Lana Lee is working in her family’s restaurant when private investigator Lydia Shepard comes to visit. Lana owes her a favor, and Lydia needs help with a case. Lana’s reputation as an amateur investigator is pretty well known around Asia Village by now, but she’s never had a detective asking for her help with a specific case before. She is intrigued.

It turns out that the case involves a long-held secret in the Asian community in Cleveland. Based on a Chinese legend about the Eight Immortals, eight prominent businessmen started a secret society. Each man was given an artifact to represent their place in the society, and their artifact and place in the society were to be handed down to a son. Lana had no idea that this society existed, and apparently it was right under her nose the whole time.

Lydia’s client turns out to be one of the original eight in the society, and he’s worried that he might be the next target. He claims that three of the original members have been murdered in the last few months, but the police aren’t looking into them. The first one was ruled a heart attack, even though he’d never had any heart trouble. The second one fell down the stairs. The third was found in his garage, with the car still running. And this man is afraid he is next on the killer’s list.

The more Lana finds out about this secret society, the more she realizes how close it is to her family, so this case becomes personal. She wants to solve it quickly, before someone she cares about is next on the list.

The Chow Maniac is book eleven in Vivien Chien’s Noodle Shop Mystery series starring Lana and her friends and family. These books are charming and light, with strong plots, lovable characters, a strong sense of place and culture, and an adorable little pug named Kikkoman.

The plot with the secret society based on an ancient Chinese tale is a departure for this series, but I really enjoyed how Chien brought it into the present day. I loved how she built on the connections through Asia Village. I was a little concerned with Lana’s entanglement with the private detective though. Their relationship was not well balanced, with each of them keeping secrets from each other. It seemed like the investigation put Lana into more danger than the professional PI, and that troubled me. Other than that, I had a great time seeing Lana put together the pieces and find the killer.

Egalleys for The Chow Maniac were provided by Minotaur Books through NetGalley, with many thanks, but the opinions are mine.

I love this series and this one was a fantastic addition.
The Chow Maniac by Vivien Chien

A fun mystery that will keep you reading. The characters you meet, in the book, are wonderfully realistic - we can all recognize someone. Lana is relatable, smart and ready to help.
The twists were so good. I loved the story and cannot wait to read the next book.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the arc in exchange for my honest review.

Lana Lee is back! The Chow Maniac, Vivien Chien's 11th ( Wow - it seems like just yesterday Death by Dumpling was released!!!) focuses on the connection forged long-ago by businessmen who created a modern day version of the Eight Immortals whose secret existence is carried on to the present day. When members of the group begin to die by mysterious (and murderous!) circumstances, Lana is hired (a paying gig!) to investigate. Fun to read, and definitely 5 stars from me! A+++

Kindle Copy for Review from NetGalley, St. Martin's Press and Minotaur Books.

I received a free, advance copy of this book and this is my unbiased and voluntary review.

Rash of thefts and murders in the area has the police detective Lydia asking for help from Lena and her friends. Three Asian men who belong to secret society are found dead. What is there connection before the killer strikes aaain? It will have your noodle guessing.

This is my favorite of the series so far! I loved the addition of the history and tradition of the Eight Immortals; while I adore the mentions of the noodle shop and the Matrons, this added so much more culture to the series that I didn’t realize I thought was missing. This one felt different than the others in the series, a little more serious and a tad darker. I enjoyed Lana investigating with Lydia, while working alongside her boyfriend and not constantly being told not to do something. Highly recommend the whole series but start at the beginning to get a full sense of what it’s all about and how Lana gets started in her investigations.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Vivien Chien for providing me with a complimentary digital ARC for The Chow Maniac coming out April 1, 2025. The honest opinions expressed in this review are my own.

This is the first book I’ve read by this author! I’m obsessed with cozy mysteries! I definitely need to go back and read the other books. I think Lana is an old soul. Sometimes it felt like the story was set in a different time. I loved that Lana was really interesting and intelligent. I loved the mixed race representation in Lana. I could really relate to that. I think she and Adam work well together. I loved their interactions. I would definitely read more books by this author!

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys cozy mysteries!

It is 1901 in Cleveland, OH. Yunhao had immigrated from China a few years ago.


Lana Lee was a restaurant manager, dog mom, noodle fanatic, and donut enthusiast. As well as homicide detective's girlfriend.


There were recent deaths in the Asian community. Were these deaths related? Lana Lee and Lydia had to figure that out.


Lydia Shepard, PI, is the supporting character who caught my attention the most.


The quality of the writing was inviting and easy to read. I would recommend this book to fans of cozy mysteries. I give it 5* because I thought it was a well-written cozy mystery. I thought the title was memorable because it was catchy.


Disclaimer: I receive complimentary books from various sources, including, publishers, publicists, authors, the Libby app, and/or NetGalley. I am not required to write a positive review and have not received any compensation. The opinions shared here are my own entirely. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

Wonderful continuation of this cozy mystery series with amateur detective Lana Lee pairing up with PI Lydia to solve a series of mysterious deaths in the Asian community. Thanks to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for an advanced copy for an honest review.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books, and NetGalley for the ARC of The Chow Maniac!!

Continuing on in my cozy mystery era! This one was a really good time. I love the titles of all of the books in this series! They crack me up!
Lana is a great amateur detective and it was exciting following along on her mystery solving journey! Being the 11th book in the series, I think I lost a bit of the whole experience jumping in at this point. There were references in the book that I could tell were from previous stories.
I really did enjoy all the cultural Asian references. And Chinese food is my favorite, so the Noodle Shop setting was fantastic! I loved hearing about all the food!

The Chow Maniac by Vivien Chien (Noodle Shop Mystery #11) 4 stars

On an ordinary day, Lana Lee is walking to Ho-Lee Noodle Restaurant when she finds Lydia Shepard, PI waiting for her. She wants Lana to work with her on a case that involves the Chinese community. Lana’s insight would be helpful and she knows several of the key players involved in her case. What follows is a mystery involving several deaths, a secret society and danger. Will Lana find the real culprit or will she be just another victim?

The mystery was like a jigsaw puzzle that is slowly being put together and reveals a bigger picture. To me, this story is more like Lana finding out more about the people she thinks she knows. Characters from previous mysteries have more hidden facets than what was previously known and Lana is off her stride because of this. There isn’t a lot of action until the end to the book, but it does provide a satisfactory resolution. I enjoyed this book, but I wouldn’t say that it is one of my favorites from this series. I look forward to the next one in this series (late 2025/early 2026)

Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press/Minotaur Books for this ARC.

This is my favorite book so far in the series. One of her best for sure. I am so thankful for the ARC (and I already ordered my copy!).

Lana Lee is approached by a PI friend whom she owes a favor and the PI has come to collect. She has an Asian client who is part of a secret society whose members are being picked off one by one, seemingly with no rhyme or reason behind it. She agrees to get involved because there are some suspicious things going on around the Plaza and her grandmother's boyfriend, Mr. Zhang, appears to have a connection to the case. Lana does not believe her fellow shopkeeper could be involved in such dark dealings and puts her nose to the ground to find out the real culprit.

I really liked the character interactions in this book, especially with Lana, Kimmy and Megan. I missed her family a little in this one but the delightful supporting characters provided made up for it. I think it was interesting adding the PI to this book because Lana had a lot more information than usual and she actually seems to struggle with it.

I was very happy with the ending and happy for Ms. Chien being in remission. I hope we get many more noodle shop mysteries.

My thanks to Minotaur books and Netgalley for this ARC.

A secret society and murder! I've been a fan of this long running series from the beginning. This latest more than some of the earlier ones would be a fine standalone because it's more contained (well, sort of) than those. There were Eight Immortals in the Cleveland Chinese community when the society started but now, suddenly, the members are dying, possibly murdered. Lydia, a real PI, enlists our intrepid Lana, a very good amateur, to help her investigation because of her connections. Lana uncovers a few surprises about people she thought she knew and, as always, about herself. While the mystery is more complex this time out, I gotta say that I missed the time we usually spend with Lana's family. Fans should know that Adam and Megan are still part of the show, as is Kimmie, who as always is a pest but a valuable one. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Really enjoyed it and am looking forward to future adventures with Lana.

Lana Lee, manager of her family's Ohio restaurant, is reunited with PI Lydia Shepard in this book. Lydia reached out to Lana for help with several unexplained deaths that may be related to a secret Asian group called the Eight Immortals. Lydia's client wants her to catch the killer before there is another victim, but who can Lana and Lydia trust?

These mysteries usually make me hungry, but this time Lana has less time to spend in the restaurant so there aren't as many descriptions of delicious-sounding meals. Lana is kept busy with the investigation while trying to keep her sleuthing secret since nobody is supposed to know about the Eight Immortals organization. I was happy to see the character of Lydia return, and I love that she respects Lana's talent for investigating and requested her help. I didn't love that Lana told several people the details of their case that were supposed to be confidential. However, this allows her best friend Megan to help a little and also her childhood friend, Kimmy. I was surprised by some of the other decisions Lana makes, but it shows her determination to get to the truth of this case.

Overall, I enjoyed the book and how the plot is tied to an Asian legend. It was clever how the author worked into the current mystery, as well as various characters in Asia Village where Lana's family has their restaurant. All the clues were there as to who the killer is, but there are a few red herrings to keep things interesting. The story wraps up nicely after a dramatic showdown. From the way things end, it looks like we could hear more about the "Immortals" in future books.

I received an advance copy of this ebook for review consideration from NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and Minotaur Books, but my review is voluntary and unbiased.

Lana finds herself consulting on a case with private investigator friend. The case involves a secret group within the Asian community. Their goal is to help Asians in need and promote Asian businesses. The case is fraught with deaths and missing artifacts. Lana stumbles into the solution and help from Jimmy keeps her safe. Another great story in this series. Lana has grown more cautious in her sleuthing but still manages to get results. I love that she trusts her gut in making decisions. It's always a good read when Lana gets embroiled in a mystery.
I received an advanced copy of this book in exchange for a review.

The Noodle Shop Mystery series is one of my favorite cozy mystery series. It has a strong cast of characters that have continued to grow and develop throughout. The plot moves along nicely and hold the reader's interest. The writing is excellent as always. I always look forward to a return trip to Asian Village and this book did not disappoint.

((thank you you to NetGalley for an ARC. I am not being paid for my honest review.))

One again, Vivien writes a delightful mystery. Are her books a quick read for me? Of course they are but that's also because I can't put them down! Lol this was the first time that I was not able to look at the clues she left to figure out who done it. And I am pleasantly surprised and delighted by that. Some people might say the twists they could see coming, but I could not. And I have complex childhood drama that makes me seem almost psychic!

I did feel at some point there was a little too much filler, but I understand this happens during the editing process. This has never been anything that's make or break for me while reading cozy mysteries. It is something that I've noticed a lot of my favorite cozy mystery authors seem to do. however, it's never JRR Tolkien levels of too much description or filler. The four stars are more like 4.5 for this reason.

Most importantly, I cannot wait to meet Vivien in May at the Pittsburgh festival of books!

This is one of my favourite series, so it’s always a good day when a new one is available to me. Lana Lee is such a fantastic lead character, smart, funny & very relatable & I feel readers will really respond to how she handles solving mysteries. Add in that she’s officially working with a PI. The best parts of this series is definitely the community Lana & her restaurant are a part of & her friendships. This one gets even more wrapped up in the Asian community, with members of a secret order dying one by one. It’s easily one of the strongest books of the series & that’s saying a lot because I’ve enjoyed them all immensely. The sleuthing is very focal & having Lana teaming up with a PI takes her in a whole new direction, mystery solving wise.

This is truly one of the best cozy series out there with one of the strongest cast of characters. It’s a great entry into the genre or for cozy fans alike.

Thank you Netgalley and Minotaur for the ARC of this book. This was an honest review.

I didn't enjoy this book as much as the others in the series. This story's plot was about an Asian order, The Eight Immortials, which I was not interested in. While I enjoyed the connection it had to the Asian Village, where Lana the amateur sleuth works and has connections. Though I did guess the killer, which is rare and still enjoyable, I enjoyed the story's fast pacing and seeing Lana and all the characters again.

I would highly recommend this book. The series is also a good read. Lana is asked to help a Private Investigator get information on suspicious deaths of members of a secret Chinese society.

"Asia Village is in peril when Private detective Lydia Shepard returns to enlist the help of Lana Lee to solve a rash of unsolved murders and thefts.

When Lydia brings Lana onto the case, three of the members of an elite Asian order known as the Eight Immortals have already been murdered. Each member of the order holds one item that represents their immortal counterpart, and someone is dying to get their hands on them all. Lydia's client insists he - and only he - knows who will be next and wants the murderer captured before there is another victim.

Riding below the line of three cities of law enforcement and Lana's own boyfriend, Detective Adam Trudeau, the two women must tread lightly as they infiltrate a secret organization that even the Mahjong Matrons know nothing about. And somehow protect the next victim without letting on that she’s in danger.

As they dig deeper into the case, Lana finds there are unexpected associations within Asia Village and potential ties to her own family that could be devastating. With the stakes raised on the toughest case she's ever worked, will Lana be able to keep her own emotions out of the investigation? And will the murderer be found before they become the ultimate "immortal"?"

I can't help but feel that Interior Chinatown stole Lana Lee from this series...