eight solved cases behind her, I would have thought Anna May was prepared for Lana's sleuthing tendencies. Her sister could have acted more as a sounding board. Instead, there's a lot of telling, rather than showing, as Lana closes herself off to process the information she's gathered. The exposition and lack of action only cause the pacing to drag.

🥠 Most frustrating of all was the reveal. If the killer had a handlebar mustache to twist between their fingers or a white, fluffy cat to stroke while explaining their diabolical plan, they would have. The dialogue and tone felt overly sinister, while the killer's physical actions felt awkward and illogical. Having recognized the red herring and anticipated killer early on, the reveal also lacked the tension it desperately needed for a decent ending.

🦇 For fans of the Tita Rosa's Kitchen Mystery and Spice Isle Bakery Mystery series, old Nancy Drew games, or Boxcar Children series as a kid. If you guess the killer before the halfway mark, let me know!

✨ The Vibes ✨
🥠 Cozy Mystery
🥠 Part of a Series
🥠 Nancy Drew Vibes
🥠 California Vacation
🥠 Female Family Bonding

🦇 Major thanks to the author Vivien Chien and publisher (@stmartinspress) for providing an ARC of this book via Netgalley (@netgalley). 🥰 This does not affect my opinion regarding the book. #MisfortuneCookie #NoodleShopMystery