Kittling: Books: Search results for Vivien Chien

First Line: You know in the movies when someone says "You can't fire me, I quit!" ... maybe don't do that in real life.

After a break-up and a workplace walk-out, the only place left for Lana Lee to go was back home to Cleveland, Ohio and the family business, the Ho-Lee Noodle House. Waiting tables while putting her life back together has its ups and downs-- especially since her mother is determined to find Lana a husband.

But Lana's love life takes a back seat when the restaurant's property manager turns up dead after a delivery of shrimp dumplings from Ho-Lee. Everyone on staff is dumbfounded because they all knew Mr. Feng was allergic to shellfish. With the good name of the restaurant as well as her own in jeopardy, it looks as though Lana will be waiting tables and investigating a murder... although that police detective sure is good-looking...

After seeing this series recommended by several readers whose opinions I trust, I thought I'd introduce myself to Lana Lee. Going in, I knew it was going to be a dicey proposition because I am definitely not a fan of characters whose main purpose in life is browbeating their offspring into marriage. Fortunately, the matchmaking moved from center stage once the investigation into Mr. Feng's death went into full gear. As someone who prefers little-to-no romance in my mysteries, I also liked the fact that the budding attraction between Lana and the police detective was very lightly done.

Death by Dumpling is a nice, solid, even excellent, beginning to Vivien Chien's Noodle Shop series. The mystery did keep me guessing, which is always a plus. However, the characters just didn't grab me, but keep in mind that I certainly seem to be in the minority here!

Death by Dumpling by Vivien Chien

eISBN: 9781250129161

eBook, 331 pages

Cozy Mystery, #1 Noodle Shop mystery

Rating: B+

Source: Purchased from Amazon.

This blog post series is dedicated to my solemn belief that you can never have too many books. They are saviors in hospital waiting rooms. They increase brain capacity and ward off the blues. They are-- without a single doubt-- an intellectual and emotional security blanket that I refuse to do without. And thanks to websites that will alert you to bargains, you don't have to break the bank to keep your eReader loaded with goodies.

I did manage to exercise a tad more restraint in February than I did in January-- mainly because I drained all those lovely gift cards. Here is a list of what I purchased. I've grouped the books by genre and have provided links to Amazon if you want to learn more about a specific book. A word of warning: the links are to Amazon US, so if you live in a different country keep that in mind!

Short Stories & Novellas

Smelly Man by Colin Cotterill. Mystery set in Thailand.

The Certificate by Priscilla Masters. Mystery set in England.

Blood Ran Cold by Sten Ostberg. Mystery set in Norway.

Long Lost by Linda Castillo. Mystery set in Ohio.

Rendezvous by Nelson DeMille. Mystery set in Vietnam.

Non-Fiction

The Great Silence: Britain from the Shadow of the First World War to the Dawn of the Jazz Age by Juliet Nicolson. Set in England.

Fiction

New Jerusalem News by John Enright. Set in Massachusetts.

Cozy & Amateur Sleuth

The White Shepherd by Annie Dalton. Set in Oxford, England.

Death by Dumpling by Vivien Chien. Set in Ohio.

Police Procedurals

Gideon's Rescue by Alan Russell. Set in California.

Lost Dog by Alan Russell. Set in California.

Guardians of the Night by Alan Russell. Set in California.

The Defenceless by Kati Hiekkapelto. Set in Finland.

The Prisoner by Omar Shahid Hamid. Set in Pakistan.

Dead Man's Lane by Kate Ellis. Set in England.

Where I Can See You by Larry D. Sweazy. Set in Michigan.

I have to admit that the two I am most excited about are John Enright's New Jerusalem News and Where I Can See You by Larry D. Sweazy. I love both men's writing, and I wish Enright's mystery series set in Samoa would have lasted longer. (If you can get your hands on it, do it! Pago Pago Tango, Fire Knife Dancing, The Dead Don't Dance, and Blood Jungle Ballet.)

What about you, dear readers? Did any of the books I added to my stockpile tickle your fancy? Which ones? Inquiring minds would love to know!