When Lana Lee agreed to become manager at her parents’ noodle restaurant, Ho-Lee Noodle House in Cleveland, she knew that she’d have to deal with some challenges: customer who weren’t happy with their entrees, servers who can’t make it in to work, running out of favorite dishes. But she didn’t sign on for drama like this.
Lana agreed to work the booth for the restaurant at the city’s first Asian Night Market. With booths of merchandise, food trucks, and live entertainment, the night was certain to be a big hit for vendors and customers. There with her chef Peter, Lana knows that they will do well, despite being up against one of the best Asian food trucks in Cleveland, Wonton on Wheels, which is owned and run by old friends of Lana’s parents, Ronnie and Sandra Chow. But a tragic accident at the end of the night leaves Ronnie dead and Sandra in the hospital. An investigation reveals that the food truck explosion may have been on purpose, and Lana can’t figure out who would do such a thing.
As if that’s not enough for Lana to be dealing with, her Aunt Grace is coming to town. A clash of personalities has always pitted Grace against Lana’s mother, and this visit is no exception. With the family drama turned way up, Lana is determined to do anything she can to help her mother deal with everything, whether that means taking extra shifts at the restaurant or investigating the Wonton on Wheels explosion, so her mother’s friend Sandra is proven innocent. But as always, danger lurks as the amateur detective finds herself getting closer to the truth.
Wonton Terror is Vivien Chien’s fourth book in her Noodle Shop Mysteries and the first one I’ve gotten a chance to read. I had her on my TBR list, as I’ve heard great things about this series. And all those who have recommended this series to me were absolutely right. Wonton Terror is wonderful.
Some cozy mysteries, even highly recommended ones, have issues. There is something off in the writing or in the logic of the story, or the characters just come across as uninteresting or they make a lot of stupid mistakes. Wonton Terror had none of these common problems. I found the writing to flow smoothly, the characters well thought out, and the story kept moving ahead in the most compelling way.
However, I would like to add a couple of warnings. This book does talk about domestic violence, which can be difficult for some to read about. And the main character works in a restaurant, and there is a lot of talk about food that sounds mouth-watering. Expect to get hungry and plan accordingly! Devour the book, and then devour a big bowl of noodles, or maybe spring rolls, or wontons, or doughnuts. Or even a cheeseburger with a bunch of fries. Like I said, there is a lot of talk of food.
Galleys for Wonton Terror were provided by St. Martin’s Press through NetGalley, with many thanks.